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Showing posts with label where to eat in taipei. Show all posts
Showing posts with label where to eat in taipei. Show all posts
Friday, April 6, 2018
JUST INN TAIPEI: A DIFFERENT HOTEL EXPERIENCE + OTHER TAIWAN MUST EATS

The main reason that Filipinos head on over to Taipei is because of the food. To be honest, it's that and the sights. Personally, it's the culture. 
Having been to Taipei four or five times in the past 2 years, I enjoy all the different flavors and the people as well.
Having been on a red eye flight that was delayed for more than 8 hours, getting to downtown Taipei was a breeze when I arrived just before lunch time. Although the high speed train from the airport was available already, it didn't hurt that I just aimed for bus 1819 since it's comfortable and relaxed. For this trip, I went for a hotel that was fun and perfect just for me. Hello JUST INN TAIPEI. Located just south of the TAIPEI MAIN STATION, it's only a comfortable 10 minute walk from the station. To answer your question, it is normal to see travelers bring their luggages on the streets. It's a walkable city and security is pretty much fine.
With an industrial feel, JUST INN TAIPEI mostly caters to single travelers, friends, families and couples. The hotel has a number of room types. There are for singles, doubles, and even bunk beds for friends. The over all theme is somewhat industrial. There's a bit of artsy fun with each turn as the overall design leads to that. The hotel itself has a microwave, coffee and tea making facility, and a water dispenser in the lobby. You could also put some of your stuff in the small refrigerator. Just don't forget to properly label it.
The room I got was perfect for a solo traveler. The bed was comfortable and the place was clean. Although, the room was just as small as the ones you might have in Tokyo, it was comfortable and just perfect for me. It didn't hurt that their cabled tv had English Movie Channels as well.
 
The fact that their rooms have Japanese styled toilets, I'm pretty much sold. Although you would use a curtain to cordon off the shower area, I managed to keep the water spillage at a minimum.
Since the hotel is walking distance to TAIPEI MAIN STATION, I was able to ride the train to different must visit places while in TAIPEI. For lunch, I head on over to ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT (my experience here). It's more than just sushi and sashimi. There's actually a lot of cooked dishes that you could go for.
For snacks, you could head on over to the famous DA'AN district. Just get off at the DONGMEN station and head on over to the famous YONGKANG street. There, you could have a taste of the famous TIAN JIN ONION PANCAKE. It's on a corner spot on the main road so you can't miss the long line.
Even if the lines are long, I suggest you wait for it because the 10 minutes is worth it. The turnover is pretty fast and they do have an English Menu. Just point and tell the staff how many. 
 I went for everything on it. I realized why people enjoy this snack. It's not as oily compared to other stalls that sell the scallion pancake. The version at Tian Jin is filling and one is perfect for a quick meal.
The street is pretty busy because of all the different food stalls and milk tea shops that would lure you in. You could definitely spend a day here just walking around and checking out the different restaurants.
This time around, I asked a local what night market I should visit. I've already been to Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia and Huaxi (Longshan Temple Area). She told me to head on over to SHIDA NIGHT MARKET. A little off the beaten path, SHIDA NIGHT MARKET could be accessed by walking a few minutes north of TAIPOWER BUILDING STATION.
Since this place is near universities and schools, young ones could be seen here for their nightly treats. One thing different here is that the stalls are in buildings and that you'll come across a lot of trendy fashion shops perfect for a little bit of shopping. When I went, I wasn't able to see one single foreigner. It seems, this place is filled with locals during weekdays. A perfect sign for someone that enjoys authenticity. A popular stall here would be SHI YUN. Open since 1984, you get to create your own hot soup. Pick the different types of sticks and toppings then the guys behind the counter cook it for you.
Something sort of a mix between a xiao long bao and a siopao, HSU-JI offers these small dumplings. Pretty good stuff. Not as expensive as other stalls that you might see in Taipei. Here, people come on over bringing their own container. Might be a good idea if you plan to bring this back to Manila.
Since you only live once, I went overboard and went for some stinky tofu. This restaurant has some seats in the back but it's perfectly fine to eat while walking.
The crispy tofu was pretty good. Their version isn't as smelly as others that you might see in other night markets. The pickled vegetables gave it a contrasting flavor that cuts everything.
Just another tip. Head on over to XIMEN. If you had your fill of fried chicken and those misua, go to KFC. Try their tarts and it would be the best decision you would have ever made.
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Taiwan will always have a place in my heart. If you have questions send me an email at foodinthebagblog@gmail.com ... Maybe I could help you out. Cheers!





