Cantonese barbecue brand opens new location to focus on delivery

Cantonese barbecue brand opens new location to focus on delivery

2022-07-18

A classic Cantonese barbecue brand has opened a new branch in Taipei, with an all-new model. The 43-year-old business will focus just on delivery at the new location. But the recipes, mainly Hong Kong-style barbecue classics like pork, duck and chicken, are untouched. Let’s see how the launch went down with locals.

A washed duck is stuffed, sewn up, and blanched in boiling water, then covered with vinegar to ensure its skin gets nice and crispy. The duck is blown up and air-dried, before being baked in a hot oven.

Before long, the crispy, golden roast duck is ready to serve. To complete the Sanbao rice combination of pork, duck and chicken, barbecue pork is dunked in malt syrup.

The duck is sliced up neatly to a symphony of crackles. Apart from its classic Sanbao combination, the duck can also go with Sanshao rice, smoked chicken or barbecue goose. Most people choose to get a takeaway.

Even on a boiling hot day like this, the queue at the door stretches way down the street. This barbecue restaurant has been open 43 years, and its new branch is dedicated just to takeaway.

Member of public
There aren’t many servings but there are lots of people queuing. So I came to queue early.

Member of public
It’s just as good as, for example, the Peking duck you get at other places. Of course it’s incredibly hot, but you have to get Cantonese barbecue!

Yao Kai-li
Cantonese barbecue restaurant owner
Now we can get a discount on our rent, so the location is better. Because of the pandemic, our delivery services have expanded a great deal. That’s an advantage we have.

These barbecue experts have decided to capitalize on shifts in real estate, to open a new branch. They’re hoping that a focus on deliveries will help them stay relevant for the foodies of tomorrow.

43年燒臘老店展"二代店" 轉型外帶抓住老饕胃

2022-07-18

一間擁有43年歷史的老字號燒臘店，成立了二代店，並決定轉型改做外帶，就希望用一隻隻正統的港式烤鴨、燒鵝料理，培養更多忠實顧客。

洗好的鴨子，先是塞入鴨粉後再縫起來，之後用熱水燙過，再淋上鴨醋水，確保外皮酥脆，接著為鴨子充氣，等風乾後，就可以放進烤爐高溫烘烤。

沒多久，一隻穿上焦黃外衣的脆皮烤鴨就大功告成，不只如此，三寶飯的好夥伴叉燒，也浸泡在麥芽糖裡，光用看的，唾腺已經在拼命分泌口水。

俐落刀法將一隻隻烤鴨快速切片，酥脆聲不停傳來，除了可以和油雞、叉燒拼成三寶外，還有三燒飯、煙燻土雞和油脂豐富的燒鵝飯，可供選擇，而除了內用外，更多的是要打包做成外帶。

儘管大熱天，店門口一早還是排了長長人龍，擁有43年歷史的燒臘店開分店，轉型外帶。

[[民眾]]
“因為量比較少嘛，排隊的人多，所以早一點來排”

[[民眾]]
“不輸給像說去外面吃的北京烤鴨，當然是非常的熱，可是一定要吃到叉燒飯”

[[燒臘店業者姚凱莉]]
“現在來講的話，我們取到房租會比較優惠，地點會比較好，疫情的關係，所以我們外送的服務，也大幅的增加，對我們也是個優勢”

搶攻外帶商機，不管是油雞、烤鴨還是燒鵝，老字號燒鴨店要綁住老饕的胃。

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A delicious mango cake followed by a full cup of milky latte. Watching TV with friends and enjoying some snacks. Lots of people became couch potatoes during the pandemic, and it doesn’t take much to start gaining weight.

Member of public
Sometimes I don’t eat three regular meals a day. So it’s easy for me to gain weight. Right now I think I weigh almost 100 kilos, and I’d like to lose 10 kilos.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in 2021, almost 48% of Taiwanese adults were overweight or obese. A BMI of 24 or above is considered overweight. One canny insurance company has launched the first weight loss insurance policy. Your fees go down by 1% for every kilo you lose, up to 20% of the total. If you maintain a healthy weight, and renew the policy after a year, you automatically get a 20% discount. It’s an elaborate motivational tactic.

