Fed up with teaching English, South African expat Frank Thiart quit his job late last year but wasn’t sure what to do next. Within three days he had found the answer — selling pies — and a suitable location for a shop-cum-restaurant in Yunghe City.
His reason: decent pies could only be found in upscale supermarkets, and they are factory-produced and over-priced.
Thiart started off with homemade quiche (NT$60 per slice) and four flavors of pie and has, since opening on March 13, expanded the menu to include hamburgers (NT$80), sausage rolls (NT$70), Hawaiian curry chicken rice (NT$130), which is baked in half of a hollowed-out pineapple and is notable for its sweet aroma and sour flavor, French fries (NT$35), which are coated in a piquant seasoning mix, salad (small NT$40, large NT$60) and more than eight flavors of pie.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANKIE'S PIES N' MORE
Generously proportioned — 11cm in diameter and 5.5cm deep — and served in a foil jacket along with a miniscule portion of salad, which prevents them appearing bare, the pies cost between NT$80 for cheese and vegetable to NT$95 for Italian steak. They can be ordered in set meals with a juice (red grape) and fries. The price varies according to which pie is ordered. A second set comprises a slice of quiche, small salad and juice (NT$100).
Pie flavors range from the traditional chicken and cheese, cheese and vegetable, and pepper steak, to the more innovative adobo, inspired by the vinegary Philippine dish of the same name, three-cup chicken (三杯雞), and hamburger variety, the filling of which is made from patty meat, gherkin and barbecue sauce.
A two-floor operation with a spotless kitchen and bathroom on the second, a storefront sporting a glass display case on the first, and three tables and 11 chairs outside on the sidewalk, Frankie’s main trade is in takeouts, which can be taken home, refrigerated and reheated later. A chicken and cheese pie, after one day in the fridge, had retained the crispiness of its golden short-crust pastry top and base, although the sides had turned a tad soggy. Thiart recommends reheating the pies in the oven to crisp up the pastry. Precooked frozen pies are also available.
Three potted plants, a rope light shade, two ceiling fans, cheerful corn yellow and burnt orange walls and a red awning make the seating area a pleasant little spot in what is otherwise a noisy, densely populated suburb. At 10pm on a recent evening there was little traffic on the tree-lined street.
Frankie’s doesn’t serve alcohol, but Thiart said patrons are welcome to bring along their own refreshments.
By MRT, take the blue (Nanshijiao) line to Dingxi Station. From Exit No. 2, Frankie’s is a four-minute walk. Turn left from the station and take a left onto Wenhua Road at the first traffic lights. The pie shop is on the same side of the road, a few blocks up. From Taipei City, take Chungcheng Bridge (中正橋) to Yunghe City. Turn right onto Wenhua Road at the first traffic lights after the bridge. Frankie’s is on the left a few blocks after the lights.
To place an order or obtain a quote for party platters, which Thiart said would be included on the menu in the near future, send an e-mail to frankiespie@gmail.com.
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