https://www.scmp.com/rss/331074/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chef Marc Liao is not afraid to experiment at Marc L³, his restaurant in the bustling heart of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. His cooking style combines Taiwanese ingredients with contemporary European flavours and is informed by years of experience working at restaurants in Australia, Canada and Taipei. Liao has already received recognition from the Michelin Guide and a place on The World’s 50 Best Discovery list – a curated database of expert-recommended restaurants. Now he wants to put Taiwanese night... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3269948/beef-noodle-soup-and-more-hong-kong-pop-sees-taiwanese-chef-return-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3269948/beef-noodle-soup-and-more-hong-kong-pop-sees-taiwanese-chef-return-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2024 03:15:09 +0000 As William Lai Ching-te prepares to take office as Taiwan’s next president, Beijing appears to be using a dual strategy of military plane fly-bys and relaxed travel and food import restrictions to ramp up pressure on the island’s next leader, according to observers. Last weekend, 12 People’s Liberation Army aircraft crossed the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, with an unspecified number flying as close as 37 nautical miles (68.5km) from the northern Taiwanese city of Keelung. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261385/beijing-ramps-pressure-taiwan-warplanes-trade-and-travel-policies-william-lais-inauguration-nears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261385/beijing-ramps-pressure-taiwan-warplanes-trade-and-travel-policies-william-lais-inauguration-nears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 01:00:26 +0000 David Rasavong’s cultural pride is evident all throughout his restaurant. It is on the wall of family portraits and where a stunning mural depicts his family’s journey from Laos to California. It is on the menu filled with Lao and Thai dishes such as the crispy coconut rice salad of Nam Khao and the stir-fried rice noodles of Pad See Ew. And it is in the fact that Love & Thai restaurant in Fresno, California is open at all. A baseless accusation grounded in a racist stereotype about Asian food... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3247334/asian-dog-eating-stereotype-persists-us-lao-thai-restaurant-wants-open-minds-new-foods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3247334/asian-dog-eating-stereotype-persists-us-lao-thai-restaurant-wants-open-minds-new-foods?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 23:19:28 +0000 Beijing has announced weeks before the Taiwanese elections that it will allow imports of high-value fish from the island – an issue specifically raised by the Kuomintang, the main opposition party, during a visit to mainland China earlier this year. The General Administration of Customs will once again allow imports of grouper fish – a high-value aquaculture product in Taiwan – from registered farms on the island from Friday, according to a notice on the customs website. Taiwan ramps up penalty... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3246013/mainland-china-allows-taiwan-grouper-fish-imports-resume-just-weeks-islands-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3246013/mainland-china-allows-taiwan-grouper-fish-imports-resume-just-weeks-islands-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Dec 2023 07:16:35 +0000 Hong Kong’s “waterfront carnival” returned to form on Saturday night after a slow start the day before, with a steady stream of visitors flocking to the market to sample vendors’ street snacks and take in the sights. Stalls located along Wan Chai’s waterfront and offering snacks such as steamed pork and shrimp dumplings, satay skewers and hot dogs welcomed crowds of patrons two hours after they opened for business at 3pm. A local band also performed on stage from 7pm to set the mood. Vendors... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3237968/night-vibes-hong-kong-wan-chai-waterfront-carnival-draws-crowds-lack-english-signs-leave-some-hungry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3237968/night-vibes-hong-kong-wan-chai-waterfront-carnival-draws-crowds-lack-english-signs-leave-some-hungry?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2023 13:05:12 +0000 “Ma’am, this is the wrong Royal China,” the waiter says and points to the left. “You want the Royal China Club that’s next door.” When award-winning writer and cookbook author Fuchsia Dunlop invites you to a 15-course dinner to celebrate her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, you better make sure you are at the right restaurant. (To much confusion, there are two Royal China restaurants on the same street in central London.) Despite my mix-up, I cannot help but draw a comparison with how easily... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3236249/fuchsia-dunlop-giving-chinese-food-its-due-very-sophisticated-cuisine-her-latest-book-invitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3236249/fuchsia-dunlop-giving-chinese-food-its-due-very-sophisticated-cuisine-her-latest-book-invitation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 08:15:16 +0000 Andrew Sun Andrew Sun Paul Hsu, founder of Asian hospitality group Elite Concepts, is known to enjoy a glass or two of wine with friends at the end of a day. Sometimes one bottle of red turns into two or maybe three. When he proposed doing this interview at his office early on a Thursday morning, there was some doubt whether he would be awake or alert enough for a chat. But there he was, bright and early, ready to go. In fact, he arrived well ahead of time while this writer was stuck in traffic. For over 30 years,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3234218/how-love-food-and-obsession-chinese-explorer-zheng-he-inspire-long-time-hong-kong-restaurateur-paul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3234218/how-love-food-and-obsession-chinese-explorer-zheng-he-inspire-long-time-hong-kong-restaurateur-paul?