Le fang, le kwatsa!

Corn Dog in Taipei

2012-01-29T00:38:00.001+08:00

I'm not sure why Hubby was compelled to buy a corn dog in Taipei since there were so many much more "Chinese" street food on offer.

He seemed to like it though.

Reading through my blog, can you imagine how much food we've ingested in just a single afternoon? Ha ha ha.

Sweet Grilled Tikoy?

2012-01-27T16:14:00.004+08:00

Sweet grilled tikoy?

Seemes like it when we passed this store in Ximending. I'm not really sure what it was made up of, but it looked like tikoy to us. We cant read Mandarin so we cant really tell what is is. Anybody out there who can help? :-) We were intrigued about this dessert. People were lining up to get one.

It seemed that the tikoy, after being sliced in rectangles, are placed on sticks and grilled until they puff up and turn a bit golden. I noticed that the server puts a bit of pressure to the tikoy as they grill, probably to help get that golden brown color and to help puff it up a little bit.

Several sauces are available for you to choose from. There is peanut sauce, cheese sauce, green tea, chocolate and a few others that I did not catch very well. Language barrier.

I was the first one to try, I got peanut and cheese sauce. I know it sounds funky together but the flavors really compliment each other, sweet, salty and sticky :-) I love it.

Hubby on the other hand, took a bite from what I ordered, loved it too and bought one for himself. He got the one drenched in chocolate. He loved it so much, he ordered another one. I think he would probably order another one if I didn't remind him that there were more treats to be discovered.

I love discovering places like these. We would definitely go back to that stall upon our return to Ximending, Taipei.

Bitter Melon Shake

2012-01-26T10:11:00.000+08:00

We've seen so many bitter melon juice stores all over Taipei. You can tell by the white bitter melons that are displayed in the storefronts. Hubby doesn't eat bitter melon and absolutely loathes the stuff and was physically cringing at the idea of drinking bitter melon (amplaya). Yes, in front of the store, he was cringing.

I, on the other hand is braver than my knight in shining armour. The bitter melon in Taipei is white, as opposed to a vivid green here in Manila. That alone got me curious enough to try a cup.

When the lady handed me the drink, and as I brace myself for the onslaught of extreme bitterness, I was surprised to taste just a tini tiny bit of bitterness and a whole lot of sweetness.

It turns out that they add a jigger of honey to sweeten the concoction. I suspect also that the Taiwan bitter melon is much milder than ours. Hence, the white color.

After my urging and my assurance that it's not as bitter as he thought, Hubby took one sip and declared it unpalatable.

Chicken.

Sophisca Goodies Store

2012-01-25T09:50:00.001+08:00

While browsing through the streets of Ximending, we chanced upon Sophisca. I was drawn to the colorful stockings, Christmas baskets and other cutesy Christmas goodies that were on display. I literally felt like a kid in a candy store.

Candies everywhere! I couldn't decide which ones to buy. I wanted to buy all of them and give them away for gifts. Too cute.

I settled for just buying three Christmas stockings. One for each of the punks. Pink for Jessica, red for Ashley and a blue one for Jayjay.

I wanted to buy one of each and maybe try to duplicate them for Christmas giveaways for next Christmas. Oh wait, I can't sew. Ha ha ha.

Bubble Tea at Ximending

2012-01-24T18:00:00.003+08:00

After a shared bowl of miswa noodles, Hubby and I were craving for something sweet and cold to wash down the salt of the noodles. You guessed it, we made a beeline for the bubble tea!

We found this stall just beside the noodle shop. They sell a variety of bubble tea, coffee and fruit smoothies.

My order somehow got lost in translation and I was given a cup of very hot bubble tea instead. I've never had hot bubble tea before nor I did ever used a huge straw to drink something hot until that moment. Wow, a lot of firsts in one store!

The hot bubble tea was surprisingly good and with the rainy weather, my bubble tea got really cold, really fast.

I guess even the point-what-you-want-to-order system doesn't always work ;-) Actually though, I'm glad she gave me the wrong order. I liked it and I'm kinda craving for one now.

Food Tripping at Ximending - Miswa Noodles

2012-01-23T14:23:00.001+08:00

Let me warn you, my Ximending posts will have at least ten parts. Hubby and I spent our last day in Taipei, feasting on street food in Ximending.