JUST INN TAIPEI is located at
100, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Section 1, Chongqing South Road, 1號
It's in the same building as New May Flower Hotel and  ReChange Hotel.





Btw, Thanks to Just Inn Taipei. Here's a copy of their map where you could see the different stores of interest near by in English! :)
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Wednesday, November 8, 2017
TAIWAN'S DIAN SHUI LOU: Better Than Din Tai Fung?

The first time I visited Taipei, I went with my mom, brother, and my brother's friends and their families. We had no itinerary and had no clue what to do. Thankfully, we stayed at TAIPEI M HOTEL (here's my experience with Taipei M Hotel) . The concierge was knowledgeable about a lot of inside stuff. He was even able to suggest a few restaurants where locals would dine. One of them was DIAN SHUI LOU. According to him, this was better than DIN TAI FUNG. As a foodie, I had to check it out.
 Just a couple of days back, my group and I visited DTF at the Taipei 101 Tower. I wasn't impressed specially when the wait time was over an hour. For that kind of food, I would eat it again but would not wait that long (story for a different time). At Dian Shui Lou, there was no queue. The place was pretty big. When we entered, we saw that restaurant filled with guests. Good thing,  there was a second floor. There, we could watch the kitchen create all the dimsum and dumplings one could imagine.
 The second floor hosts a number of private function rooms for big and small groups. Comparing this to DTF in terms of ambiance would be like talking about ice cream and fruits. Totally different things. While DTF seemed like a fast well oiled machine, this place exudes relaxation and lets you take your time. While the original DTF restaurant won a michellin star, Dian Shui Lou was awarded 5 stars (a different awarding body) and was voted more popular in terms of xiao long bao in Taipei.
 
Even if DTF is more popular with the foreign visitors, Dian Shui Lou draws in the locals more. Luckily, the restaurant had an English menu. Definitely a helpful tidbit for foreigners.
 Let's get straight to the point, the XIAO LONG BAO. This is the restaurant's bread and butter.
 Honestly, I prefer this version over DTF's. I don't know if I was just being picky but when we visited Dian Shui Lou, everything was great. The wrapper wasn't too thin nor thick. The soup wasn't too heavy and the meat was just right. For our lunch, we actually had a couple. The original and the truffle. Both were flavorful and pretty good.
Since we couldn't decide on what to order, we just went with a set menu. Thinking back, we should have just went ala carte as we could have had more dishes to try out. I apologize in advance as I am not familiar with the Chinese names of the dishes.

 To start things off, we had a sesame crusted pancake like dish. Aside from the XLB, we also had dumplings that had a bunch of green leafy vegetables in them. If you know me, I stayed away from it just because.
 There were more vegetable dishes as well. One of them was the cold okra and mushroom with sweet and sour dressing. While another was the bamboo shoots.  They were a bit too healthy for me so I skipped them as well.
 For soup, we had the salty pork with beans and bamboo shoot. It seemed alright. Not bad.
 I was glad that not all the dishes were "too healthy". They had a braised chicken cooked with high-grade Shaoxing wine. With the alcohol evaporated, the wine flavor was absorbed by the tender meat of the chicken. This was pretty good.
 Plus visiting Taipei should also lead you to try out their crabs. The crabs were fried with crispy garlic making it a joy to eat.
 As a Filipino, I was pretty happy that there was rice. Although in Chinese culture rice is served at the end of the meal, they served it along with the main dishes. Thankfully, the fried rice wasn't as oily as other restaurants tend to serve them.
For dessert, we had something quite familiar. Deep fried black glutinous rice cake wasn't as sweet as you would think. It was sticky and had a crunchy exterior yet gooey insides. Quite similar to tikoy.
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In all honesty, I enjoyed the food at DIAN SHUI LOU. The XLB was pretty much better compared to DTF. Although some of the dishes that we ordered weren't really what I would have had, I guess it was the better meal for me. Granted that yes it was pricey, the service was pretty good and we didn't have to wait to get our seats.



