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The
MinZu Road bar area in Hsinchu has grown to include
quite a few great options, from the party spot
Flying Pig to smaller, more personal watering
holes like the amusingly named 4Q2. A true legend,
long-time standout and fun hotspot is the more
medium-sized B-52. With five years of history,
this spot has quite a few friends and strong name
recognition. The inspiration for B-52 came when
friendly co-owner Sidney Tan realised he needed
something to do with his huge collection of vinyl
records of classic 1960s and 1970s rock and roll.
Teaming up with some friends, he set out to provide
a great spot for lovers of the genre to meet and
hang out.
There
is no question they have succeeded and have grown
to build a large and loyal customer base of both
foreigners (about 1/3 of the crowd) and Taiwanese
men and women. One customer was so loyal, and
so sad to leave Taiwan without leaving something
behind that he donated one of his guitars to hang
on the wall- a true testament to B-52's ability
to become a second home to many. The decor is
choc-a-bloc with rock and roll paraphernalia,
with guitars, tambourines, posters and framed
album covers. The huge vinyl collection immediately
catches the eye, especially for those of us old
enough to remember having our collections.
Sidney
is a great DJ, and the crowd clearly enjoys his
great collection and his knowledge of it. Bottled
beer starts at NT$120 and cocktails start at NT$160.
The most popular cocktail is, not surprisingly,
the B-52 which runs at NT$180. Their most famous
dish is the Hong Za Ji Meal (Deep Fried Chicken
- AF£gAuA\) for NT$200.
If you like a classic bar with classic music as
much as I do, be sure to check out Hsinchu's B-52!.....By
Coutney Donovan Smith Translation by Uvia Chang
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