My Favorite Place in Taiwan

Over the last year Nick and I have seen a lot of places here in Taiwan. We've been to Sun Moon Lake, Ilan, Hualien, Kending, Taipei, Tainan, Puli, Xitou, Green Island..... and after all of that, it turns out that my favorite place in Taiwan is just a block from my house. A place we affectionately call "the cheap beer place."

It doesn't look like anything special, just a hole in the wall restaurant with concrete floors and plastic chairs, but it is - by far - our favorite place here in Taiwan. Actually our friends found this place before we even moved to Taiwan, and Nick and I just happened to move to an apartment a stone's throw away from it.

How cheap is the beer at the cheap beer place?

We can get 3 of these large bottles for $100NT ($3 USD) - pretty good deal! huh?

And how often do we go to the cheap beer place??? Well, at least once a week (typically on Friday nights) but we also go on Thursdays after playing badminton with our friends - and we've been known to show up there on the occasional Wednesday as well.

But at this point I have to make it clear that cheap beer and convenience are not the only reasons that we go to the cheap beer place. We also go there because their food is fantastic. Everything we've had at this place is absolutly delicious.

Our three favorite things to eat at the cheap beer place are:
Kung Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁)

Ha Ma (clams)

and water spinach (kong xin tsai - 空心菜)

But we also love to order these little tiny crispy fried shrimp (xi sha 溪虾) which come complete with shell and head - they go great with beer!

sweet and sour chicken (糖醋雞)

and Nick especially likes their Tofu

好好吃!

Well... I guess you get the picture! Everything is delicious there, and if I could pick this place up - with their concrete floor and filthy bathroom - and take it all back home with me to the states, I would do it in a heart beat.

Some of our best times have been had at the cheap beer place - hanging out with friends

occasionally playing cards

Making new friends....

and just having a good time

We spent so much time at the place, that we made pretty good friends with all of the ladies who work there - they're all like our Taiwanese aunties :-)

Without a doubt, this is definitely the place we will miss the most!