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For any MICE event the “ Touch of Taiwanese Food “ has been a highlight in the program schedules, the local cuisine have been influenced by its history and its geographic location.
Seafood, subtropical fruit and a great selection of spices are combined in an abundant array of flavor. The Taiwanese version of beef noodle soup is one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan and always a success with MICE participants too. A variety of local cuisines in Taipei such as minced pork rice, oyster omelet and chicken cutlet provides delightful tastes and unforgettable dining experience. Mango shaved ice at YongKang street is also a must-try dessert! Taipei boasts a delectable variety of gourmet cuisines. In addition to the street foods mentioned above, the number of local restaurants and eateries listed in the Michelin Guide continues to increase.
When holding MICE events in Taipei, one of the FAQ event staff always have to answer is “Where is the nearest Din Tai Fung restaurant”, so delegates can enjoy the most famous Dim Sum, its paper-thin wrapped “Xiaolongbao” with 18 folds.
During the already past months of 2020, the MICE community in Taipei realized soon that in the near future self-service buffets likely won’t be a viable option and have worked hard to come with creative solutions.
Enhanced seated dining is the most common-sense alternative option, if there are available staff members trained in sanitation and food-handling measures.
Another option is pre-packed meals that attendees pick up from fridges or multiple locations, or have the boxed meals already placed at their seats at the event.
Yuanshan Plaza (approximately 40 hectares) is an international conference and exhibition venue in Taipei city. Pandemic prevention and disinfection notices are posted at entrances, tables and chairs are set at proper social distances, temperature checks and disinfection measures are in use at restaurants, and professional pest control is done regularly. Cleaning staff completely sanitizes the public dining area, plus restaurant staff have their temperatures checked and sanitize their hands.
Cosmo Banquet Catering at the TICC serves food and beverages for conferences and exhibitions. In response to the impact of COVID-19, Executive Chef Shu-Nien Wang remarked “ These extra steps and layers of caution add costs to F&B, so it is in our venue’s best interest to offer cost-effective solutions for food and beverages at events “.
For any events facility and venue space large enough is assigned to prevent crowding for the expected attendance.
Strict guidelines around food and beverage recommend staggering stations and serving food in individual units like, individual water bottles, mini bottles of wine, etc.
Organizers these days avoid serving foods where multiple hands will touch the food, like bowls of chips and provide serving utensils if needed or arrange for food to be served by staff who are trained in safe food handling.
Alternative spaces for food and beverage service are being considered, going beyond spacing out tables and taking advantage of any outdoor space, if available, especially while moving into the warmer months. Provide an open-air environment if possible, or make sure the room has airflow – open windows or keep a door cracked have all being studied and implemented
Director Patti Tang  of Willy DMC in Taipei adds: “It is important to control the number of people in a space so it's not too crowded and to educate the attendees to wash their hands and sanitize regularly. Our culture believes in the role that masks play to minimize contamination, so we insist participants wearing it “.
General guidelines the F&B service providers are implemented.

• Keeping the amount of food on display low and restock more frequently to reduce the amount of food touched by different attendees.
• Menu-only options delivered through plate service  
• Pre-pack the meal bags or boxes, delivered once guest taking seats in the assigned area(s)
• Restrict the number of people in the kitchen space to encourage social distancing and limit the number of people handling food.
• Temporarily postpone any food demos or cooking classes and don’t offer food samples.

 
With years of food and beverage service experience in the MICE industry, Ms. Amanda Ma,  F&B supervisor for the TICC states: “We have evaluated the food safety measures already in place and asked to add several layers of control to the food preparation process and sanitation stand operating procedures. We also asked all staffs at Cosmo Banquet at TICC on the stringent need to adhere to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAACP) plans”.
Staggered seating, plastic dividers, and disinfectant sprayed on hands: these are just some of things that restaurant-goers have grown used to in Taiwan. This is not a scene from a dystopian movie; it’s the new normal enhancing Taiwan’s ranking as one of the safest (MICE) destinations in the world.
There are many large MICE hotels in Taipei, such as Le Méridien Taipei, Marriott Taipei and Courtyard by Marriott. To ensure conference dining health for guests, hotel stakeholders implement epidemic prevention measures such as thorough sanitation of the restaurant after each meal time, guest and staff temperature checks, mask-wearing staff, regular hand sanitization and self-health management conduct. With such measures in place, guests can feel more at ease when dining.
In other words, all Taipei’s MICE stakeholders are ready to serve all required F&B services to its fullest, and safest, extend and are, of course, prepared to deliver healthy and safe “WOW” F&B experiences for all budgets and for all tastes!
For more information please visit www.expopark.taipei or  www.anticovid19tw.org


Thin-skinned and juicy xiaolongbao
For traditional xiaolongbao, the broth is the soul. A rolling pin is used to make the skin as thin as possible, making it appear translucent after steaming. Traditional xiaolongbao are closed with at least fourteen folds; famous restaurants, such as Ding Tai Fung, will make eighteen folds.


Sanitized public environment at Yuanshan Plaza (Source: Taipei EXPO Foundation)
Yuanshan Plaza implements pandemic prevention policies from both the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Taipei City, which call for the public to wear masks when entering places such as medical care centers, markets, schools, performance venues, places of entertainment, large spaces, or taking public transportation. In addition, event hosts must control the flow of people, ensure they keep proper social distance, install sanitation devices, ask people to sign in when entering venues, and check temperatures. Staff from the Taipei Expo Foundation will remain onsite at the venue and supervise the whole process.


Hotel restaurant provides alcohol pads for diners. (Source: Le Méridien Taipei)
In addition to placing sanitizer dispensers in public areas, elevators, parking lots, and the reception counter, Le Méridien Taipei also provides alcohol pads for diners. All staffs at the restaurant are working hard to ensure that all health guidelines are met and exceeded.