A certain smell hangs over the city of Taipei, a sort of pungent, musky odor that sinks into clothing, concrete and skin. Some liken it to rancid meat, others say it's akin to unpleasant bodily emissions, but to me it will always be the scent of culinary adventure (and the rewards of a good meal from an unexpected source).
The smell emanates from a delicacy indelicately known as 'stinky tofu', and is naturally on the menu (and in the air) at Island of Taiwan Restaurant, one of the relatively few Taiwanese eateries in the greater NYC region. Alongside the fore-mentioned aromatic dish are a number of national staples (stews, sausages, and savory pa-jun-like pancakes) that showcase Taiwan's culinary history, an amalgam of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean influences presented with its own unique flavor.
Even your nostrils aren't quite up to the stinky-tofu challenge - and believe me, its bark is worse than its bite... which is delicious - Island is definitely worth a visit to expand your gastronomic horizons, and chow down on some really tasty food.
6817 8th Ave
(between Ovington Ave & Bay Ridge Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11220
Neighborhood: Dyker Heights
(718) 680-0033
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Thursday, April 26, 2012
Taiwan Hotel Review
The recently refurbished Taiwan Hotel is extremely conveniently located immediately beside Changhua rail station. The outward appearance not very special, but tastefully decorated inside. Rooms are of various sizes, some without windows according to the room plan. Rooms facing west on upper floors have excellent views. You will hear a little noise from the railway, but it did not disturb my sleep. Bathroom fairly large and well designed. Broadband access worked, no password necessary. Reception staff speak some English. The only major drawback is breakfast, which consists of a McDonalds delivery at 7.30. Also there were some muffled rumbles of sound which did not come from the railway, I suspect it was from the cinema which is located in the same building, and it subsided at night. Will stay here again if I return to Changhua.
We stayed here for one night. Taiwan Hotel is spacious, clean and comfortable with a fanscinating view of the Changhua railway station and tracks. Breakfast was an interesting three-choice affair. You can let the reception know if you would prefer Soybean Milk, Macdonalds, or a 7-11 coupon to purchase food directly from the 7-11 across the hotel. Location wise the hotel was perfect. It was a 2 minute walk from Changhua Railway station and a cinema is just beside the hotel.
No.48 Chung Chang Road, Second Section, Changhua, Taiwan
We stayed here for one night. Taiwan Hotel is spacious, clean and comfortable with a fanscinating view of the Changhua railway station and tracks. Breakfast was an interesting three-choice affair. You can let the reception know if you would prefer Soybean Milk, Macdonalds, or a 7-11 coupon to purchase food directly from the 7-11 across the hotel. Location wise the hotel was perfect. It was a 2 minute walk from Changhua Railway station and a cinema is just beside the hotel.
No.48 Chung Chang Road, Second Section, Changhua, Taiwan
Taiwan Cafe Review
I was born in Taiwan, so I am critical of any Taiwanese cuisine. This is definitely a casual dining place, no ambiance whatsoever, but that is fairly typical of Chinese restaurants. The tables were all closely placed, which is obviously to maximize the amount of people they can squeeze in, which again is quite authentic!
Then my sisters and I got extremely excited over the menu - there were so many familiar Taiwan eats/snacks on the menu! Hadn't even seen some of them in any restaurants outside Taiwan. So we ordered many dishes to try out. The Beef Noodle soup is the standout - plenty of well cooked beef, the noodle was amazing, and the soup was sufficiently spicy. The xiao long bao was okay, but I am comparing that to Din Tai Fung. But you get value for money, as they were bigger than traditional ones. The fried dumplings were also good, but again, made too big, too much meat to be authentic - may be to cater to local market? I had the pork rice, and it was okay, not bad, but not much to write home about. There were a few true Taiwanese dishes that I can't describe, but were all not too bad. Avoid the cold jellyfish - was not crunchy enough. This was the only one we regretted ordering, even though my husband loves jellyfish.
