Mixing Flavors in Taipei@Lifestyle

All eyes may have been on Beijing this year, but the little democratic island of Taiwan offers a melting pot of culinary influences. Virtually every cooking style of the mainland is represented, thanks to the waves of immigration that began in 1949, as well as Japanese and traditional Taiwanese fare.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times

Shrimp wrapped in crispy rice noodles and cucumber served with sweet custard and pomegranate seeds at C'est Bon. Chef Chuang Yue-jiau began her career selling lu rou fan, a typical Taiwanese dish, from a street stall.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times A woman walks past C'est Bon.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
Spinach, tofu, fried ginger and pickled vegetables wrapped in pork at C'est Bon. Though the name of the restaurant is French, its Chinese name translates as the Way of Eating.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
A cook ladles out hot soy milk in Yonghe Soy Milk King. This restaurant's offerings fall into a category of Taiwanese food called xiao chi, or small eats.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
College students meet for breakfast in Yonghe Soy Milk King.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times

The sophisticated yet intimate restaurant AoBa has managed to polish up the humble, rustic street foods of Taipei.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
Examples of xiao chi, or small eats: flash-fried cubes of fermented bean curd, above, called stinky tofu and sticky rice steamed in bamboo leaves for sale at a street stand.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
Candied haw fruits for sale at a night market.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
Diners eat a lunch of beef noodle soup at Old Wang Beef Noodle Soup King. This restaurant, which has no sign, is popular among businessmen and college students.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times
Women share a bowl of mian xian at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle. This signature dish is made of thin rice noodles in a vinegary, glutinous broth, studded with needle-like bamboo shoots and Q-y curls of pig intestine, and topped with sprigs of cilantro, chopped garlic and chili sauce.
Photo: Christie Johnston for The New York Times

@Source: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/09/21/travel/0921-TAIPEI_index.html