The Other Fish Market

The midnight Fish market was too much, even for me, so we tried again at a different place.  This time we went to a day fish market in Yilan Daxi.  This market was more my style.  Friendly vendors selling fish at a good price.  This isn’t a wholesale market.  This is a retail market.

You could ask questions, people smiled and talked to you, and didn’t make faces when you asked to buy one fish.  For me, it was all “Happy, happy, joy, joy!”  I always like it better when people don’t think I’m a pain in the butt.  I mean I am, but I just like it better when they don’t think that.

You don’t have to worry that the fish might not be fresh, either.  The fishermen get up real early in the morning…real early.  They get in their boats and go out fishing about 4:00 am.  Then they come back before 1:00 pm, and unload.  The market opens at 1:00 pm.  So, you’re buying the fish caught that morning. I saw crabs that were still alive, and trying to grab some guy with their pincers.  There were some fish in bowls of water still alive enough to give you the old “stink-eye.” 

All of the fish are caught just off the shore in a channel between Yilan and Turtle Island.  So many varieties; Amberjack, Scarlet Shrimp, crabs, Flying Fish, Red-eye, and the specialty of the market 安康魚 (phonetically: Awn Kong Yu), which we call Monkfish in English. 

The fish are reasonably priced.  We bought a giant Amberjack for $380 NTD, (about $12.69 USD), but the Amberjack had two flying fish in its stomach, so we got two bonus fish.  We also bought a kilo of Scarlet Shrimp, another Flying Fish and three Monkfish. All of that, plus that giant Amberjack cost us $1125 NTD (about $37.57 USD).

Here’s the really cool part though, after you buy the fish, and the vendor cleans them, then you take them upstairs to these restaurant stalls and they cook them up for you.  At the restaurant we got the Amberjack made into sushi, fried filet, and soup, (with the Flying Fish that were in the Amberjack’s stomach).  Then we had a fried Flying Fish, and they prepared the Monkfish with some vegetables.  We also got fried cabbage and 空心菜, (phonetically, kowng shin sigh) which is called water spinach in English.  In the US, you can only find 空心菜 in Asian stores, but it’s really expensive. The restaurant only charged $1020 NTD (about $34.06 USD).  Altogether we paid $2145 NTD, ($71.63 USD) for all that.  Five of us ended up eating fish for three days.  I think that’s pretty inexpensive.  You could probably get all of that in the states for the price of a small car.

That last place as I said I wouldn’t recommend for tourists.  It was not a fun place.  This place, on the other hand, I would call a "don’t miss" tourist stop.  It is even wheelchair accessible, with a large disabled person restroom and a ramp down to the Fish Market.  Fresh fish and delicious cooking, what more can you ask for, and definitely don’t forget the Monkfish.  It was the best part.

半夜的魚市場對我來說實在太誇張了，連我都受不了，所以我們換了個地方再試一次。這次我們去了宜蘭大溪的白天魚市場。這個市場就比較像我習慣的樣子了——友善的攤販、實惠的魚價。這不是批發市場，而是零售市場。

你可以問問題，人們會微笑並與你交談，而且當你只想買一條魚時，他們也不會露出不悅的表情。對我來說，整個體驗就像「快樂快樂、歡喜歡喜！」我總是比較喜歡別人不覺得我是個討人厭的人。雖然我的確有點煩，但我比較喜歡他們不這麼覺得。

你也不必擔心魚不新鮮。漁夫們一大早就起床……真的很早，大概凌晨四點就出海，然後在下午一點前返回卸貨。市場下午一點開門，所以你買到的是當天早上捕的新鮮魚。我還看到螃蟹活蹦亂跳，試圖用鉗子夾住某個人。有些魚還在水盆裡，活到可以對你翻白眼。

所有的魚都是在宜蘭與龜山島之間的海域捕撈的。種類多樣，有青魽魚、緋紅蝦、螃蟹、飛魚、紅眼魚，還有這個市場的招牌——安康魚（英文叫 Monkfish）。

魚的價格都很合理。我們買了一條超大的青魽魚只要380元台幣（約12.69美金），而且青魽魚肚子裡還有兩條飛魚，等於多了兩條魚！我們還買了一公斤的緋紅蝦、另外一條飛魚和三條安康魚。這些加上那條巨大的青魽魚總共花了1125元台幣（約37.57美金）。

最酷的是，買完魚之後，攤販會幫你處理乾淨，然後你可以把魚拿到樓上的小餐廳去，他們會幫你料理。我們把青魽魚做成壽司、炸魚排和湯（加上它肚子裡的飛魚）。接著還吃了炸飛魚，安康魚則是配上蔬菜一起烹調的。我們還點了炒高麗菜和空心菜（英文叫 water spinach）。在美國，空心菜只能在亞洲超市買到，而且很貴。但這裡的餐廳只收了1020元台幣（約34.06美金）。總共我們花了2145元台幣（約71.63美金），五個人吃了三天的魚。我覺得這真的很划算。在美國，這些東西的價格可能都能買一台小車了。

我之前說過那個半夜的市場我不推薦給觀光客，那真不是個好玩的地方。但這個地方我會稱之為「絕不能錯過」的旅遊景點。它甚至還有無障礙設施，有大型的無障礙廁所，還有通往魚市場的斜坡。新鮮的魚加上美味的料理，還能要求什麼呢？千萬別忘了安康魚，那是最好吃的部分！

 

Turtle Island

Egrets judging my fish choices.

