Since I moved away from California and its endless supply of authentic Mexican restaurants in 2009, I have spent the past three years hopelessly searching for decent Mexican food abroad — especially in Taiwan.

Yeah…I know.

Obviously, Taiwan is not likely to be home to some of the world’s best tacos, but I always held out hope that eventually I would find something that didn’t result in a call back home to Mom in hopes she had figured out a way to overnight me some.

And for a bit, we were living la vida loca with a great local place that not only had decent food but the best passion fruit margaritas on earth (with real passion fruit, no syrup extract!) And then, like all good things, my taco train came to an end.

It’s now early May and that brings Cinco de Mayo and feelings of bitterness that last over all the subsequent days of the month. While all my friends are posting pics of delicious tacos, guacamole, and certainly lots of tequila and cerveza, I am usually brooding in some remote destination that wouldn’t know a taco if it hit them in the head.

Until now! Finally someone was clued in to the importance of expats needing a good taco fix now and then — meet my new vice, Macho Tacos in Taipei.

Macho Tacos in Taipei, Taiwan

Macho Tacos now has two locations in Taipei and serves Baja style tacos and burritos, complete with a fish taco option that makes me feel like I am back in San Diego, California. You are quickly reminded that it’s Taipei though when you peruse the meat options for tacos…chicken, beef, pork, or tofu! It wouldn’t be a local restaurant without a tofu option.

Carnitas Soft Taco at Macho Tacos

The menu at Macho Tacos is pretty simple — tacos, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, and nachos.  The prices are reasonable for Western food in Taipei, which can sometimes be quite expensive. For about $5 US, you can get three meat (carne asada, carnitas, or chicken) tacos, or for a bit more, you can get the three fish tacos. Right now, they are running a special Taco Tuesday special for about $1 US each (excluding fish tacos).  Sadly, I am headed to Italy on Monday so it looks like Taco Tuesdays are going to have to wait for me for a couple more weeks!

Baja Style Fish Tacos from Macho Tacos

When compared to local Taiwanese street food, the normal prices are a higher, but sometimes after traveling for months, you just need that little taste of home. Also, if you are hoping to run into a few more English speakers around Taipei, this is a great place to stop as most weekends it’s packed with local expats.

Macho Tacos is a tiny hole-in-the-wall that specializes in Baja-style Mexican food (also commonly referred to as Fresh Mex).  They’ve become a beloved fixture in the Taipei dining scene and I hope their luchadore (Mexican wrestler) and great food continue to delight the stomachs of other expats.

Carne Asada Nachos at Macho Tacos

Some of my friends thought my quest for Mexican food outside of the Americas was disturbing, but I had to believe there were other taco connoisseurs who shared my inane love for little corn tortillas filled with giant hunks of carne asada and enough onions and cilantro to rival the effects of a good dose of garlic. It wasn’t until I became acquainted with Jade from Vagabond3, that I knew I had a kindred spirit in the world. After talking Mexican food countless times on Twitter, we were finally able to enjoy a meal together after TBEX 2011 in Vancouver, and I’m looking forward to hopefully venturing off on the hunt for more tacos elsewhere sometime.

And hey, if anyone ever wants to sponsor a round the world trip in search of the best tacos around the globe, I’m sure you have two Los Angeles girls who would gladly volunteer!

The Eternal Search for Good Mexican Food Abroad: Macho Tacos in Taipei, Taiwan is a post from Art of Backpacking

If you are currently traveling in Japan, Kyoto is certainly the place to be this week as the cherry blossoms, or sakura, should be reaching peak blooms.

I had the pleasure of spending my birthday week in Japan this year, with Easter weekend devoted to Kyoto and Nara — on the hunt for the best displays of cherry blossoms.  Unfortunately, the sakura peak days were slightly delayed courtesy of the major storm that swept through Japan last Tuesday.  The cold front brought some intense rain and typhoon-like winds. During the height of the storm in Tokyo, I was literally blown over while walking back to my hotel at Disney.

