This blogpost is about my one-day trip to Taichung and a little about Taipei, the places and food which I previously have not covered. I would like to share them with you, because good things have to be shared right! Also, if you want to know more about Taipei, Keelung and Tainan, please feel free to refer to my earlier posts; Part I - Tainan and Part II - Keelung & Taipei.
I traveled to Taipei and Taichung over the new year, from 31st Dec 2015 to 9th Jan 2016.
Without further ado, allow me to share them with you! (:
*Disclaimer: This is not an official travel guide so opinions, reviews and instructions are subjected to biases, memory lapses and the occasional side-track rambling.*
TAICHUNG （台中）
WHAT I ATE:
(Those with ** are my absolute faves!)
1. LOCAL DUCK RICE (鸭香饭 ya xiang fan)
To be honest, I am not a fan of duck meat. But as my Taiwan friends insist its a must-eat, it should be pretty good, right? Yep, thats right! The duck meat was soft, tender and chewy. It was pretty good, even for a non-duck meat lover like me. Duck meat lovers should give this a try. Just to take note, this was eaten en route to Taichung. We had a quick stopover at Hsinchu for lunch before we drove down to Taichung. Yes, once again, my friends drove.
Location:
No. 142, Zhongshan Rd, North District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan 300
Opening hours:
Daily 1030am-930pm
2. MEATBALL (肉圆 rou yuan)
The sauce was sweet and the outer layer covering the meat was chewy and sticky. It's worth a try, at least once. It's really common at the Night Market as there are plenty of vendors selling it. So just pick one at random, and give it a try. But if you are going for specifics, you can have the one which we tried at 英明林家肉圆 (ying ming lin jia rou yuan), a family business store.
Hsinchu City God (Cheng Huang 城隍) Temple Night Market
3. Mochi (米糬 mi shu)
This is pretty awesome! It's like mochi, but instead of glutinous rice forming the outer layer, they use flour and fry it. Hence, the outer texture is crispy, while the inside tastes like typical mochi filling. Then again, I may be entirely wrong. To be honest, I kind of forgotten the taste of this street snack, so everything I say above may not be accurate hahah (Oops >.<) I just know for a fact that if its not good, I wouldn't take a picture of it. All in all, just give this a go if you happen to chance upon it, okay? Hahha...
Location:
Outside the entrance of Hsinchu City God (Cheng Huang 城隍) Temple Night Market
4. BRAISED PORK RICE (肉燥饭 rou zao fan)
As I was really full, I only took a bite of this. The ingredients were packed with flavour (meat, vegetables and some special flavouring) and the serving was pretty generous. I recommend sharing with your friends so as to allow more room for other street food snacks.
Location:
Hsinchu City God (Cheng Huang 城隍) Temple Night Market
5. BUBBLE TEA (奶冻 nai dong)**
I know in Singapore we call it Bubble Tea 泡泡茶 (pao pao cha), but in Taiwan, they generally call it 奶茶 (nai cha) or 撞奶 (zhuang nai). This is possibly because in Singapore, bubble tea has been diversified and can be prepared in many ways to suit everyone's taste buds, such as ice blended, crushed ice and the typical nai cha/milk tea. But in Taiwan, in general, they are always prepared with relevance to milk, so it is called 奶茶/撞奶/奶冻. In general, they are all the same, just that the preparation techniques differ slightly. This particualr 奶冻 from Hsinchu is REALLY, REALLY GOOD! It was very refreshing and the pearls, were small and chewy! I'm guessing its the quality of the milk. Why is it that we can't get such good stuff back in Singapore? Our milk teas from Gong Cha and Koi are just... meh in comparison. :/
Location:
Outside the entrance of Hsinchu City God (Cheng Huang 城隍) Temple Night Market
(Near the Mochi stall mentioned earlier)
6. DESSERTS (甜点 tian dian) @ Miyahara Formosa (宫原眼科 gong yuan yan ke)
By the time we arrived at Taichung (about 4 hours drive from Taipei), it was already nighttime. Our first stop was this dessert house. Besides the sweet desserts, we also ordered the savoury ones. It was yummy and filling. The ice-cream flavours are pretty limited and more on the 'icy' side, if you know what I mean. Some ice-cream are known for its soft, creamy texture while others are more 'icy'. Certain people prefer the former, while others prefer the latter. I personally prefer ice-cream that has a more creamy side to it, hence the ice-cream did not impress me much. However, besides that, everything else was really impressive! From the ambience right down to the food decorations, the savoury food, sauce and seasoning, and the accompanying biscuits. I especially liked the biscuits! What's more, you can actually buy them on the first floor (the dessert house is 3 stories high!).
