Long John Silver's took some flak from the blogosphere when the quick-service US seafood chain opened its first Taipei branch late last year. One poster on Forumosa.com wrote, "Even foreigners will not eat there more than once." Another: "I wouldn't go back if it were free." But I decided to check it out anyway. I had happy memories of eating there when I was a small child. It couldn't be that bad, could it?
My initial reaction was positive. Located catty-corner from the Nanjing East Road MRT station, this Long John Silver's looked like a slightly upscale version of KFC, which operates a branch two doors down. Inside, the undulating ceilings, fanciful fish designs and ornamental touches like ersatz ship's windows, gave the interior a vaguely underwater feel.
I placed my order - a Golden Yellow (金黃) number one set meal (NT$155), which came with a salad, drink, two battered and fried shrimp, one battered and fried fish fillet and one fried chicken strip - and was further impressed that Long John Silver's, at least this one, was doing its bit for the environment by using silverware and reusable glasses and plates.
PHOTO: RON BROWNLOW, TAIPEI TIMES
Things went downhill from there. This wasn't entirely the restaurant's fault. In a nod to local tastes, the tartar sauce was heavily seasoned with black pepper. There was no vinegar. Instead of hush puppies, the fried breaded cornballs that are a staple at Long John Silvers in the US, there were seafood crackers, like the kind served in Thai restaurants. And the salad was not coleslaw but a mixture of lettuce and pineapple, with red cabbage shavings and a fruity dressing.
The main courses, however, were basically the same, and left much to be desired. The fish, a perfect trapezoid was definitely processed. That's no surprise, but the meat was dense and overly breaded. The shrimp looked real - they had tails - but you never know. The meal left a distinctly dry, peppery aftertaste.
To be sure, this was a fast-food restaurant, where speed, uniformity and cheap ingredients are more important than taste. But a Long John Silver's meal costs around NT$180 with a side order of french fries. This isn't much cheaper than JB's, Bongo's, On Tap or any of the other Western pubs and restaurants that serve much better fare. Even accounting for the concessions made to suit the Taiwanese palette, the quality of the food had declined considerably since the last time I ate at a Long John Silver's, which was just before the chain was bought and reorganized by Yum! Brands, the company that owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC.
Long John Silver's used to be a better alternative to McDonald's. Now it's only attraction is that it is an alternative to McDonald's.
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