Chef Eric Sze's Guide to Eating in Taipei, Taiwan

"After a decade in the restaurant industry, teaching myself how to make Taiwanese food and cooking in the pressure cooker that is New York City, I've learned that the most powerful ingredient in many recipes is nostalgia. It often makes you assume the food you were raised on is the best way to eat - the only way - and makes you consistently return to your childhood favorites without a second thought. But just because you grew up with a certain dish or a certain restaurant doesn't mean it's good."

"There are old-school spots, like the Taiwanese stir-fry restaurant I always come back to (even though I technically run a Taiwanese stir-fry restaurant of my own), and a temple to beef noodle soup that honors the working man's meal. Drinking is a massive part of Taiwanese culture, so there's a taproom featuring brews tailored to our very particular palate, plus the pinnacle of Taiwanese breakfast, ideal for travelers up early from jet lag."

"Taiwanese food is so hard to define. It's an amalgamation of foods from many different groups - Indigenous Taiwanese tribes, Chinese families escaping the Civil War, Japanese and Dutch colonists, Fujian and Burmese immigrants, and American troops - which have come together to form a very specific local point of view."

Nostalgia strongly influences perceptions of food, causing frequent returns to childhood favorites even when those dishes are mediocre. Regular visits to Taipei encourage reevaluation of nostalgic attachments and open opportunities to discover superior local stalls. A curated route through Taipei can showcase old-school stir-fry shops, revered beef noodle temples, craft beer taprooms, and exceptional Taiwanese breakfast spots ideal for jet-lagged travelers. Taiwanese cuisine reflects a blend of Indigenous, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Fujian, Burmese and American influences that together create a distinct local culinary perspective. Active exploration and willingness to try random stalls reveal new go-to places beyond familiar haunts.

Read at Eater