Our third day in Taipei was the most laidback one; we'd woken up way too early on the previous two days, and so decided to sleep in this time. The day was rainy as usual, and our first destination was breakfast at Yong He Dou Jiang Da Wang (Soy Milk King), a very local, low-priced fast food joint specializing in soy foods. I read somewhere that you should go to this place for a true Taiwanese local breakfast experience, so we went a full 8 subway stops to Daan station and walked about 10 minutes to a bustling little 'restaurant' already with a line of people.
We didn't understand anything on the menu, of course, but luckily one of the staff there handed us an English menu with supposedly the more popular choices. The pictures helped a little bit, but when we decided what to eat we'd have to find the same Chinese name on this list, which would be quite a challenge for those who aren't used to Chinese characters. Anyway, the English names weren't a whole lot helpful either because they all sounded the same. I mean, half of them read 'Chinese pancake' or 'Chinese pancake with vegetables' or something like that. Plus, as I'd mentioned before, the place was famous for their soy milk products, which isn't really one of my faves to begin with, but since everyone else seemed to have a bowl of their own we ordered the original.
Prices are ridiculously low, so I can see why it's so popular. Cheap and hearty enough. I ordered egg in a mantou bun, and with my friend shared the youtiao (fried dough) and a bowl of warm soy milk.
The egg bun thingy was way too bland, and the youtiao was too greasy for my morning stomach (though I'd enjoyed this when I was in SG). As for the warm soy milk... it tasted exactly how I expected it to which, again, isn't a favorite of mine. I think we just happened to order the wrong things, because the posts I'd read online were all of high praise. For such a long trip (think about it: how often do you wake up on a Sunday morning, go eight stops on the subway, and walk 10 minutes in the rain just for cheap breakfast?) I was quite disappointed, and could not complete the meal.
Since my friend was craving coffee, we decided to spend some time at Starbucks for dessert. On the way, I purchased some laxatives at 7-Eleven because I hadn't pooped for three days (TMI, sorry). We ordered a tart and some chocolate cake at Starbucks along with our coffee, which made us feel at peace again. Please don't judge; we all have different taste buds and there's no reason not to enjoy Starbucks just because we're in a different country. I've still had my handful of local foods too.
So we stayed at Starbucks for a couple of hours, talking about this and that, feeling quite like we were back in Korea enjoying a weekend together in a familiar neighborhood (which wasn't so bad), then we went back to our room for some more relaxing.
My opinion on traveling is that a large part of it is to get away from our everyday busy lives and just take a break. Rest is just as important as sightseeing, and the mere fact that I was lounging around in someplace far away from home was in itself a fresh and invigorating experience for me. Luckily, my friend felt the same way, and we spent a few more hours in our room, chit-chatting, noses buried in our phones for the latest news and social media feed. Plus, it felt much cozier to be under the covers when it's so cold and gloomy outside.
It had stopped raining by the time we head out again at around 3-4 p.m. We took the red subway line again to Tamsui, which is the last stop. I'd heard a lot of things about this place; namely that it was the filming location of the Taiwanese movie "Secret" which was a super big hit in Korea. There were quite a lot of people getting off at that station, so no need for particular directions to follow.
Tamsui is famous for its old street, which is basically a large alleyway that sells a bunch of street foods and souvenirs. The twist is that it follows along the river, so you're in for a gorgeous view along the way.
The only snacks we bought were bubble tea and fried squid (which was one of the best street foods I've ever had). The street didn't seem all interesting, and we weren't inclined to sought out the school or buildings or whatever places that were used as filming location. We walked around for an hour or so, and sat down to wait for the sun to set because we planed to head over to a lounge bar for some night views.
Then we went to Tonghua Night Market, which is just a station away from Taipei 101 station. I was aching to try out some guabao, which is basically meat in a bun. I'd read about it first in Eddie Huang's book Fresh Off the Boat and it just sounded so delicious and seemed like the type of food I'd absolutely love. I unfortunately can't head over to New York to visit Baohaus, but since he was inspired by Taiwanese street food, I figured I could just go for the original!
Shi Jia Gua Bao was still setting up when we arrived, so we browsed other stores and I ended up buying a pair of slacks for 250 NT. I'm sure in Korea it would have cost about twice as much, so I was very happy with my find. We sampled other street foods along the way, which I'm sad to say were all very disappointing. And I know I sound so negative, bashing everything, but I'm seriously the type to enjoy most foods - it just so happened that most of the things we tried this day were a bit shitty.
