Taipei at Night

Following what has become our new tradition, dinner at Shilin Night Market, Meagan and I ventured out again into the wet night in search of delicious food and cold beer. Tonight at the market did not disappoint. We took a seat at the counter of a seemingly busy restaurant being careful not to touch the filth the coated the floor. Ordering food was easy with the helpful pictures that accompanied each set of characters. Using a grill that makes the ones at Waffle House seem clean, our cook chopped chicken and onions in a sweet and spicy sauce as he smoked cigarette after cigarette. The chicken mixture which was served on a greasy piece of tin foil tasted exquisite. After tipping 1NT (no one else tipped, but my reputation as a great tipper will continue around the world) we wandered from stall to stall. We decided to sit at another stand for some shrimp dumplings and cold beer. The dumplings which were served in a sweet broth covered with chili flakes were excellent. Washing it all down with a cold Taiwan Beer (think of a crappier, watered down PBR) made for a perfect meal.

On the way back to our hotel, we decided to become more adventurous and take the long way back. That was one of the best decisions all day. As we walked down the wet streets an alley caught our eye. Lined with restaurants and shops on both sides, the ten foot wide alley snaked back to reveal an entire network of shopping alleys. Everything from ugly Nikes to frog eggs were sold in air conditioned stores to tarps laid out in the alley. Stuffed with food, feet tired from the day and the rain beginning to fall again, we strolled back to our hotel ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

Matt