Taiwan

Liugui Township in Kaohsiung county, Southern Taiwan

In Kaohsiung county due to recent typhoons and landslides, traveling is quite limited, many roads are still destroyed, and many people in Taiwan avoid those areas now. However, for me, in love with southern Taiwan, it's hard to resist not to go over those mountain roads again. This time I want to show a bit of small mountain city called Liugui Township (六龜鄉) - it's no information in internet at all about it, and I want to fill this gap. Living here is really dangerous, as the risk of landslides are high, and the discussion whether people should go away from here still remains harsh in Taiwan. Now, in winter, when typhoon season is over, all here looks calm and silent, however, reminders of harsh summer typhoons and landslides are seen everywhere:

You can just imagine the power of raging river and what was happening here just a few month ago.
Mountains all around here looks somewhat like this:

 

 

All of them now have such a yellow sand sides, can see where the landslides were, and many of them lost their beautiful green trees cover, and now look like old, bald men standing lonely there.

Such a houses like the one above are at the highest risk to be washed away at next flood and typhoon. And there any many of them, and people prefer stay - would you like to move away from your own home?

Road goes up and up bringing us more to the middle of Kaohsiung county.

If you do not concentrate on the typhoon and landslides, views in Southern Taiwan is as breathtaking as usually.

It's fresh, just rebuilt road - and I hope this time it won't be damaged again so soon.

Luigui (Six Turtles) township itself if calm, rural southern Taiwan township with it's own 7ELEVEN, school, police and all other facilities you will find in any place in Taiwan.

Shops try survive here mostly hoping on passing traffic up to the mountains - to Baolai hotspring area. 

 

One of the most amazing things in Taiwan is the people - they live everywhere - you could drive the smallest road in most remote are - and still, you will find people sitting like this, and socializing. 

Luigui School - another thing I like in Taiwan - no matter how small is the township - school will be big enough and good building. Education is important.

Taiwan people like to do business - no matter, where and what - but you will always find someone selling something in most unexpected places.

 

If you really happen one day to be in Luigui - stop by to eat in this restaurant - it's common in Taiwan that not bright at all walls does not means that food is terrific and tasty. Local drink stand suggested us to try this, and it was really a good place.

It's as usually a family owned restaurant as most of such places in small cities in Taiwan.

Feeling of real Taiwan - it's how most of small family owned restaurants in rural areas look like.

 

Green vegetable is always present dish

炒麵 - fried noodles

蛤仔湯 - Clam soup

Nuts, pork and garlic offers really special flavor - very delicious

烤鮭魚 - Grilled salmon

In case you need directions:
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Yehliu Geopark in Nothern Taiwan - hoodoo stones and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits

Yehliu (野柳) is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan in the town of Wanli between Taipei and Keelung.
View Larger Map It's another yet choice for a visit, while you are in northern Taiwan. Most interesting here of course is so called hoodoo stones - all of them are formed by nature, and as a brand, or if you want - front symbol of this park is a stone called The Queen's Head (女王頭). It's a central element of the park, and if you come at weekend, you will need stand in a row (!) just to take a picture of it.



But let's start with "A" (Sesame street comes in mind, with cookie monster and others). Here is how the area looms looks like when you arrive:



Left side then is an entrance to stone park, and the blue building is a place where some guys (I was told that they are from Belorussia), performs some water show elements, dolphin shows take place and downstairs there is a live sea world exposition. Well, and of course there is a lot of restaurant's for sea food. Eating is important in Taiwan, remember it.





As you can see mostly all are restaurants.



My suggestion is to visit this one.



Host will quickly come to accept your order, but will not like to take a pictures. As I already said in post about rules for choosing a places to eat in Taiwan, do not look at interior of restaurants in Taiwan - never. Quality of food does not relates to that at all. Instead, look at how many people are inside.



Start with a appetizers. (do you want beer already?)





Sashimi (how to spell it correct?) is especially fresh and tasty here. It's reall a one you can say - you can swallow your tongue while eating it.



