8/27/10 Street Food and Furries

Not far from our hotel was the Ximending pedestrian area.  It is known for being fairly wild after dark.  It is full of costume shops to satisfy the needs of people who take the words “dressing up for a night on the town” very seriously.  It may have been a tame Friday night since I didn’t run into any furries ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom) or anime character wannabes.

Ximending

Go team Victory!

Tough decision for Iris: Sexy cop or hot panda?

Ximending is also a great place to experience Taiwan’s street food.  Pedestrian areas and night markets are where the vendors thrive.  Prior to arriving I had made myself a promise, I would eat absolutely everything on offer.  This strategy meshed very well with the Philosophy of Yes.  So far the restaurant food had been tame, so to start, something easy and small… bird eggs.  No indication was given as to what type of bird they came from.  There were 5 on a stick and you roll them in a sauce; delicious but ordinary.  Later on in the evening at Iris’ insistence I tried grilled dried squid.  Why anyone would grill something already so dry in an effort to make it drier was beyond me.  Glad I tried it, but once was enough.  Think BBQ’d beef jerky, but only with fish and 10 times chewier and you get the idea.

Toxic sausage balls?

Food to avoid - Grilled dried squid