Cherry Blossom, or sakura, buds in Kyoto, Japan

Each year, regions prepare a schedule detailing the expected best times to visit the renowned cherry blossoms, but as I unfortunately learned, unexpected weather disturbances can really throw things off.  While I didn’t get to witness the grandeur of the trees in full bloom, it still easily ranks as one of my top travel experiences.

After exploring Kyoto during the day and photographing the trees we did find, we raced down to Maruyama Park in hopes of catching a few blossoms before dark.  The park ended up being further away than we realized – that map was definitely not to scale! By the time we arrived, the sun was setting and I admit to being slightly bitter that my window of opportunity had passed.

After grumbling for a few minutes, I started to notice that people were pouring in to the park, not out.  Turns out, Maruyama Park takes on a whole new vibe at night, and it’s actually the best time to enjoy sakura!

Everywhere you looked, blue tarps covered the park’s grassy areas, with local groups coming early in the morning to stake out their preferred spots for the all-night party.  Pathways were lined with stalls filled with street eats and local handicrafts.

Tarps spread out in Maruyama Park as big groups converge to celebrate sakura, or cherry blossom season

People began pouring in through the neighboring Yasaka Shrine, many of them holding signs and chanting or singing.  They had sleeping bags, heavy jackets, and crates filled with beer and other nibbles.  The parties are quite legendary and are an integral part of the Japanese culture.

The main sight at Maruyama Park is the shidarezakura, a weeping cherry tree that is lit up at night.  As the sun set and the lights came on, it was definitely a “wow” moment, full blooms or not.

Weeping Cherry Blossom Tree or shidarezakura, the centerpiece at Maruyama Park

Nearby, there are fixed location restaurants with tables set up under the blooming trees.  Large groups of Japanese businessmen filled many of the tables ordering copious bottles of beer and grilled menu items.  Within 15-20 minutes after sunset, I’d say nearly every table was full with groups – some as large as 30 or more people.

Groups sitting under the cherry blossom trees enjoying beer and lots of good food

Maruyama Park is one of the best spots for cherry blossom viewing, especially if you are short on time. It’s quite easy to reach the area while walking around Kyoto, or it’s about 20 minutes via bus from Kyoto Station.  Taxis are anything but cheap in Japan, but we took one as we were in such a rush to get there before the sun went completely down – it was about $8 US for a 10 minute cab ride!

While you can see cherry blossom trees throughout cities like Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo, it’s definitely worth checking out one of the prime viewing spots like Maruyama Park and experiencing sakura and these viewing parties, known as hanami.  And if you are really lucky, maybe one of the groups will invite you to join them!

Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto, Japan is a post from Art of Backpacking

I’ve been to Thailand twice and for a month each time backpacking throughout the country. The difference was the first time I went I was single and traveling solo. Over a year later I went again but with my girlfriend. The first time I went was during the low season and the second time during the peak season.

When I was traveling solo, I normally hung out with others that were also traveling solo. I rarely saw or hung out with other couples. Not that I didn’t want to, it just didn’t happen as often. The funny thing is, when I traveled with Stephanie, it was the opposite. I noticed more couples and less solo travelers. Still, there was significantly more solo travelers than couple travelers in Southeast Asia.

Solo Traveling:

I jumped hostel to hostel meeting new people quite often. I partied and made new friends. By this time, I was four months into my trip and was getting tired of meeting new people every other day. There were times I had wished someone would travel with me longer than a day or two. Still, the advantages were that I could go wherever I wanted and eat whenever I felt like it. I stayed at destinations shorter since I was on my own time and the partying continued until I hit Malaysia where it completely stopped because it was too expensive to drink.

I met a local on a train ride from Chang Mai to Bangkok. We talked the entire train ride over and became friends. He invited me to his home in the city and took me around downtown. He had a mansion an hour away out of Bangkok and invited me to stay over. It was completely random and I’m not sure he would have been as inviting if there were two of us.