Also fresh shrimps





Kind of fish soup, I can't name it, but also have tofu inside



Octopus



Lobster



shi ban yu fish (石斑魚)

Now, once you are full (tzi ba la - remember say it in chinese), you can move forward to sea underground sea world and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits.



Of course admission is paid. Here's a price list. Synchronized Swimming Show is a ladies about I told before.

Show will start with a guy's climbing up the pole to perform a jump in the water





Taiwan flag vs Russian jumper

Later on, the swimsuits show:





... and then dolphins finally









...after the show, you can go downstairs to see all the live sea world. There are English annotations for each fish, so it can be interesting experience.

Catfish, lives in Nile river in Africa.







Dragon King Scorpionfish. Body color can be changed according circumstances.











Now, you are really ready to go to see stones



If you come here at weekend, you will not have a chance to make stones photos only. Humans on them will come in set.



The cape, known by geologists as the Yehliu Promontory, forms part of the Taliao Miocene Formation. It stretches approximately 1,700 meters into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain (大屯山) out of the sea



A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface.



These shapes can be viewed at the Yeliu Geopark operated by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration.



Shame on me, but I was so busy to try make this monument along with sunset, that I forgot to check who's monument it is :(.



A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes.



The most well-known is the "The Queen's Head" (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli.



Other formations include "The Fairy Shoe", "The Bee Hive", "The Ginger Rocks" and "The Sea Candles."





Evening mood in Yehliu - soon it's going to be dark already.

Jioufen - mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan.

For those, who live in Taipei, or Taoyuen, and not yet visited this place - try to get there once you have a time. Besides night market (of course, what else), there is pure charm of those Japanese era architectures and houses.

Jioufen was only an isolated village until 1893, when gold was discovered in the area. The resulting gold rush hastened the village's development into a town, and reached its peak during the Japanese rule.

Tell me fast, what's annoying there? Yes, 7ELEVEN sign. Just same annoying as in Fenchihu train station old town (also featured in my blog). Many present features of Jioufen reflect the era under Japanese colonization, with many Japanese inns surviving to this day.



Jioufen, also known as Jiufen or Chiufen (Chinese: 九份; pinyin: Jiǔfèn; Wade-Giles: Chiu3-fen4), is a mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan.


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The street runs through most of the village with a multitude of food such as yam dishes, stinky tofu and other local specialties such as peitou meatballs and mixed vegetables topped with peanut powder and ice cream.





Street is cramped with shops, eateries, homestays and restaurants and widely decorated by red lanterns.



Meat balls



Juice stand here. Jioufen sometimes also is referred as "Little Shanghai".



There are also restaurants, street stalls and dessert shops that provide a plethora of gourmet indulgences.



And that's the "nose problem" for a novice foreigner in Taiwan - stinky or tzo tofu. Later you will adapt to this smell, and finally also you will eat it. By the way trust me - it's taste is far better than it's smell. Well, one thing I am not sure - how about living in a flat, with a windows just above tzo tofu vendor?



Northern Taiwan snack - fried fish powder.



And that's tou gan - similar to tofu food. From soybeans.



Dry sweet fruits.



Not everyone thinks that need keep nostalgic japanese era and gold rush mood here. How about those neon "restaurant" signs? But the restaurant (and homestay at second floor) is not bad, however, expensive. We had a dinner there - for this price you get good food.



Shoes, Chinese brushes and scrolls, jewelries, toys and souvenir of all sorts will be offered you in a hectic way, because you look like a tourist. Hint - do you know how to DO NOT look like a foreigner in Taiwan? my suggestions: - Do speak louder as you usually did; - Do wear a striped T-shirt (not Hawai style); - Do not wear those shorts a-la travel style with big pockets - wear jeans instead; - Keep a tea in hand; - Ask your girlfriend take Louis Vouitton bag; - Use mobile phone when making pictures; - Overreact on fireworks, and try to make video of them using mobile phone; - Wear bluetooth even if you do not drive; - When someone is talking with on phone, instead of "I see" say - 'aa-- haa haaa --- aaaa - aaa -- aaa --- long string of those sounds and end it by "dzangzi la (that's all). - In winter dress more as you would usually do at this temperatures before.



