Stop 3: 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan

On September 21, 1999, one of the biggest earthquakes this century to hit Taiwan struck in the middle of the night. My mom just happened to be visiting Taiwan during that time. She was in Taichung at home when the violent shaking began. She quickly ran to hide under a doorframe. Suddenly, a violent rumble caused the electricity to go out. Their front gate, which was operated by electricity, was closed. She braced herself under the doorframe. The earthquake went on for 45 minutes before it finally quieted down.

And then . . . The aftershocks began. My mom was stuck indoors that entire night. It wasn't until morning, when a relative came by, that they were able to open the gate and let her out.

In 1999 I had just started working as a research chemist. I distinctly remember hearing the news and being worried sick about my mom. I was so relieved to find out that my relatives were all OK. Not everyone was.

During this trip, my uncle took me to the 921 Earthquake Museum in Taichung. It’s located at a school that had collapsed during the earthquake. My uncle said it was a good thing that the earthquake happened at night when none of the kids were in school. Otherwise, it may have been much, much worse. 

“God really cares about Taiwan” said my Uncle.

The government decided to keep the collapsed school as is, and build a museum around it. To this day, you can still see the remains of the school.

It's a bit unbelievable to see how much the ground rose up in certain places, like the school track in the below photo.

I learned a lot about earthquakes, and it’s a bit crazy to see how an earthquake can really violently change the landscape so quickly in such a short amount of time. The land cracked open in some places, rose up about a meter in others. Bridges broke in half, weaker buildings collapsed, and neatly planted rows of tea leaves became zig zag rows after the plates underneath permanently shifted . . . .

At the end, we experienced an earthquake simulation that emulated what the 921 (September 21) earthquake may have felt like. For me, the simulation brought me back to 1999 as I imagined my mom bracing herself under the doorframe, just waiting for the shakes to stop.

Stop 4: Guang Fu New Village 光復新站

The 921 Museum is located pretty close to Guang Fu New Village, so a lot of people will visit both on the same day. Guang Fu Village was the first new village created in Taiwan after World War II. This particular area was built for families of civil servants.

Now it's a creative arts and cultural hub, filled with boutiques and small businesses selling handcrafted goods, artisanal foods, coffee, and more.

We met an Aboriginal guy named Chamak who is a singer, artist, and coffee shop owner! He was so kind, giving us free samples of his housemade lemonade ("lemons were picked from my backyard!") and trying to speak multiple languages with us.

We also visited a shop called Maluda Awi 余美玲 selling a particular type of woven fabric made from the Seediq Aboriginal Tribe (賽德克族). We met Maluda Awi herself, who left her career in the city after the 9/21 earthquake to re-invest in her roots, learning the craft of the Seediq people. There are fewer and fewer people who have the patience to learn the craft, yet Maluda continues to spend her time teaching the next generation this difficult, painstaking craft. She established the Taiwan Indigenous Weaving Development Association in 2008 and regularly holds workshops and teaches classes.

The fabrics are gorgeous, and I bought a small woven bag as a memento of our visit.

Toujiang Fan 頭獎飯

We randomly found this “hole-in-the-wall” traditional Taiwanese eatery because we were hungry. Turns out the food was quite nice (and very, very reasonably priced). The braised pork hoc was amazing, as was the braised pork over rice (滷肉飯）. The side dishes (USD$1 each) were fine, and the soups were simple yet heartwarming and “hit the spot” satisfying.

Dinner

For dinner, we explored Fengchia Night Market, which deserves a post of its own! Coming up next! For a teaser, below is a video I made of our visit there two years ago.

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Up next, dinner Fengchia Night Market!

The post Whirlwind 48 Hours in Taichung Taiwan (Day 2) appeared first on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series on my 48 hour trip to Taichung, Taiwan, my mom's hometown.

“I’m going to be in Taiwan in mid-April. Do you want to join me in Taichung for a few days?” My sister messaged in about a month ago.

To be honest, the timing wasn’t great. I had just traveled to New York City, returning to Hong Kong the first week of April. I had another trip to the US (Boston), at the end of April. As such, I only had 2 precious weeks in Hong Kong in between.

But it’s my sister. She lives in Boston. It’s not every day I have a chance to hang out with her in Asia.

