Yungkang Street-- An Urban Gastronomic Cornucopia

Chang Shih-lun/photos by Chuang Kung-ju/tr. by Christopher J. Findler

Eateries and shops offering quality food, drinks, desserts, and goods are what attract people to Yungkang. (Chuang Kung-ju)

Yungkang Street: known by the people of Taipei as a place to catch their breath in their otherwise hectic lives and by the people of Taiwan as a gastronomic mecca. Cuisines of all kinds, from Chinese and Southeast Asian to European and Japanese compete here for the eye and the finicky taste bud. Other attractions include traditional teas, fine coffees, and fruit-topped shaved ices.

The word "food" doesn't even begin to describe this area centered about Yungkang and Lishui Streets. Everything, from the antiquated Japanese-style homes that dot the alleys and the park bristling with towering trees (perfect for relaxing under after a meal) to the delightful personalized boutiques and tasteful art and antique shops, blends together to create a quaintness which makes you want to linger.

There is more to Yungkang Street than meets the eye. In our quest to define what it "is," it would probably be easier to start with what it "isn't."

Yungkang Street offers a myriad of tasty delicacies. But they are not typical night-market street vendor snacks or exorbitantly priced repasts served in ritzy restaurants. Yungkang Street offers a common-man-on-the-street dining that falls somewhere in between the two--bistros offering relaxed, homey atmospheres and exceptional meals. 

Yungkang Street may be characterized by bustling crowds and booming businesses, but it differs from other hotspots, like East Taipei and the Hsinyi District. It's also bereft of large discount outlets. Visitors are drawn by the unique personalized shops.

Yungkang Street's cultural ambience is the result of a combination of factors. It is near two universities (National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University) and during the Japanese occupation and the early years of the Nationalist government, this area housed government workers. In contrast to university areas, however, Yungkang Street's ambience is more relaxed and less bookish, and has more of a warm community feeling.

Many of the "not too rich, not too poor," "not too old, not too young," "not too chic, not too frumpy" come to Yungkang to let their hair down.

Where East meets East

Yungkang food map (drawing by Lee Su-

The Chinese food served up in the Yungkang area is world renowned. Examples include Din Tai Fung (near the entrance to Yungkang Street and next door to Kingstone Books) which has been serving up Shanghai delicacies for over three decades, Kao-chi (just up the street and in business for more than half a century), which is known for its Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisines, and Hsiulan (across the street), which has specialized in fine Shanghai cuisine for the past 20-plus years. These three eateries command strategic locations along Yungkang Street and have been in business for a combined total of more than 100 years, which gives an idea just how deeply rooted fine food is in this neighborhood.

In addition to southeastern Chinese cuisines, Yungkang Street is also known for its Sichuan-style beef noodle soup. The "Sichuan" part is really a misnomer as this dish is a Taiwanese creation. Years ago, air force personnel residing in a military dependants' village in Kangshan, Kaohsiung County, homesick after coming to Taiwan with the Nationalist government, tossed noodles in with Chengdu braised beef soup. After retiring from the military, veterans gradually spread this delectable dish (unknown in Sichuan) to every corner of Taiwan.

If you walk over to Alley 31 of Chinshan South Road Section 2, which branches off of nearby Lishui Street, you'll see Lao Chang's Sichuan Style Beef Noodles and the Yungkang Beef Noodle Restaurant. The beef noodles served in these two shops are regarded by enthusiasts as classics and attracted a lot of attention during last year's Taipei Beef Noodle Festival. Today, you'll find them packed every day.

A stone's throw away are other classics, including the Tungmen Jiaozi Restaurant, Lao Kuo's Sichuan Restaurant (on Lishui Street), which is famous for its bean paste fish, and a little further down is Liupin, known for its spicy shredded beef and dried tofu.

Near Yungkang Park are the Chungli Beef Restaurant, which has served beef viscera soup and satay sauce beef for over 20 years, the Lusang Restaurant, dedicated to Ilan cuisine, and Sit-Fun Shih Tang, which specializes in local Taiwanese dishes.

Competition goes international

uanhetien French restaurant--Teatime combo (Chuang Kung-ju)

Inaugurated a few years back, the two-day weekend has netted crowds out enjoying their leisure time. Now, all kinds of exotic fares are competing with their Chinese counterparts up and down Yungkang Street, making this narrow and crowded strip of pavement a bustling tiny United Nations of sorts.

Din Tai Fung's reputation has drawn many Japanese tourists, helping to kindle an interest in Japanese cuisine here in recent years. For example, the very popular Heiseiya hotpot restaurant, located across from Yungkang Park, specializes in Japanese-style sukiyaki and the Red Dragonfly, a Japanese-style beer house and barbecue near Chinhua Street, teems with young crowds.

The popularity of Japanese fare has made Yungkang a virtual battleground of Japanese-style noodle shops. Over the past two years, a number of Japanese noodle franchises have set up shop here, making Yungkang a paradise for ramen lovers. Examples include Netsuretsu Ichiban Tei, which serves all the kimchi you can eat, Rose Green, which offers Kumamoto ramen made with pork stock, Akasaka Ramen, which won first place in a noodle competition on Japan's TV Champion show, and Wadaya, which boasts flavors from all over Japan.