Anyway, those shops still are waiting you buy something



Chinese fast food - noodles, dumplings, soup and the like



Heavy "discounts" today for nuts. I suppose, like for any other retailer, discounts here are 365 days a year. And for you only.



Tea shops in Taiwan always will be happy to sit down with and offer tea. You will drink, and finally buy. A lot. It's a marketing & sales trick called return the favor. Can you after a drinking tea with host go away without buying anything?



If you come too late, like after 9:30 - you see most of shops will be already closed



Gold museum down there

Luodong night market in Yilan county, North-East Taiwan

It was much bigger as I was expecting to see. It was much more impressive, vibrant atmosphere surrounded and there was much bigger selection on food than you would expect from regular nightmarket allover Taiwan.
It's just same impressive, and maybe even bigger than Fengchia nightmarket in Taichung, located nearby my flat. Definitely, Luodongers can be same proud and self-acclaim it as biggest and most popular tourist attraction as sometimes Taichungers do with Fengchia nightmarket.

Luodong (traditional Chinese: 羅東; pinyin: Luódōng; Wade-Giles: Lo-tung) is an urban township in the central part of Yilan County, Taiwan. Its name derives from the Taiwanese aboriginal word Rutung/Lutung, meaning "monkey".





Same as in Fengchia nightmarket, and in most big nightmarkets in Taiwan - it has several parts. As you might know, night market is "night" because it appears on a particular street only in evening, so it will be always a situation that one side will have a shops - inside the buildings, usually selling clothes, glasses and jewelry, and in front of them - food sellers and all the usual shelters selling everything starting from fake Gucci bags made in China and ending children toys, also presumable from mainland. This part of market for you as a foreigner might be less interesting, however, take a walk to breath the atmosphere of friday evening in Luodong - food smell rises in the air mixed with loud voices of clothes sellers - a cacophony of sounds you will find only in Taiwan. Take a walk with me - watch the below video and especially listen the noise - NOISE of nightmarket.





In old fashioned brick-and-mortar business the location is the most important factor for any retail shop. So for this shop promotional banner with weak call to action is OK, to write by hand - as you can see still it's full of people there.



Shoes & apparel shops compete with each other not only using bright red signs but also sometimes switch on very loud "lai lai lai (come come come) recorded voice "spam" - very annoying in fact.



It's the woman's world out here.



Target customer for those apparel shops are teens and students - as you can see they are also most popular demographic group seen here.





it's a food selling area already in above video. In 0:19 and further notice the row - waiting in a line for dumplings stand.



Juice stand



Call to action for kids - entertainment here for everyone, and you will go out from market with very thin wallet. However, with full stomach.



Lu wei - same as in Fengchia night market and everywhere else. Taiwan people like it a lot, and with various flavors.



different fried food selection





Dumplings. Cheaper than in Fengchia nightmarket. And even more cheaper than in Kenting nightmarket - I had wrote about it here.





Kiss of Love cherry juice. No, it's not pathetic. It's Taiwan.





I can't stop wonder why Taiwanese man so like those striped shirts? My all are with palms and flowers, like those in Kenting...



Restaurant area in Luodong night market - yes, crowdy. But, it's a nightmarket!



Friday night - it's hard to find a place to sit.

















Time to relax. Luodong style massage.





Those games are not just for kids - for big kids also. In love. After Kiss of Love cherry juice.

Aodi fishing village in Gongliao Township, Northern Taiwan

Fulong Beach visit will not be complete, if you do not visit Yuan-Wuang-Keng River side park, and - a great sea food restaurant in Aodi fishing village.
As I already mentioned in one of my previous posts about rules for choosing a good restaurant in Taiwan - a really famous and good restaurants in Taiwan rarely has modern outlook or neonlight signs towering on 100m heights like LG brand for eyeball purposes only and brand promotion. Best restaurants serving most tasty food have no english signs, no new buildings and are not featured in Lonely Planet guide - this is why i try to post most of them in my blog - under Food and Drink Category mostly. 
Hei Bai Mau Shau Chi restaurant in Aodi - is a perfect example of what I always try to say - just this sign & and ordinary building:





As you can see no place to sit, no chance to get free table - it's a sign that great food here.