Couple Traveling:

I went to many of the same places I went to last time with a few new islands. I never felt lonely and it felt great to share it with someone close. We traveled much slower than I had previously. It was much more relaxing and I didn’t feel as stressed out about meeting new people or figuring out where to go next. We had to compromise destinations, restaurants, activities, and activities. It was a whole lot easier to travel around because I had someone else that could help me in deciding the next activity, bargaining, getting around, and handling tough situations on the road. It didn’t feel weird at all to go to the same places again but we  different activities than I had previously. I probably annoyed her talking about what I had experienced last time and wanting to see how things looked like now compared to last time. Everything looked exactly the same as it was like year and a half prior.

It was cheaper. Outside of Bangkok, most of the accommodations are guesthouses. I didn’t have to find another traveler to split the costs with and I no longer had to try to run away from another traveler that I didn’t want to hang out with anymore. She was also there to stop me from buying unnecessary splurging unlike before I just took my own opinion and spent according to that. With so many cheap flights to Thailand, I think we’ll be going back.

Since the both of us started out solo traveling before we met, we know what both experiences feel like. Sometimes we still like to do a things solo. I think it’s important even as a couple to do things on our own. Solo traveling is great short term but I think in the long run, it feels great to travel with someone you know really well.

The following article has been sponsored by FlightCentre.

Solo vs Couple Travel in Thailand is a post from Art of Backpacking

I hear it all the time in Argentina by the locals “isn’t chinese food bugs and fish?” Do they really think 1.4 billion people are eating bugs? With thousands of years of history, that bugs are the only thing they can think of? Did they forget who brought the pasta to Italy that they are so much a fan of?

Even many of my friends in the US are confused. They think of fish when they think of chinese food in China. How is that possible? Chinese take-away is popular so I would have thought the first thing would be a variation of that. I knew very little about chinese food before going to China but I definitely didn’t think fish and bugs.

Also sushi is not a thing in China. Wrong country.

The coast of China eats more fish than other parts of China and sometimes rivers throughout the country can provide fish as well. China is enormous though so food is different depending on the region. That’s really no different than how it’s like in USA.

Yu Xiang Rou Si - Pork Slivers

You’ve been to China and still didn’t like the food? This is why that’s impossible…

If you don’t speak chinese, it’s difficult to order food. I understand that. Chances are you hardly touched what chinese food is all about. With 1.4 billion people and being the fourth largest country in the world, it would take a lifetime to order all the different dishes China has to offer.

What’s really magically about China is that every province has its own specialty and sometimes can’t be found anywhere else. The food you eat in Guangdong province will be vastly different from the food you’ll eat in Xinjiang province.

It’s a suspicious claim to make when you’ve hardly discovered their food. It’s the most broad term. Not liking chinese food is basically like saying you don’t like ANY vegetables or meat.

There’s a HUGE variety of dishes in China. Look at the menu in many of the restaurants and you’re handed a book of what they offer. The selection is more than you could possibly imagine in China. Spicy, sweet, buttery, cold, hot, crunchy, deep-fried, nutty, oily, peppery, rich, sour, toasted – you’ve got it all.

The selection is so big that really chinese food can fit anyones tastes. Every time I handed the menu to a local, they took long to order because it was difficult to decide what to get because it was too much.

It’s like someone saying “I don’t like american food.” It’s so general that it doesn’t make sense.

So where do you find the good food?

Stop eating at the hostels.

The hostels in China are super organized. They know how to cater to western tourists. They mostly cater to western tastes with menus like pizza, burgers, fries, etc. That’s not chinese food. Instead, get your hostel to recommend you a local restaurant. Get them to write down a few dishes in chinese. Tell them what kind of food you like. If you eat chicken, vegetables, meat, etc. Get them to even write down the pinyin so you can say it yourself and order again in the future if you liked the dish. Every hostel I’ve stayed in China was helpful about this.

Liang Pi (Cold Noodles) a local dish in Xi'an

Get recommendations online.

Art of Backpacking has several articles about chinese foods. Print it out or write it down. Walk into a restaurant and start ordering. Not that hard. If they put hand gestures that they don’t have it, then go to the next one on the list. Many of the foods I list are common throughout China. Sichuan cuisine is the most popular.