34 Oxford St. (Beach St.), Boston, MA 02111-2002
(617) 426-8181
Then my sisters and I got extremely excited over the menu - there were so many familiar Taiwan eats/snacks on the menu! Hadn't even seen some of them in any restaurants outside Taiwan. So we ordered many dishes to try out. The Beef Noodle soup is the standout - plenty of well cooked beef, the noodle was amazing, and the soup was sufficiently spicy. The xiao long bao was okay, but I am comparing that to Din Tai Fung. But you get value for money, as they were bigger than traditional ones. The fried dumplings were also good, but again, made too big, too much meat to be authentic - may be to cater to local market? I had the pork rice, and it was okay, not bad, but not much to write home about. There were a few true Taiwanese dishes that I can't describe, but were all not too bad. Avoid the cold jellyfish - was not crunchy enough. This was the only one we regretted ordering, even though my husband loves jellyfish.
34 Oxford St. (Beach St.), Boston, MA 02111-2002
(617) 426-8181
A Taste of Taiwan Review
Pretty solid Taiwanese food here, I got the rice noodle soup which came with veggies and pork. The soup was really flavorful and decently priced. My BF got the beef noodle soup, which was really good, especially for what you can get in the US.
I'd definitely like to come back here in the future to try out their other food. When we got here in the afternoon, the restaurant as pretty busy, although not crowded. (Then again I only came here on a whim when the dim sum restaurant down the street required a 30 minute wait).
Keep in mind when you come here, as with most Asian restaurants, this place is CASH ONLY so don't be like that douche that cried BS when the owner told him they were cash only and the only Bank of America was 2 blocks away. He grumbled all three minutes over there, what a hoot.
NW corner of Prince and 39th Avenue
Queens, NY 11354
Neighborhoods: Downtown Flushing, Flushing
I'd definitely like to come back here in the future to try out their other food. When we got here in the afternoon, the restaurant as pretty busy, although not crowded. (Then again I only came here on a whim when the dim sum restaurant down the street required a 30 minute wait).
Keep in mind when you come here, as with most Asian restaurants, this place is CASH ONLY so don't be like that douche that cried BS when the owner told him they were cash only and the only Bank of America was 2 blocks away. He grumbled all three minutes over there, what a hoot.
NW corner of Prince and 39th Avenue
Queens, NY 11354
Neighborhoods: Downtown Flushing, Flushing
Taiwan Map Review
Taiwan-map provides users with accurate interactive maps of Taiwan, along with travel and living information geared at both tourists and foreigners living in Taiwan. Taiwan-map is the one-stop source for English-language information on getting out and about in Taiwan.
Features include...
Map Search: Need to map an address? Locate a landmark? Then check out Map Search.
In addition, our "Theme Maps" and "Travel Guide" sections
provide essential travel and leisure information concerning accommodation, dining, shopping, sightseeing and more, including detailed maps.
Become a member, and you can print and save personalized maps for future use, plus receive notices of Taiwan-map.com updates.
No. 7, Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road Section 3 Taipei 106 Taiwan
(+886) (02) 2162-2000
(+886) (02) 2162-2251
Features include...
Map Search: Need to map an address? Locate a landmark? Then check out Map Search.
In addition, our "Theme Maps" and "Travel Guide" sections
provide essential travel and leisure information concerning accommodation, dining, shopping, sightseeing and more, including detailed maps.
Become a member, and you can print and save personalized maps for future use, plus receive notices of Taiwan-map.com updates.
