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COMPASS MAGAZINE, October 2007

	Rare Delicacies from the Wild By Lishea Chen, translated by Ann Lee
As the weather cools, it becomes one of the best times of the year to go "food exploring" and discover the diverse cuisine this island has to offer. This month's round-up focuses on delicacies you can hunt, catch, trap or spear--the best of "Ye-Wei" －or the edible outdoors.
	Taipei Mi Fen Tang (Taipei Rice Noodle Soup) 465-5, ChangLong Rd, Sec 1, Taiping City, Taichung County (04) 2276-9977 Hours: 11 am-10 pm, kitchen open 11 am-2 pm, 5-10 pm (closed on Chinese New Year) Another fine restaurant in Taiping, Tai Ji Dian, serves Taiwanese-style stir-fry dishes. If you're feeling a bit adventurous and want to go outside the menu listings, try the 3-in-1 dish that features bee pupas, crickets, and bamboo bugs (NT$300-400). This "outdoorsy" dish goes well with beer and other alcohol. If munching on a plate full of hollow bugs isn't your thing, then try some of Tai Ji Dian's crocodile--they cook it up five different ways; choose from: medicinal ingredients, teppanyaki, Three Cups-style (with soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil), the spicy Kung Pao style, or plain old broiled crock--no matter which way you chose, the meat is still tasty. Other selections from the great outdoors include rabbits, wild goats, wild pigs, frogs--you name it, there are all kinds of rarely seen and tasted delicacies here. The owner, Wang, says their most popular dish is Kung Pao Tofu; with a tender center and crispy outside, it's no wonder these spicy bean cubes are so popular. No matter what dish you choose, Tai Ji Dian offers unlimited free rice.
	La fatte 26, ChangCing Alley, Dongbian neighborhood, ShanTian Rd, Taiping City, Taichung County (04) 2276-6060 Hours: 11 am-9 pm (weekends 11 am-10 pm), kitchen closes at 8 pm Credit cards accepted. Open year-round. The French-themed La fatte is owned by a lovely couple who, after a tour of France, decided to bring a little bit of that country back to Taiwan in restaurant form. Manager Mr. Hong stresses that excellent service and fresh ingredients are the things that keep patrons coming up the mountain to try their unique dishes. The Crocodile Fillet Set Meal (NT$580) is a popular dish amongst guests, who say it tastes like chicken. Another favorite is their Garden Salad with Blueberry Vinegarette Dressing, served with a soft chewy roll. The dressing is imported from Canada and fermented naturally--it has a slight mulberry taste. For an appetizer, try the creamy Cheddar Vegetable Soup or Squid with Seasoned Tomatoes. For dessert, try their tender, smooth Milk Pudding. The drinks that come with the set meals are all made with fresh seasonal fruit, which makes them quite tasty and refreshing.
	Sheng Lin Seafood King 137, ZhongHua Rd, Sec 1; (04) 2223-9603 Hours: 5:30 pm-4 am (Closed every other Sunday. ) (Call first to check opening times.） Operated by the same family for more than 30 years, Sheng Lin Seafood King is famous for their "bie", or fresh-water turtle dishes. Their medicinal, broiled dishes are prepared by the father of the family, a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. After graduating from university in his fifties, owner Mr. Wang, decided to take over and run the restaurant for his father and has since learned all of the secrets to cooking their fresh-water turtle cuisine. The turtles come in four styles--soup, stir-fry, with other meat, or cooked with mushrooms and garlic. All turtles are priced according to their weight and average NT$700. If you pick a big one, then you can get it cooked in several different ways. Their Three Cup ("San Bei") dishes, favorites amongst patrons, are marinated with soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. Mrs. Wang tells us that a lot of the guests come from other cities just to try their specialties. Reservations are always recommended here, so that you don't have to wait too long for their wild specialties.
	James Snake 316, FuXing Rd; (04) 2708-4931 Hours: 12 pm-1 am Credit cards accepted. Open all-year-long. For a slithery snack, check out James Snake. From its humble, street-stand beginnings half a century ago, James Snake has turned into a restaurant that serves a selection of tempting snake dishes. Customers can try snake in a soup with ginger, stir-fried snake, or boneless snake bits, just to name a few choices. Try a Snake Liquor and Rice Set Meal for NT$500 or their Stir-fried "Dragon" Skin Set Meal for NT$350--the rice is all-you-can-eat. If you're feeling adventurous, try their San Bei Snake Wine Meal. The wine is made from snake blood and gall, venom and toad saliva--the smaller the cup, the higher the alcohol content. Previously located on GuangFu Road, James is moving into the FengChia area towards the end of September in an attempt to attract a younger group of snake-loving diners.