Location:
No 20 Zhongshan Road, Zhong Dsitrict, Taichung
Opening hours:
10am-10pm
7. STINKY TOUFU (臭豆腐 chou dou fu)
I have never tried stinky toufu before, or even if I had, I forgotten what it tasted like. My friends insisted that we have to try it and nope, its a no-go for me. Toufu, in my opinion, should be smooth, bland and silky. More for texture, while the sauce or seasoning gives it the taste and flavour. This was just plain smelly, and I choked when I took my one and only bite, while my Taiwan friends smacked their lips in satisfaction. And what's more, they claim that the smellier, the better the taste. Argh. Guess its like how we Singaporeans see durian as compared to foreigners. Though, I never liked durians either.
Location:
Feng Chia Night Market (details to be elaborated later)
8. GRILLED SQUID
Grilled squid was really yummy! :D
Location:
Feng Chia Night Market (details to be elaborated later)
WHERE I WENT:
1. MIYAHARA FORMOSA (宫原眼科 gong yuan yan ke)
Following up from the desserts we had at Miyahra Formosa, this is the interior of the building of Miyhara Formosa. The building is 3 stories high, and looks really classy with high ceilings, tall antique-looking cabinets and glass drawers. As mentioned earlier on, you can buy gifts and souvenirs on the first floor (the biscuits!!! :P) Just a little background story for you; this place used to be a laboratory to make spectacles and eye examinations. But the owner turned it into a dessert house as they deemed it more profitable. Well-played, owners, well-played. The price for the desserts are definitely not cheap, each of us paid about TWD 700, and there were 7 of us. That's about SGD 208 in total worth of desserts! :O But it was definitely worth the experience! A must-go when in Taichung!
Location:
No 20 Zhongshan Road, Zhong Dsitrict, Taichung
Opening hours:
10am-10pm
Advice:
As my Taiwan friends drove, I honestly have no clue how to get there by public transport. My advice will be to grab a taxi as the locals should know about this famous place. DO TAKE NOTE that there are two outlets, Miyahara Formosa and Miyahara Ice Cream. The former sells a greater variety of desserts while the latter, obviously, only sells ice-cream. There are travel bloggers that review about Miyahara Ice Cream and mentioned a bit about Miyahara's history. What he claimed differs a little from what I heard (from the service staff themselves). I guess it doesn't really matter which is the true version, what matters, is the yummy food! (:
2. Hsinchu City God (城隍 cheng huang) Temple Night Market
We entered via this entrance :D
My darling Taiwan friends from Monster Cheerleading Team <3
Despite it being called a Night Market, shops are already opened in the early afternoons and teeming with temple goers and people. For more information, you can visit travelking which introduces other types of temple street snacks you can have, as we only made a quick stopover at this place at Hsinchu (新竹) en route to Taichung, the food we ate were pretty limited.
Getting here:
By taxi/car: No.75 Zhongshan Road, Zhongshan Village,Hsinchu, Taiwan
By bus/train: Walk along Zhongzhen Rd from the Hsinchu Railway Station to the Dongmen traffic circle, and choose Dongmen St. to the smaller traffic circle in front of First Bank. Make a left turn to reach the Hsinchu City God Temple Night Market OR take Train to Hsinchu Railway Station, and then take bus no. 11, 11A, 21 and get off at City God Temple Stop.
Click here, for more information on map and directions.
Opening hours:
Unspecified
Advice:
I have searched countless websites, but none seem to specify what time and which day it opens! :( My advice is to go in the afternoon as it should be open by then.