Although Ximeding is known as Taipei's (street) fashion district, the amount of food that's available for consumption is simply astounding. I exaggerate not, but, I will go to Taipei again for two reasons one is Din Tai Fung and the next one is Ximending.

So, let me start the first part of my many posts about Ximending. We found this stall that sell Miswa Noodles or birthday noodles. Wow, the stall is almost as old as me, ha ha ha.

This Miswa is quite different from what we are used to here in Manila. Taipei's version has pork innards in them instead of meatballs. Yup, innards. Yum, so healthy. Ha ha ha.

I love that they added cilantro on top, for a refreshing twist. The miswa was very good, perfect during a cold rainy afternoon. Hubby and I shared this one bowl, which was more than enough for us.

There are no tables anywhere, only stools, some people eat while standing up. That's part of the fun!

Mos Burger, Taipei 101

2012-01-22T09:15:00.001+08:00

I really wanted to eat at Mos Burger. Mos Burger, I think, based on some blogs that I read prior to our trip, is like the direct equivalent of Jollibee here in Manila. Although when we arrived, I've only seen a handful of stores. I guess the burger craze hasn't fully take over yet, thank goodness.

Anyway, Hubby and I tried Mos Burger in Taipei 101, since that's the most convenient branch for us. I saw one in the suburbs but we might get lost trying to find it again.

Mos Burgers are nothing really spectacular as far burgers go, but, the burgers were quite surprisngly delicious, onions and all. Even Hubby ate them, even though it's loaded with onions.

Kao Chi Restaurant, Zhongxiao Fuxing, Taipei

2012-01-21T19:34:00.000+08:00

Kao Chi is restaurant established in 1950 that serves traditional Chinese cuisine. It says so in their signage, he he he. The restaurant is conveniently located just a few steps from our hotel. We were intrigued by the braised pork photo in their menu, which was posted outside the restaurant.

Before we get to the Braised Pork, Hubby and I tried the Siomai. Now, as I mentioned in my previous posts, Din Tai Fung is the gold standard in terms of food. The siomai is no exception. However though, Kao Chi tastes pretty decent . The wrapper is a bit thick though.

Aside from the siomai, Hubby and I ordered some Tofu with vegetables. Sorry, forgot what it was called. It wasn't very good, that much I remember. Will not be ordering that again.

We also ordered some fried rice, which was delicious and the flavors from the shrimps and vegetables were spot on.

And the star of the night, the Braised Pork. The Braised Pork is like pork asado raised to the tenth level. The pork was so tender, the sauce was sweet and just a tad salty, the cilantro and the shredded leeks balance it off beautifully. The Braised Pork is served in Mantau bread (like siopao bread).

So good. Can you tell which ones I'm ordering again next time? :-)

Lover's Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf, Tamsui

2012-01-21T00:53:00.001+08:00

One thing with traveling with Hubby, he hates taking long walks, he refuse to be hurried and he hates having a very packed itinerary. He likes to travel at a leisurely pace. I do too, as long as we have the luxury of extra days. When I planned our Taipei itinerary, I jam packed our days, to maximize our short stay in Taipei. Hubby of course had other ideas :-) I wanted to stay for over a week, but our schedules did not permit it. In fairness though, we managed to get through most of the items in my itinerary.

Anyway, I wanted to go to Fisherman's Wharf, to catch the sunset and explore the Tamsui (also called Dansui) old town and maybe get a few bites to eat.

Due to our "leisurely" pace, and Tamsui being on hour away from Taipei main station by MRT, we arrived at Tamsui station just a few minutes before sunset. We were fast losing light and was unable to catch the charm of the place with our photographs.

The Lover's Bridge or Valentine Bridge got it's name because it broke ground on Valentines day. It's a short bridge that connects one end of the cove to the other. It was so nice to cross it, with the cold sea air whipping at our faces, and lovely sea and mountain views in the background.

We would definitely explore Tamsui more when we go back to Taipei. There were other interesting sights to see and so many food places to eat in the old town.

I would also like to take some pictures of the wharf at sunset because it's so pretty.

Tamsui, we shall be back!

