Taipei Food Festival (Wellington on a Plate)
Location: Whitby's Restaurant and Bar, James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, Wellington, New Zealand
Style: Buffet
Cost: NZ$41.50 (earlybird) or NZ$48 per person
Overall Rating: ★★★½
Taipei Food Festival 2016 for Wellington on a Plate. Image Source.
It has been seven years since I last visited Taiwan, the country of my birth. As a true-born Taiwanese I shared my countrymen's love of food. No matter how far away I was from Taiwan I constantly dreamed of eating the country's many cuisines and street foods. Imagine my delight when I found out a Taipei chef was gracing us with his presence to join Wellington on a Plate, New Zealand's latest culinary festival.
Looking at the proposed menu for the buffet I was most excited for the oyster omelette (蚵仔煎), a favourite at Taiwanese night markets. In the many years I have lived in New Zealand, I found this dish was the hardest to come by at any restaurant proclaiming itself as the authentic taste of Taiwan. Those who enjoy Asian TV dramas may know the dish from the popular Taiwanese drama Corner with Love (轉角＊遇到愛) where the male protagonist is proficient in the art of making oyster omelettes. I contacted my friend who also shared my love of food and we made bookings for the last night of the festival.
I arrived at the restaurant after work on a Sunday night and was quickly seated by the friendly staff at a window tablet offering the night view of the city. The restaurant was already buzzing with many patrons either as the hotel's guests or people keen on Taiwanese food.
The table offering views of the city at night.
The buffet offered a vast selection of its usual western menu (I have been to this buffet before) and the Taiwanese menu selected for the festival. My friend and I piled a selection of food onto our plates in order to find our favourites. I was most excited to see the making of the oyster omelette live! And yes, I went back for seconds... and thirds. The staff were also very impressive in clearing the tables to match my speed.
A selection of cold dishes featuring fungi salad, five-spice tofu, sweet and sour cucumber, squid with sour and spicy sauce and beef tendons.
The classic vegetable sweet and sour soup.
Stewed pork mince over rice, my stomach becomes a bottomless pit when it comes to this dish.
Aiyu jelly (left) and red bean with condensed milk over shaved ice (right), two signature Taiwanese desserts.
The making of oyster omelettes, a common scene found at Taiwanese night markets.
The oyster omelette, perfectly cooked and chewy just the way it should be.
All in all, I really enjoyed the night. The food might not have been fancy five star restaurant worthy but it was a taste of home and exactly what I was looking for. A major part of Taiwan's identity is its street foods and I was certainly reminded of that and would highly recommend anyone who would like to indulge their taste buds to explore the taste of Taiwan. The CNN travel website provides a list of must-have Taiwanese foods. Comment below on what your favourite is or what you would most like to try out.
Photo with Chef Li-Feng Zhang (張立峰) who works at the five star hotel The Westin Taipei (臺北六福皇宮) in Taiwan.
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