3. ICE SKATING @ TAROKO MODE MALL (大魯閣新時代)
For lack of anything better to do, we decided to go ice-skating before heading back to Taipei. We were at Mode Shopping Mall, which is an 11-stories high shopping center. At the ice-skating ring, it was mandatory to wear gloves, kneeguards and helmets. However, if you do not wish to wear the helmet, you have to sign a safety declaration form. Really troublesome, and the staff are pretty anal for some reason i.e. where to keep your shoes, where to sit to put on your boots and exactly what time you can enter the ice-skating ring. Its cheaper to ice-skate there, but the experience, worse as compared to Singapore The ceilings are low and they do not resurface the ice at all throughout the day. In Singapore, they resurface the ice at noon (back at the Kallang ice-skating ring before it closed down) Thus, it makes it super slippery and when you fall, your clothes get soaking wet. Also, it's really small and hence, more dangerous when you fall and ice-skaters just zoom past you, barely missing your gloved fingers.
Nevertheless, the company was good and fun. One of my Taiwan friends had a showdown with some kids to see who can skate the fastest, and it was quite hilarious to see my friend (in his early 30s) struggling to catch up with them. :D
Getting here:
No. 186, Sec. 4, Fuxing Rd., E. Dist, Taichung, Taiwan
Approx 12-15 minutes walk from Taichung Station
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat & Sun/Public holidays: 1030am-10pm
4. Feng Chia Night Market (逢甲夜市)
Milk tea again! :D
Feng Chia Night Market is like a typical night market. However, in comparison to Taipei night markets, Taichung prices are generally cheaper as it is outside the city area. My friends and I went there after we had the desserts at Miyahara Formosa, hence, we were already pretty full. It was literally a day of non-stop eating!! By the time we got to the Night Market, we only had a few street snacks. At Feng Chia, the Taiwanese recommended the 'double-sausage wrap' (大肠包小肠 da chang bao xiao chang). I don't know what was the direct translation of the street food, so I made it up myself hahaha :D But, its basically a huge sausage (made of glutinous rice) wrapped in another sausage. Oh and earlier on, I mentioned the stinky toufu and grilled squid which we also tried.
It was raining when we got there, which I find absolutely inconvenient. You have to hold an umbrella while carrying and eating the street food you just bought. While its wiser to wear a raincoat, your food would be touched by the rain and... let's just admit it, it isnt the most fashionable and appealing street wear, right?
Getting here:
Surrounds the Feng Chia University of , Xitun Dist., Taichung City
Best way to get here is via taxi. Locals should know as long as you state the name of the market.
Opening hours:
Daily 12pm-2am
Advice:
Bring an umbrella or a raincoat, in case it rains! Try not to have too many carry-ons as it is difficult to shop and eat at the same time.
ALSO, BUY TAICHUNG'S TAI YANG BING (太阳饼)!!! Tai yang bing originates from Taichung, so its good to buy a few boxes back home. For those who are clueless as to what's the different between Tai yang bing and Nai you su bing (奶油酥饼), Tai yang bing is more buttery whilst Nai you su bing is generally more of a milky taste. Also, Nai you su bing tends to flake more as you bite into it. You can get nai you su bing back at Taipei either at Rao He Night Market or Taipei Train Station Underground Mall.
TAIPEI (台北) PART III
After going to Taichung for a 2D1N stay (we stayed at a friend's house), we returned to Taipei. Although I have been to Taipei many times, there are always new things to experience and share, especially when it comes to food! So do spare me the patience, and let me recommend them to you! :D
Taiwan friend's house! :D
FOOD I ATE:
1. TEPPENYAKI FINE DINING @ XIA MU NI TEPPANYAKI (夏木尼顶级铁板烧 xia mu ni ding ji tie ban shao）
Salad placed in a jar, pour the sauce in, and shake it! Hence, the term rock-shaker salad jar (or something like that). Pretty interesting food concept! :D
The fine-dining teppanyaki experience was really pleasant. We were served with appetiser which included bread (toasted right in front of you and, tasted really yummy!) and choice of soup and salad, followed by choice of main course (I chose salmon. There were other alternatives like beef), followed by choice of dessert and cold/hot drink. We were seated down, with napkins on our laps, while we contemplated the menus. The menus were placed on decorative plates, and cleared immediately after the service staff have taken our orders. The whole dining experience took at least 1.5 hours, so only go there if you have the time to spare! After we were done with the main courses, we had to move to a different seating area to have our desserts. a few of us chose the cheescake, whilst the others had the chocolate sphere with ice-cream in it. The chocolate sphere melted immediately after they poured hot chocolate sauce on it, it was indeed a treat not only for the tastebuds, but for the eyes as well!