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2023 23:15:19 +0000 For those unfamiliar with Taiwan, it’s easy to group the island’s cuisine under the “Chinese food” umbrella. But the unique history and distinct flavours of Taiwanese dishes call for their own place in the spotlight. That’s how Clarissa Wei came up with the idea for her debut cookbook, Made in Taiwan, which comes out on September 19. “I really wanted to coax out the difference or figure out the difference [between Taiwanese food and other Chinese cuisines],” Wei says. Wei, who is a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3233896/what-taiwanese-food-really-cookbook-writer-return-her-roots-explore-islands-complex-cuisine-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3233896/what-taiwanese-food-really-cookbook-writer-return-her-roots-explore-islands-complex-cuisine-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:15:12 +0000 Asian-American Jennifer Che is a US patent lawyer as well as a food and travel blogger. She spoke to Andrew Sun. I grew up in Ohio. Back then, we did not have much access to Asian ingredients, so my mum was really creative and resourceful making home-cooked Taiwanese foods. For example, she made steam buns using Pillsbury dough (pre-made pastry dough). I love dumplings and I love black truffle, so the black truffle and pork soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung (various locations including 68 Yee Woo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3228095/truffle-soup-dumplings-sushi-never-disappoints-go-restaurants-hong-kong-asian-american-food-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3228095/truffle-soup-dumplings-sushi-never-disappoints-go-restaurants-hong-kong-asian-american-food-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jul 2023 04:45:14 +0000 Beijing is trying a “more subtle approach” to influence Taiwanese voters ahead of presidential and legislative elections in January, a security source in Taipei has warned. An exaggerated spectre of cross-strait war combined with soft concessions like lifting certain import bans were in play this time around, the source with the National Security Bureau, Taiwan’s top intelligence agency, said. Previous election years saw Beijing unleash hostile rhetoric against the independence-leaning... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3227214/mainland-china-running-more-subtle-campaign-sway-2024-vote-taipei-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3227214/mainland-china-running-more-subtle-campaign-sway-2024-vote-taipei-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:39:49 +0000 A noodle shop in Taipei is now serving bowls of ramen topped with a giant isopod – a mysterious deep-sea creature that resembles large pill bugs or woodlice. In a post on its official Facebook page, The Ramen Boy noodle bar in Taipei’s Zhongshan district introduced the limited-edition dish with excitement, starting off by saying how it had “finally obtained [its] dream ingredient” in reference to the giant isopod. The 14-legged goliaths are normally found 500 metres (1,640 feet) or more below... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3221636/dream-ingredient-alien-ramen-dish-made-14-legged-deep-sea-creature-goes-viral-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3221636/dream-ingredient-alien-ramen-dish-made-14-legged-deep-sea-creature-goes-viral-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 08:46:26 +0000 The tree-lined boulevards of Dunhua South Road and Renai Road Section 4, which intersect at one of Taipei’s busiest roundabouts, are reminiscent of Shanghai’s Xuhui district, where parts of the former French Concession used to be. Royal palm, banyan, camphor and sacred fig trees provide shade along these broad arteries in eastern Da’an District, where some of Taiwan’s most expensive real estate can be found. High-end boutiques and upmarket lifestyle stores line the main roads, while bijoux... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3217682/what-do-and-eat-daan-taipei-restaurants-and-shopping-hotels-new-lifestyle-hub-draws-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3217682/what-do-and-eat-daan-taipei-restaurants-and-shopping-hotels-new-lifestyle-hub-draws-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 05:15:11 +0000 Beijing will ramp up efforts to restore exchanges and economic ties with Taiwan, with Premier Li Keqiang taking a conciliatory tone on the island as he delivered the government work report on Sunday. Li reiterated that Beijing would take resolute steps to oppose “Taiwan independence” and promote “reunification” with the island. “As we Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family bound by blood, we should advance economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation … and improve the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3212412/beijing-takes-conciliatory-tone-taiwan-call-advance-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3212412/beijing-takes-conciliatory-tone-taiwan-call-advance-exchanges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Mar 2023 06:51:47 +0000 Sensing a