World to Table

On our second day in Taipei, my family and I, along with our three close family friends, set out on a journey in search for Taiwanese breakfast. A common Taiwanese breakfast consists of sweet or salty hot soymilk paired with some form of fried dough to dunk in it. That morning we gathered excitedly in the lobby and asked the hotel doorman to direct us to the nearest breakfast spot.

With a scribbled map at hand, we scaled the streets and alleyways near the hotel, but no Taiwanese breakfast was to be found. Stomachs were rumbling as the seven of us wandered desperately around what looked like the financial district, pulling aside locals and asking them where to find hot soymilk. Most were puzzled. Finally, Agnes made a quick decision for all of us. She shot her hand in the air to summon an approaching taxi.

“Where can we get hot soymilk?” she asked the driver.

“Oh, Soymilk King is very close”, he replied.

… Soymilk KING? Take us there, taxi driver!

The taxi driver’s “very close” translated into a city tour across Taiwan, through a tunnel and over a bridge. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived in a district even my dad had never been to, right in front of the famed Yong He Soymilk King (or just “Soymilk King” as I like to call it). Our eyes scanned the open air kitchen, and our ravenous expressions quickly changed to joy.

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Last Thursday a bunch of us city folks made a trip down south to Louisa, Virginia to stay at my friend Tristan’s family farm. We hopped on the Boltbus for a 4-hour wi-fi and coffee fueled journey down to Washington D.C. Arriving in the early afternoon, we spent the rest of the day walking, eating, visiting National monuments, and then eating some more. Greasy sliders from Matchbox were followed by gloriously juicy cheeseburgers at Ray’s Hell Burger—the beefy patty oozed with intense beef flavor. We concluded our day of eating at Dolcezza, a gelateria in Georgetown, where we cooled down with cups of gelato. The Blueberry Lemon Thyme and Lemon Opal Basil gelato burst with creamy, tart, and herbaceous flavors, waking me up from my sluggish summer lethargy.

Baby sliders topped with a mountain of fried onions

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