The service staff were attentive, and offered to refill our glasses whenever it was empty. While I was eating my salad, however, I spotted a worm near my plate. It was crawling and wriggling, and I was absolutely disgusted. I wasn't sure if it came from my salad plate as it was found outside my plate, but I had no mood to finish my salad any longer. As I was almost done with my salad, I did not request for another one when I alerted the staff to the wriggling worm. The staff apologised sincerely, insisted on getting a new fresh salad jar for me despite me declining, and gave my friends and I free red wine. I guess its because they wanted us to give them good ratings, as we had to fill up a feedback form at the end of our dining experience. I gave them high ratings though, although my Taiwanese friends were more critical with regards to the wriggling worm saga.
The price to dine at this place is about TWD 800-1000 (approx SGD 30-50 per pax). Pretty reasonable for a fine dining teppanyaki experience!
Getting here:
44, Sec 2, Zhong Shan N. Rd. Tai Bei Shi 104 Taiwan
(About 10 minutes walk from Zhong Shan MRT Station)
Opening hours:
1130am-230pm, 530pm-1opm
Tel:+886 225719608 (Advise to book in advance)
2. DESSERTS @ DAZZLING CAFE
Forgive me for the dark lighting in most of my photos. I realised the places that we dine are often in dark, cosy settings. Or simply because it is night. I usually dine with my friends in the late evenings and night as most of them only knock off work by then.
Of all the deserts I tried, I enjoy Dazzling Cafe's signature shibuya honey toast the most. The rest are really good too, but do not really stand out, in my opinion.
Getting here:
Located at Taipei Main Station shopping center.
Take the train to Taipei Main Station MRT
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 12am-11pm
Sat & Sun 1130am-11pm
Advice:
Go with a group of friends so you get to try most of the desserts at one go, and not feel guilty for over-indulging! :D We went there at about 3pm and waited for about 20 minutes before we got a seat. My friends say it can be quite crowded at times so go early to reserve seats, and shop around while waiting! I heard they don't take advance reservations. Then again, I may have heard wrongly. Do check in advance to confirm!
3. DIMSUM @ JING XING DIMSUM (京星港式饮茶 1 Jing xing gang shi yin cha)
I was really craving for dimsum when I was at Taipei and my friend brought me here. Really, really LOVEEEEE the dimsum selection here. The egg tarts and the almond flakes stuffed with crab meat (I believe it is, I really cannot remember the ingredients inside but I know its really good!) are my absolute faves. For those who know me well, you know I have a soft spot for egg tarts, so of course it HAS to be one of my favourite dishes! :D
Getting here:
Sec 1, Nan Jing E. Rd, Tai Bei Shi 104, Taiwan
10 minutes walk from Zhongsan MRT Station
Opening hours:
24/7
Advice:
Late-night dimsum, yes please! :D
4. DIAN DIAN XIN @ BREEZE XIN YI (微风新義 wei feng xin yi)
Second round of dimsum, this time with more friends! This franchise was opened by my Taiwanese friend's friend, who also happens to be a celebrity! Because of that, we were able to get seats without having to queue! Haha... the perks of knowing a restaurant owner. This dimsum restaurant is relatively new and franchised from Hong Kong. I really like the liu sha bao. I honestly cannot remember what's inside those cute pig baos (Is it cha shiew? I think it contains pork... I really need to remember these things to do justice to you guys. Sorry, my dear readers, I will make a mental note to remember these dishes proper!)
I did not manage to take photo of the tea drink that I ordered, but the teapot design was really unique. You place the teapot on top of the cup, and the tea will come out from the bottom! I have never seen tea being served in this way before, so I was pretty intrigued!
Getting here:
Xinyi District, 台北市 110 Taiwan Take Exit 3 from City Hall MRT Station
Opening hours:
Mon- Sun 11am-930pm
Thurs- Sat 11am-10pm
Advice:
Go early! When I reached, there was a really long queue waiting outside and the seating area is not large. Also, Breeze XinYi is a relatively new shopping center, and Xin Yi District is actually a shopping district with many middle to high-end department stores and local fashion brands, so do drop by early to shop!
