Taiwan’s food culture has long been celebrated by those who are familiar with the island nation, but events like restaurant week somehow hasn’t been able to caught on much here. Thanks to a passionate entrepreneur from Chicago, Taipei will be host to a curated restaurant week, Taipei Feast Week, in less than two weeks.
Inspired by his interest in trading food and drink recommendations with friends, Kevin Wolkober, creator of the cuisine app Eat Drink Taiwan, decided to turn this personal habit into a city-wide event that aims at introducing five restaurants catering unique Taiwanese cuisines to people around Taipei.
“I think Feast Week is a fresh take on highlighting new restaurants, giving people a curated set of options in an affordable price range and a nice group of people with whom they can share new dining experiences,” said Wolkober. “For businesses, I feel this is a chance to share their stories and talents with new audiences while letting them experiment new ways to offer up their cuisines.”
Entering into his third year as a full-time resident of Taiwan, Wolkober emphasizes that the restaurants participating in Taipei Feast Week can help Taiwan cuisine and culture shine through their stories and special characteristics.
“My hope is Feast Week can serve as a reminder to help people stay curious about food and culture,” said Wolkober. “Connecting with people from different backgrounds over a great meal can be very powerful.”
Taking place from August 22 to 26, the list of participating restaurants include, Feng Sheng, Yunshan tea shop, Tai Ho Dian, and La Maison de Meisung. Each night offers different unique Taiwanese cuisines, along with local craft beers or wines from other places.
In partnership with FutureWard Central and Travel Local Taiwan, Wolkober hopes to combine unique Taiwanese culinary experiences with Taiwanese history, culture and entrepreneurship. Wolkober is optimistic that Feast Week Taipei will be the beginning of something greater.
“I hope to do this event series again in the future with a whole new and larger set of restaurants, over perhaps a couple more days as well,” said Wolkober.
(Feature photo courtesy of Taipei Feast Week)
