Taipei

On his trip to Taipei, Ainsley discovers the Mazu Temple market, a warren of street food shacks that have formed a village serving fragrant braised fish, chilli pork stir-fries and soups with titles that would seduce an Emperor! By night, Taipei becomes the Street Food jewel of the China seas. Markets open up at dusk and queues of locals and Chinese tourists jostle for bowls of steaming noodles, grilled dumplings and crispy duck. Ainsley finds a stir-fry stall selling fresh fish and cooks Taiwan prawns with garlic and chilli. But it’s the classic Taipei dish called Three Cup Chicken that gets Ainsley really excited; chicken braised with sesame, soy and fragrant basil. It’s amazing and like the best recipes, very simple to cook. There are the usual culinary traps for Ainsley. Stinky Tofu is not for anyone with a sense of smell and eating at ‘Modern Toilet’ is a challenge for anyone with any senses at all! And when Ainsley finds himself at midnight fishing for prawns at a local swimming pool he knows he is out of his comfort zone!