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It would provide a bit more motivation. You shouldn’t do it for the money – that’s kind of superficial.

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I’ve maintained the same weight for more than 20 years. I would think I’d won if I bought this insurance. I’d just keep my weight down and the insurance fees would be cheaper.

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We want to really be there with our clients, as they manage their weight and achieve their goals of a healthy BMI.

The company says lots of customers are eager to try the policy. On social media, commenters have joked that it’s adding insult to injury for folk who just can’t find a way to slim down. One commenter said they were saving up 30 years of fat just for this very moment. Whether the policy helps people protect their health or just gives them a good chuckle, it’s certainly got them talking.

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President Tsai and local election candidates attend commerce chamber event

The Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce on Monday held an event on the post-pandemic world economy in Taichung. Local election candidates attending the event seized the opportunity to assure businesspeople that their issues would be addressed. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen was at the event, saying that Taiwanese businesses favor her city for operations.

President Tsai Ing-wen enters the meeting hall, with Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang behind her in close step. It’s the day after the DPP held its National Party Congress, and the president is in Taichung to attend an event held by the Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce. The group is meeting to discuss the post-pandemic world economy, and Taiwan’s resolve to help get it back on track.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We are especially thankful for the hard work of the Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce. It not only connects our friends across Asia, but also actively promotes cooperation between Taiwan and other countries throughout the world. This effort puts Taiwan in the spotlight. The government will also work hard to have everyone’s back.

With the local elections just around the corner, seating at the event was carefully arranged. Sat next to the president was Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin. Then there was Tsai Chi-chang, who is running for Taichung mayor – his seat near the president a reflection of his current status as deputy legislative speaker. Sat next to him was economics minister Wang Mei-hua, and incumbent Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who is seeking reelection.

Tsai Chi-chang
Deputy legislative speaker
There is no issue raised that has no solution, nothing that can’t be asked. Whatever issues are brought up in this meeting will be brought up again next time. So, we try to find quick solutions for our businesspeople, to solve the difficulties they encounter.

Tsai Chi-chang describes himself as a man of action in resolving issues both at the central and local levels. Meanwhile, Lu took the opportunity to highlight her city administration’s achievements.

Lu Shiow-yen
Taichung mayor
Over 247 companies – the most nationwide – have chosen Taichung. Thank you, everyone, for recognizing Taichung. This also shows confidence in Taichung’s economic outlook.

With the local elections getting closer, both major parties are pulling out all stops in the race to win hearts and minds, both at the grassroots level and among the country’s business elites.

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Former health minister Chen Shih-chung on Monday handed the reins to Hsueh Jui-yuan, who had acted as deputy minister under Chen. With his health ministry role behind him, Chen said his farewells and kicked off his campaign for Taipei mayor. Chen addressed accusations against him by the opposition KMT, and discussed the city’s old-age pension policy.

Colleagues gather in the hallway of the health ministry to see off Chen Shih-chung. Chen officially stepped down as health minister on Monday, as he prepared to throw himself fully into his campaign for Taipei mayor. While delivering his farewell speech, he took the opportunity to appeal to voters.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
Thank you all for your help, through which we achieved success. With your help we successfully tackled the pandemic and ensured the health of our society. In the future, please continue to stand fast in your positions. Remember to vote for me. Thank you, everyone.

Looking back over the past five years as health minister and his work fighting the pandemic, Chen said he had mixed feelings about the future.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
Yesterday I was joking with my wife, telling her not to prepare a handkerchief for me – because I knew I would be brought to tears. Afterward I spoke with the chief secretary, and asked her to have a handkerchief ready for me, since I realized I would be unable to stop myself.