No. 7, Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road Section 3 Taipei 106 Taiwan
(+886) (02) 2162-2000
(+886) (02) 2162-2251
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Taiwantrade Review
Taiwantrade is an interactive e-business portal
designed to provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with immediate
access to B2B e-commerce activities, and to help them gain a digital
edge over their competitors worldwide. Backed by a wealth of trade
promotion resources and strong support from different trade and
industry associations, e-marketplaces, and popular trade websites,
Taiwantrade offers the utmost online trade and promotion services to
businesses in Taiwan and abroad. Major local trade and industry associations representing such
sectors as machinery, electronics, communications, computers, auto
parts, and motorcycles work closely with Taiwantrade to enable global
buyers get hold of all kinds of information on products and
manufacturing services offered by Taiwanese enterprises from different
industries.
Taiwan Travel Review
Ilha Formosa – Beautiful Island. This is what a group of Portuguese
sailors, said to have been the first Westerners to lay eyes on the
island, uttered upon seeing Taiwan
for the first time. We imagine they must have been pretty enamoured.
While not every Westerner has the same love-at-first-sight reaction to
Taiwan, our Portuguese seafaring friends were just the first of many.
With the lush mountains of Wulai, pulsating cities like Taipei, the
stunning basalt cliffs of Penghu , excellent hiking in Taroko Gorge, not
to mention some of the world’s best hot springs (we especially like the
Taian Hot Springs), Taiwan cuts a figure as one of the most diverse
destinations in Asia.
150 Linden Street
Oakland
CA 94607
Ph. (1) 510 250 6400
Toll free. 800 275 8555
Fax. (1) 510 893 8572
150 Linden Street
Oakland
CA 94607
Ph. (1) 510 250 6400
Toll free. 800 275 8555
Fax. (1) 510 893 8572
Education And Students In Taiwan Review
Students in Taiwan, for the most part, are very respectful. The
underlying principles of culture are rooted in the foundations of
Confucianism where teachers and education are to be respected. In grade
school, at the end of class, students are expected to stand and say in
unison, "Thank You Teacher".
Times have changed in Taiwan just like any other country and students are motivated more out of respect and interest rather than through discipline or fear.To connect with your students you need to be a good teacher. This takes time and energy. Students in Taiwan excel in maths and sciences and traditionally have prescribed to wrote memorization techniques in learning. English has not been a priority in public education until recently and the Ministry of Education in Taiwan is working to create an effective English program in public schools around the nation.
Times have changed in Taiwan just like any other country and students are motivated more out of respect and interest rather than through discipline or fear.To connect with your students you need to be a good teacher. This takes time and energy. Students in Taiwan excel in maths and sciences and traditionally have prescribed to wrote memorization techniques in learning. English has not been a priority in public education until recently and the Ministry of Education in Taiwan is working to create an effective English program in public schools around the nation.
Northern Taiwan Review
Taiwan has a very rich traditional Chinese culture. The blending of
hakka, Taiwanese, has produced a rich plethora of cultural and social
colors. When you are taking a vacation in Taiwan, do not miss the
opportunity to taste different Chinese cuisines, such as Zhejiang from
China, Hunan, Guangdong, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, and others
from China. Take a Taiwan Tour to enjoy the scenery and culture.
Northern Taiwan (Taipei, Keelung) is an area of historic remains in temples, towering mountains, restful lakes, beautiful waterfalls, hot springs and fantastic coastal rock formations. Taipei City is the center of tourism in the northern part of Taiwan Province. Apart from the Yang Ming Mountain and Peitou Picturesque Scenic Spot, the Taipei Park is the biggest and the biggest wood-fenced zoo. There are many other places of historic interest and scenic beauty, such as the Taipei City Gate, the Long Shan Temple, Bao An Palace and Confucian Temple, just to name a few. You can enjoy the Taiwan tours such as Taipei City Tour, Taipei Night Tour, Keelung City Tour, Northern Coast Tour, Yangmingshan National Park Tour, Window of China, or Culture Tour.