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei

2012-01-20T13:12:00.003+08:00

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall is one of the quintessential Taipei tourist destination. Almost all first time travelers to Taipei visit the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. The architecture is quite lovely and will produce really nice pictures on a clear summer day. It was a rainy winter afternoon when we arrived, but we had so much fun taking pictures anyway :-)

I love chasing the pigeons there, they don't fly!

Exploring Streetfood at Zhongxiao Fuxing, Taipei

2012-01-19T13:42:00.002+08:00

Deja Vu Hotel, where we stayed in Taipei has a really nice location. The hotel is within walking distance to two SOGO malls, near an MRT station and most of all, near restaurants and stalls that sell street food.

One night, Hubby and I explored the nearby streets, what else for, but to hunt for street food! Taipei is so famous for it's food, it's only natural to explore what the street vendors are offering, right? I took a photo of the street sign, just in case we may want to come back. Sorry for the blurry photo, it was mighty cold and my hands were shaking!

We came upon this stall, located in a street that abound with all kinds of food. Since we can't speak nor read Mandarin, we christened it Mang Johnny's. Hubby said it looked like a Mang Johnny's place. So Mang Johnny's it is. They serve a variety of soups and other goodies. In a street teeming with small stalls selling a huge variety of street food, Mang Johnny had the most people.

Hubby tried the Beef Noodle Soup. It was good and the meat was so tender. The soup of course cannot be matched with Din Tai Fung's, but Mang Johnny's can hold its own. No one speaks English and there is no English menu anywhere so, it's a point-with-your-finger-and- hand-signal type of ordering system.

I ordered the tofu and century egg with a sweet brown sauce. This is also a very nice combination. At first it looked like it's not going to be good, but combining the tofu with the egg and with the sweet salty sauce, they just work well together.

We noticed also that none of the stalls sell sodas. NONE. At that point, we thought that it might be illegal to consume soda in a public place, ha ha ha. I guess the people from Taipei really prefer tea over sodas or water.

For dessert, we had Green Tea Bubble Tea from Share Tea. I've tasted Share Tea before in Hong Kong and I liked it very much. Hubby, upon trying it, also loved it. It's his favorite bubble tea place in Taipei.

Din Tai Fung - Part Deux

2012-01-18T10:21:00.001+08:00

Aaargh! I reviewed our Taipei trip pictures, so many more things to blog! I made an initial outline of the things and wonderful places that I want to share with you guys. Looking at the list is somewhat daunting but I want to write about them because we had such a wonderful trip in Taipei and we can't wait to go back.

I like to look back on the things that I blogged and reminisce. I also don't trust my memory to remember details about the food that I ate or some of the recipes that I concocted. One of my college professors once said "Never trust your memory, write everything down". So right.

Anyway, let me start my first catch-up blog about or Taipei trip. Din Tai Fung. I mentioned before that I absolutely love Din Tai Fung restaurant and if I could, I would eat there everyday during our stay in Taipei. Hey, that rhymes!

Hubby and I was waiting for the SOGO mall to open so that we can have brunch at Din Tai Fung and my gosh, the people immediately made a beeline to Din Tai Fung to get a table! I didn't realize that we had to race to get first in line! We had to wait almost an hour to be seated. Crazy!

I watched the kitchen staff make the Xiao Long Bao while waiting. Wow, they work so efficiently.

But I tell you, the food is really worth it. I love the pickled cucumber in Din Tai Fung. So crunchy, a little tangy and very refreshing. Definitely worth ordering again.

We tried almost all of the Xiao Long Bao (except the chicken one). For this trip, we ordered the Truffle Xiao Long Bao again, our favorite, yummy, yummy, yummy!

We also tried the Shrimp with Angled Loofah Xiao Long Bao, also very delicious. The angled loofah is quite refreshing and added texture to the Xiao Long Bao.

We also ordered Crab Roe Xia Long Bao, heavenly. I opened one packet so that you can see. Oh that glorious broth inside. So good.

Aside from the Xioa Long Bao, we also ordered some Shrimp and Pork Dumplings which were so good as well. I'm getting hungry just writing about it. Oh, I can't wait to go baaaack!

The Beef Spicy Noodle was superb as well. We ordered it without the beef, just the noodles and the really really good broth. The broth from Din Tai Fung is the best that we've had in Taipei.

