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Friday, March 22, 2013 | 5:24 pm | 0 comments
 
The youthful vibrance of this renowned shopping area greets me the minute I step out of the MRT station.
To get to Xi Men Ding, alight at Xi Men station and take Exit 6.
Stumbled upon the famous Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodle and I told myself I have to try this.
Despite everyone telling me it's overrated, and despite the fact that I'm not a fan of mee sua.
They call this "flour rice noodle" which is way too complicated, basically it's just MEE SUA.
Yeah the mee sua we ate while growing up.
Part of the Taiwan foodie experience is to stand at the road sides with a steaming bowl and try to consume it without spilling. The crazy crowd weren't ordering, they were all eating haha!
Even though I'm not a fan of mee sua, I think this one is not bad.
At least, it hit all the spots for me.
It was a cold drizzling night in Taipei, and this was sizzling hot.
Comfort food for the soul.
There were generous portions of oysters and intestines, and the mee sua were cut thickly. It is generally thicker than the ones we see in Singapore. Despite that, everything slid down my throat smoothly and the hint of vinegar simply enhances the overall flavour of the dish. Delish.
Xi-Meng-Ting Headquarter/西門町總店：
Address: No.8-1, Emei St., Wanhua District, Taipei City Walking Directions: 5 minutes walk from Ximen MRT station, exit 6 地址: 台北市峨嵋街8號之1 Opening Hours: 11:00 to 22:30 (Mon – Thu); 11:00 to 23:00 (Fri – Sun) Tel: 02-2388-8808
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From this point on, the food we ate were all from roadside stalls, so it's kinda difficult to tell you the exact location. Another thing is, roadside peddling is illegal in Xi Men Ding, so the stall owners tend to run about here and there, changing locations to avoid police detection. If you see something that interests you, JUST BUY. If you hesitated like me, then you'll have to stand around and wait until the stall owner came out of their hidey holes.
Just remember, always make sure they handed over the food to you before you pay.
If you happen to be the suay zai who paid first, and the police were to come, good luck getting your food. The stall owners will run so fast and hide in the numerous alleys, you can either wait around or kiss goodbye to your money. The latter is more likely to happen.
Quail Eggs 鸟蛋
This is some amazing stuff. We opted for salt and pepper flavour, the grilled quail eggs were coated in a layer of batter and they tasted soft and fluffy. Quite an interesting taste.. we gobbled it up before I can take any photos. I saw this in Dan Shui too, but like I said, if you see something you want to try, don't hesitate because there is no guarantee you'll find the same stall again.
Taiwanese Sausage 台湾香肠
Local specialty right, how can you some to Taiwan without having Taiwanese sausage?!
I only have one sentence to say.
This is 100x better than the one sold in our Pasar Malams.
Big, fat and juicy with minimal fat, every bite is flavourful. The juices simply burst into your mouth, and the slightly charred skin just adds a teeny hint of freshly grilled bitterness to the taste. Overwhelmingly good.
Not sure what flavour we picked but I think it's the original flavour. They always have a dozen different creative flavours for you to choose, so go crazy trying them all!
Salted Crispy Chicken 盐酥鸡
Something that I've been wanting to try ever since I landed in Taiwan!
The salty and spicy combination is really tempting.
Ate them hot off the stove, quite amazed I didn't end up with a sore throat after 10 days of such heaty food.
Verdict: 4/5
Xi Men Ding is just like our Bugis village in an bigger, open-aired concept.
But I like Xi Men Ding better. There are all sorts of retail shops, theatres, hair salons, and row after rows of eateries selling unique Taiwan cuisine. If you don't want Taiwanese food, you can also find Japanese food, Korean restaurants lining the streets. The key to having a good time here, is to plan in ample time so you can explore every nook and cranny, and sample every street food delight.
How to get there:
MRT blue line to station Xi Men Station 西门站.
Labels: Food, Lifestyle, March2013 Monday, March 18, 2013 | 7:00 pm | 0 comments
 
Welcome to Yong Kang Street.
I love the mish-mash of eclectic shops and eateries along this street. Makes exploring rather fun and exciting.
This is the place where most locals frequent for some xiao long baos and noodles.
You enter from the kitchen, quite unique. The tables are all upstairs.
Siew Mai 烧卖
I think these are on par with Din Tai Fung, good but nothing too wow about it.