Rice cooker - slightly bigger than a one in your kitchen.



Chao Mien - fried noodles with Mu-Er (brown one).



Fish here is very tasty and fresh - owner of restaurant says, that they have their own boat - they catch the fish themselves and so they always can keep it fresh.



Shrimp



It's safe to eat this sashimi - as I told above, fish really is very fresh here.



Tubule - taste a bit sweet, but delicious.



Octopus



Caviar



Water Spinach - a must try one - extremely delicious here.



Bamboo salad - for me too sweet, but, it's a question of taste.

It appears that Aodi is really most famous for their sea food restaurants - here is what Wikipedia says about this place:
Aodi (sometimes Audi, Aoti, Auti) is a small fishing village in Gongliao Township, Taipei County, in the Northeast corner of the island of Taiwan. It is a popular tourist destination owing to its scenic setting and many seafood restaurants. It is also close to the controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP), under construction since 1996. A nearby beach, Yenliao, was the site of the first landing for the occupation of Taiwan (Formosa) by Japanese forces (1895).

Taimali township, in Tautung county, South-East coast of Taiwan - Shi Jia fruit heaven

Once you are driving around Taiwan, and happen to be in a Taitung county, it's well worth to stop by and check Taimali township.

As Wikipedia says:

The Tai Mali village was started 1,000 years ago by Qian YaoKao who was ancestor of the Pai Wan race. The Qian YaoKao is also called DaMa race. Guangxu 3th year, due to DaMa has similar pronunciation to Tai Ma, thus it has been called Tai Mali by mainland people. Early in the Republic Era, other aborigines such as the Ah Mei and Bai Wan races were moving continuously to Tai Mali village. During the Japanese colonial period, there were also some residents from Miaoli, Nantou, Zhanghua, Yunlin, Jiayi, Tainan, Gaoxiong, and Pindong settling in Tai Mali village.

If you just stay on a main road, Taimali looks just like any other east coast township:





Most of inhabitants are engaged in farming, while others try to squeeze out living selling food to those who pass by the township.

What Taimali area is really famous for, it's a Shi Jia fruit, and I think, that there is no english name for it - at least yahoo dictionary could not find one. Anyway, you should come early in may to get the season and best of them, because when we came at end of may, it appeared that it's already too late, and only such ones left:



Do not be too concerned also, if you could not catch the fresh fruits - there are a lot of jellies and candy made from them, so you will be sure to get a sweet (maybe even too sweet in my opinion) taste of this fruit. And a good place to buy a gifts and different sweets, related to eastern Taiwan are in the shop, which you will not miss (good example of marketing skills - in a mess of red signs in Taiwan, it really stands out). And it's a parking around it - as Sam Walton noticed, that in case his parking lot's were filled more than 50 %, the sales in his shops started to decline. This shop apparently does it good - get's the attention, offers you parking and here you are - inside the shop.



Good isn't it? At least you will point your finger on it, asking "what's that"? And most likely stop to take a picture.



A lot of things to choose from



Li Ji - my favorite fruit in Taiwan also sold here.

After you had packed up with eastern coast sweet's, don't speed up too much. There is a really terrific place to have a lunch. Definitely - such quality and such a taste - exceeded our expectations.



They had named it Sea restaurant, but not because of sea food, but I guess, because of really fantastic eastern coast views, which are just here to enjoy while you have a lunch.

Adress is No.133, San-Ho Village, Taimali, Taitung county.





Such a views, just from a restaurant table. Let's take a look on menu:



If you think that it's not cheap at all, I agree with you. But it's worth to try, because it's really tasty.

Here is our lunch, but your choice could be another:



It's Hai Shin. Inside are mix of sea food - shrimps & similar.



Noodles, pork, ginger & much other tasty things.



Again a mix of different kind of vegetables and meat, and as I remember, tofu as well.