All the food you see above? Yes, only for Hubby and moi. No left overs. Ha ha ha.

Salivating now.

Din Tai Fung, open a branch in Manila already!

Dimsum Food Tripping at King Bee

2012-01-15T15:34:00.000+08:00

After a trip to the dentist and few errands today, Hubby and I made a beeline to King Bee Chinese Restaurant at Daang Hari, Alabang for some good yet affordable dimsum.

Bird's Eye Siomai with shrimps, carrots and just a tini tiny sprinkling of onion leaves. This is my favorite.

Chicken Feet stewed in a mild chili sauce. One of my favorites as well. There is a Fear Factor element with the way it looks, but it's really good.

Shrimp Hakaw. Hubby's favorite. Yummy!

Pork Siomai. A staple in any dimsum feast, at least in Manila.

Sea King Roll, fillet of fish (cream dory?), with shitake mushrooms, kani wrapped in steamed pechay leaves. Delicious as well and very filling.

Tao Pey or bean curd roll. ground pork with some shredded lettuce and sotanghon (although ours didn't have any, not sure if they forgot or what). This Tao Pey is very filling. Best shared by three.

Pigging out on dimsum at King Bee with Hubby is so much fun. I'm so full. I had to walk the dogs to burn off some of the calories.

Now, time to sleep it off. Ha ha ha!

Seafood Paluto at Robbie's Macapagal Avenue

2012-01-14T23:11:00.000+08:00

Just came from a really nice dinner with Hubby. We had dinner at Robbie's, found at the Seaside Market in Macapagal Avenue. This is the second time that we went there within the span of one week!

I bought some fresh prawns, squid and asparagus from the wet market and had them cooked at Robbie's.

Robbie's has the best Adobong Pusit ever! With lots of extra squid ink. I had black teeth and lips after but it was worth it :-)

Eating. Totally more fun in the Philippines!

It's More Fun in the Philippines!

2012-01-11T09:32:00.003+08:00

It really is!!!!

I am loving the new Department of Tourism Campaign (DOT). The videos above are not the official ones, but they're right on target. Makes me want to explore the Philippines more.

'Tara na! Biyahe tayo!

Miramar Mall Ferris Wheel

2012-01-09T11:53:00.004+08:00

If you browse some pictures about touring Taipei, most often than not, you would encounter some photos about the Miramar Mall Ferris Wheel. It is an imposing structure on top of a high end mall. The ferris wheel certainly makes a stunning photo on a clear summer night. We went last December when it was the winter/rainy season in Taipei.

The Miramar Mall is quite nice, filled with some middle and high end brands. It's a bit far from the city center. The Miramar Mall also has an IMAX theater and can get full on weekends.

There is also a food court at the basement of Miramar Mall, with a wide selection of Asian and Western cuisines and fresh fruit juices.

The Miramar Mall Food Court also has a taho (silken tofu) stand that sells taho with any topping of your choice like peanuts, various beans, tapiocca and so many others. Hubby had two, because he loves taho. You can have your taho either hot or cold.

The Miramar Ferris Wheel itself makes for nice photos. The view on top of the ferris wheel in pretty unexciting since the mall itself is situated in the suburbs, with no view of the Taipei city lights.

If you are a first-time tourist and pressed for time, I suggest you skip the Miramar Ferris Wheel because you won't be missing much.

To get to the Miramar Mall, the simplest and the least confusing way is to take the MRT brown line and get off at Jiannan road station, exit 3. You can't miss it.

A Sparkling 2012

2012-01-02T15:49:00.000+08:00

As we usher in the new year, I reflected back on the previous year's blessings. I am forever grateful for the continuous fortune that our families have received. They may not all be in monetary values, but we are very blessed and fortunate to stay intact, healthy and having each other for support in times on need and trials. My family, loyal friends and loving husband are what I am most thankful for.

I wish for a happier, healthier and more abundant 2012. So, here's to a sparkling and brighter 2012!

National Palace Museum, Taipei

2011-12-30T12:03:00.005+08:00

National Place Museum in Taipei is famous for its large collection of Chinese artifacts and paintings. It's a must-visit destination when you are in Taipei.

However though, when we arrived, there were literally thousands of tourists waiting to enter the museum or milling about. It was sheer pandemonium! You can't tell from the pictures because they were all inside.