WHERE I WENT:
1. Breeze XinYi Shopping Center (微风新義 wei feng xin yi)
The newly-opened LINE store in Taipei is at Breeze XinYi Shopping Center! Its pretty small though, not as big as the one in Korea and there isn't a cafe. Its just a store selling LINE merchandise. My friend and I chanced upon it while waiting for my other Taiwanese friends to knock off from work. Hence my earlier advice on why its worth it to drop by a little earlier to shop around before eating dimsum at Dian Dian Xin.
Lane 236, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road 忠孝東路五段236巷
Xinyi District, 台北市 110 Taiwan Take Exit 3 from City Hall MRT Station Opening hours:
Mon- Sun 11am-930pm
Thurs- Sat 11am-10pm
2. TAIPEI 101
This was my first time seeing fireworks at Taipei 101 and the fireworks were super pretty! I was with a local friend and he brought me to an area to see the fireworks which wasn't crowded. Really, really lucky to know locals in Taiwan! :D
HAPPY 2016 EVERYONE!
I wish everyone has a blessed and fruitful year ahead! Most importantly, spend time with your loved ones and stay healthy and happy!
We went to Taipei 101 the second time, this time to go up to the upper deck to view the Taipei nightlights and scenery. This picture was taken on the highest floor. It was also my first time up there and the nightlights were soooo pretty! For first-time travelers to Taiwan, I recommend giving Taipei 101 a go. Its a pity though, as the outdoor viewing was closed to public for safety reasons. It was during winter and the winds at the top floors were strong.
Perhaps it's better to go visit Taipei 101 during the summer period. :D
Bigtom ice-cream was awesome! The ice-cream was to my liking, which was super creamy. To top it with a pistachio macaron, HEAVEN! Located at the top viewing deck!
Stabilisers to keep Taipei 101 from being susceptible to strong wind forces especially during the typhoon seasons and possible earthquakes.
Interior viewing displays
What's without a stunt photo when there are cheerleaders and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree? :D
Getting here:
Taipei 101/World Trade Center MRT Station
No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Opening hours:
Mon- Thurs, Sun: 11am-930pm
Fri & Sat: 11am-10pm
Advice:
Personally, I am a nightlights sorta person, so I would recommend you to go during the night. But if you prefer to take more visible photos, then 11am would be a good timing to go before it gets too hot. I would also recommend going during the summer as in winter, outdoor viewing area may be closed.
3.SIID CHA 吾穀茶糧 @ Jioufen Old Street (九分老街)
I really, really MAD LOVE Jioufen Old Street because of the old street vibe and the slower paced life as compared to back in the Taipei City. Although this place is milling with a lot of tourists almost every single day, its still worth a place to go, time and again, either to buy Taiwanese snacks or simply chill at their teahouses and enjoy the scenery. I have mentioned this place in my previous Taiwan itinerary, but I have never visited this teahouse so I have decided to include it here. I originally wanted to visit another teahouse which I often frequent when I head over to Jioufen. However, as my friend and I arrived in the evening, it was already closed. So, we settled for this teahouse and had waffles before heading for cheer training. It wasn't so much of the food, but more of the relaxing vibe we were going for. Good to unwind and relax after shopping!
Getting here:
Jioufen Old Street
Climb all the way uphill, its the first teahouse you see to your left, facing the scenic view. A tall, white building with huge windows for patrons to look out to.
Opening hours:
Daily 12-7pm
Advice:
Go during the late afternoon/evenings if you prefer to deal with a smaller crowd. On the downside, some shops may have already closed by then.
MY PERSONAL AFTER-THOUGHTS:
WEATHER:
It was winter over the New Year's, but I was lucky enough to have avoided the coldest Winter period, which occurred right after I left. When I was there, a shirt dress, a cute winter coat, leggings and a scarf would suffice. But if you intend to prepare for a trip this year in their coming Winter months (Nov onwards), my advice is to look out for their winter forecast over the period of days you intend to travel. If it is during their normal winter days, my aforementioned attire will do. However, if it is during the cold winter typhoon period, be prepared to bring a thicker jacket, some trusty long johns or layer up!
** I have already mentioned about the people, price and scenery in my earlier travel post about Taiwan. For reference, you can take a look here (Taiwan part I - Tainan) and (Taiwan part II - Taipei and Keelung)**
Hope this updated info are proven useful to you! Feel free to drop me an email if you have any enquiries! :D
xx
Loves,
Nices