Chicken.



Desert - watermelon, sweet's and coffee.

I will remember Taimali as such, but it's for sure, that I am going to explore it more next time, not just such quick run through.

Hengchun township in Pingtung County, Southern Taiwan - Cape 7 film or entry way to Kenting?

If you ever visited Kenting - and trust me - if you ever take this chance, you will definitely fall in love with this place as I did, the only way to go there is through Hengchun township.  Raise of popularity of Hengchun township is really associated with two things.
First of all - as I said Kenting - beautiful, vibrant and everliving golden sand beach resort in southern Taiwan,I wrote about it here, and will write again (and again).
Second - Cape No. 7 - movie, where as Wikipedia says here about Cape 7 movie,

In the 1940s near the end of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, an unnamed teacher (Kousuke Atari) dispatched to the southernmost town of Hengchun falls in love with a local girl with the Japanese nameKojima Tomoko (Rachel Liang). After the Surrender of Japan, the teacher is forced to return home as the Chinese occupation of Taiwan resumed. On his trip home, he pens seven love letters to express his regret for leaving Kojima Tomoko, who originally planned to elope with him in Japan.

Poster here:




This film as we can see from the Wiki's explanation has won various awards internationally, and without any doubts are extremely popular here in Taiwan. What need's to be said, that it's not already just a popular film - the objects and places where filming took place, now many people are going to take a trip and make photos with those houses and landscapes in background. Even such high level and representative hotel as Chateau, has a picture from this movie on the wall in their lobby room.
If I would not live in Taiwan, i would suspect Pingtung mayor in product placement marketing efforts - flock of tourists definetly doubled after the film gained popularity, but of course that's not the case here.
But a thing to learn for example for Nantou county mayor - next love story can happen in Nantou, right? Just bribe the editor...

Let's get to the Hengchun now. As we were heading to the Kenting late evening, I was forced to take a shots here at night time,eventually quality of pictures are not the best.

In fact, if you are dropped out from a car after you were sleeping, and asked where are you - well, Hengchun in fact looks mostly same as all such size townships - in southern and western Taiwan - in Miaoli for example.



Most surprisingly is a fact, that even if we were here at chinese dragon festival time - a season where most tourists should flock to southern Taiwan for vacation - and as we noticed later for tremendous traffic jams in North East of Taiwan when we were going to Taipei, this township where already preparing to sleep at 9:30 - 10:00 at evening! Some restaurants already were closing. That is not usual for western part of Taiwan, for example the area which I know most - Fengchia district in Taichung - get's sleepy outlook maybe just in 12, and then again if you are more far away from night market.



Those two shops sell tea.



Noodles - preparing to close even at 9:30...

Again, I am here to suggest you a restaurant. Once you are in Hengchun, try to find this:



First 2 symbols are usually woman name, and second two - mutton, so, this restaurant specializes on mutton dishes, and makes them really delicious and tasty.



It's small actually, and at busy time, you will be lucky to find a place - as I suggested in my post about rule nr.1 to choose a good restaurant in Taiwan, there are always people inside. Can you see the yellow map on the wall? Guess what it says? Let me show you more close:



It's map of places where Cape 7 movie has been filmed. Yes, as you can see in Hengchun everyone is proud of this now - they feel honored enough to hung it on a wall.



Most special one in my opinion here - Tan Guei Pai Gu. Tan Guei - chinese medicine, and Pai Guei - mutton. Chinese medicine used here is called "roots of chinese angelica" - anyway, when you wat this soup - you naturally feel power coming to you, and you are ready to continue the trip. Must try dish.



Lamb's tripe - another special dish here



and noodles with mutton.



This bookstoore has good selection of maps and tourist guides on south east and southern taiwan.



old street of Hengchun - at least a sign says so. I wrote before, that it get's sleepy early here.





I really mean it, they get sleepy early, here is proof. This by the way is chinese tradition medicine shop, in this area there were many of them.