We decided to just take a few pictures outside and leave. The architecture though was really something, very grand and very quintessential Chinese.

Modern Toilet Restaurant

2011-12-30T11:11:00.001+08:00

Ok, this Modern Toilet Restaurant is getting some buzz due to it's "uniqueness" and "gross factor". We went to the one in Ximending. Ximen station Exit 6. From there, I can't remember how we went to restaurant, what I remember though is that it's just a short walk from the MRT station.

The restaurant interior is all about the toilet and its accessories. Toilet seats for seat, glass tops cover tubs and bathrooms sinks and serve as tables. Showers hang on walls and serve as decorations or art.

Your food orders are placed in uhhhmm, body discharge receptacles and the like.

Orders are placed in the cashier. This lady here tried to explain to me how to order, but she hardly speaks english and I don't speak Mandarin. Again, lost in translation. But by sign language and a lot of pointing, I managed to order some food.

We ordered some pica-pica of French Fries, Mozzarella Sticks and a chocolate ice cream for Hubby. Our orders were placed in miniature squat toilets.

I ordered some tea as well, served in a miniature water closet.

Now, the food at Modern toilet is not that exceptional. Although I've read some good reviews on the Beef Rice Bowl, we didn't try it because were still quite full when we arrived at the restaurant. My stomach isn't as accommodating as it was in my teens, he he he.

My experience in modern toilet restaurant is ok, a nice novelty experience but I won't be coming back again. Unless, I'm trying to gross out other friends.

Modern Toilet Restaurant's real bathroom facilities are anything but modern, or clean. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me wanna hurl my breakfast.

I don't usually get grossed out but, but moist, dirty and smelly squat toilets are nasty. Ugh.

SOGO Food Court

2011-12-30T10:35:00.002+08:00

Back to blogging about Taipei. For our second day, Hubby and I decided to sleep in, because the weather was so cold outside and the shops tend to open late, around 11 am.

We had brunch at the SOGO food court, near our hotel. The food court is typical to most Asian mall food courts, plenty of choices, mostly Asian dishes. We opted to order some soup since it was cold and we needed something to warm us up a bit.

We got some noodles from this store, freshly prepared and piping hot!

I ordered some Shrimp Noodle Soup.

Hubby had some Beef Noodle Soup with vegetable siding.

I wasn't too happy with my noodles (hey, after eating at Din Tai Fung, my expectations were way up high). I looked for some steamed dumplings in the food court. Lo and behold, there were none from the stalls. Maybe because there's a Din Tai Fung Restaurant on the same floor! I settled for fried dumplings with some pickled cucumbers. I love the pickled cucmbers, sweet, tangy, a bit spicy and so refreshing.

Christmas Grub

2011-12-30T09:08:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone. I've been enjoying my staycation so much. You know, staying at home for vacation. A very cheap way to enjoy our week off. Spending quality and quiet time with Hubby on our week off is so relaxing.

I'm going to continue blogging about our recent Taipei trip. In the meantime though, I'd like to share with you a picture of our buffet table last Christmas day.

We had steamed crabs, chili prawns (which I cooked), pork roast (which my mom made), grilled prawns, lechon (of course!), rellenong bangus, pancit mabon. I baked some blueberry cheesecake and made fruit salad as well.

Burp! :-)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:47:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone. May your Christmas be filled with much love and endless laughter.

Love,
Leica and Hubby

Shilin Night Market

2011-12-15T18:13:00.000+08:00

I remember being lacking sleep from our red eye flight and so exhausted from our first day's adventures in Taipei. It was still early, we decided to stop by at the hotel and rest for a while before venturing out.

A little bit rested, and despite being still full from our Din Tai Fung meal and desserts from Hello Kitty Sweets, Hubby and I made our way to Shilin Night Market to try out some traditional Taipei street food. None was healthy, I guarantee you.

While browsing through some blogs about Taipei and the Shilin Night market, stall number 200 came highly recommended for their oyster cake/omelette. As we were going through the market, we noticed that locals also eat at stall 200. I think that's a good sign, right?

We ordered one oyster cake, which always come with Thick Squid Soup.

I liked the Oyster Cake which comes with brown sauce. Hubby didn't like it too much because it was too oily.

