This is a typical vending machine in Japan. It’s got all sorts of beverages that don’t come in a cans. Now I ask, why don’t we have these in America?!!

I hope one day I will be able to buy milk tea from a vending machine while watching some commercials as I wait for my drink to be made.

You should always eat a whole fish. Do you know why? Cause then you’ll get to slurp up its brains and suck on its eyeballs. YUM!

TIP: The best part of the fish is the meat right next to it’s head closest to its eyes.

Did you know Taiwanese people are really into beef noodle soup? When I made a visit to Taiwan last year, there was a beef noodle soup competition outside of Taipei 101. It was great because you get to taste different types of beef noodle soup.

Here is one I got from just a random street vendor. The dish tasted wonderful. I could tell they spent a lot of time on the dish because the broth was rich  in flavor and the beef was tendor.

Din Tai Fung Dumpling House (http://www.dintaifungusa.com/en/en_index.html)

This place is pretty expensive and yes its always crowded with line out the door, but the food is top notch.

Here are a few items I got from there that I liked a lot.

1) noodle soup with vegetables - Classic noodle dish that is simple and tasty. Great to have when you just feel a little sick and need something clean and warm in your stomach

2) shao long bao - Famous Shanghai xiao long bao. Almost as good as the ones I’ve had in Shanghai.

3) shrimp and pork shaomai

4) chicken soup - This is no Foster Farm chicken, they use the queen of the chicken world, black hens.

Another item I got from the Taiwanese street food. They are basically pork buns but cooked in a Tandoor oven. The filling is ground pork, veggies and chives. My friend and I waited about 30 mins in line for them and it only cost less than a dollar each.

I felt bad for the cook though because I saw him being burned by the oven a couple of times. =(

Taiwanese street food is amazing! I would say it tops the street food I’ve seen in Shanghai. This is a picture of one stand. They were selling kabobs of all sorts of critters. But the best part is, it is so cheap!

My favorite fruit in the world, Passion fruit! It’s got a hard red shell but the inside is filled with sour goodness. It’s so sad that you cannot get it here in America. Now to think of it, You cannot get a lot of stuff in America..oh how I wish for another vacation.

Burma Superstar!

I am sure everyone knows this place. If you don’t, you are missing out. My favorite dish there is the Catfish Chowder. It’s got rice noodles, ground catfish, onions, cilantro, and lemons. They give you the lemons on the side, so make sure you squeeze some lemon juice in there. The lemons gives it that extra hmph that leaves your mouth drooling for more.

Stuffed snails. These snails are enormous! To give you some perspective, they are about the size of a walnut.

If you’ve never eaten snails, use a toothpick and stab the flesh of the snail from its opening. You then pull and its whole body should come out. However, make sure you only eat the head because the rest of its body is just basically its stomach. You can tell the head from its stomach by the texture. The head is a little tougher and the rest of the body is nice and soft.

A lot of people eat the whole thing, but sometimes I find myself eating baby snails if I just pop the whole thing in my mouth.

If you know me, you know that I do not eat lamb. But I have to admit, I do eat lamb kabobs. I used to get lamb kabobs back in Shanghai. I loved them! I would shower my kabobs with pepper and flamin red hot chili powder. At Chinjin Easter House, I found lamb kabobs. They were tender and flavorful. As I devoured them, it took me back to the streets of Shanghai.