In my constant search for a meal that I can & will eat. I’ve come to realize that Taipei has more eating establishments per capita than anywhere else in the world (warning – unsubstantiated fact). A statistically insignificant number of discussions with those few that can understand me suggest that everyone in Taipei is way to busy to cook, so a good number of them eat every single meal out. It appears that free market economics has jumped in to meet that demand. From an MBA’s perspective (which of course I'm not), here’s the market segmentation of food suppliers to the Taipei market:
The mundane: Department stores (yup!), 7-11s, MacDonalds, Pizza Hut, Mos Burger, Starbucks, and Pastry shops (who knew about Taipei’s sweet tooth. And the number of these shops would rival any French city).
Transient push cart vendors: Like those that sell roasted chestnuts and hot dogs on the streets of New York. Seen everywhere from alley to boulevards. Grab and run. Egg-meat breakfast buns, noodles, sweets, sandwiches. Constantly morphing depending upon time and taste.
Semi-permanent open-air stalls: A set-up akin to our county fairs. Mostly in the lanes and alleys. Seating on wooden crates, plastic chairs or not at all. Cauldrons of red, green and yellow broths bubbling up who knows what (I don’t ask – they don’t tell). Half chickens stripped and hung. Hands mincing vegetables, meats and fish.
Thread Bare basic dining: The heart and soul of Taipei indoor eating. Some cafeteria buffet style, others not. Quality food without ambiance. Family owned and run. Curb appeal that scares away most foreigners – but it’s the mainstay of the natives. Menus broad as taste buds. (Can’t think of anything in the States that compares.)
Restaurants – like you’ll find in any city. Prices from reasonable to excessive. Menus following ethnic lines with fusion thrown in. Strongest gravitational pull for westerners.
At some I like to dine. At others I wish I hadn’t.
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