See:

• 10 Foods You Must Eat In China
• The Foods of Xi’an, China Muslim Quarter
• How to Party in a Restaurant in China

Don’t be nervous to walk into random restaurants.

I found that chinese people love it when they have foreigners come into their restaurant. You’re not a burden at all to them. They’ll help you order even if neither of you can speak each others language. Chances are that the local restaurants are going to be MUCH cheaper than the tourist restaurants.

Bunch of different kinds of dishes. All vegetables on the table.

Bao Zi (Steamed Filled Buns). My favorite breakfast.

BBQ Chicken in China. Yeap, even in China.

What do you think? Do you agree?

Why it’s impossible for you not to like chinese food is a post from Art of Backpacking

I had always wanted to visit the magnificence of Japan. As a kid I was fascinated with ninjas, kamikaze pilots and the bullet train. But Fish? Not so much, but Japan was always high on my list of places to visit.

One cold November morning I said. F**k it. I am going to Japan, and off to Japan I went.

The flight was long. Very long.

Crossing the International Date Line always seems to magnify the jet lag experience. But for the first time Jet lag was actually going to work in my favor. You see, the Tsukiji fish market opens its doors at ridiculously early hours. My Japanese jet lag nightmare meant that I was very much awake all night. I confess that I wasn’t worrying about the dwindling fish supplies of the world, but I was bored out of my skull.

I went down to the reception and started chatting with a rather tired and pissed off looking Japanese chap. I informed him of my jet lag dilemma. He seemed like he had seen it all before. He took out a crumpled up old map and mumbled, “Go to fish market. Many dead fish” That didn’t sound all that appealing. Couldn’t he have sent me to a Geisha House? No. It was going to have to be the dead fish at 5am in the morning. I thanked my new friend and embarked on a far to early adventure.

Dead fish here I come.

a big catch! by bass_nroll, on Flickr

I was too lazy to take the vaunted Tokyo subway so I hopped into a cab. As we wound our way through the empty streets I soaked up the stillness. The calm. This would not last long. Tsukiji is to calm what water is to fire. It obliterates it.

The first thing you notice are literally thousands of fish lying in piles on concrete floors. Multiple auctioneers screaming in Japanese at each other. It is complete mayhem. The energy frenetic. The pace unyielding. The noise deafening. The smell, somewhat fishy. Bedlam.

With all this going on in the background it was time for another first; a sushi breakfast. The poor fish that were literally swimming around the Japanese seas a few hours before were now going to be eaten. By me.

by nathan makan, on Flickr

The market is peppered with sushi restaurants. Some with long lines. Some with no lines. Being the impatient fellow that I am, I couldn’t wait in line and chose to risk it at a ‘no lined’ sushi joint. There was no turning back.

It turned out that even the no lined sushi joints were of the highest caliber. A feast awaited. Just enough food to put me into a sushi coma and find my way back to the hotel for a much needed early morning nap, I would no doubt wake up at lunch time further confusing my biological time clock.  At least I could wile away my inevitable jet lag the next day at the worlds greatest fish market. The one place on earth where you actually feel sorry for the poor little buggers. Even though they are pretty tasty…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F2TMymHpkQ]

Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market is a post from Art of Backpacking

For many travellers, a trip to Tokyo represents an impossible dream:  one they cannot realistically hope to realise until many years into the future when they are financially secure. Its reputation as one of the most intriguing but expensive cities suggests that one cannot afford to consume Tokyo’s exhilarating, complex culture without a sizeable travel budget. This, though, is a myth: with some planning and a bit of cautiousness, one can visit Tokyo and have an incredible time without breaking the bank.  Whilst buying a lot of Hello Kitty and dining in Michelin-star sushi restaurants is a good way to assure yourself that you are having an authentic Japanese experience, Japan’s culture can be accessed and enjoyed without spending much money at all.  Here are a few tips.

by Sprengben [why not get a friend], on Flickr”]

