Taipei - Taiwan - page 144

(original recipe barbecued skewers). There are pleasing contrasts between the
nutty smooth centre and the spongy outer skin.
Gu Zao Cuo (140 Shenkeng St) Look for the row of hanging yellow chickens out-
side a mansion filled with movie posters, then go in and try the signature dish ofyā
xuè chòu dòufu(stewed stinky tofu with spicy duck's blood) orhóngshāo dòufu
(braised tofu) in a light broth. Both are pleasantly stinky and offer interesting con-
trasts in texture. The creamy braised tofu yields in the mouth like a ripe peach.
Wang Shui Cheng (144 Shenkeng St) For something uniquely Taiwanese, try the
málà dòufu(tofu in an oily spicy sauce) at the shop that invented the dish. The tofu
here looks like a baked abode brick and is topped with pickled mustard leaves and
red chillies.
Shenkeng Zhenwei (Shenkeng St) This stall outside Jishun Temple (about halfway
up the street on the right) is another 1950s original, but serves the stinky version
of the barbecued skewers.
Finally, to top off the feast, head to the end of the street for a cone or bowl of soft
tofu ice-cream (it's not stinky).
Getting There & Away
Catch bus 666 (NT$15, frequent) across from Muzha MRT station and get off at
the head of the old street near a large spreading banyan tree. A taxi from the sta-
tion (or from the Taipei Zoo) will cost less than NT$150.
Eating
Though well known within Asia, Taipei's food scene is increasingly attracting the atten-
tion of Western food journalists, celebrities, bloggers and even chefs eager to introduce a
new trend. Why? Because when you combine a food-obsessed people, a history in-
volving colonisation and immigration, and a fertile landscape that can grow or provide
nearly anything fresh, it's hard not to create something special. And Taipei has.
It doesn't matter if you're a Southeast Asian looking to compare Taipei's street food
with your own, a Japanese looking for the comforts of home, or a Western traveller curi-
ous about how the stinky tofu and guā bāo (steamed pork sandwich) compare to back
home, you'll find Taipei consistently delivers on quality, variety, flavour and pure culin-
ary adventure.
Check out A Hungry Girl's Guide to Taipei ( http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com ) and
Taipei 534 ( http://taipei543.com/category/food ) for more.