One more chinese medicine shop - and as my wife told - this one should be better, because the drawers, where selection of herbs are stored are more old, and wooden, while this one in photo below - used plastic drawers. I am not sure this conclusion is valid, but that's what I know now.



Hengchun has a land area of 136.7630 square kilometers and has a population of 31,288 as of December 2007.

Jiouhua Mountain Monastery and Temple in Tongluo, Miaoli county, Western Taiwan

If you happen to be driving from Tongluo (銅鑼) - small rural township in Miaoli county in Western Taiwan to Sanyi township, a place worth to visit is Jiouhua Mountain Monastery and Temple - place that reveals a real heart of contemporary Taiwanese religion and gives you insight in a spirit of Western Taiwan. You will not find this place in tourist guides, while everyone who lives on western taiwan knows this place. Students come here to pray before exams, some people come here several times per year to pray - and - eat "good" noodles. What's "good" noodles? Stay with me, you will see. Now, we did not arrived yet, there is a place to visit before.

Don't miss the turn, it shows just a turn to Jiouhua mountain:

 

Soon, after you turn right following this road:

...you'll stumble upon interesting place. I would call it tea shop, but it's something really unexpected here.



and the nearby shop, where you can find a snacks and nuts (at least at the moment, we were here - may, 2009).



At this moment, the tea shop seemed to be closed, but i was so interested about it, that one of older woman went out and then after a moment a woman - owner appeared in a door, and opened tea shop just for us. She told, that they are usually open in november only, when Chrysanthemum full blooms - in fact that's what Miaoli and Tongluo is proud of - Chrysanthemums, and their blossoms. Owner told us that it is worth for them to be open just at this time of year. Nevertheless she is so warm and welcome to us! After short chat, we decide to try Chrysanthemum flower tea, coffee and what else she can make for us. I took a walk in garden while snacks where preparing:





In november, when Chrysanthemum blooms, they also offer bicycles for rent.







Here's what we've got. Chrysanthemum flower tea, coffee and really tasty honey cake - seems warmth of welcoming hosts are transforming in their snacks also.



Aroma & taste is very special - you need to try it, it can not be described and photo can not pass aromas...

For the temple itself - in fact the tea shop already made my mood good for all the day, it turned out as a very big place, surrounded with a supplementary small business - there a lineups with noodles sellers before the temple you buy it, and then give away, and then they cook it and you eat for free. That's the idea.



When you approach the temple, monks chants are heard already from a distance, and here is what opens to your eyes once you arrive:



Singers are two monks in black, standing with faces to temple:







I noticed that here prayers were older man and woman, while "good" noodles - those were eating everyone - small and not so.

According tradition, you need eat those noodles and luck will be with you - those are good noodles.

Let's try, here you see the serving room, a really big place:

Of course signs of "no photo" are everywhere, but I still wanted share this to world - so, I did it for YOU:





Serving "good" noodles for everyone...



Choose your seat...



... and enjoy your meal - especially recommended before important university exams!

Jie Tuo Xio Chi restaurant in Miaoli, Guo Hua street.

This post is as Example Nr.2, to my yesterdays post about How to choose good restaurant in Taiwan - rule of thumb Nr.1. If you are starting to read about my system of spotting good restaurants in Taiwan with this post - you may be interested to read theoretical background of this system and also example Nr.1.
Here, let's examine Example Nr.2
Maybe restaurant sounds a little too pathetic for this place, but it definitely deserves it.  Be introduced to Jie Tui Xio Chi restaurant in Miaoli, Guo Hua street.
Again, same as in example Nr.1 there are no flashy neon lights or others bells-n-whistles, it's just like this:



If fact, sign says something like "street place, restaurant", if translate literally. It even does not have a brand name. I also took pictures of street junction, where this place is located in case you happen to be in Miaoli, you can use them to locate it.







This road can bring you to Tongxiao - a place, that soon will be covered in my blog.





Shiao Tzai (小菜) and eggs - cold snacks for immediate eat.



