什錦海鮮麵
2009-07-25 17:03
Just came back from Taiwan.Stayed there for 3 days 2 nights – not on business, just visiting family and relatives. I’ve been to Taiwan many times so I've a fondness for her. I am also very familiar with Taipei since I actually lived here before.
If looking for a place to eat in Taiwan, friends will sure to think of the night market first. Yes, it’s irrefutable that Taiwan’s night markets are bustling; they have all kinds of food: fried clams, pig’s blood cakes, buns, fried chicken etc; all kinds of varieties. Honestly, friends who suffer from a 'choice' disorder should avoid the night markets in Taiwan.
In Taipei itself, the most popular night market is 士林夜市 followed by 通化街夜市. I recall when I lived in Taiwan for half year, almost every night I would eat in these two night markets. When time permit, friends would drive me to 陽明山 for chicken soup and to soak in the hot springs. Or else, we would go to 貓空山to drink tea or to eat 苦瓜鳳梨雞. If the weather was cold it gave off a different kind of atmosphere. Maybe the extraordinary becomes ordinary, but lately during my recent trips to Taiwan, I have lost much desire to visit the night markets. Conversely, I preferred to wander the maze of big and small streets for unknown eateries.
This time, on 忠孝東路四段, the street behind that huge 復興 supermarket building, I found an unremarkable little diner. This diner looked dingy from outside! The lights were dim, the cooking utensils looked old and worn-out. The menu was casually written with markers on the walls. Also the diner was without customers. As I was debating whether to enter or look for another diner for food, out came a woman of fiftyish beckoning to me: “Come, what do you want to eat?”
She had a warm smile, and a very “mama” kind of tone – that was the first impression this woman gave me. “Well, may I please have a bowl of assorted seafood noodle soup and a pig’s liver soup?” I said. When that woman heard, she laughed and said: “Both are soup, too much. How about either a pig’s liver noodle or a seafood noodle? It’s better lah!”
One bowl is a soup, another bowl is noodle, should be different. Just as I was pondering on it, the woman told me: “Our soup base is the same, but per your order, will put in different ingredients, and do not use pig’s liver or seafood to make the soup.”
Good, very honest. I like! And so I ordered the Assorted Seafood Noodle. Only cost 75NT which is equivalent to HK$18. But the ingredients were not simple! There were shrimps, cuttlefish, fishballs, clams, crab meat and Japanese style fish slices and veggie etc. Also, the soup base was very clear, not salty or greasy. The noodle strands were made of white rice; it was very delicious and was plentiful; at its price, absolutely worth it!
Before I left, I thanked the woman. Smiling broadly, she asked me if it was good? I said it was very good. She said in a pleased tone: “Then come again when you can.” I also smiled and said: “Sure!”
When dining, beside the good taste of the food, one also ‘eats’ its atmosphere and feel. In this unremarkable shop, both were good.
source: steven ma yahoo blog
Translator: tamaya
--- original entry---
Seafood Noodles Soup
link
剛從台灣回來。
在台灣三天兩夜, 沒公務, 只為探親。
我到過台灣很多遍, 對這地方, 有很深的感情, 而且挺熟悉的, 畢竟, 在這地方生活過！
要在台灣找吃的, 很多朋友一定會先想到夜市。 對了, 這是無可口非的, 台灣的夜市真的熱鬧非常, 食物種類五花八門, 蚵仔煎、豬血糕、割飽、炸雞塊等, 應有盡有。真的, 有"選擇困難症"的朋友, 絕對不宜去台灣的夜市。
在台北, 最有名的是士林夜市, 其次該是通化街夜市吧。記得以前住在台灣的那半年, 幾乎每個晚上都是在這兩個夜市找飯吃, 有時候時間充足, 朋友們還會開車帶我去陽明山喝雞湯, 泡溫泉, 再不然, 去貓空山泡泡荼, 吃個苦瓜鳳梨雞, 若是天氣冷, 更是別有一番滋味！
或許, 英雄見慣亦常人吧, 最近幾次到台灣, 我己經沒有太大的意欲去夜市, 反而, 喜歡在大街小巷到處穿插, 看看會不會找到一些名不經傳的美食。
這一次, 在忠孝東路四段, 那大型百貨復興店的後街, 我找到了一家不起眼的小店。
這小店, 從店面看來, 有些讓人不想進去的感覺！
燈光暗暗的, 煮食用具都很殘舊。菜單, 是用黑墨筆隨意寫在牆上去的, 而且, 店裡頭一個客人都沒有, 正當我站在店外看著想著, 是不是該找另一家店去吃時, 一位年約五十多歲的婦人走出來問我：『來，想吃什麼?』。
帶點親切笑容, 說話語氣很"媽媽", 是這婦人給我的第一印象。
『哪就麻煩妳給我一碗什錦海鮮麵和豬肝湯吧！』我說。
那婦人聽罷, 笑說:『兩個都是湯, 太多了, 妳不然就要一個豬肝麵，或是海鮮麵就好啦！』。
一碗是湯, 一碗是麵, 該是不同的, 正當我心生奇怪, 那婦人告訴我:『我們的湯底是一樣的, 只是應你所求, 放不同的材料進去, 而不是用豬肝或海鮮來熬湯的。』
好! 夠老實, 我喜歡！ 於是, 我點了什錦海鮮麵。
才台幣七十五塊, 等約港幣十八塊, 可材料倒不簡單！ 有蝦、魷魚、魚丸、蛤蜊、蟹肉、日式魚片、清菜等, 加上湯底很清, 不咸不油, 麵條是白米線, 既可口又夠份量, 這樣的價格, 很值得！
臨走前, 我跟那婦人說聲謝謝, 她滿臉笑容的問我好不好吃, 我說很好吃, 她用帶點滿意的語氣跟我說:『那有空再來吧！』, 我也笑了笑說: 『一定！』。
吃東西, 除了食物味道好, 還要吃感覺的, 這家不起眼的小店, 兩樣都好。
No comments:
Post a Comment