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Friday, April 26, 2013 | 5:28 pm | 0 comments
One of the highlights of visiting Taiwan, is their fascinating convenience stores and the ubiquitous 7-11!!
You know how the 7-11 in Thailand sell amazing Thai style microwaveable hotdogs?
Same theory applies here.
The 7-11 in Taiwan sells amazing instant HOTPOT.
Have been craving for the Spicy Hotpot ever since I first saw it, was rather fascinated with it so we made an extra effort to try it before heading to the night markets. The one on the left is the non-spicy version. The non-spicy version has alot of fancy ingredients! No fair tsk. But I already tried the non-spicy one so we die die have to taste the spicy soup.
Spicy Hotpot 麻辣关东煮
The stick of fish cake thing is what they called Oden 黑轮.
The white one is white radish, super soft and tasty, it absorbed all the goodness of the soup. Yum. Not very sure what are the other ingredients, basically I just picked whatever that caught my eye lol.
I like that the soup wasn't the "eat-til-you-panting" type of spicy. It's a subtle kind of spicy that's relatively easy on your throat. Best thing is it really warms you up from within.
Just some random chips we picked up late one night, there was a promotion lol.
The mushroom popcorn was pretty interesting, and the double seaweed chips just plain shiok.
Doraemon 3D Cakes 立体蛋糕
  
The most adorable cakes!!!!
It's just normal cakes la and just sales gimmicks I guess, but suckers like me will always fall for it.
My good friend even went to the extent of saying they're just "plain ji dan gao (鸡蛋糕) shaped in doraemon, go inside mouth come out also all look the same (shit)".
HAHAHA!
I have to agree with you there friend, but how, I am a sucker for cheap thrills like these.
In case you think this is the end, there are more. *gasps*
Chocolate Roll 巧克力卷 & Dorayaki 铜锣烧
The chocolate rolls are quite cui hahaha! Doesn't taste like chocolate, and the rolls are so dry and hard.
But the Dorayaki is awesomeeeeee. Better than the ones in Singapore! Soft, fluffy and chocked full of sweet red bean. These are great for long bus rides and travelling hours.
Yeah yeah, their 7-11 is super fascinating. They have onigiri, pastas and alot of other microwaveable food that looks quite exotic lol, maybe because Singapore here sells boring stuff. The best thing about their 7-11 is they offer you free wifi, and they have tables inside for you to dine in.
Taiwan has the best 7-11 so far! ^^
Labels: Apr2013, Food, Lifestyle Monday, April 22, 2013 | 8:00 pm | 0 comments
TAIPEI 101
        
Love the way Taipei 101 looks at night.
The LED lights showing a series of Christmas related designs were really adorable!
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Some shots of our time in Taiwan.
Fake snow looks awfully real here lolol..
Nopes guys, it wasn't snowing in Taipei which is a real pity cuz I haven't seen real snow yet!
But fake snow isn't too bad either, and the weather is rather cold.
The howling winds were total killers man.
On a sidenote, I'm loving winter wear! I look like a Santa Claus in my awesome red coat.
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姜心比心
This is the ginger beauty shop I saw in Yong Kang Street.
Love this shop to bits.
All the products were made of ginger.
Ginger hand creams, ginger vinegar, ginger soap, ginger shampoo.
Whatever you can think of, they have 'em all.
We bought the Ginger Vinegar for daily drinking, it helps to warm the tummy and regulates the period cycle.
I also bought the ginger hand creams, which smelt awesome. In addition to the fragrance, I love that the texture of the cream isn't too oily or heavy. Perfect for daytime usage. It doesn't completely dissolve when you wash you hands too, the staying power is amazing.
姜心比心
台北大安区永康街28号
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DANSHUI FISHERMAN'S WHARF
淡水渔人码头
Which is your favourite, day or night?
I think this place is amazing both in the day and at night.
Behold the sunset...
    
Danshui is really gorgeous.
I would go back again just for the sunset.
It's just too beautiful.
Love the blinding lights that lit up the bridge once it gets dark.
Leaving Fisherman's Wharf. This is the view while I'm on board the ferry.
For more information on what's good at Danshui, you can check out my earlier post HERE.
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That sums up my days in Taipei, moving on to TaiChung next!
More posts coming up featuring Sun Moon Lake and Cing Jing Farm, stay tuned!
Thursday, April 18, 2013 | 5:23 pm | 0 comments
 
