Taiwan Eats, Part IV: Shopping Mall Food Courts

Asian "shopping mall" food courts are found in the basements of Japanese mega department store chains in Taiwan (we don't have malls in the American sense--everything is found in the department store). The food courts span entire floors, sometimes multiple floors, and consist of a succession of counters wrapped along the perimeter of the room (much like American food courts), a large bench-style seating section, a bunch of free-standing specialty treats/medicines/teas kiosks, often a bread shop tucked in a corner, and uniquely, often a high-end supermarket (think Whole Foods styling and pricing) on one end.

The supermarket often presents some cheap and yummy eats itself, such as the roast eel on rice lunch box pictured above, on sale because it was made the previous day, and priced at the equivalent of THREE US DOLLARS. And I'd taken the picture mid-way through the meal so there was originally double the amount of eel...



Yes, you'll also find fast food at these food courts, including the ubiquitous McDonald's, but also some Asian chains such as Mos Burger, "MOS" being short for "mountain ocean sun." It's a Japanese-originating chain that has unique burgers such as the one pictured above: teriyaki-style beef sandwiched between (yes, really) two rice patties. Comes with a side of waffle fries.



Many other Asian cuisines are often featured in food courts: Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine being the most commonly found. As menus are pretty short, they stick with the classics. Jess had a delicious hot-stone-bowl bibimbap at the food court in Taipei 101, pictured above.



Meanwhile I had the Japanese ramen (the house specialty with roasted pork slices). The pork was just okay (pretty tough) but the flavor of the soup was good and it certainly beats anything I can find in the 'Burgh!



Many regional Chinese specialties are often featured, including Northern-Chinese steamed buns as pictured above, 小籠包--xiaolongbao ("small steam basket buns"). These little petite buns can scorch your mouth with the scalding broth hiding inside, which is packed into the buns as unassuming cold gelatinous broth bits with the meat, and as they are steamed, the broth melts and is held in the little pouch until you eat it and try to avoid 2nd degree burns on your tongue.

Other lovely options that can be found include personal-size hot pots, rice bowls, noodle soups, Japanese-French style crepes, curries, stir-fries, hot-plate steak (cheap cuts of steak on a hot metal plate with usually some sides), Japanese-Italian pasta dishes, "traditional Taiwanese" stewed meats/tofu/veggies in soy sauce and accompanying rice or noodles, sushi, etc. etc. Most of these set meal options are priced in the range of 3-12 US Dollars (~100-400 NT).