The Market

Nice clothes, Full Makeup, and a nice hairdo to clean fish! Amazing

A busy place...not as busy as the other one, but pretty busy!

安康魚 - Monkfish

Elizabeth and I with our fish purchases

By the way, I'm not as bald as ChatGPT thinks I am.  順帶一提，我沒有 ChatGPT 想的那麼禿。

Good Gracious!  When did I get so old?

Photos by Eric Liu

All Posts and Photos Property of Taiwan Adventure Publication

Video courtesy of @HiElizabenny

Barbecue at Stone Yakiniku

I’m a big believer in Barbecue.  In Arizona, we experimented with Southwestern style barbecue on a regular basis.  This is a style of cooking popular in the American southwest, places like Texas and Arizona.  We used a smoker over there, a smoker is an outdoor oven.  Wood is burned and the smoke and temperature cook the meat slowly.  The smoke favor blends with the seasoning of the meat, the result is both delicious and fragrant. 

We usually smoked pork ribs and certain cuts of beef.  We even tried some things like a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, salmon fillets, and crispy pork belly.  Using a smoker takes hours to cook food.  The slang for this type of cooking is “low and slow.”  That is, a low temperature and a long time to cook.  The meat is tender and flavorful because of this style of cooking. 

So, as you can see, I’m a barbecue fan.  Barbecue is my favorite way to eat meat.  I like it so much that I shipped my smoker all the way from Tucson to Taoyuan. 

Shipping takes a while though, so I’m stuck waiting for it to get here.  In the meantime, I can go to StoneYakiniku, a barbecue place near my home.  Stone Yakiniku is an all you can eat barbecue place.  You order meat and then you can barbecue right at your table.  They have these ingenious grills that pulls the smoke into a ventilation system that vents it outside.  There’s an old song in the US called, “Smoke gets in your eyes.”  At Stone Yakiniku smoke never gets in your eyes.

In addition to barbecue, they serve hot pot and have a selection of sushi and sashimi that you can order as well. Prices can vary depending on your choice from $899 NTD ($27.24 USD) to $1099 NTD ($33.30 USD).  It seems a little expensive, but it’s so worth it.

我是個燒烤的忠實愛好者。在亞利桑那州，我們經常嘗試西南風味的燒烤。這種烹飪風格在美國西南部很受歡迎，例如德州和亞利桑那。我們在那裡使用了一種燻烤爐，這是一種戶外烤箱。燻烤爐使用燃燒的木材，利用煙霧和溫度慢慢烹煮肉類。煙霧的香氣與肉類的調味相結合，結果既美味又芳香。

我們通常會燻烤豬肋排和一些牛肉部位。我們甚至試過感恩節的整隻火雞、三文魚排，以及酥脆的豬五花。使用燻烤爐烹煮食物需要花上好幾個小時。這種烹飪方式的俚語叫做「低溫慢煮」（low and slow）。也就是說，用低溫長時間烹煮。因為這種烹飪風格，肉質變得嫩滑多汁，味道也更加濃郁。

所以，正如你所見，我是一個燒烤迷。燒烤是我最喜歡吃肉的方式。我喜歡燒烤到一個程度，甚至把我的燻烤爐從圖森運到了桃園。

My Backyard Smoker

Christmas Dinner at Wang Steak

Last night was Christmas Eve.  We went out to Wang Steak Taoyuan City.  Years ago, we had eaten at a restaurant that was similar, but had never eaten at the “King”.  The other restaurant was ok, but the meat seemed like it was cooked in a steam cooker. 

Wang Steak grills their meat and cooks it to a perfect medium rare.  The meal is a set menu.  They serve soup, salad, the entrée, desert, and a coffee or tea drink at the end.  Since it was Christmas Eve they gave us a complimentary seafood course, consisting of mussels, white fish, squid, and clam. 

I have to admit the place seemed pricey at first, until I saw the food and presentation.  Prices start at $1550 NTD (About $46 USD) to $1990 NTD (About $60 USD) per person, depending on what you order. 

One interesting thing about this particular facility is that the booths are parabolic, so people inside the booth could speak softly and be heard easily by the rest of the group.  This way the restaurant stays quiet and elegant.

I have to admit right here and now, that I’m new to this food blogging thing.  I kept forgetting to take pictures of my food.