Maybe because I still prefer the traditional siew mai with yellow skin
Mushroom Noodle Soup 蘑菇面汤
This was pretty good, I think Taiwan noodles are all of decent standard. Best thing is their noodles are not like the yellow ones in Singapore. It is more of a ban mian quality, except they are lighter and tastier than ban mian. I like. Most importantly, these are noodles I can eat. Hurray!
We also ordered the Beef Noodles, but I didn't really like them. The gravy/soup is too sour to my liking.
Abalone Porridge 鲍鱼粥
This was mehhh..
I'm starting to think Taiwanese don't do porridge very well, so if you crave porridge, possibly it's better to go to Hong Kong instead.
Crab Roe Dumplings 蟹黄小笼包
We ordered the normal xiao long bao and this, I prefer the ones with crab though.
But having tasted mind-blowing tasty xiao long bao in China, I've resigned to the fact that everywhere else only serves mediocre xiao long bao.
Prawn Dumplings 鲜虾水饺
This is not bad, huge prawns inside, but the dumpling skin could be thinner.
苏轼汤包
 
This has got to be my favourite dish out of everything we ordered.
I was intrigued by the name so we just ordered one to see what it looks like.
They come in bite size, so I can literally pop them in my mouth.
You're supposed to dip it in the soup then finish it off one shot haha!
Awesome please, the soup inside the dumpling burst forth and were mixed with the egg soup.
Delish delish!
Verdict: 3/5
Plenty of hits but also plenty of misses, but this is definitely the place to go if you're looking for cheap and heartwarming food. There is Din Tai Fung and Kao Chi in the same district, also selling xiao long bao and other varieties of dim sum, but Din Tai Fung is too common and Kao Chi is too high-class. Jin Ji Yuan is the place where locals go for their dim sum fix, so I recommend you to visit if you have a craving for xiao long bao.
金鸡园
Jin Ji Yuan
Yong Kang St
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How to get there:
Take the MRT to Guting Station, go out at Exit 5
Walk straight along Heping East Road 和平路 (eastwards).
After 5 mins turn left to Lishui Street 麗水路 and walk another 5 mins and then turn right:
Labels: Food, Lifestyle, March2013 Saturday, March 16, 2013 | 2:56 pm | 0 comments
Photo Credit: HERE
This entry is inspired by a status update I saw on Facebook. A friend posted that she dislikes sarcasm because it's neither helpful nor constructive in a conversation. On the contrary, she finds it hurtful and unnecessary.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Of course, a little sarcasm in the form of playful banter between close friends is fine, because I believe a tiny dosage can sometimes bring people closer. And what's friendship without some verbal jabbing and the occasional sarcasm?
So yes, today I want to express my thoughts with regard to this topic. What language do you speak? Do you speak the language of kindness? Or do you speak the malicious tongue of sarcasm and gossip?
I have an issue with 2 types of people - The Sarcaholic and The Gossip Mongers.
These are the people who speak sarcasm and gossip as their first language. 
Photo Credit: HERE
We'll begin with the former - The Sarcaholic. People who speak sarcasm as their first language. Similar to the term "alcoholic", the "sarcoholic" refers to people who are addicted to the use of sarcasm. Let's define the term "sarcasm" first, because I realize that for some people, it's quite a difficult concept to grasp.
sar·casm[sahr-kaz-uh m]
noun
2.
a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms.
As you can see from above, sarcasm does not fall into the category of "constructive comments".
I especially dislike the people who speak nothing but sarcasm, hurt people with their mindless comments and then turn around to accuse the other party for being "too tofu to take a little joke."
I'm sorry, but your so-called "joke" is not funny at all. In fact, it was hurtful.
But do you realize it? No, the sarcaholic do not and will not realize it at all.
They will go on insisting people are just too weak to take their witty comments.
They think that their wittiness is cool.
They hang out with friends who seemingly idolize them, because these friends love their witty comments.
REALITY CHECK:
Sarcasm does not equate to witty comments.
Witty comments are hilarious, and they can be helpful.
On the other hand, sarcastic comments are NOT hilarious, and is most certainly not helpful.
Somehow, the two concepts got mixed up and they thought by being sarcastic, they are being really witty and hilarious. Your sarcasm does not turn you into a charming character, on the contrary, it just shows how ugly you are as a person.
Most importantly, being a sarcaholic will change your perception of people and the world in general.
Why? Because when you speak sarcasm as your first language, you will always think that other people are being sarcastic too. Likewise for the latter group who speaks gossip as their first language.
