[桃園機場] - 寶島晶華 - Taiwanese Cuisine and Snacks (sit down restaurant) Taipei airport)

For those who have departed from Taipei International Airport (actually located in Taoyuen), might remember that upstairs on one side beyond the Rose Records CD store, used to be a food court that sold sandwiches, a Starbucks stand, a noodle and dumplings stand, and a xiaolongbao and snack stand.

Well fast forward to late 2009, all that is GONE.

It appears that the Jing Hua corporation (that also owns some exquisite hotels) and apparently has a very upscale almost kaiseki like Taiwanese restaurant inside the National Palace Museum, has an outpost at the airport, basically replacing what I described in the first paragraph.

I didn't take  photos but you can see pictures here:

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ru-wen/article?mid=25839&prev=25896&next=25787

Picked up a takeout menu, so you can have some idea of what prices and varieties to expect

Xiao Long Bao - NT$220 for 7
Formosa Beef Noodle - NT$250 (what looks like 3 slices of beef, two stalks of veg, and sides of whole marinated egg, and two mini sides)
Tendon and Beef Noodle Soup - NT$290
Hualien Dumpling Noodle Soup - NT$220
Braised Beef Soup with Thin Noodle - NT$260
Braised Beef Soup with Dumpling - NT$250
Chicken Noodle Soup with Sides - NT$250
Vegetarian Noodle Soup - NT$200
Chicken Leg with Rice (Bento) or Noodle (soup included) - NT$250
Pork Chop with rice or noodle (soup included) - NT$250
Curry chicken with rice (soup included) - NT$250
Egg and Beef in Sauce on Rice (soup included) - NT$250 (looks slightly Cantonese-ish)
Egg and Shrimp in Sauce on Rice (soup included) - NT$250
Minced Pork Rice with boiled veg and served with soup - NT$150
Preserved Egg and Pork Congee - NT$170 (definitely Cantonese)
Egg and Beef Congee - NT$170
Formosa Cold Noodles with Bamboo and Pork Bone soup - NT$200
Boiled Water Spinach - NT$80 (kung xin tsai)
Boiled Bean Sprout - NT$80
Boiled Spinach - NT$80
Boiled Green Cabbage - NT$80 (Tsing Jiang Tsai)
Dried Mountain Yam and Pork Rib Soup - NT$150
Chicken Soup (yuen zhong ji tang) - NT$150
Club sandwich - NT$280
Spaghetti with meat sauce - NT$280
Chef's Salad - NT$280
Ground Beef Burger (6 oz) - NT$320

Drinks ranging from NT$60 to $85
Blck Tea, Jasmine Tea, Oolong Tea, Passionfruit tea, Plum tea, Lemon Tea, Grapefruit tea, Chrysanthemum Puer tea, lemon juice with jelly, milk tea, bubble tea, american coffee, latte...

NT$120 juice and milk driinks
Papaya milk, banana milk, watermelon with aloe, kiki orange juice, lemon juice, mango juice, mixed fruit juice, and various smoothies

Alcohol
NT$150 for budweiser, corona, heineken, asahi, kirin

Taiwan local beer - NT$180

This might be the only half decent option in the airport before going through security (after that you're on your own). Of course you're better off stuffing yourself silly before arriving at the airport, or bring some food with you (beverages need to be consumed before going through customs...)