Chen is now retired from the health ministry and is on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, in his recently released autobiography, Chen revealed that he once applied for U.S. residency to leave Taiwan during the White Terror era. In response, the KMT criticized Chen for relying on the U.S. and being, quote, “self-important.” Chen fired back at the accusations.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
I didn’t use to have a green card, I simply applied for a green card once. However, I didn’t complete the application, because there were quite a lot of people ahead of me in the application process. Everyone should remember, in the 1970s Taiwan didn’t just leave the United Nations, another very serious issue we faced was the White Terror era. At that time there were many university students and others who wanted to go abroad and escape the White Terror. When I talk about this today and get criticized for doing so by the KMT, it pushes me to ask them: at that time did any of you think about leaving Taiwan? I’d also like to say that for them to bring this up as a manipulative tactic is really a bit low.

Personal attacks aside, a mayoral election campaign must focus on municipal policy. To that end, Chen expressed approval of Taipei City government plans to reinstate old-age pensions.

Chen Shih-chung
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When we talk about asymmetric warfare, we usually talk about two things. One is asymmetric equipment. For example, we can use smaller rocket missiles, which are cheaper high-precision ammunition to fight high-cost payloads. The other is asymmetric strategy. This latter one refers more to using the equipment we already have and finding ways to use it effectively in asymmetric warfare, making the most of its combat effectiveness. Because compared with us on numbers alone, our opponent is very powerful. So we need to have unique approaches to maximize our combat power.

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Mark Esper (Feb. 22)
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As I mentioned, Minister Wu is a champion of the U.S.-Taiwan partnership. So it is my honor to welcome him here.

Earlier this year, foreign minister Joseph Wu discussed U.S.-Taiwan relations via teleconference with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Now, the former U.S. official is leading a delegation to Taiwan for four days, in his capacity as a scholar of the Atlantic Council think tank. With him will be Atlantic Council senior vice president and director Barry Pavel, as well as former diplomatic advisor to the president of Italy Stefano Stefanini. The three will sit with President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday. They’ll also hold meetings with the relevant government agencies and think tanks on security and trade in the Indo-Pacific. They are also expected to conduct deep exchanges on the relationship between Taiwan, the U.S. and Europe.

Arthur Ding
NCCU Graduate Institute of Asian Studies
In the past, the Atlantic Council mainly concerned itself with the European continent. But it’s shifted its attention to the Asia-Pacific region, and especially to the Indo-Pacific as it has gradually become the focus of international politics.

Esper previously participated in the Gulf War and was vice president for governmental relations at Raytheon, a major U.S. defense contractor. He later joined the Trump administration as secretary of defense and was a big supporter of providing Taiwan with defensive weapons. That was until 2020, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump fired him over Twitter. After leaving his post, he has become even more involved in countering China and supporting Taiwan.

Mark Esper (June 22)
Former US secretary of defense
In many ways the “one China” policy has outlived its usefulness. I think Joe Biden’s instincts are spot on. He’s said three times, right now, we would support them (Taiwan) militarily. I think it was a very clear statement, and I don’t know why the White House keeps walking back on this.

Esper called on Biden to reevaluate the U.S.’ “one China” policy. He says that amid the soaring danger of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the U.S. should shift to a “strategic clarity” on the issue. He has said that if an emergency were to happen in Taiwan, neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea would be unable to remain uninvolved. He has urged the U.S. to strengthen its cooperation with its Indo-Pacific allies to counter China’s growing threat.

Wang Ting-yu
DPP lawmaker
Esper has long advocated for Taiwan’’s security and stability, saying that it is the foundation of peace in the first island chain. For Taiwan, his visit is another opportunity to gain visibility on the international stage and for direct communication. It is an opportunity to strengthen the security, peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

DPP lawmaker Wang Ting-yu says Esper’s visit could be motivated by his desire to gain a better understanding of the cross-strait situation. In any case, it is sure to be a way for Taiwan to remain part of public discourse in the U.S.

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