Catherine was very friendly and made me feel welcomed the minute we met. It was very easy to chat with her. Catherine has a huge repertoire of traditional Taiwanese dishes and takes the trouble to select the dishes to cook based on the guest’s background. I’d mentioned in our chat before the visit that I’d just attended a friend’s wedding banquet (hence the squid dish), that I was from Singapore (i.e. summer all year round, hence the Vermicelli dish) and I love Taiwanese stir-fries (hence the white-water snowflake dish). Catherine was very quick in preparing and cooking the five dishes, and lovely smells started to fill the kitchen and soon the apartment. I was truly looking forward to tasting the food. Soon enough, it was time to tuck in. Catherine and I had a lovely meal together as we polished off the delicious food and chatted non-stop about everything under the sun. My favorite was the vermicelli with clams and luffa soup, which was light and satisfying, and something which I’ll definitely be cooking quite regularly back home. Since I had a few more days in Taipei, Catherine also shared with me places to visit and where to buy some of her favorite food ingredients in town. It was a fabulous experience to meet her and dine with her in her apartment. Catherine made me feel very welcome during my visit and I really glad to say I’ve made another friend in Taipei!