Good Food, Good Luck: Travel Taiwan and Win Big in August

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Chen Guanxin

 

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications broke new ground by stepping out of physical exhibition venues and expanding the scale online. Mobilizing the entire nation, it organized the "2013 Taiwan Gourmet Series" under the theme of "Good Food, Good Luck Travel Taiwan," bringing together 13 national scenic areas to recommend 27 travel routes from the Bai Xiang Grand Awards, 75 restaurants, and 46 gourmet delicacies from tourist hotels. In August, they jointly launched promotions so that people, no matter where they are, can feel the lively atmosphere of Gourmet Month. This event features four major series: the "Top 10 Night Market Food PK Challenge," the "Taiwan Gourmet Classic Exhibition," the "Taiwan Gourmet Arena," and the "Taiwan Group Meal Battle," which will be rolled out in turns. Among them, the results of the online voting for the "Top 10 Night Market Food PK Challenge" were announced—with oyster omelet taking the top spot in the classic gourmet category, beating out fried chicken cutlets and stinky tofu. The innovative snacks category was dominated by scallop skewers, deep-fried giant squid, and moon shrimp pancakes, which took the top three spots.

The series of events kicked off with a bang in August and will continue until December. First, the voting results of the "Top 10 Night Markets PK Challenge" showed that the classic snack oyster omelet remains an unshakable icon in night market cuisine. In addition, the innovative snacks deep-fried giant squid and scallop skewers also made the list. To thank the public for their votes, all oyster omelet vendors across Taiwan will give away 3,000 skewers as a token of appreciation.

 

Moreover, the "Taiwan Gourmet Arena" not only carries on the essence of previous years’ “cooking competitions,” but has further expanded into categories for tourist hotels, restaurants, and schools, conducting a large-scale nationwide “open audition.” The finals will challenge the culinary skills of each group using ingredients with production and sales traceability certifications provided by the Council of Agriculture. As for the ongoing "2013 Taiwan Group Meal Battle," the list of 114 shortlisted restaurants was announced today. On-site evaluations will be carried out in August. Selected restaurant operators will be compiled into a booklet by the Tourism Bureau and provided to overseas group tour agencies through the bureau’s foreign offices. They will also be included in itinerary planning by Taiwan-based receiving travel agencies, allowing more group travelers to enjoy high-quality gourmet experiences in Taiwan.

Starting in August, the highlight of the "Taiwan Gourmet Classic Exhibition" begins, featuring exciting content including the "Bai Xiang Grand Awards" and "Gourmet Fine Dining" from a total of 121 restaurants and hotels. Recommended from the perspective of local gourmets by various national scenic area management offices, the "Bai Xiang Grand Awards" include 27 travel routes, with 71 restaurants across Taiwan plus 4 special group meal restaurants launching joint promotions. Consumers spending over NT$2,000 will receive a NT$200 discount, and the first 88 customers at each restaurant also have the chance to enjoy an early-bird NT$300 discount voucher. The "Gourmet Fine Dining" section includes 46 hotels from northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan offering dining discounts of 88% (or more) off, covering buffets, premium set menus, and themed hotel restaurants. The long-awaited hotel meal vouchers can also be purchased online via the website, with discounts starting as low as 53% off at hotels such as the Fuhang Hotel and Taichung Evergreen Laurel Hotel. Keep an eye on the event website throughout August for surprise items available for instant purchase. By downloading the "Gourmet Fine Dining Gourmet Voucher" from the website, the public can enjoy various promotions offered by different hotels.

 

This time, a special online voting activity called "Three Hearts and Two Minds Come to Support" has been planned. From now until August 31, simply go online to support your favorite shops—vote daily and weekly to win NT$100,000 in meal vouchers and NT$20,000 worth of premium set meals. Additionally, there's a fun, all-ages "Gourmet Little Boss" quiz game. Not only can you learn about local specialty ingredients from various scenic areas through the game, but you also have the chance to win prizes totaling NT$150,000. Official website: www.tcff.com.tw.

 

 

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