In Raohe, you have to get past the crowd with sheer persistence.
The stalls there are lined IN THE MIDDLE, and on the left and right sides are permanent shops.
Please refer to this guide below on how to maneuver the overwhelming human traffic in Raohe.
There is an unspoken rule that if you're entering the market, you enter from the right.
Thus if you're exiting, you exit from the right. The crowd will be there to push you along so you just have to move your feet. Need a little air? I just pop into the shops on the sides to take a breather.
Easy enough, if you follow this I promise you won't get trampled to death lol.
Herbal Ribs Soup 药炖排骨
It was a particularly cold night, so this was really welcoming!
I love their herbal soup base, very fragrant and flavourful.
There wasn't alot of meat on the ribs, but that's fine because the highlight is the delicious broth.
This really warmed me up and kept me contented.
Black Pepper Pork Bun 胡椒饼
The very famous Black Pepper Pork Bun. Not to be missed!
The slightly charred and chewy exterior and piping hot fillings were the perfect combo.
One of the highlights in Raohe, you HAVE to try this.
This stall is right at the entrance of the night market. Impossible to miss.
松山區饒河街夜市內(近慈祐宮入口)
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Verdict: 4/5
How to get there:
Labels: Apr2013, Food, Lifestyle Friday, April 12, 2013 | 6:15 pm | 0 comments
 
In Miaokou, it's fairly straightforward. The stalls are lined on both sides of the streets, so pedestrians can just walk in the middle and ogle at the food on both sides lol. Most come with small tables for you to dine there, so you don't have to worry about standing up with a hot bowl of soup.
YAY, never turn down all these something something 酥 because they're all so delish!
Deep-fried to a golden brown and tossed in their special salt-pepper combo （椒盐) with a teeny bit of spice, this is just so unforgettable.
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BRAISED MEAT WITH RICE 卤肉饭
Everyone tells many any stall in Taiwan selling this would be pretty awesome.
NOT REALLY LEH.
I find this so-so only.. the meat wasn't fragrant enough.
EEL SOUP 鳗鱼羹
This is not too bad, the broth was well-flavoured, and fish was soft.
CHICKEN ROLL 鸡肉卷
Okay this is my favourite.
It's kinda like our Nor Hiang (五香), but this comes drenched in some salty spicy gravy.
Delish.
Not sure the name of this stall, but it's beside the temple entrance, and you can spot them by the Doraemon painted on the pillar. Should be easy to recognize.
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PAPAYA MILK 木瓜牛奶
Finishing off with dessert in the form of this thick creamy and superbly fragrant papaya milk.
Verdict: 4/5
My only regret was I didn't have more stomach space. Really. There was sooooo much that I wanted to eat but my stomach can't really put in anymore food. That, and the fact that everything is so heaty I might fall sick if I ate anymore. Wanted to try the Butter Crabs! I'll be back to try them, definitely.
How to get there:
From Jiufen & Keelung Miaokou
At Jiufen, board a Keelung bus with its destination “基隆” in LED sign display from Old Street stop (across the road from 7-eleven convenience store) at the road bend. The bus goes downhill.
Fare: NT$42 (Can use Easycard)
Travel time: About 40 mins.
Alight one bus stop before reaching Keelung Railway Station at “獅子橋 (Lions Bridge)” stop on 忠一路 (Chung Yi Rd). It’s a shorter walk to Keelung Miaokou than from Keelung Railway Station.
Keelung Miaokou food street (Open 24 hrs) & Night Market
Labels: Apr2013, Food, Lifestyle Monday, April 08, 2013 | 8:00 pm | 0 comments
 
I was pretty excited to visit Shifen, because I want to see the amazing waterfall!
There's something about waterfalls that rejuvenates a person, so much positive ions in the air!
There's a mini farm in there, saw some really fierce looking black goats. They attempted to climb out of their pens when they saw me. =.= Maybe I look like their cousin.
Flowers were exceptionally vibrant there as well..
And tadahhhhh!
The waterfall!
Yes yes there are TWO rainbows!!
Gorgeous isn't it?
I like these barren trees in the winter.
There's something very desolate and poetic about those bare branches.
Near the entrance, there are some stalls selling food.
We got kinda hungry after trekking about the place, so we ordered some oden and bee hoon to share.
Love love love the cabbage rolls, the soup was also very sweet.
Taiwan is really a food haven.
Tea eggs!! Must try in Taiwan. So much more fragrant and nice.
It's so difficult to find tea eggs in Singapore anyway, and pasar malam ones fail to make the grade.
More railway tracks.
This is a real working track.
Moments after I took this photo, we were asked to vacate the track so the train can pass.
Some talented person drew this and as an example. I believe it's probably the shopkeeper.
You write your wishes using a calligraphy brush.
HAHAHA! All that mess and crazy wobbly words writing upright with a brush.
We didn't have that many wishes to write so we drew on some pictures instead.
Plenty of bears featured on the lantern, and that spastic smiley face is courtesy of my brother.
  
Up, up and away!
How to get here:
There are three main towns along the PingXi line – Jingtong, PingXi, Shifen.
Board a train to Rueifang station (40 min frm Taipei Station), and then transfer to PingXi line.
Labels: Apr2013, Food, Lifestyle
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