Whenever Patsy and Edina leave “Ab Fab” London and head for Taiwan, they head to the Regent Taipei. No other hotel in Taipei is better situated for shopping – and grand entrances. The hotel’s massive circular drive and porte-cochere are perfect for gliding out of a black limousine, shopping bags in tow. Best of all,…
Imagine a collector of Asian film memorabilia who marries an aficionado of Forties culture and together they open a restaurant in a warehouse filled with military detritus and vintage toys – and you might have a general idea of the atmosphere of Old Taiwan in Kaohsiung. The owner, an aficionado of trains, rebuilt the old…
Opened in 2004 by the gifted Paiwanese singer, Chiu Jin-Ming, Gulu Gulu offers traditional Paiwan dishes in a setting that is as bohemian as a local eatery on Maui or a coffeehouse in Berkeley, California. The decor features driftwood sculptures and brightly-colored murals, as well as painted stones – and the vibe is as relaxing…
We once had an elderly friend who made the first of his many visits to China way back in 1939 – and who routinely, repeatedly, shared with us that “once you see China, once you have visited the culture, your perspective on life on this planet will be forever altered.” Mark my words, ducky. Or…
Seeing is believing, as the Portuguese explorers determined in 1544 – and their first sighting of Taiwan caused them to re-christen the island “Formosa” for “beautiful island.”
Named one of the world’s top ten restaurants by the New York Times in 1993, the original Din Tai Fung has expanded to more than fifty locations in ten countries around the world – with the outposts in Hong Kong the recipients of Michelin stars. Opened in 1958 as a small cooking oil retail shop, the Taiwanese…
At the time of its completion in 1994, the 85-story Sky Tower was the tallest building in Taiwan – and the eighth tallest in the world. The tower’s shape evokes the Chinese character meaning “high” or “tall” and can be seen from all over Kaohsiung Harbor, the third largest port in Asia, as a symbol…
Copenhagen’s Jægersborggade Street might well be the Rodeo Drive of gastronomy. Various alumni of Noma have opened restaurants on this picturesque street in Norrebro, including Chef Christian Puglisi, one of The Wall Street Journal’s “Top Ten Chefs of 2010.” Formerly affiliated with both elBulli and Noma, Chef Puglisi has two acclaimed restaurants on Jægersborggade. After a…