So, I did it. I took a few days out of my precious 2 weeks and flew to our mom’s hometown of Taichung. We spent the entire two days with our Taiwanese uncle and his wife. I loved the language immersion, especially having ample opportunities to practice my (very bad) Taiwanese dialect. (My sister and I grew up listening to it at home, so we can understand it, but we never spoke it, so we sound laughably terrible). 

We also packed in A LOT in 2 days, visiting some top sites in Taichung while enjoying many local foods. The Night Market is especially fun! (separate post on that!)

Here’s a summary of our trip!

Stop 1: Chingshui Tzu Yun Yen 清水紫雲巖 and Wang Ta “Bi-guh” (王塔米糕店）

A very classic Taiwanese dish that reminds me of an inverted “zongzi” (rice dumpling): It consists of glutinous rice topped with a flavorful mixture of pork belly and other spices, topped off with a flavorful (secret?) brown sauce. Wang Ta, a small eatery located within walking distance of the temple, is famous for bi-guh and has selling this dish since 1946.

Stop 2: GaoMei Turbine Avenue and Wetlands

Located on the coast of Taichung's Qingshui District, Gaomei Wetlands is an ecological conservation area known for its expansive tidal mudflats and a long wooden boardwalk. Running directly alongside the area is Gaomei "Windmill Avenue", a 1.5-kilometer stretch of coastal road lined with giant, active windmills.

What a hidden gem! This place is popular with influencers because you can take some pretty dramatic reflection shots, especially during sunset. During low tide, the thin layer of water over the mudflats creates a perfect reflection of the sky and the wind turbines.

My uncle and aunt, despite being locals, admitted that they had never been here during sunset. "Too crowded". We similarly left right as the sun was starting to come down and the tour buses began arriving in droves.

Diversity of Wildlife

Not only are the views really pretty, the diversity of wildlife is really amazing too. The boardwalk allows you to walk right above the tidal flats, where you can see migratory birds, mudskippers, and fiddler crabs.

I'd never seen this cute one-clawed tiny crab before. Some of them are "right clawed" and some of them are "left clawed". Apparently they are called "fiddler crabs" because the big claw together with the small claw looks a bit like a violin (fiddle). Only the males have the over-sized single claw!

So interesting!

It's amazing how many thousands of these little crabs you can see in this conservation area. It's really quite fascinating, and a bit therapeutic to just walk along this long boardwalk, exploring nature at your leisure.

During sunset the light becomes quite golden, and the whole place takes on a warmer vibe. During low tide (which is typically in the afternoon between 2PM and 8PM), you can even walk out onto the water. It looks like you are walking on water, but the water is only about 1 inch, so you really won't get wet at all.

It was so peaceful to walk out onto the water during low tide.

I can see my uncle's wisdom in taking me here during the early afternoon (on a weekday) when it was quiet. When the school buses and large tours started arriving close to sunset, we quietly slipped away back to our car and left with our own memories of that beautiful place.

Stop 2: 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan

On September 21, 1999, one of the biggest earthquakes this century to hit Taiwan struck in the middle of the night. My mom just happened to be visiting Taiwan during that time. She was in Taichung at home when the violent shaking began. She quickly ran to hide under a doorframe. Suddenly, a violent rumble caused the electricity to go out. Their front gate, which was operated by electricity, was closed. She braced herself under the doorframe. The earthquake went on for 45 minutes before it finally quieted down. And then . . . The aftershocks began.

I had just started working as a research chemist. I distinctly remember hearing the news and being worried sick about my mom. It was SUCH a relief to find out that my relatives were all OK. Not everyone was.

During this trip, my uncle took me to the 921 Earthquake Museum in Taichung. It’s located at a school that had collapsed during the earthquake. My uncle said it was a good thing that the earthquake happened at night when none of the kids were in school. Otherwise, it may have been much, much worse. 

“God really cares about Taiwan” said my Uncle.

I learned a lot about earthquakes, and it’s a bit crazy to see how an earthquake can really violently change the landscape so quickly in such a short amount of time. The land cracked open in some places, rose up about a meter in others. Bridges broke in half, weaker buildings collapsed . . . .

At the end, we experienced an earthquake simulation that emulated what the 921 (September 21) earthquake may have felt like. For me, the simulation brought me back to 1999 as I imagined my mom bracing herself under the doorframe, just waiting for the shakes to stop.

GuanoFu New Village

This cute shopping area is filled with artsy boutiques selling things like handcrafted goods, artisanal foods,  coffee, and more!