Photo Credit: HERE
gos·sip·mon·ger[gos-uhp-muhng-ger, -mong-]
noun
A gossipmonger is a person who is addicted to gossip. They have nothing of substance to talk about, so they start every single conversation they have with gossip.
If you use gossip as a way to bond, then your human connections will be pretty weak.
You'll only form superficial relationships.
Just like the above scenario with the sarcaholics, gossipmongers will always think that people are gossiping about them behind their back.
They will mistake concern for gossip, because that is what they do. They only show concern for people so they can get the inside scoop and turn it into gossip for their own entertainment. And that is precisely the reason why gossipmongers will think people are always gossiping behind their back. It's a classic case of 小人之心，度君子之腹. The scariest thing about being friends with a gossipmonger, is this. 
Photo Credit: HERE
So think thrice before you get too close to a serial gossipmonger! For all you know, you could be their next target. To conclude, I really dislike the above two types of people who speak sarcasm and gossip as their first language. It's unkind and destructive. So think before you speak, look before you leap, and reflect if your so-called friends are actually sarcaholics and gossipmongers in disguise. *Disclaimer*
Even though I speak from experience, I am not making any personal attacks on anyone.
But hey if the shoe fits, feel free to wear it.
Thursday, March 14, 2013 | 11:00 am | 0 comments
These are my Monday Blues Nails.
Very flowery and cheery but I went to school with these on a Monday lolol, and so it became my
Monday Blues nails.
OPI Teal the Cows Come Home + Etude House BL501 (cream baby blue) layered with China Glaze Blue Hawaiian. French Tips were OPI Unfor-Greta-Bly Blue. The flowers are actually nail decals.
This requires a little bit of work, but the end result was worth it.
Very funky and fun.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 | 11:00 am | 0 comments
As part of my Thailand travelogue, I'm going to summarize all the good food I've eaten in the 5 days and compile a Top 5 Must-Eat list.
TOM YUM GOONG
The face of Thai cuisine.
A must-try.
It is true that almost any stall selling this serves up rather decent tom yum goong, but if you are looking for tom yum goong with kick and more ingredients, you will need to seek out a proper Thai restaurant.
BEEF KUAY TEOW
There is always good beef kuay teow/noodles in every country, it seems.
The uniqueness of Thai beef kuay teow lies in the rich herbal soup base, and the silky smooth Thai kuay teow (made with premium Thai rice). Also, I am a sucker for claypots, and most places serve this dish in a claypot. Yumm, go to MBK foodcourt for your claypot beef kuay teow fix. Guaranteed satisfaction.
PAD THAI
Pad Thai is a fairly popular dish in Singapore, so everyone should be fairly familiar with it.
Try the ones cooked by authentic Thai chefs, the ingredients are so fresh you can probably smell the hint of sea in the prawns.
THAI SAUSAGES
Spend some time exploring the variety of Thai snacks available, because they're all way too fascinating for you to miss out. These may look normal, but they're actually infused with Thai herbs and spices. This is not a taste that I'll forget in a hurry. Definitely a must-try!
MANGO STICKY RICE
Mangoes are THE fruits of Thailand.
They are all insanely sweet and soft and fresh.
Pair them with some sticky rice, it'll make for a nice perk-me-up in the afternoons.
With that concludes my foodie-shopping trip in Bangkok. If you haven't read the previous posts, here's a list of the links for the other entries.
In addition, keep an eye out on this space this April and May, because you can expect photos from Taiwan!!
Yes I'm finally through with the 1.7k shots and have sorted them into categories.
Think lots of food and scenery shots, night markets and whatnot. Stay tuned!
Labels: Food, Lifestyle, March2013 Saturday, March 09, 2013 | 10:30 am | 0 comments
The eating part of my Thailand escapade has been done. Now let's move on to the shoppinggggg!
In this entry, I'll introduce you to some of the shopping areas in Thailand. and which ones are worth your time. Let's go!
Asiatique The Riverfront
To get to Asiatique, you have to take the BTS and alight at Saphan Taksin station, then follow the signs to exit the station and head left. The ferry terminal is there to take you to Asiatique. But do take care, because there are 2 docking areas, and one of them is a hotel ferry. The one at the far left is the correct dock. It's a free ferry shuttle so just join the queue and don't fall into the Chao Phraya River.
It's roughly a 15 minutes ride and if you're like me, taking the evening ferry, you can catch the sun setting on the Chao Phraya River.
