•Publication Date：04/23/2014
•Source： Taiwan Today
Renowned French food critic Francois Simon listed his top 10 Taipei culinary experiences in the April edition of Air France Magazine for a global readership.
“A few bites: Taipei in 10 reasons” includes gastronomic delights and ways to combine them with visits to hot spring spas, temples, tea shops and, of course, night markets.
To give readers an even clearer idea of the sumptuous fare on offer, the 12-page English-French spread is accompanied by photographs from Laetitia Masson, French director of 10 films, most recently “Moving the Arts” in 2010.
Simon introduces Taipei as “a fiercely modern city with an antiquated charm” that is “famous as a great food town.”
The gastronome advises visitors to “succumb to dim sum” at restaurant chain Din Tai Fung, take “a meal with the city” at the packed out Shin Yeh in Zhongshan District, or sample “a taste of new Bohemia” at nearby Frog Cafe.
To slake the thirst brought on by all this feasting, Simon recommends drinking “spectacular” local tea at Istea and partaking of famous Taiwan invention bubble tea, a chilled tapioca pearl concoction, at Chun Shui Tang, both in Songshan District. According to Simon, the superlative quality of Taiwan’s tea is the product of combining Chinese and Japanese tea cultures.
Eating out in Taipei is not just about the food, Simon says. He advises combining “baths and banquets” by visiting Beitou District for a hot spring soak in a hotel or embarking on a “green retreat” at Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant in the mountains of Xizhi District.
Simon advises beginning the day’s culinary adventures with an open air breakfast in Dadaocheng area and, to round them off, a visit to Ningxia Night Market, his favorite of the six in the city.
Simon is a food critic at Paris-based newspaper Le Figaro and hosts a blog, Simon Says. He was recently described by U.K.-based Financial Times as France’s most respected and feared restaurant critic.