Tokyo - Magic Water City [Explored

Get lost

Wandering aimlessly around foreign cities with nothing but an ipod is probably my number one pastime, and Tokyo is the number-one place in the world to wander around in:  clean, spacious, and endlessly, endlessly interesting (not to mention the vending machines located on just about every street corner for a convenient hot green tea). As many travellers might agree, just walking around is one of the best ways to experience a city, and this is as true for Tokyo as anywhere else, if not more so: there is just so much to see! Tokyo is best thought of not as one huge city, but one place comprised of many little cities, each with its own unique appeal and visual character. Harajuku, for instance, as the hang-out spot for Tokyo’s fashion kids, is perhaps best for people watching; whereas places such as Ueno and Asakusa reveal Tokyo’s more ‘Asian’ side.  Shibuya is exciting just for the sheer volume of people. And, as one goes beyond the high-density, glossy shopping areas such as Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ginza, one discovers the more eclectic districts, loved by the residents of Tokyo, such as Shimokitazawa and Koenji (or Akihabara for fans of anime); districts which have a more intimate atmosphere and where shops and cafes are cuter, cooler, weirder, and a bit cheaper.

If walking does not appeal or if you want to cover more ground, a fun and not-too-expensive way to explore the city is to hire a bike for the day – hire fees range from 500 yen to 1000 yen.  The subway is not so expensive if you buy and use a day pass, and provides the best way to see the city by night (in particular the Yamanote Line).

Shimokitazawa by shibuya246, on Flickr

Lights on, Tokyo! by Sprengben, on Flickr

Go to temples, shrines and parks

It’s easy to become dragged in by Tokyo’s overstimulating environment and forget the reverse side of Japanese culture, which focuses not on high-pitched cuteness but upon spirituality and creating an atmosphere of serenity. Temples and shrines are to be found everywhere in Tokyo – in some cases even wedged between stores in the busy shopping districts – and allow one to come face to face with ancient Japanese tradition. You can do as the Japanese do by meditating or say a prayer, (whilst respecting the proper praying etiquette) or simply enjoy the peaceful surroundings. In nearly all Tokyo temples, entrance is free.  If you happen to be visiting in spring or autumn, parks are also a must in order to partake in ohanami  (‘the viewing of the cherry-blossom’), or koyo (‘the viewing of the autumn leaves’); both very serious and important Japanese traditions, and both free, of course!

, on Flickr”]

The Gate and the Pagoda by arcreyes [-ratamahatta-

Sakura | Kanda Shrine, Tokyo by jamesjustin, on Flickr

Hostels are your friend

Since accommodation can be such a huge cash-burner when planning a trip, it is necessary to opt for the cheapest option if one wants to visit Tokyo on a shoestring and make it work: which can be quite heartbreaking since there are so many incredible alternatives such as ryokan (Japanese-style guest houses) or capsule hotels. Luckily, hostels in Tokyo are – in my experience – clean, comfortable, friendly and in general hassle-free. Whilst you have zero privacy, staying in a hostel gives you the chance to meet other foreigners and swap tips about fun places to go and cheap things to do.

Cheap food = good food

Of course there is an incredible variety of fine-dining opportunities in Tokyo, if you have the money to spend. But if you don’t, there is no need to resort to McDonalds. It is still possible to explore Japanese cuisine and enjoy good-quality food, if you are prepared to be a little adventurous. Cosy local restaurants offering delicious and low-priced meals can be discovered by wandering away from the prominent areas and delving into the narrower streets.  Another reliably cheap option is to choose places with vending machines or kenbaiki, which conveniently take away the necessity of having to speak Japanese when ordering your meal: you simply present them with a ticket. If you are looking for something quicker, supermarket sushi is inexpensive and again, delicious; and onigiri or rice balls are available at any convenience store and are a filling snack. And if you are really in a bind then there is always instant ramen, or, the McDonalds 150 yen menu.

Onigiri by girlinblack, on Flickr

One of the nice things about taking the spendthrift approach to visiting Tokyo is that you are able to focus completely on taking in the city itself: the infinite number of wonderful details, the Japanese way of life, and in general the cuteness of your surroundings! Another bonus is that when you do make occasional deviations, such as visiting art galleries or the Ghibli Museum (worthwhile but quite expensive), they will be twice as fun and guilt-free. Happily, whether you visit Japan on a high budget or on a shoestring, your mind will be blown either way.