Gorgeous gorgeous sunset.
It was insanely crowded on the ferry, but I managed to snag a place by the side just so I can shoot some river photos.
There is a giant ferris wheel there and I thought it might look good in photos.
I was right. HAHAHA!
Asiatique is a fairly new night market, and the prices here are a little more steep than Platinum.
But still well worth a visit if you haven't been there before. It's quite a novel experience, taking the ferry to go shopping. I saw plenty of locals there as well, and seeing as there are many really nice restaurants by the river, it'll be a pretty ideal place for dates.
You can find cheap deals here if you look more carefully, but they are mostly in the 500 THB range.
I saw this skirt which cost 560 THB, which is wayyyyy too expensive. I found a similar looking one in Chatuchak for only 350 THB. Yes yes, the one at Asiatique is of a much better quality. But really, my Chatuchak skirt also not too bad. So if you don't get too hung up on quality and stuff like this, I guarantee you can save alot of money.
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Platinum Mall
Platinum, is undoubtedly your best bet when it comes to cheap shopping.
It's a wholesale shopping mall, and there are three zones.
Zone 1 and Zone 2 are in the same building. Zone 3 is new, and it's a separate building on its own, right beside Zone 1 and 2. You should pass by Macdonalds before you reach the Zone 3 entrance.
Zone 3 is awesome because it's has more shops selling SHOES and BAGS.
It was kinda hard not to resist the amazing designs because I love shoes.
They say women love 2 things - shoes and bags.
But I'm more of a shoes person.
The thing about Platinum is that the more you buy (at the same shop), the cheaper it is.
As long as you buy 2 items and above (free to mix and match), you can get that item at the wholesale price.
For example, a dress costs 350 THB. But if you buy another top, you can then have the dress at 300 THB.
As long as you buy 2 items and more, you can purchase everything at the wholesale price.
Quite easy one, because everything there is so damn nice hahaha.
It helps to make a list of what you want to buy, so you won't feel lost and end up buying all similar items.
To make full use of your time, you have to be on a "I need this, this, this" mode and not hesitate while buying. Know what you need, and zoom in for the kill.
That being said, you also need to take some cooling down moments. I use those moments to rest my feet, check out my purchases, make sure they can mix and match with the other items I bought and count my money hahahah. You don't want to end up being broke with no money to go home.
So in a word.
Platinum - MUST VISIT.
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Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak weekend market is another good place to go for cheap shopping.
But it can get veryyy hot there, so the next time I'm waking up early to go there.
Bring an umbrella, I guarantee you'll need it.
Dress light too, I perspired so much even with my light clothing that I am seriously contemplating wearing just a swimsuit. =.=
You can haggle in Chatuchak, but the likely thing is you won't have to, because everything is dirt cheap. Items here are priced about 150 THB to 350 THB, which is veryyy cheap.
For the same quality and design, you'll most definitely have to pay at least $40 in Far East Plaza, but which only cost me 250 THB. Yeah that's only about 10SGD.
As the name suggests, Chatuchak only operates on Saturdays and Sundays.
It's a must-visit shopping heaven, so factor in a weekend if you're going to Bangkok.
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Terminal 21
Located at BTS Asok station, Terminal 21 is a relatively new shopping mall.
This place is more upmarket, designer style.
The special thing about this place, is that each level is dedicated to a different country. So it goes that whatever brands that belong to that country will be situated on the same level.
Their toilets are really cool too, you can visit every level to take a look if you have nothing better to do.
The Caribbean styled toilets are so awesome, I thought I was onboard a pirate ship in an exotic island.
The lifts are quite cool, they really make it seem like you're jetsetting off to the different countries.
I overheard this conversation between this father and son.
Dad: Look son, it's the London bridge! *sings London bridge song*
HAHAHAHAHA!
Maybe the people who wrote children songs should write one about the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.
He's standing at the San Francisco level yakking about London bridge. Excuse me London level is downstairs hahaha.
Okay okay, back to the shopping mall.
If you don't have alot of time on your hands, then don't bother going to Terminal 21.
The items here are very expensive. But they do have some local designers stuff, so if you like that kind of things, this will be your type of shopping mall.
If you prefer cheap clothing, then just skip out on this place entirely.
Totally not in your budget range.
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MBK
MBK will be a familiar name to all those who visit Thailand regularly, but I'm not loving that place.
The electronics level is way too packed, I CAN'T BREATHE.
