It’s time to eat, it’s time for Taiwan! It’s no secret that at TGIFguide, two of our favorite things are Travel and Gourmet, and thanks to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, both our tastebuds and travel bugs were ignited this week during a special tasting and screening of the new Taste Taiwan show!
More than 125 guests were invited to attend an exclusive invitation to a delicious dinner and exciting screening. Of course I brought my blogger BFF, Ms. Brittany “Bella” Graham along for the ride. 🙂
The event was the result of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Taste Taiwan campaign, a Chef Nomination contest launched in October 2013. The contest selected three award-winning chefs from Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, Canada, to participate in the culinary tour. Chef Bryant Wigger of Trattoria Neapolis, Chef Michael Ferraro of Delicatessen in New York and Chef Thomas Heinrich of Mosaic Bar and Grille at Hyatt Regency in Vancouver recently returned from an eight-day culinary trip in Taiwan, which was documented and produced as a Taste Taiwan 30-minute show to air on the Discovery Channel on February 15th 2014 at 8am. We can’t wait to watch the new show in full!
Chef Bryant shared with the guests his behind-the-scene photos and personal experience of the trip and introduced his new special Taiwanese dish inspired by the trip: Five Space Roasted Pork Belly!
“Taiwan is a country of beauty and proud culture. The things that impressed me the most are the quality of the markets with the amazing seafood, produce and meat that is available on a daily basis. The people are happy to share their culture with you and their way of life to help you to understand what their daily life is like…. I would recommend Taiwan to anyone because the people are so friendly, the food is some of the best that I have had and the scenery is so amazing.”
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau Los Angeles Branch Office Director Trust Lin also mentioned: “Different from our previous promotion of brining in Taiwanese chefs to the United States, this time we invited famous chefs from North America to Taiwan. Together with the Taste Taiwan event, we also have tour operators to package culinary trips to Taiwan. We hope to attract more epicurean tourists to our country.”
Although Bella and I didn’t win the trip to Taiwan, we’ll definitely be making plans to visit soon! The food, the culture, the nature and the hospitality simply cannot be missed! Cheers to Taiwan!
Written by Jacqueline Chambers
Jacqueline Chambers is the founder of TGIFguide. She uses her innate skills as a natural “connector” to serve businesses, brands and individuals in the LA area and beyond.