We met an Aboriginal guy named Chamak who is a singer, artist, and coffee shop owner! He was so kind, giving us free samples of his housemade lemonade ("lemons were picked from my backyard!") and trying to speak multiple languages with us.

We also visited a shop selling a particular type of woven fabric made from one particular Aboriginal tribe. There were fewer and fewer people who had the patience to learn the craft, and we met a woman from the older generation who was trying her best to teach the next generation.

I bought a small woven bag as a memento of our visit.

Toujiang Fan

We randomly found this “hole-in-the-wall” traditional Taiwanese eatery because we were hungry. Turns out the food was quite nice (and very, very reasonably priced). The braised pork hoc was amazing, as was the braised pork over rice (滷肉飯）. The side dishes (USD$1 each) were fine, and the soups were simple yet heartwarming and “hit the spot” satisfying.

Up next, Day 2 of our whirlwind tour!

The post Whirlwind 48 Hours in Taichung Taiwan (Day 1) appeared first on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

In the small town of Modena, about an hour’s train ride from Milan, sits Osteria Francescana. This not-so-humble "osteria" has won World’s Best Restaurant twice (in 2016 and 2018) and holds three Michelin stars.

We started our day early, catching the 8:00 AM train from Milan and arriving in Modena by 9:15 AM, giving us just enough time to walk through the quiet streets before our reservation.

Was it a detour? Or a "special trip"? In either event, we made a special point to visit Modena in order to experience this 3-Michelin star restaurant ("worthy of a special trip").

We were surprised at how humble and modest this little town was . . .

We wandered around the central market, popped in a church, and warmed up over a cup of coffee while trying to fight jetlag.

Modena is also famous for balsamic vinegar, so we had a little tasting (so interesting!) and bought some souvenirs to bring back home.

The word "Osteria" usually refers to a humble, simple eatery. Therein lies the irony with Chef Massimo Bottura's Osteria. His philosophy is more about "bringing the best of the past into the future." He does this by taking traditional Italian flavors and reimagining them through a modern, often whimsical lens.

The Opening Bites

The meal began with a series of creative snacks:

The Garden and the Sea

Pasta Reimagined

Where is this pasta e fagioli going? featured pasta shaped like beans (using three different types of dough) served in a rich, salty Parmesan broth with drops of red cabbage and olive oil.

This dish really blew our minds. You almost couldn't tell which one was a real bean and which one was pasta, until you bit into it. It looked so humble and simple, yet took so much technique to achieve.

We also had the Passatello, a traditional way to reuse stale bread. This version was seasonal, featuring corn, black truffle, radicchio, and tomato in a comforting chicken broth.

Jazz Duck: An Exploration of Sustainability

Chef Massimo spoke to us about his passion for sustainability and using every part of the animal. He showcased this concept in a multi-part course called Jazz Duck, which felt like a culinary improvisation:

Sweets

And we got to talk to the chef!

It was SUCH a honor to be able to speak briefly with Chef Massimo. He is indeed very, very passionate about many things, especially social causes. Massimo and his wife, Lara Gilmore, have a foundation, Food for Soul, which is dedicated to fighting food waste by creating "Refettorios" (12 and counting!) that turn rescued food into high-quality meals for those facing social vulnerability.

He also supports Il Tortellante, a project that teaches autistic young people how to make handmade pasta.

Here's a video I made of our dining experience!

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A Meal to Remember

Looking back, this was my favorite high-end meal of our trip. I loved how each dish told a story. Not only was the food exquisite, each course was part of a bigger story that reflected Chef Massimo's values and passion.

Definitely worth the visit!

Osteria Francescana Modena
Via Stella, 22 41121 Modena Italy

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This looks like a picture of a happy group of friends enjoying a lovely meal at Locanda del Pilone in Alba. However, it actually look heroic efforts to get to this point.

It wasn't meant to start out this way.

How it all started . . .

We were in Alba city center. The GPS said that the drive up the vineyard-filled mountains to Locanda del Pilone would only take 12 minutes. Seemed easy enough.

As we drove and drove, the GPS kept "rerouting", and the time get getting longer and longer. 15 minutes? And now, 17 minutes? What's going on?

Pretty soon we were convinced we'd made a wrong turn. The road was getting muddier and muddier, and it was very, very dark.

