Considering the popularity of Southeast Asian foods and the number of Indonesian workers in Taiwan one might expect to see a lot of Indonesian restaurants. In fact there are just a handful and few of these offer authentic Indonesian cuisine. Dede's mini-mart and restaurant fills the void with a small, but tasty selection of Indonesian fare.
An Indonesian-born Chinese, Dede moved to Taiwan four years ago to study Chinese. After having parcels of his favorite snack foods sent from home, he decided to open his own import shop on the second floor of Taipei Railway Station that would cater to the Indonesian community living in Taipei.
After a successful year he seized the opportunity to open a second mini-mart a few doors down from the Taipei Grand Mosque, catering to Taipei's wider Muslim community. This time he included a few tables and a short menu of strict Halal dishes (using only meat butchered by a Muslim).
PHOTO, DIANA FREUNDL, TAIPEI TIMES
The menu, like the surroundings, is simple, with only 11 items to choose from, but the spices used are imported and the cooking is all done by an Indonesian chef. The food can be made spicy or mild depending on individual taste, and if it's not quite spicy enough, there are bottles of sambal hot sauce on every table.
The nasi rendang sapi (beef coconut with rice) and nasi kari ayam (chicken curry with rice) are the most recommended and popular choices among regulars. The remaining options include a few seafood choices and mie (noodle) dishes. There is no vegetarian alternative listed on the menu, but the cook will prepare a enjoyable hot and spicy nasi goring sayur (vegetable fried rice) on request.
Beverages can be brought inside or purchased from the limited selection of tetra-pack juices in the cooler. In addition to all the imported Indonesian nonperishable goods and toiletries there is also an assortment of sweet and savory snack foods available at the front of the shop. The rempeyek (deep fried peanut and bean crackers) and krupuk (shrimp crackers) are great for scooping up your food or for snacking on afterward.
Indojaya Cafe and Mini-market is a no-frills environment and the food is simple, but it's clean, cheap, spicy and tastes great. There's also a KTV in the basement with possibly the largest selection of Indonesian pop songs in Taiwan.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
RSS