Thinking about that moment gives the chills again. Quite impossible to find my way out of that maze, but I did, thankfully.
Things aren't exactly dirt cheap there, and unless you're going to Tokyu to stock up on undergarments then I don't suggest you visit MBK if you have limited time.
Only 199 THB each.
You do the math. Okay if you need help, it's less than 8 SGD each.
Best buy every from MBK.
Okay actually, it's my only buy from that place lol.
These were very light, and roomy. Perfect for work.
That being said, I just might go back again because of the cheap bags. I haven't seen places that sells bags at this price so...MBK you win.
But next time, I'm planning to chiong in the minute you open, buy the bags then go foodcourt eat my beef kuay teow and chiong out before the crowd floods in.
Good plan.
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Siam
My hotel is right behind Siam Paragon, so near that I can take the free Gem car shuttle to Paragon.
The BTS Siam station is right beside Paragon so I can zoom here and there quite conveniently.
Siam Paragon is the upscale type of shopping centers, you can find Chanel and Uniqlo inside. Nothing much to see, but you can buy winter wear in Uniqlo, it's slightly cheaper than buying it here.
The more likeable part of Siam is the young and vibrant Siam Square. Ban Khun May is nestled in the heart of Siam Square, so you can always ask the locals for directions. They're generally quite friendly and will help point a distressed tourist in the right direction.
Siam Square is a little like Bugis Street + Haji Lane, but bigger, better and cheaper. They sell more unique items too. The trick is to go when they just opened shop, then they are desperate to sell you items because it's the first business of the day. So you can haggle and just try to cut the price. Which is what I did. Genius.
I know I know, not very nice since people doing business, but this is THE surefire way to get the best deal in Siam Square. The items there are generally in the 500THB range so if you can, try to haggle.
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To sum it up, the cheapest shopping places are Chatuchak and Platinum Shopping Mall.
Vist Siam Square if you like very young and unique clothing items.
These are the must-visit shopping spots in Bangkok.
The rest of them are..more misses than hits. Only go if you have extra time to explore.
So yes.. this is the end product of 2 women shopping.
Actually there is one more clutch bag and a pair of platforms, but they weren't included in the picture cuz..err I bought them on the morning we were leaving hahahaha!
Bnagkok I love you.
Where else can I buy everything from top to toe for only 200SGD??!
It's totally a wardrobe makeover.
I have dresses, shoes, blouses, skirts, bags, belts, accessories, and even cloth recycling bags for teaching purposes. The ones I had at home were all torn.
So with that concludes my Bangkok Shopping Guide, hehh.
Bangkok, I will be backkkk!
Tuesday, March 05, 2013 | 9:00 pm | 0 comments
I am a list maker.
I make to-do lists.
I make to-buy lists.
So yes it makes sense that I have to-buy lists when I travel too.
I don't mind if my traveling partners are bt in the habit of making to-buy lists.
To each his own, right?
As long as you can remember what you need to buy, it's none of my business.
But what I really really can't stand is, when they don't make lists, forget to buy or don't buy enough, they actually TAKE YOUR ITEMS.
Thy rationalize that you don't have to give that many souvenirs to so many people. They say theirs is more important.
They tell you to cut costs, give lesser so they can have the surplus for their own use.
How insanely selfish is that you tell me?
And this ALWAYS happens.
They NEVER change.
I think that just makes traveling become a chore.
I don't know how can these people exist, I don't think they even realize how selfish they are.
I don't expect anything to change.
So next time I'm hiding my things.
Friday, March 01, 2013 | 8:00 pm | 0 comments
 On the last day, we ate our last authentic Thai meal at the DMK airport.
On a mission to try all sorts of dishes I've never had before, so I ordered this Tom Yum Fried Rice.
So excited to see the glass prawns, because they were so so so succulent and bouncy.
I enjoyed this Tom Yum Fried Rice tremendously, it was spicy and slightly tangy, and it tasted strongly of Thai spices and herbs. It's like Tom Yum Soup condensed into paste and stir-fried with rice.
The epitome of goodness.
Yes it's this dish again, because the one at Platinum Mall is too salty.
This one is perfect. It doesn't come in a claypot, but it's pretty much perfect.
Sweet clear broth, fat silky kuay teow and tender pieces of beef. Yummy.
Verdict: 5/5
Who says the airport doesn't serve affordable and good food?
DMK proves otherwise. :)
 Labels: Food, Lifestyle, March2013
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