Hubby also ordered some Stinky Tofu (which was very stinky, I tell you). Hubby loves the Stinky Tofu. He ordered two! I personally don't prefer it. But it probably grows on you, like a fungus or something, he he he.

To wash it all down, we ordered some fresh watermelon shake from another stall. I ordered the mango pineapple. Both were quite refreshing after an oily meal.

Fresh fruit juices abound all over Taipei. The Taiwanese love them fresh fruits. I noticed too that sodas are not very common in food stalls and food courts and very few people drink them. There was a point that we thought that it may be illegal to drink sodas, ha ha ha!

After our meal and meandering through the food stalls, Hubby wanted to try some bubble tea. He liked it but, wanted it to be more sweet.

What a great first day in Taipei!

I didn't realize that I would love Taipei this much, but I do! :-) I can't wait to go back.

Hello Kitty Sweets

2011-12-15T17:52:00.003+08:00

After our Taipei 101 adventures, Hubby and I decided to go back to the hotel. As we were weaving our way back, we decided to look for Hello Kitty Sweets, which is located close to our hotel anyway, per our research. I had a map on my phone, which I photographed from a print out. Very few people speak English so it's very hard to ask for directions.

After a few minutes walking and making wrong turns. Hubby was getting very cranky. I had to bite my tongue and contain myself from screaming my irritation. You can see from this photo, how excited Hubby is to be surrounded by pink.

Hello Kitty sweets, I've been told, used to have a branch in Megamall, years ago. But it didn't fly. I wasn't able to go then because I didn't know it existed.

Hello Kitty sweets in Taipei is a novelty. It's not going to win any culinary awards, but, the sheer cuteness of the place and the abundance of pink just calls for your inner teen inside. Come in, sit down and get comforted in this pink fluffy cloud, the place seems to say.

Hello Kitty everywhere, even in the bathroom. Love it! Pink is my favorite color and it's such a treat to be surrounded by it once in a while.

The menu in Hello Kitty sweets is written in Mandarin, no English translation and the people working there cannot speak English. That's what's so frustrating with our Taipei trip, everything gets lost in translation!

Hubby pointed to a tiramisu-like cake, which turned out ok.

The best part though is the strawberry flavored white chocolate hello kitty head. That's very yummy. It tastes like strawberry ice cream. The presentation of the dessert is just awesome.

I ordered the strawberry mousse, which was surprisingly good, light and fluffy. Again, the Hello Kitty strawberry flavored white chocolate was really nice.

We got two free flavored sodas with our order and a complimentary Hello Kitty gelatin. The sodas were too sweet, the gelatin was just average.

Overall, Hello Kitty sweets is a nice place to visit, just to experience the cuteness of the place. The cakes are more expensive if you dine in. Take out is half the price :-)

To get there, take the MTR to Nangang (Blue Line), get off at Zhongxiao Fuxing station, exit 3. Exit 5 is farther and is a bit of a walk (and you might get confused, like we did), better exit at 3, it's closer and less confusing. Hello Kitty Sweets is just along Da'an Road. You can't miss it.

Taipei 101

2011-12-14T17:03:00.000+08:00

It's the quintessential Taipei experience. Going up the 89th viewing deck of the tallest man-made structure in the whole of Taiwan. The Taipei 101.

It was rainy and foggy during our entire stay in Taipei, but, it did not detract us from appreciating the view from the 89th floor. It was too cloudy for pictures but the sights were amazing nonetheless.

Taipei 101 has the fastest elevator in the world. It took only 40 seconds to reach the top. whew, my ears!

Taipei 101 also, has the only damper available for public viewing. My nerdy Hubby couldn't help himself, he explained to me how it works. Gist of which is that the huge golden ball (known as the damper), balances the building when the earth is moving. It prevents the building from toppling over. Lasers around the damper provide exact measurements of its movements so that scientists and building administrators can study the damper's movements and the earth's behavior. Taipei 101 sits in an earthquake zone, it's pretty brave to build a building in such conditions. Hence, the damper.

Taipei 101 has a Mascot called Baby Damper. So cute.

To get to Taipei 101: take the Nangang Line (Blue Line) to Taipei City Hall, exit 2. There are free shuttle buses every few minutes.