possible shift in public opinion among some Taiwanese, Beijing has ramped up efforts to reach out to different parties on the island in a bid to grow support by offering beneficial policies, according to analysts. The years-long influence strategy by mainland authorities had seen a renewed push after the local elections last year, they said. “Positive changes have taken place in the international situation and the situation on the island, and the factors that hindered exchanges in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3209877/beijing-sees-window-opportunity-taiwan-opposition-kmt-visit-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3209877/beijing-sees-window-opportunity-taiwan-opposition-kmt-visit-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:00:11 +0000 Taiwan’s prized brand of hard liquor has been included on a list of products made by 63 Taiwanese companies which can again be imported into Mainland China following a meeting between the two sides over the weekend. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for Mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, confirmed on Sunday that the companies had met new import requirements. Chinese customs officials introduced updated regulations on food imports in 2021. Mainland China’s General Administration of Customs has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3208478/china-delivers-taiwan-breakthrough-red-packet-lifting-import-ban-kinmen-kaoliang-liquor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3208478/china-delivers-taiwan-breakthrough-red-packet-lifting-import-ban-kinmen-kaoliang-liquor?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jan 2023 09:49:12 +0000 Taipei and Beijing have traded accusations over mainland China’s latest import bans on Taiwanese food and drink products, with Taiwan saying it will take the case to the World Trade Organization. At least 2,400 items are affected, ranging from seafood to alcohol and pastry products, and worth an estimated NT$7 billion (US$228 million), the self-ruled island’s government said early this week. Beijing said Taiwanese suppliers had failed to correctly register the items for the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3203304/taipei-beijing-trade-barbs-over-latest-import-bans-taiwan-plans-wto-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3203304/taipei-beijing-trade-barbs-over-latest-import-bans-taiwan-plans-wto-case?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2022 12:00:16 +0000 A rare decline in all export orders placed to Taiwan – a world hub for hi-tech equipment – could signal cracks in the global economy, from China to Europe, according to some economists and analysts. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday that export orders declined by 1.9 per cent to US$54.26 billion in July, year on year, and by 7.8 per cent compared with June. “It was largely driven by weakening demand in the tech sector, as rising inflation and interest rates hurt global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189909/china-placed-much-fewer-export-orders-tech-powerhouse-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189909/china-placed-much-fewer-export-orders-tech-powerhouse-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Aug 2022 12:00:17 +0000 Guangzhou resident Su Yu used to search out Taiwanese fruit because she thinks it is healthier than produce from the mainland. But even before Beijing banned a range of food imports from the island earlier this month, she said it was becoming hard to find. “Fruit with Taiwanese origin labels, I have the impression that I haven’t seen any for a very long time,” said Su, a translator for a Japanese-owned company in the port city northwest of Hong Kong. The task is only going to become more... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188938/chinas-ban-taiwan-imports-leaves-some-consumers-wondering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188938/chinas-ban-taiwan-imports-leaves-some-consumers-wondering?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Aug 2022 21:00:28 +0000 The US will send aircraft and warships to the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks as Washington anticipates Beijing’s “intensified pressure campaign” against the self-ruled island to unfold over the next few months, a senior White House official said. Kurt Campbell, President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific coordinator, also revealed on Friday that “an ambitious road map for trade negotiations” with Taiwan would be announced “in the coming days”. “We will ensure that our presence, posture and exercise... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188765/citing-beijing-pressure-campaign-us-send-aircraft-and-warships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188765/citing-beijing-pressure-campaign-us-send-aircraft-and-warships?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 19:40:32 +0000 Moves by Beijing to suspend cooperation with Washington in protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will not affect Hong Kong, the city’s top government adviser has said. