Lu Wei : Taiwan Street Food Delicacy

"lu wei" (魯味) is a typical Taiwanese street food that has an assortment of vegetables and meat that are boiled and served with spices.

A casual nite out with Liya... we ventured out looking for something cheap and satisfying and of course, Taiwan has a great selection of street food... we opted for something filling, fast and a combo of many different things ... hence, Lu Wei, a smoregesboard of veggies and meat, thrown in together, and cooked in a nice broth... real COMFORT FOOD... in fairness, it is usually YUMMY but on this particular nite - Liya happened to pick a really bad resto... SAD SAD SAD... it was SOOOOO TASTELESS that no amount of spices added could save it!!! Oh Well!!!

SEPT FAVES...

...so the MOON FESTIVAL is upon us once again... and this means a few of my FAVE THINGS are back in season....
DRAGON EYES
POMELO

ASSORTED MOONCAKES
...and a new FAVE, Haagen Dazs Moon Ice Cream Cakes

if they are headless....

...then it must be time for GHOST MONTH once again!!!!and it is... as according to the LUNAR CALENDAR, it runs from mid Aug thru Sept 4th...

what I wouldn't give for....

the following HEAT BUSTERS!!!
Counter Clockwise from the Top: Halo-Halo, Mango Bing, 4 Treasure Ice, & Scoopery Ice Cream

2009 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition

The Annual Taiwan Culinary Exhibition celebrates it's 20th Anniversary with another lavish display of, mouth watering and feast to the eyes, culinary creations. Held once again at the Taipei World Trade Center (Hall 1) - it runs from the 20th thru the 23rd of this month, AUGUST.

In addition to promoting Taiwanese delicacies and cooking, the major function of this delicious event is to advance the development of local, tourism and cultural industries. Hoping that more foreign tourists will also be able to have a better understanding of Taiwan gourmet paradise.
We were BRAVE ENOUGH to join the masses of foodies all eager to SEE and hopefully, TASTE some of the Newest and Best Creations from both Local and International Chefs participating in the event. Some of the Highlights for marketchow and myself are:
-Debut of the TRI-MOUNTAIN NATIONAL CUISINE
-The World Culinary Contest
-Giant Grouper Gourmet
-Fine Dining Exhibit - Gold Medal Dishes
-The Suzhou Water Country Riverboat Banquet
-LOHAS Back-to-Basics Banquet
-Five Star Chefs’ Live Show - Cooking Classes

MORE DELICIOUS PHOTOS HERE

SUMMER FRUIT : Cherimoya/Atemoya

I know it as ATIS (Atemoya) growing up in the Philippines... it was one of the fruits, that I remember loving and craving all the rime - along with LANZONES & MANGO. I remember it being plentiful and very cheap when in season... and my MOM made sure to get them for me all the time....

Then I moved to the US where CHERIMOYA/ATEMOYA are not easily found... and when you do, they are rather costly... so it was always a TREAT to be able to ahve one now and again... Here, in Taiwan, I see them from time to time... also costly -- not as costly as the US but still on the expensive side...

So, if there is one thing really good about traveling back and forth to Manila lately, it is the chance to be able to eat all my fave fruits, to my heart's content!!!

According to cherimoya.com:
Cherimoya ( Annona cheirimola P. Mill. ) is an absolutely wonderful fruit which is becoming better known in the United States . It is now produced in limited amounts in Southern California . It is thought to be native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru , and is related to some fruits in the same genus which grow in more tropical areas. Cherimoya was probably taken to other parts of the world hundreds of years ago, so it is especially well known in Asia as well as throughout South and Central America . It is produced rustically in many parts of the world, but it is produced in commercial plantings only in semi-tropical areas of Spain , Chile , Peru , California , New Zealand , Australia , and Israel .

Some closely related species are produced in more tropical areas. Atemoya is an interspecies hybrid of cherimoya and sugar apple ( Annona squamosa ). The fruit has some qualities of cherimoya, and grows in hotter, more humid areas where cherimoya cannot be grown, in Florida , Hawaii , Australia , and Israel . Guanabana ( Annona muricata ) is grown throughout tropical South and Central America . It is larger than cherimoya, but has more fibrous flesh, and a very tart flavor. It is better suited to processing, especially into drinks, than to eating fresh. Paw paw ( Asimina triloba L.) is the only Annonaceae species native to North America, in valleys in the middle and eastern U.S.

- g

Green Tomato - Shangrila Mall, Edsa

During the last trip to Manila, I finally got to see and hang out with my nephew Ace.... Besides David, I would say he is one that is soooo much into eating and trying anything and everything... so we make it a point to eat out at least once, each trip of mine... and try something new...This time around, since we were already in Shangrila Mall-Edsa, running errands, we decided to check out Green Tomato... it is one of the newest eatery there that we both have not tried yet....

The decor is simple and pleasing enough... white and green... and the menu is, though nothing to brag about, still has a good selection.... The food was surprisingly tasty, I say this as the time we were there - lunchtime - we were the only ones eating there so we were afraid we had made the wrong choice... Still, we enjoyed it... not too pricey for a SHANGRILA restaurant, and the portions are large enough that we actually had leftovers....

More Photos Here