I will not exaggerate at all, if I will say, that for me this one is best restaurant in whole Taiwan, and the food here is really a most tasty and delicious. It's Miaoli - a lot are Hakka food though, and then it turns out that I must be hakka food fan. Law works here as usual - if it's open - all 6 tables available are at least 100 % busy. And it's open at morning and afternoon, closed at evenings. Closed also in Mondays.



Gan Mien - traditional noodles in hakka style.



Dumpling soup. Also hakka style. Such triangle shaped dumplings are only in Miaoli, it's very specific and special there.



Shiao Tzai (小菜) - pork and eggs.



My favorite - pig's bowel, little spicy and very tasty.



Selection of cold meat snacks - heart, liver and similar.



Dry white carrot soup with pork.

How to choose good restaurant in Taiwan - rule of thumb Nr.1

Word of mouth marketing works great in any business, in restaurants it's just a lifeblood and having your own evangelists, you could just live only on it, without any flashy or annoying signs, small blue trucks, who use loudspeakers driving early Saturday morning in your side street to wake you up with abusing announcement of new menu or a boy near MRT, who hands out advertisement. Having said that, I need to tell, that any of my customers for marketing issues I would still recommend my 101 things to do for marketing checklist, however keeping in mind, that word of mouth is the thing, that will generate the business. And why word of mouth sparks sometimes, is that good food, or your creative design or betel nut style girls as waitresses? In taiwan it's food, food and again food. You can do everything, but if you will have bad food, you will have no WOM. Truth to be said, that using a tricks and catches I would brainstorm with owner - there will be and must be the new customers, but if you will give dishes that not tastes good, they will not come again. If you want to open restaurant in Taiwan -remember, food first, marketing second, outlook third. And that means for you, as a foreigner or tourist here also. Do not be fooled by shiny and fancy designs - you will mostly get much better and tasty food in restaurants, that look not so clean (in your western eyes), not so fashionable and not so ____ you write it. This post is introduction of series of such examples. When WOM + good food makes miracles happen.
So, how to spot a good restaurant having no friend around to suggest it?
Easy.
Look one with most people inside, and the most good one will be the one where people are not only sitting inside, but also standing outside and waiting for food to be cooked for takeaway home. It's just that easy, and my wife taught me this rule just one as first rules when I went to Taiwan.
I tried break this rule. I tried specially choose a most empty restaurant on a street, to get really decent on taste food and say - yes, the busy place is much better. I tried break this rule many times. Still, busy paces have better food and nothing can break this law. It's like a watering hole in desert - the best ones are most busy. I will give an examples one by one in my blog, as i will happen to visit such "busy" places, that look totally "grey" from outside, and can be easily missed, if criteria for choose is a fancy sign.
I do not say also, that all what is made in boutique style with expensive interior and golden color plumbing in WC - they are, and some are also good, but ROI - return on investment, (pleasure of good food per dollar amount paid) will be much better at those, what you will choose at this simple rule.
Note - rule works much better in local districts, in centers, especially, in tourist busy places it might work worse, since much people are same as you not locals. But in local living districts, night markets - this rule again works perfectly.

EXAMPLE NR.1 (more on next posts, so stay tuned)

One of such restaurants are on Beipin road in Taichung. Also, it's a lot of time to drive from our location to there, she's constantly at least 2 or 3 times going exactly to there, and became pure evangelist of this restaurant suggesting it to everyone for lunch, and so off we went.



Allow me introduce the Lao Shan restaurant on Beipin Lu 173. Yes, it's that simply and easy. No halogen 4 m flash signs, or WE ARE THE NR.1 IN TAIWAN or anything like that. And it's full. All the scooters you see came just here and for lunch, and most of them were in suits, so, it must be good food.



everyone is extremely busy, a lot of workers - for relatively small place



That's it. White walls and hungry people and you are lucky to find 1 table at lunch time. That's a pattern to choose a restaurant in Taiwan.



Selection of cold dishes - beans, peas, salad, vegetables etc.



That's our lunch - noodles with beef, taros, kelp, sweet potato, tofu and Lu Wei. It's just what you could expect. Good quality, tasty and healthy. In my next post I will introduce similar restaurant, but this time in Miaoli.