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the Executive Council, the city’s top decision-making body, also on Sunday said Beijing was very “smart” to avoid touching on trade when it announced the cancellation or suspension of talks with the United States in eight different areas. Since trade was not the focus of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3188001/beijings-measures-against-united-states-over-pelosis-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3188001/beijings-measures-against-united-states-over-pelosis-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Aug 2022 04:42:56 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to assist Beijing with “all necessary measures” to safeguard national sovereignty after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, as he condemned her attempts to smear the city’s democratic development. The tough response by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has sparked concerns that Hong Kong might follow mainland Chinese authorities in suspending some types of Taiwanese imports. Lee issued his damning statement just hours after Pelosi... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3187502/top-hong-kong-officials-politicians-slam-us-speaker-nancy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3187502/top-hong-kong-officials-politicians-slam-us-speaker-nancy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 18:00:12 +0000 Mainland China suspended imports from hundreds of Taiwanese food factories ahead of the controversial stopover on the island by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China’s General Administration of Customs added various confectionery, biscuits, pastries and bread to the list of items currently listed as “imports suspended” on its official website. The Taipei-based United Daily News reported that the ban was imposed on Monday night. “The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Council... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3187457/china-suspends-imports-taiwanese-sweets-biscuits-pastries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3187457/china-suspends-imports-taiwanese-sweets-biscuits-pastries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 10:16:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance chief has rolled out a raft of measures and sweeteners, from consumption vouchers to loan guarantees, aimed at boosting public confidence and keeping small businesses afloat in a city grappling with a Covid-19 crisis. The Post speaks to residents and business owners, who say that despite the relief package, the road ahead remains uncertain until the city is out of the pandemic woods. ‘I really need the extra cash’ Cheng Wai-lok, 49, who runs a Japanese restaurant in Jordan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168132/how-do-hongkongers-feel-about-citys-newly-unveiled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168132/how-do-hongkongers-feel-about-citys-newly-unveiled?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:32:06 +0000 The government will hand out HK$10,000 (US$1,280) in digital vouchers to 6.6 million eligible Hongkongers, with the first half to be distributed in April, but some concern groups and politicians argue cash would serve many struggling residents far better. In the final budget of the current government term, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed on Wednesday a basket of relief measures for individuals and businesses, with a repeat of last year’s e-voucher scheme among the highlights. Other... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168091/nearly-all-hong-kong-residents-receive-hk10000-e?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168091/nearly-all-hong-kong-residents-receive-hk10000-e?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2022 09:58:36 +0000 Guabao has been variably called a Taiwanese hamburger, a Taiwanese sandwich, and a Taiwanese gyro (by at least one person we know). Fatty slices of tender braised pork are sandwiched in a wheat bun shaped like a taco—and then garnished with garlic-crusted chunks of pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and a sprinkle of peanut dust. Originally from Fuzhou, guabao is now commonly associated with Taiwan, where it is heavily consumed during the year-end Weiya Festival, which honors the god of... https://www.scmp.com/food/guabao-taiwanese-pork-belly-sandwich/article/3025549?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/guabao-taiwanese-pork-belly-sandwich/article/3025549?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2019 11:11:48 +0000 Cured mullet roe, or bottarga, has been an international luxury for centuries. In the West, it’s commonly used as a seasoning to add a hint of ocean brine to a fine pasta or soft scrambled eggs. But in Taiwan, where it’s known as 乌鱼子 wuyuzi, bottarga is the entire dish—and can run up to $30 an ounce, though prices can fluctuate widely depending on the quality and grade. Rather than grated, a cured slab of mullet roe is soaked in Kaoliang, a liquor made from fermented sorghum, before it’s... https://www.scmp.com/food/taiwan-bottarga-luxury/article/3020241?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/taiwan-bottarga-luxury/article/3020241?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:12:55 +0000 When it comes to street food in Taipei, few places rival Dadaocheng, a riverside district on the western corridor of the city. That’s because Dadaocheng, founded in the late 19th century, is one of the few areas in Taipei that has escaped the jaws of modern development and remained surprisingly intact. It’s a quaint and living snapshot of old Taipei. The district’s main artery—Dihua Street—is graced with ornately decorated teahouses, neo-Baroque architecture, bright Fujianese temples, and... https://www.scmp.com/food/dadaocheng-taipei-you-can-sample-traditional-taiwanese-fare-street/article/3001130?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/dadaocheng-taipei-you-can-sample-traditional-taiwanese-fare-street/article/3001130?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2019 10:17:52 +0000