Savoring the best for last

Salty chicken [Photo by Zhang Yu/For Shanghai Star]

For Ya Wei, a native of Harbin, the food is so tasty that she and her boyfriend were feasting without a break.

Other diners had higher standards, and one lady from Shanghai insisted that the beef noodles could not compare with what she ate in Taipei.

"The texture of both the beef and noodle is not good enough. The beef tendons were not tender," she complains.

Even so, the general enthusiasm from the public kept the stall owners and their assistants happy and busy. When they sold out, they had to repeatedly convince people still waiting that there was no more food.

"We have been very successful in Taiwan, but still, we see a much bigger market on the mainland," says Cai Ying-jie from Taiwan, who operates three stands at the park.

He says his family started the night food business more than 40 years ago, and gained much insight about the business.

Zhang Cheng-xian, explaining what motivated his excursion to Shanghai, says he hopes he can introduce the island’s advanced farm technology to the mainland.

"Our best-seller is watermelon milk. It will refresh you on such a hot summer night," says Zhang, who sells juice at his stand.

Controversy Along with the great interest comes sharp criticism, and negative comments surfaced as quickly as diners finished up the food.

Some pointed to organizers’ inability to handle the huge crowds, while others claimed they found out ingredients were sourced locally instead of being airlifted from Taiwan as they were told.