And including the gua bao, too. Man, I had such high expectations for it, and I was kind of hoping it would taste a bit like the dongporou we had the night before, but I was dead wrong. It was alright, but I would rate it about... 6.5/10 at best. There's also some sort of vegetable topping that I asked the guy to leave out; but he told me that was the good part, and so I asked him to add a little bit... which I also regretted. Sigh.
Well, at least I can say I've tried it.
Anyway, we walked over to the Shangri-La hotel nearby to have a cocktail at the Marco Polo Lounge Bar, located on the 38th floor. The neighborhood was quite deserted and empty, as was the bar itself. We were able to get a great view of the city, including Taipei 101 in the distance. It was still a lot darker than Seoul, though the camera doesn't show it.
I ordered some fruity cocktail and my friend a pina colada, and since our dinner was so lacking (in substance, taste, and quantity) we ordered a plate of mozzarella cheese sticks too. They were alright, except the dipping sauce was regular ketchup instead of marinara sauce... which I found hard to comprehend, but whatever.
Prices came to about 600 NT each, which I had expected. I didn't have much left in my budget (I had brought 7,500 NT total for my trip, and unexpected expenses included the price increase for the crackers and two articles of clothing), and used the last of it to get a foot massage at Huaxi Night Market, which is nearby Lungshan Temple (the temple was closed by the time we got there, so no night view for us).
There are a bunch of massage parlors located in this night market, so the prices are a lot lower than other joints around Taipei. It wasn't the most luxurious experience, but it was still a good break from all the walking, and very cheap (300 NT for a 40-minute foot massage plus a quick shoulder massage thrown in while your feet are soaking in hot water). Plus, the lady there was super friendly. She knew a lot of Korean massage phrases, which goes to show just how many Koreans visit! She was around my mother's age, and I really enjoyed brushing up on my Chinese skills while I tried my best to make conversation.
Then we went back to our hotel and called it a night. The next day was basically packing and heading to the airport, since our flight was at 10:25.
So here's what I learned from my trip to Taipei:
1. Laxatives are necessary.
2. Check the weather and always pack an extra layer just in case.
3. Clothes are cheap in Taipei. Buy some.
4. Too many street foods to try. Must go again when less crowded, hopefully.
4-1. Too much flour. I couldn't even bear to touch bread when I got back home.
5. The city is not much different from Seoul.
Would I go again if I had the chance? Probably. It's affordable, and it was a nice break. I'd like to visit the outskirts, including Jiufen and Shifen, except I already know how crowded it will be and am dreading the mere thought of it.
To be honest, I've actually visited this place once when I was in Singapore (I think) when a friend took me to for the real Singaporean 'local' food experience. There I also tried similar dishes, though I didn't know what I was in for. So although I knew it wasn't a first, I still figured I'd go again to try other things, because who says you're only allowed to visit a place once when you're traveling?
Prices are ridiculously low, so I can see why it's so popular. Cheap and hearty enough. I ordered egg in a mantou bun, and with my friend shared the youtiao (fried dough) and a bowl of warm soy milk.
The egg bun thingy was way too bland, and the youtiao was too greasy for my morning stomach (though I'd enjoyed this when I was in SG). As for the warm soy milk... it tasted exactly how I expected it to which, again, isn't a favorite of mine. I think we just happened to order the wrong things, because the posts I'd read online were all of high praise. For such a long trip (think about it: how often do you wake up on a Sunday morning, go eight stops on the subway, and walk 10 minutes in the rain just for cheap breakfast?) I was quite disappointed, and could not complete the meal.
Since my friend was craving coffee, we decided to spend some time at Starbucks for dessert. On the way, I purchased some laxatives at 7-Eleven because I hadn't pooped for three days (TMI, sorry). We ordered a tart and some chocolate cake at Starbucks along with our coffee, which made us feel at peace again. Please don't judge; we all have different taste buds and there's no reason not to enjoy Starbucks just because we're in a different country. I've still had my handful of local foods too.
So we stayed at Starbucks for a couple of hours, talking about this and that, feeling quite like we were back in Korea enjoying a weekend together in a familiar neighborhood (which wasn't so bad), then we went back to our room for some more relaxing.
