Let’s be honest, Westfield foodcourts really do suck arse. I won’t elaborate any further.
I’ll also be honest with the fact that I am biased towards Asian foodcourts. Why? Because they are insanely awesome and we’re always spoilt for choice. And did I mention great value for money? Yes. I won’t elaborate any further on this either, let the photos speak for themselves!
Whenever I’m in Asia, I try to make a trip to a Takashimaya or SOGO shopping mall just for the unbeatable foodcourt experience. This particular set of photos were taken while on a trip to Taipei, Taiwan.
Drool away!
SET MEAL: Minced beef and salted black beans on rice, stir fried lettuce in soy, pork ball soup and deep fried fish fritters from TAKASHIMAYA.
SET MEAL: Steamed salmon fillet in soy and wasabi, stir fried lettuce in soy, seafood soup and rice from TAKASHIMAYA.
SET MEAL: Braised pork belly in soy, stir fried greens in soy and garlic, pork wonton soup and rice from TAKASHIMAYA.
SET MEAL: Dubbed the McKraken Meal. Whole stuffed squid and tempura prawns on a bed of udon noodles, steamed veges, whole egg and sweet sauce from TAKASHIMAYA.
Garlic pesto spaghetti with chicken and peppers from TAKASHIMAYA.
SET MEAL: Tempura seafood curry with omelette rice from SOGO.
Spicy chilli ramen with minced pork and whole egg from SOGO.
SET MEAL: Steamed Shanghai pork dumplings and sweet black sesame congee dessert from Taipei Airport Foodcourt.
SET MEAL: Cold cut chicken rice with an assortment of sides and hot chicken soup from Taipei Airport Foodcourt.
I was at a Taiwanese restaurant in Sydney called Din Tai Fung and I saw this curious combination of foods all on one plate on the menu. I couldn’t resist ordering it – It had 3 food items that I absolutely love: Silken Tofu, Pork Floss and Century Eggs (Preserved Duck Eggs). I’ve just never imagined them served together!
At first glance, the dish looked pretty menacing. Even I was slightly afraid. How could this combination possibly work? And not only that, the dish was served cold! It was topped with a sweet, dark, caramel-flavoured soy sauce as a seasoning which didn’t drown the delicate flavours.
I enjoyed the different textures of the three ingredients which worked well together. It took me about 3 bites to really appreciate the magnitude of the dish – the silky softness of the tofu, the salty, ammonia-like flavour of the century eggs, the sweet, dry and salty fibres of the pork floss.
It was a light and refreshing entree, just like the calm before the storm of what was to follow…