Northern Taiwan (Taipei, Keelung) is an area of historic remains in temples, towering mountains, restful lakes, beautiful waterfalls, hot springs and fantastic coastal rock formations. Taipei City is the center of tourism in the northern part of Taiwan Province. Apart from the Yang Ming Mountain and Peitou Picturesque Scenic Spot, the Taipei Park is the biggest and the biggest wood-fenced zoo. There are many other places of historic interest and scenic beauty, such as the Taipei City Gate, the Long Shan Temple, Bao An Palace and Confucian Temple, just to name a few. You can enjoy the Taiwan tours such as Taipei City Tour, Taipei Night Tour, Keelung City Tour, Northern Coast Tour, Yangmingshan National Park Tour, Window of China, or Culture Tour.
Taiwan’s Health Review
In a recent edition of Health Affairs, health
economist Tsung-Mei Cheng interviews Taiwan’s Health Minister Ching-Chuan Yeh, M.D. They discuss Taiwan’s adoption of a national health insurance (NHI) system in 1995. Below are some highlights from the interview.
Health spending as a share of GDP was 4.79% in 1993 (prior to NHI) and 6.1% in 2007 (after NHI).
Administrative costs are 1.5% of total NHI spending.
Taiwanese patients pay very low premiums and copayments. Over 98% of Taiwanese pay their premiums on time.
The government sets a uniform national fee schedule. “Doctors and hospitals must achieve very high productivity to survive.”
There is complete freedom of choice of providers. Competition between providers is based on quality, not cost.
“Taiwan only has private supplemental indemnity health insurance; it covers specific diseases such as cancer or disasters like injuries from traffic accidents. It is a cash benefit, and the money is used to help pay for copayments, hire special nurses and buy nutritional foods—not for genuine inpatient medical services which are covered by the NHI.”
Expenditures have outpaced revenues by 2% since 1998. To make up the difference, copayments and coninsurance rates have increased and the government instituted a tobacco tax. There has been only one premium increase (4.25% to 4.55% of wages in 2002).
The government pays 100% of premiums for the poorest 1% of households. The near-poor (the next 2%) can receive interest free loans to pay for NHI.
Physician payment: Currently, there is a fee-for-service system under a system of global budgets. Bundled payment (i.e., DRG-style payments) is available only for 53 surgical procedures.
Patients use an IC Card (Smart Card) to access care. All providers submit claims electronically. Currently, however, there is no integrated form of electronic medical records, although most hospitals/providers have their own systems.
economist Tsung-Mei Cheng interviews Taiwan’s Health Minister Ching-Chuan Yeh, M.D. They discuss Taiwan’s adoption of a national health insurance (NHI) system in 1995. Below are some highlights from the interview.
Health spending as a share of GDP was 4.79% in 1993 (prior to NHI) and 6.1% in 2007 (after NHI).
Administrative costs are 1.5% of total NHI spending.
Taiwanese patients pay very low premiums and copayments. Over 98% of Taiwanese pay their premiums on time.
The government sets a uniform national fee schedule. “Doctors and hospitals must achieve very high productivity to survive.”
There is complete freedom of choice of providers. Competition between providers is based on quality, not cost.
“Taiwan only has private supplemental indemnity health insurance; it covers specific diseases such as cancer or disasters like injuries from traffic accidents. It is a cash benefit, and the money is used to help pay for copayments, hire special nurses and buy nutritional foods—not for genuine inpatient medical services which are covered by the NHI.”
Expenditures have outpaced revenues by 2% since 1998. To make up the difference, copayments and coninsurance rates have increased and the government instituted a tobacco tax. There has been only one premium increase (4.25% to 4.55% of wages in 2002).
The government pays 100% of premiums for the poorest 1% of households. The near-poor (the next 2%) can receive interest free loans to pay for NHI.
Physician payment: Currently, there is a fee-for-service system under a system of global budgets. Bundled payment (i.e., DRG-style payments) is available only for 53 surgical procedures.
Patients use an IC Card (Smart Card) to access care. All providers submit claims electronically. Currently, however, there is no integrated form of electronic medical records, although most hospitals/providers have their own systems.
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