My opinion on traveling is that a large part of it is to get away from our everyday busy lives and just take a break. Rest is just as important as sightseeing, and the mere fact that I was lounging around in someplace far away from home was in itself a fresh and invigorating experience for me. Luckily, my friend felt the same way, and we spent a few more hours in our room, chit-chatting, noses buried in our phones for the latest news and social media feed. Plus, it felt much cozier to be under the covers when it's so cold and gloomy outside.
It had stopped raining by the time we head out again at around 3-4 p.m. We took the red subway line again to Tamsui, which is the last stop. I'd heard a lot of things about this place; namely that it was the filming location of the Taiwanese movie "Secret" which was a super big hit in Korea. There were quite a lot of people getting off at that station, so no need for particular directions to follow.
Tamsui is famous for its old street, which is basically a large alleyway that sells a bunch of street foods and souvenirs. The twist is that it follows along the river, so you're in for a gorgeous view along the way.
The only snacks we bought were bubble tea and fried squid (which was one of the best street foods I've ever had). The street didn't seem all interesting, and we weren't inclined to sought out the school or buildings or whatever places that were used as filming location. We walked around for an hour or so, and sat down to wait for the sun to set because we planed to head over to a lounge bar for some night views.
 |
 |
| Crispy, chewy, savory, perfect |
Shi Jia Gua Bao was still setting up when we arrived, so we browsed other stores and I ended up buying a pair of slacks for 250 NT. I'm sure in Korea it would have cost about twice as much, so I was very happy with my find. We sampled other street foods along the way, which I'm sad to say were all very disappointing. And I know I sound so negative, bashing everything, but I'm seriously the type to enjoy most foods - it just so happened that most of the things we tried this day were a bit shitty.
 |
| This was the only thing we found yummy, though I guess is technically isn't Taiwanese food... I bought three to share for breakfast the next day. (Blueberry, Strawberry, Oreo) |
And including the gua bao, too. Man, I had such high expectations for it, and I was kind of hoping it would taste a bit like the dongporou we had the night before, but I was dead wrong. It was alright, but I would rate it about... 6.5/10 at best. There's also some sort of vegetable topping that I asked the guy to leave out; but he told me that was the good part, and so I asked him to add a little bit... which I also regretted. Sigh.
Well, at least I can say I've tried it.
Anyway, we walked over to the Shangri-La hotel nearby to have a cocktail at the Marco Polo Lounge Bar, located on the 38th floor. The neighborhood was quite deserted and empty, as was the bar itself. We were able to get a great view of the city, including Taipei 101 in the distance. It was still a lot darker than Seoul, though the camera doesn't show it.
I ordered some fruity cocktail and my friend a pina colada, and since our dinner was so lacking (in substance, taste, and quantity) we ordered a plate of mozzarella cheese sticks too. They were alright, except the dipping sauce was regular ketchup instead of marinara sauce... which I found hard to comprehend, but whatever.
Prices came to about 600 NT each, which I had expected. I didn't have much left in my budget (I had brought 7,500 NT total for my trip, and unexpected expenses included the price increase for the crackers and two articles of clothing), and used the last of it to get a foot massage at Huaxi Night Market, which is nearby Lungshan Temple (the temple was closed by the time we got there, so no night view for us).
There are a bunch of massage parlors located in this night market, so the prices are a lot lower than other joints around Taipei. It wasn't the most luxurious experience, but it was still a good break from all the walking, and very cheap (300 NT for a 40-minute foot massage plus a quick shoulder massage thrown in while your feet are soaking in hot water). Plus, the lady there was super friendly. She knew a lot of Korean massage phrases, which goes to show just how many Koreans visit! She was around my mother's age, and I really enjoyed brushing up on my Chinese skills while I tried my best to make conversation.
 |
| Lady asked me if I worked out :D and said I look more Taiwanese because my face is big and my skin tone is "healthy" LOL! |
Then we went back to our hotel and called it a night. The next day was basically packing and heading to the airport, since our flight was at 10:25.
So here's what I learned from my trip to Taipei:
1. Laxatives are necessary.
2. Check the weather and always pack an extra layer just in case.
3. Clothes are cheap in Taipei. Buy some.
4. Too many street foods to try. Must go again when less crowded, hopefully.
4-1. Too much flour. I couldn't even bear to touch bread when I got back home.
5. The city is not much different from Seoul.
Would I go again if I had the chance? Probably. It's affordable, and it was a nice break. I'd like to visit the outskirts, including Jiufen and Shifen, except I already know how crowded it will be and am dreading the mere thought of it.
Comments
Post a Comment