Ways to have a cheap but kawaii time in Tokyo is a post from Art of Backpacking

“I am taking you to see a living saint,” He said

“Sounds boring,” I said

That was how this little adventure began. Apathy on my part and pity in the eyes of my travel companion. Apathy because I didn’t believe in saints. Pity because my friend knew more than I did.

I have always been fascinated by India. Not so sure I wanted to actually visit, but I had somehow found myself with a ticket. And here I was.

Incredible India!

I was travelling with a companion who had been to India many times. He knew India. I didn’t. Our trip took us to the normal hot spots. Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

It also took us to Shirdi.

Shirdi is a small town in Northern India. It is one of the holiest places in the Hindu religion. My friend knew this. I didn’t care.

What I cared about were the bed bugs crawling all over my face. The insects in my toilet and the brown stains on my bathroom walls. That is what I cared about.

“I am taking you to see a living saint,” he said

“Sounds boring,” I said.

When I awoke from my insect plagued sleep it was time to visit the ashram where this living saint was supposed to reside. I was not particularly happy. In fact I was pretty pissed off. I didn’t come to India to visit a saint. I came to India to see the Taj Mahal, to enjoy the cuisine, to mingle with its people. My friend was having none of it. We were off to see this saint of his, and that was that.

Hindu shrine by runran, on Flickr

As we checked out of our hotel (if that is what you could call it, I would prefer to call it an insect infested sh*t hole) we started our drive to the ashram. By this time I had given up persuading my friend that we should skip this little detour. As we entered the gates it didn’t feel very saintly.  It actually felt very normal. Where were the saints I jokingly mumbled?  I received an icy stare in return.

We entered a large and crumbling hall where there were hundreds of children meditating. Four adults were sitting cross-legged on a raised platform at the front. ‘I wonder if any of these chaps are the saints’ I mused. They didn’t look very saintly. I concluded that these four people couldn’t possibly be saints. I mean there was no halo. No glowing aura shining through their heads. No chirping of humming birds. No. They weren’t the saints.

As I wiled away the stillness with useless musings the meditation came to an end. Still no sign of a saint.

Dashboard shrine - "Shirdi" Sai Baba + Ganesh by runran, on Flickr

We were ushered into a small room where one of the men who had been at the front of the large hall was sitting on a small carpet. Cross Legged. My friend told me this was the man. This man was the saint. This was why I slept in a bug-infested room. I was not impressed.

Babaji as he was called instructed us all to sit down and we were off on another meditation journey. Another one? I just finished wasting the last one musing about meeting you! Can’t we just go home? We have met the saint. The saint has met me. Lets end this and continue our journey. I dared not voice this of course. My friend seemed in awe.

So, off we went on another meditative experience. But this time I rebelled and opened my eyes. In more ways than one it turned out.

What follows is my exact journal entry I wrote that night:

“I have just come back from an ashram where I met a guru called Babaji. As I was sitting in his room watching him meditate it dawned on me that this chap was probably made from the same cloth as the greatest teachers in the world: Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed.  I know this sounds ridiculous. But it feels so true.  It was a powerful and surreal moment. It was like this man was just not there.  He had completely dissolved his mind and was living from a powerful place of love. A feeling place way beyond my comprehension. A feeling place that touched everyone in that room.

He had an amazing aura about him. I really felt I was in the presence of something spiritually magical. In the car journey back to the hotel my friend was saying that Babaji’s presence simply reflected our true selves. A self lost in the frenetic world of the 21^st century. His presence was simply the reflection of our untapped and purest potential.

Babaji’s soul was running the show. His ego non-existent. He had transcended.

Being in his presence was momentous. It brought me face to face with my true self. It was intoxicating. Life changing. I really feel like I have just been touched by God. “

“I am taking you to see a living saint,” he said

“Sounds boring,” I said

Indeed.

