One of the hardest things to do is to describe Taiwanese foods, especially street foods, in English. Why? Because you can’t always find exact English translations in the dictionary. So we always use vaguer English terms like dumpling, sauce, stew, etc. because we don’t have the accurate terms in English.

My favorite is always Shanghai Dumplings (though I don’t know how similar they are to the ones in Shanghai!). Small Steamed meat dumplings served with spicy sauce. I usually buy them in Shihlin market, near the movie theater, not in the new Market area.

I also like the oyster omelette that is popular. The best one I ever had was in Tainan where the oysters were just enormous. I usually try them wherever they are, but sometimes the vendors just add too much flour in the mix because it’s cheaper than oysters or other ingredients.

There is nothing like any of these foods in Chinese restaurants in London, unfortunately. I know that British people would love these dishes, but I’m not sure that it would be successful as they are ‘street’ foods, not dining out food!