One of the worst things to me is a restaurant with poor hygiene and cleanliness standards though in Taipei this is the norm and the average person would have eaten the hair and worm without knowing it as most people pretty much eat with their eyes closed. No one will notice the worm and hair unless it is directly pointed out to them. At times one appreciates how they have health inspectors in the US that go to restaurants to check up on their cleanliness and hygiene where here in Taipei there is no such thing. Just eat and pray..

What is even worse is not just a hair in your dinner box but a huge worm in your bean as well.

Worms are common.  I see them all the time at night market.  Locals just scarf it down.  It's not unhygienic, just unsettling for lao wai who are accustomed to processed foods prepared in laboratory-like conditions (read fast food nation).

Worms are common on vegetables and this is true but it should not be common for patrons at restaurant to be served worms in their meals. It is also common for rats to exist in restaurants but this also does not mean it should be common. I find both of these issues to be unhygienic. In California a health inspector would fine a restaurant owner if one was found to be having worms in their meals and had found that their vegetables were not be washed properly prior to be served to their patrons. I believe you they can be seen at the night markets but it is not just worms that can be seen there as rats can as well which is why I do not go there to eat anything.

Dude, seriously?  A bit over zealous don't you think?  I'm from L.A and equally disturbing and if not worse has been found in my food in Cali and Europe.  This is not a Taiwan specific issue, you could pull this card on any country in this world we live in.  I've gotten food poisoning in 3 star michelin rated restaurants, does that mean they are all bad?  The answer is no.  Shit happens, get over it, but to generalize is a bit lame.

[ Last edited by  scootermonger at 5-1-2012 23:04 ]

I am hearing you bro.  To the extent that worms are indicative of improper washing, I agree one is more likely to get sick
eating a styrofoam lunch box in taipei than say san francisco.

but also consider that one's digestive system can learn to deal with food contaminants, which is why the taipei locals
happily chow down the cheap tastiness, worms and rat turds and all.

if you think about it, what's more "clean"?   A freeze dried beef patty from mass produced cattle injected with (admittedly safe) additives?  Or something more natural?  Come to think of it, the ground beef at night market is msg laden and of highly dubious preparation.  So yeah, mcdonalds wins the cleanlines contest, hands down.  But boy, night market tastes SO good...

I've got a question for you guys/want your take on way expensive restaurants.  Especially these 3 star rated Michelin places etc.

I'm a guy who'lll eat just about anything ....and enjoy it each and every time no matter what. In my life time I have eaten at some pretty down market places as well at quite a few "fancy places with fancy prices" .... and enjoyed it all. Fancy places, not only when I get "treated" by some one else, but also, too many times I've gone just to enjoy myself.

But thinking about it rationally - how do I justify paying say over US$1,000 for ONE meal...when I could feed myself 3 square meals a day for practically a whole month for that! I mean, did I REALLY enjoy myself THAT much eating that meal? And usually accompanied by some fancy wines....which I don't even know how to appreciate properly, coz I just ain't a wine connoisseur and drink only to get tipsy/high - that's all!

How about you guys?  I mean there soooooo many of these fancy places all over the world and they all seem to be enjoying good patronage etc.  Yeah Yeah Yeah, expensive is only relative  etc etc blah blah blah - but to me thinking rationally, a US$1,000 meal just cannot be justified....even without pontificating about how many starving children could be fed etc etc.

Just curious as to others' take on this subject.

SEAJ

I think Taiwan is decent in terms of food quality. You should try China, I'm a abc and I don't dare eat the street food in China. I'll gladly take Taiwan street food any day.

I have found some insects in my Taiwan street food before, but the locals refer to them as the "secret ingredient", not so funny the first time, but I've never paid the price for eating the next day. The locals love to point out the crap in my food to get a reaction out of me, but I'm used to it now. Bugs or no bugs, the food in Taiwan is really good.

As for eating an expensive meal, I don't think it's worth it. However, if the s/o wants to celebrate then I'll do it to avoid getting nagged at. I'll probably regret the next day when it's coming out the other end and when the credit card bill comes.

It really is not all about the price as one can go to a very expensive restaurant and get shitty service and not get served quality food or clean food. The bottom line is it comes down to cleanliness and while Taiwan may be better than China in some aspects it just really depends on where you go. I can think of a hundreds of places in Taipei that are just as dirty as the restaurants in China and at the same time I can find many clean ones as well. In this case we are talking abut the dirty ones and not the clean ones.

I know of many good and clean places in Taipei but what I would like to see is that one day the government implements a health department that goes around to all the food establishments/restaurants and makes sure that everything is in order. The MTF in mu building washes his vegetables in the bathroom sink which is the same sink that the janitors wash the mop in. That mop is the same mop that mops the piss in the bathrooms and along with dog piss in the building.

Here is the view from the bathroom entrance and this is in Taipei at a very popular dumpling restaurant. You would figure that the customers would wonder where he washed his vegetables having only 1 very small sink at his shop. Outside over 20 people wait in line to eat his dumplings and noodles while those that go to the bathroom never even look at the vegetables in the bathroom sink

One day I finished work and was craving a burger. I finished work and headed over to Mary's Burgers (should be Mary's rats). As I arrived I found that they were closed but as they were closed for the evening I must have seen 8-9 rats running around the inside. This was bad. They were every where and food was left outside. That restaurant had good business too lol.. I called up my friends over at Apple Daily NEWS and TVBS and the whole crew was there taking pictures and filming these rats eating at Mary's Hamburgers lol. Was all over the media the next day. Owner did not care if you ask me. He said he cared but was unable to provide and receipts that he had hired someone to take care of the rat problem because there was no monthly or weekly company coming in to take care of rats or cockroaches. His business is now shut down. This was also in Taipei.

Hmm, a health department would be nice, but I don't think it will ever work. The total number of places that would need to be inspected would be too much for the department to handle, I can't imagine the total number of inspectors that would be needed to handle Taipei. I'm using the US methods of inspection as comparison.

In addition, the cultural norm for cleanliness has been set for so long that trying to implement inspections and possibly threatening to shut down business would not set well with all the people. Try telling a 100 year old outside eatery that they are getting closed for not meeting code and you might have a city riot. Plus I bet most restaurant owners would just bribe the inspector.

I think it's a good idea, but just don't see it happening for Taiwan. I'd just cross off the dirty offenders from my list and keep to the places I trust.

I can think of 100 restaurants in L.A that are just as dirty.

And this is different how from Hong Kong?

i spend a lot of time in China.

i worry when the vegetables are so green and without holes.
i worry when the watermelon is so red and sweet.
i worry when the a plate of char-siu taste so good and cost only RMB 5.
i worry when my can of soda still stays bubbly overnight.

so i am kinda happy when i see a worm in my lunchbox.
at least they didn't drop a ton of pesticides in my veggies.

Lol, totally agree here. Even the seafood in China has me worried, especially the fresh water fish they serve with all the high levels of pollution in China's fresh waters. Last time I entered a decent looking modern cafe in Kunshan and ordered the pork chop with rice. When the "refrigerator" was opened a putrid smell came out cause me to almost lose it. I cancelled my order but had to go through an argument with the waitress but it was totally worth it to not have to eat what they put out in front of me.

America can be just as bad as we have undercover news reporters going into restaurants and exposing the health conditions.