Another must-try is the Chengchi Vietnamese Noodle Restaurant, which has been serving such delicacies as satay beef on hefen (wide rice noodles), Vietnamese spring rolls, and marinated pork livers for some 20 years. Then there's Indian curry. There's enough around Yungkang Street to make a curry lover's head spin, starting with Green Curry at the entrance, Indian Fans in the middle, and Janny's Curry House towards the back close to Chinhua Street.

Oma Ursel's Cafe dishes out genuine German homestyle cooking, including such classics as pork knuckles, sausage, and mouth-watering Black Forest gateau. A number of bistros and tea shops with European themes line the little alley just behind Yungkang Park. Cello is a well-known Yungkang Street pasta restaurant owned by Fan Zong Pei. It's not uncommon to see the burly figure of this bearded cellist heading up the kitchen, serving plates of steaming noodles to crowds of pasta lovers.

Lee Yao Cotton Padded Clothing Store (Chuang Kung-ju)	Lao Chang's Sichuan Style Beef Noodles--Spicy beef noodles (Chuang Kung-ju)
Hui Liu restaurant. (Chuang Kung-ju)	Netsuretsu Ichiban Tei--Japanese-style noodles (Chuang Kung-ju)

Refreshments and shaved ice

If you're in the mood for coffee, tea, and some tete-a-tete with a few good friends, Yungkang is just the place to go. At the entrance to Lishui Street, you'll find Ten Ren Tea which has set up branches worldwide under the name Cha for Tea. Many Japanese tourists like to shop there after enjoying a meal at Din Tai Fung.

If you fancy Western beverages more, you'll find that Carvalli, situated on nearby Hsinyi Road, is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle. Cultured intellectuals come here to enjoy a bit of conversation over a cup of the owner's superlative coffee. Inside Cozy, a trendy cafe just off Chingtien Street, you'll always find people quaffing cups of quality Italian coffee as they surf the net on their notebooks. Back by Yungkang Park is Alpine Garden, a favorite of the ladies, known for its Swiss cake and herbal teas, both healthy and organic.

Business at Ice Monster, located just in front of Yungkang Park--the undisputed epicenter of the neighborhood--has boomed in recent years. Long lines of young people and tourists wait to enjoy such house specialties as Mango Ecstasy and Strawberry Ice. Its popularity has resulted in a number of copycat shaved ice shops sprouting up nearby. 

Chengchi Vietnamese Noodle Restaurant--Curried beef with hefen (Chuang Kung-ju)	Cello--Pasta with pine nuts and pesto sauce (Chuang Kung-ju)	Ice Monster--Shaved ice topped with strawberry and milk (Chuang Kung-ju)	Lusang Restaurant--Baked pumpkin (Chuang Kung-ju)	Ilan smoked duck (Chuang Kung-ju)	Oma Ursel's Cafe--German Black Forest gateau (Chuang Kung-ju)

A place for all

The sheer quantity of fine food in the area makes compiling an exhaustive list a daunting challenge. Diehard gourmands will find making frequent trips here on search and devour missions more than worth their while. Furthermore, the food and entertainment found here reflect the inclinations of the urban middle class and together form a relaxed, yet tasteful, homey ambience.

Along Lishui Street, for example, you find a number of shops dedicated to ethnic clothing and accessories, Taiwanese art, household items, and antiques. Yungkang Street boasts pet supply stores and European art and home decor shops guaranteed to please the gamut of middle-class tastes.

It is very difficult to sum up this neighborhood in one word comprised as it is of large portions of mainland Chinese, foreign, and local elements as well as a hefty dash of culture. Visitors all see a world detached and visions of a more wonderful life. Yungkang Street offers a little something for everyone.

Lee Chin-chi, associate professor with Shih Chien University's Department of Architecture, points out that the area, which encompasses Yungkang Street, Hoping East Road, National Taiwan Normal University, and National Taiwan University, is rich in culture much like Paris' Left Bank. You might call it Taiwan's "Latin Quarter." The many teashops and cafes scattered around its tangle of alleys are favorite hideaways for intellectuals and people of letters.

Known as the "urban detective," Lee is particularly fond of the more secluded, quiet, and attractive area toward the far end of Yungkang Street by Chingtien Street. The buildings are not too high, the occasional coffee shop calls on visitors to sit back and relax, and beautifully designed stores and antique shops give the area a carefree pace--"It's an urban cultural corridor," says Lee.

Improving business in recent years has attracted more shops and crowds, while forcing the extinction of some landmarks of yesteryear, like the Paokung Theater and the Ching Chao Restaurant. The winds of change have also accelerated the pace of life in this long-standing district. 

But as long as those restaurants and cafes still dot these alleys and lanes, the people of Taipei will continue to have a place to escape from their fast-paced lives. 

No matter what kind of person you are, what likes and dislikes you have in regard to dining and life in general, you will most likely be able to find your own little corner of heaven on Yungkang Street, a secret garden for you and yours.

The people of Yungkang Street, residents, business owners, and visitors alike, are all searching for a little oasis of calm to escape to. That's the beauty of Yungkang Street and the charm of this neighborhood.