Taoyuan Nights

I often find myself travelling around town on the number 7 bus, which links Taoyuan city centre with Ming Chuan University and the Guishan area. This bus takes a slightly roundabout route, and passes through a good part of the industrial area of Taoyuan that is near Guishan.

Taoyuan’s factories are often staffed by (low paid) foreign workers - a topic which very easily stimulates discussion when presented to locals, irrespective of their own nationality. However, economic disparities aside, this influx of foreign staff represents a boon to the palates of students travelling between the city centre and university. By visiting the restaurants in the industrial areas, you are almost guaranteed to get food that is:

a) cheap
b) completely authentic

and only very slightly

c) contaminated by heavy metals.

The area midway between the city centre and Guishan seems to be predominantly Thai. This isn’t surprising - Taoyuan is the most ‘Thai’ city in Taiwan, with over 30,000 Thais among the 70,000 registered foreign workers in the city. There is another area of foreign worker’s restaurants that can be more easily found, by taking the underpass beneath Taoyuan railway station and look around. The area near the railway station seems to be predominantly Indonesian and Vietnamese, though a few Thai restaurants such as ‘Suwadee’ can be found. (…however, Sudawee wasn’t very good the last time I ate there…)

If you’re interested in trying some authentic food from the Thai restaurants near the Guishan area, here is what I recommend you do. Go to the Tonlin department store (near the train station - ask the first person you meet to point you towards ‘Tonlin’). Around the side, near some small food stalls, the number 7 bus departs. Step onboard, pay $15 TWD, wait 10-15 minutes, and you will drive past a big building with a “BENQ” sign outside. Step off the bus (there are two stops within 200 metres), and you will find yourself in a little street with at least 5 different thai restaurants.

My favourite restaurant is the one nearest to the Benq building entrance - approximately 50 metres away. The scenery and music really isn’t the best in the world, but the food…. the food is to die for. Truly, the most incredible Thai food I’ve found so far, much better than the other Thai restaurants I’ve found in Taoyuan. Try the lemon fish (lee mon yu), and tom ka gai soup, and mix the sauces together to experience an absolutely divine combination. If you’re feeling brave, they’ll be happy to supply a spicy salad that will take the roof of your mouth off.

Beware though. Many bad experiences that I’ve had in Thai restaurants here stem from the friendly nature of the hosts. If you have white skin, they will avoid putting anything spicy (or indeed, flavoured) into their cooking so as not to surprise you. Insist on getting your food spicy! (”hen la”)

To help your taste buds recover afterwards, a convenient steamed bread stall can also be found near the Benq building, selling a very decent variety of sweet, soft, freshly made bread, for about $12 each. Highly recommended for mopping up the chilli that will now be stuck between your teeth.