昨晚是聖誕前夕。我們去了桃園市的王品牛排。幾年前，我們曾經在一家類似的餐廳用餐，但從未在「王品」用過餐。那家餐廳還可以，但肉質像是用蒸汽鍋煮的。

王品牛排將肉塊烤得恰到好處，達到完美的中等熟度。這頓飯是套餐形式，包含湯、沙拉、主菜、甜點，以及餐後的咖啡或茶。由於是聖誕前夕，他們還贈送了我們一份免費的海鮮拼盤，包括蠔、白魚、魷魚和蛤蜊。

我必須承認，剛開始覺得這裡價格有點高，直到我看到食物和擺盤。價格從每人新台幣1550元（大約46美元）到1990元（大約60美元）不等，視乎你點的菜品。

這家餐廳的一個有趣之處是，他們的包廂是拋物線形設計，這樣包廂裡的人可以輕聲交談，其他人也能清楚聽到。這樣餐廳保持了安靜和優雅的氛圍。

我必須坦白，這是我第一次嘗試食物部落格寫作。我總是忘記拍照紀錄我的餐點。

Vocabulary:

Complimentary – Given at no cost - 免費提供

Pricey – Expensive - 昂貴

Elegant – Sophisticated - 精緻的

Served with your meal is this glass of Sparkling Plum Juice.  Delicious and refreshing

Bread served before our meal, a Croissant and Raisin Bread.

There were three salads to choose from.  I chose this Cauliflower and Bacon Salad.

I Chose the Seafood Soup!

There was a number of Entrees, but I chose Lamb shank and Shrimp for mine.

Cheese and Pomelo Tart for dessert.

Traditional Markets

There are traditional markets all over Taiwan.  They are very popular places for people to shop.  Early in the morning, it is almost impossible to get through there.  You have to be alert, people are dodging in and out, stopping without warning, riding scooters through it.  It can get pretty crazy, especially in a wheelchair, because you travel below their line of sight. 

Taoyuan City has a great traditional market.  The one near our home is called Da Nan Market.  They sell pretty much everything, from live fish, which they will clean and fillet for you, to clothes, shoes and hats.  If you want it, they probably sell it, as long as its legal.  

This is one of my favorite places to go.  I can sit in the shade and watch people for hours.  If I get hungry there’s lots of small restaurants and street food available. 

We went over there this morning about 9:00 am to get baozi (steamed buns filled with pork and cabbage), and were greeted with a sea of humanity.  People were everywhere.  I used to go there after morning prayer all the time before we moved, but today was the biggest crowd I remember. 

It’s a fun noisy place:  People trying to attract you to their stall, yelling about prices and products, lots of colorful signs, people talking and laughing, and other general mayhem.  If you want a sense of Taiwanese culture, you don’t want to miss the traditional market.

The Sea of Humanity

Doing what I do best!

Photos by Crisel Joy Bringula

Is That the Ice Cream Truck?

I worked in the trash business in United States for about twenty-five years.  I started in a high school recycling center.  After that, I drove a residential collection route and operated all kinds of equipment in a recycling processing yard, hey, I just did it all…trash wise.  When I left to do something else, I was working in the executive offices.  Garbage was my life.

I watched the industry change from hand loading the truck to automated collection.  When I was driving, I had to stop the truck, get out, pick up the can and dump it myself, rain or shine.  The drivers these days push a couple of buttons, and the truck loads itself. 

Waste collection in Taiwan is done very differently from how it is done in the US.  Collection in America is usually weekly.  They give you this big giant can and you load your trash in there, then once a week they show up and dump it!  Recycling is collected either weekly or every two weeks.  The items accepted are very limited.  In Tucson, they wouldn’t collect glass bottles.  If you wanted to wash them, separate them by color, and haul them out to a collection center they would grudgingly accept them.  Taiwan recycling collection vehicles take everything from glass bottles to wooden goods.  The trash trucks are even equipped with barrels for the collection of food waste.  They use it to feed the pigs…This does not happen in America, except possibly in some rural areas where there are a lot of pig farmers. 

Another difference is in the vehicle and collection method.  In Taiwan, the trucks are rear loader vehicles.  These trucks collect in each neighborhood daily.  As they travel down the street they play music, to notify residents to bring out the trash and throw it into the truck.  The customers load the trucks, themselves.  The truck barely stops.  It is followed closely by the recycling collection truck.  The recyclables are handed to an attendant who rides on the vehicle.

Collection in the US is weekly.  Recycling (at least in Tucson) is every other week.  The driver stops in front of the house and the truck loads itself.  They start at 7:00 am, and if your can isn’t out there, it doesn’t get picked up.

Finally, the biggest difference is the music.  The only trucks in residential areas that play music in America sell ice cream.  Americans are conditioned to want ice cream when they hear that music!  Personally, I think it’s nice to have music play when the trash man comes.  It is a nice marriage of beauty and function.  Taiwanese people think of everything!

Tucson Trash Truck and my Granddaughter Elle

Some Photos and video by Crisel Joy Bringula