Vishwatmak Jangli Maharaj Ashram Website

A Reluctant Englishman on the Trail of a Living Saint is a post from Art of Backpacking

The Taiwan Night Market scene is a huge part of the local culture and one of the more beloved aspects for travelers visiting the country.  If you tend to err on the side of adventure with your culinary travels, here are three of the more unique, and perhaps bizarre, foods to check out at a Taipei Night Market.

And note, stinky tofu is not on this list because it’s so mainstream in the country that it’s often declared the national dish of Taiwan!

Duck Tongue

After nearly 2 ½ years of working up the nerve, I finally tried a duck tongue! Perhaps I may have cheated by going for the deep fried version over the more au naturel one, but hey, a duck tongue is a duck tongue, right?

The verdict?

Surprisingly, it wasn’t bad, but the texture was pretty much like eating a thick cut potato chip with shards of glass.  The tongue is filled with hard fibrous pieces that can stab you in the roof of your mouth if you aren’t careful.  And if your idea is to take it all as one big bite, you may be in for a world of hurt!

Like most night market foods, duck tongue comes on a stick – typically three to an order – so bring a friend or two if you don’t want to try more than one.

Crispy duck tongue is a popular Taipei night market snack

Chicken Anus

Oh yes….the butthole of a chicken. This one I actually tried by accident and it ended up being one of my more favorite bizarre night market snacks.  The first time I tried it, my friends were visiting from the US and wanted to play Andrew Zimmern.

The first night market stands we hit had a dizzying array of unidentifiable animal parts on a stick.  Turns out the woman running it spoke a little English and she pointed to a rather innocuous looking stick and then pointed to her buttocks, and said “chicken butt, you want to try?”

We all thought, “Hmmm, the butt of a chicken? This is easy!”  We split a stick and it was quite tasty – we just figured it was meaty part of a chicken’s tush.

It wasn’t until later that night at a different night market when several local girls were identifying various meats on a stick for us and they got to the chicken butt and when we proudly exclaimed we tried it already, their shocked faces and giggles made me quickly realize that was not your average chicken butt.

Through a few more giggles, and the helpful gesture of a hole with a finger through it, did we finally realize what we had eaten.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss perhaps, although I have to be honest now, chickens have some rather tasty buttocks!

Looks innocent enough, right? This is chicken anus -- you can't see the butthole from this side!

Pig’s Blood Cake

Those keeping Kosher or eating Halal may want to avert their eyes for this one.  Taiwanese Night Markets are known for a pretty interesting staple – pig’s blood cake.

Unlike things that have misleading names and may not be as bad as they sound, no, this is literal.  These yummies are just glutinous rice and congealed pig’s blood cut into nice squares and skewered for your night market munching convenience.

The use of blood is not all that uncommon in many other cultures either. Blood pudding and blood sausages are two common ways animal blood is incorporated into cuisine.  However, there is just something that often catches people off guard about eating a stick of pig’s blood held together by sticky rice.  You can even go gourmet and find versions that include peanut shavings, cilantro, and hot sauce drizzled on it.

And all pig’s blood cake is not alike – find a vendor that specializes in it rather than trying one from a stall that sells other organs and skewered meats – huge difference!

Sticks of pig's blood cake at a Taipei night market

This is obviously only an intro to some of the bizarre eats you can find at Taipei Night Markets.  While these may border on the “gross” for some, rest assured night markets in Taiwan are filled with countless “normal” and less obscure eats for those who don’t define culinary adventure as chomping on a chicken’s bunghole.

Three Bizarre Foods to Try at Taipei Night Markets is a post from Art of Backpacking

Turkey is famous for some rather spectacular natural beauty. Pamukkale must rank somewhere near the top of its list. Natural thermal springs flow down a hillside, building pools and frosting-like formations as the calcium and other minerals come out of solution. Tourists come to soak and pose in the gleaming white setting and to visit the thermal bath onsite. Right next door are the ruins of Hierapolis, a second-century BCE city that eventually became a Roman possession. The Romans loved their thermal baths — and modern tourists are no different. This is a stop on most Turkey bus tours so the indie traveler will want to come early in the morning. Stay overnight in the town to beat the crowds or linger for the sunset. And be sure to pack sunscreen!

