It’s the final few hours of my fist visit to Taipei and I’m starting to miss this amazing city. The breeze comes in gently, cooling me down after an evening of mild excesses. I’m wondering how did 5 days pass so quickly.
Taipei looks like any post industrialised Asian urban jungle. But scratching just a bit off the surface, Taipei reveals itself to be more like Tokyo. It offers the same charm and (good) craziness that I associate with Tokyo-with less people. It’s a city that contrasts between the classics and the modern, the conservative against edginess.
Taipei is a city meant to be uncovered on foot and by the wide range of transportation options. Whatever you do, it’s best to try and walk away from the gleaming skyscrapers where my fear of homogeneity that’s happening across Asia offers little else but the same global chain stores. There are many opportunities to
see both old and new Taipei.
I found myself at Raw on my first night. Raw is Asia’s first bistronomy restaurant. The experience and food was stunning, with local Taiwanese produce being highlighted and elevated. Can this be the new scene in Taipei modern cuisine? I would hope so.
What really strikes any new visitor to Taipei is the integration of Japanese culture into their daily lives. People are just much more courteous, they line up boarding the trains or lifts. Mobile phone ring tones are absent. They speak softer and service levels from cabs to hotels to restaurants are amazingly high.
I didn’t do what the guide books tell you to do. I didn’t do the night market nor did I have a fried chicken fillet the size of my head or even ubiquitous Taiwanese beef noodle.
Intuitively I followed my personal biases and looked for things I like. In this process I uncover Taipei’s top cafe where some of the Top WBC trained (world barista champions).
Or stumbling upon Taipei’s little Omotesando.
Or having tapas or Yakitori in the same evening!
Walking through the city at night gives me the perspective of new and old converging. It’s a city filled with energy and youth.
I’ve been given a bit of a hard time for not doing the night market nor street food. But I find the obvious boring, perhaps I’ll do that on my next trip but for now, I will dream of my wonderful 5 in Taipei.
thebearandhiscigar 