Eating Out

For those of you that have never had the chance to eat at a hot pot restaurant, please take advantage of the next opportunity you get.  

We have eaten at several different hot pots while here, but none compare to Guo Da Yeh.  The other night we decided to just find a nice place to eat out for a change.  We have been somewhat reluctant to venture too far out of our comfort zones, mostly because it is difficult to determine which foods have protein and would be safe for Lauren.  Even foods like rice noodles, which in the states would have no protein, have thrown us curve balls while we are here.  Most of the time we try to be cautious and prepare our own foods, unless we are with people that can help us be certain about what we are ordering, but the other night we were just itching for a night on the town.

Almost immediately after we left our apartment, it began lightly raining.  This didn't bother us; it was a welcome refreshment from the persistant heat, and boy did it cool us down.  In fact, by the time we arrived at the restaurant, we were pretty cold.  And when we walked in, the air conditioning that greeted us chilled us to the bone.  This is the perfect atmosphere to enjoy steaming hot soup that cooks in front of you.

Taiwan has an amazing variety of imitation meat products.  They asked what kinds of meat we wanted with our soup and we told them they were vegetarian, so they just brought us this platter with fake hot dogs, crab, squid, ham and mounds of tofu.  I have never been a fan of fake meats, but I thought I would give these a try and I must say that they are actually very close to tastes they mimic.  Of course, it's been about five years since I had meat, so my memory may not be totally accurate.

I suppose the ambiance created by the steamed windows and the smells of delicious food percolating helped make the evening a wonderful experience for us.  It wasn't just about the good food and environment, though.  There was something magical in that evening that is difficult to articulate.  When we left, the rain had stopped, the sun had set, and the night was alive.  Steam rose from the hot, wet streets, releasing that smell of freshness that follows a rainstorm.  The heightened humidity distilled in the cool night air and refreshed us as we scootered through the neon streets, swimming in the sensory stream of sights, smells and sounds that are simultaneously foreign and familiar.