Photo: Pamukkale, Turkey Natural Thermal Springs is a post from Art of Backpacking

There is no doubt that Japan is the king when it comes to intriguing and often oddball themed restaurants.  Taiwan also has its share of themed restaurants as well – the most popular, and perhaps most disturbing to many, is Modern Toilet.

You may recognize Modern Toilet from a Travel Channel feature several years ago and, if you didn’t see it, well, the name of the restaurant pretty much gives it away.

What started as a basic Taiwanese dessert shop selling ice creamed shaped like ‘poo’ has turned into an entire themed menu with multiple locations across the island.

The chain is extremely popular with teenagers and college kids, and of course – tourists.  Whenever we have friends in town, they usually want to try it at least once.  The food is solid and as far as themed restaurants go, Modern Toilet knocks it ‘out of the bowl.’

Welcome to the Modern Toilet restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan

The two Modern Toilets in Taipei that we visit are both located in popular areas of town – the Shilin Night Market and Ximen, a spot often compared to Shibuya in Tokyo.

You don’t even have to enter a Modern Toilet restaurant to get a feel for the theme.  From the giant stuffed smiling doo doo to the themed merchandise in the window, it’s all about the poop.

A giant pink pile of poop greets you at the Ximen Modern Toilet

Diners sit on crazy colored western toilets and eat off giant sinks.  Need a napkin? Snag some toilet paper off the roll on the wall.  On at least one wall, you will find some bathroom necessities — Chinese language magazines.

Interior of the Modern Toilet near Shilin Night Market in Taipei

Grab some toilet paper off the roll if you need a napkin

The servers will bring you an English menu and sharpie, and you mark off the items you want.  Take it to the counter and pay first, otherwise you will find yourself sitting there indefinitely, or until you realize everyone else is going up to pay.

The menu is pretty basic, with dishes served either out of a miniature toilet bowl, bathtub, or even a sink.  My personal favorite is the drink.  Depending on what you order, most arrive in a pretty urinal with the longest curly straw I’ve ever seen.  Be sure to try the cranberry green tea with chunks of fresh cranberries at the bottom.

Pasta served in a sink and your drink in a urinal

For main courses, choose from different curries or hot pots, and even a few western offerings line the menu.  And if you like spice, they do know how to turn up the heat.  Granted, you may pay for it in your own bathroom the next day!

For dessert, the standard included option is what put Modern Toilet on the map.  It’s ice cream, but more like an ice milk dessert.  The soft serve treat looks like a pile of poo and comes served in one of my top five most hated things about Asia – the horrific squat toilet.

If you have a few people with you, splurge and go for the near lifelike size squat toilet dessert that almost has the entire kitchen sink in it.  It’s a Taiwanese shaved ice dessert with everything imaginable on it – marshmallows resembling Lucky Charms cereal, fresh fruit, cookies, gummies, scoops of ice cream and more.  This can easily be shared among a few friends, or a tour group of 50.

Giant shaved ice dessert served in a squat toilet

And for another touch of irony – stop by the real bathroom in Modern Toilet.  While you may sit on a western style toilet to eat, you will only find traditional squat toilets, with western toilets as sinks, in a couple of the Modern Toilet locations!

Just in case you’re wondering, you are not eating out of real toilets or sinks. Everything is foodsafe and made especially for the Modern Toilet restaurant.  I only say this because I’ve had several people comment they would never go there and eat out of a real toilet.  Really…? Can’t you just see a server carrying an actual toilet to a table with food in it? Imagine the size dishwashers needed to clean those!

Before you leave Modern Toilet, check out their interesting selection of customized goods.  From poo shaped keychains and Christmas tree ornaments, to your own Modern Toilet squat toilet or urinal, they have everything poop related imaginable.  And, for those people who always say, “bring me back a souvenir,” you may have finally found something that will keep them from ever asking again.

Any bathroom related souvenirs to go?

Theme Restaurants: Modern Toilet in Taipei, Taiwan is a post from Art of Backpacking