All of a sudden, the car stopped moving. Whirrrrr whirrrr . . . The harder my friend pressed the gas pedal, the more stuck we became. Yes, the wheel was completely stuck in a mud trap.

Stuck with nowhere to go . . .

We got out of the car. A dog started barking. From a distance, we saw a few people stumble out to see what was going on, only to shuffle back into their rooms.

We tried looking on a map, but it was hard to see what was going on. Who could we ask for help? We had to drive to the airport early the morning to fly back home. We really, really needed this car to work.

Internet was bad on the mountain. It was hard to get good signal to even look up information on the internet.

My friend's daughter started to cry - she was quite scared.

We held hands and prayed.

Eventually someone's phone got some signal, and we found the phone number for the restaurant. My friend gave them a call letting then know that . . . uhhh, we were running a bit late.

After a few minutes on the phone, the restaurant manager said, "the Chef is coming to get you."

???

Relief

We almost cried tears of relief when we saw his car come up. It wasn't a big car, but the five of us managed to squeeze in. He drove us down to the restaurant.

As we arrived, the staff were super welcoming, knowing that we'd just endured a slightly harrowing experience.

"Welcome! Don't worry, everything is going to be OK. May we take your jackets?"

Our shoes were embarrassingly muddy, but the staff did not blink one bit. We got paper towels, wiped our shoes as cleanly as we could, and headed to the dining room.

With our permission, Chef took our car keys and promised worked with some other members of the team to help us with our problem.

"Just relax and enjoy the meal . . . ."

What a meal it was!

Amuse Bouches

The Menus

The restaurant has a full tasting menu (150 euros), "a la Carte" Menu with two courses plus dessert (110 euros), and "a la Carte" Menu with three courses plus dessert (140 euros). Our table went with the 3-course, with each person picking their own favorite courses.

Below are a selection of some of the courses we had!

Desserts or Cheese

Mignardises

Thank you Chef!!!

At the end of the meal, the Chef told us "good news! We got your car out. Drove it back down. It is right in our parking area."

I cannot even begin to describe how thankful we were for the whole restaurant's over-the-top hospitality. They made what could have been a horrible nightmare into a fond memory of one of the best levels of service we'd EVER received from a restaurant, hands down.

We smoothly drove back down the mountain (12 minutes!), and made our way to the airport the next morning without a hitch.

And this memory will stick with all of us probably forever!

Video of Our Meal!

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Locanda del Pilone Restaurant Alba Italy

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There are those times (yes, even during a short, intense food-focused trip) when you just want a simple, healthy, and (preferably still) delicious meal. Perhaps the kids are jetlagged, or perhaps dinner will be a huge multi-hour affair. Or maybe lunch was huge, and you're just not THAT hungry.

For us, this happened a couple times during the trip. Each time, Gusto Madre Flatbread right in Alba's city center came to the rescue.

I love this place. It's part bakery, part coffee shop, part casual restaurant at night. They make delicious breads, and they make flatbreads (kind like pizzas) with their house baked breads.

The Bread is the Star

The breads are delicious, with different ones having different textures and unique grains.

CRUST TYPE: La Friable is a reimagined "traditional Roman stuffed focaccia". We tried Il Crudo, which came with burrata, raw prosciutto di Parma DOP reserve Gallo (24 months). 15 EUROS

I loved the crust so much that, the next time I came, I ordered La Vegana. Using the same crust, this version includes vegetable cream, seasonable vegetables, sunflower seeds, flax, sesame adn oats, caramelized onions, and taina. 14 EUROS

La Soffice is a tall and fluffy dough made with some added whole rye flour. This Il Gambero came topped with yellow cherry puree, burrata, red shrimp from Porto Santo Spirito, lemon mayonnaise, caper powder, and EVOO. 27 EUROS

Autentica crust is a mixture of 100% spelt flour using their ancient fermentation methods. La Bufala a Modo Nostro was delicious, with pelled tomato from Agro Nocerino Sarnese DOP, buffalo mozzarella from Piedmont, riviera olives, Pantelleria capers, oregano, basil, and EVOO. 16 EUROS

The ingredients in all the flatbreads are excellent (you can only imagine what types of cheese, salumi, and other spices/herbs they can access). And it's just a perfect no-fuss kind of restaurant.

The ambiance is pleasant. I actually ate there TWICE during this short trip (yes, I liked it that much).

Highly recommended!

Gusto Madre Flatbread Restaurant Alba

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