DIAN SHUI LOU
There are actually 3 branches of this restaurant in Taipei. 
Better to go to the one near Ximending. 
It's between Taipei Main Station and NTU Hospital Station
11am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm

Disclaimer: Visited this restaurant on my own. Paid for our meal. Opinions stated here are based on my visit.
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Friday, November 3, 2017
EATING IN TAIWAN: DISHES TO TRY OUT WHEN IN TAIPEI

It was my third time visiting Taipei. Honestly, I don't know what else to do there. Food wise, I'm all tapped out but I realized that I craved for them to give it another go. Here are some of the things to try out when visiting TAIPEI.
One of the most iconic must visit touristy thing to do when in Taipei, would be to check out the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. Here, you could watch the changing of the guards and even take those OOTDS. A restaurant nearby to try out would be JIN FENG (金峰魯肉飯). If you use EXIT #2 and walk just a few meters, you would come across this signage. That's the place.
It has been featured a lot of times in different publications and online reviews. Honestly, it was worth a try so I went for it. Go on an off-peak hour and wait less in line. There's actually a backroom that has a/c but remember, you might need to share your table with a stranger.
During that time, I was still full from a previous meal so I ordered the smallest bowl they had. At 30 NTD (roughly 50Pesos), you can't go wrong with it. The egg and the tofu were also highly recommended by different sites so I went with them. Truthfully, it was just okay for me. I liked it for being affordable.
Speaking of ordering, you could ask for an English menu. Although the order sheet might all be in Chinese, you could differentiate each by checking out the price. After choosing your picks, just hand it over to the staff and they'll get right on it. You then go over to the cashier to pay once you're done with your meal.
Jin Feng Braised Meat Rice is located on No. 10, Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Another place that's on top of everyone's list would be XIMENDING. A place that has a lot of retail stores to check out. Here, you could also have a mini food trip. Aside from going for hotpot, there are other "snackable" places in this area.
When visiting Taipei, one of the things that you must drink would be the milk tea. Known as the place that created it, milk tea is a sweet start to your adventures. If you're not into this, they have those 30NTD ones in convenience stores that are also pretty good.
In Ximending, you could find Hot Star (large deep fried chicken) and other things to try out. One of them would be at KFC. Yes, that KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. In Taipei, KFC offers egg tart!
You have to try it! Another must check out place when in XIMENDING would be the AY-CHUNG FLOUR-RICE NOODLES. Since 1975, this shop has been an institution already. Even if lines would queue up, they get to give out the dishes pretty quick so there's minimal wait time.
In a bowl, you get your steaming hot noodle and soup dish. It's perfect for the cold weather.
Don't forget that there's a condiment section on the left. They have chili, garlic, and vinegar. You gotta add loads of vinegar and garlic. It's that good. They open at 9am and closes around 11pm.
It is located in No. 8-1號, Emei Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108.
When in Taipei and thinking about gifts to bring home, nougats might be ideal. It's chewy, sweet, and has a lot of flavors to choose from. One place that makes it so good would be this stall in the TAIPEI MAIN SUBWAY MALL. It's located just off the escalator going towards the Z exits (z underground mall). You could try out the more traditional flavors like vanilla with peanuts but I would also recommend the matcha.
If you're up for something hearty for breakfast, you could go for a traditional version. The Fu Hang Dou Jiang (阜杭豆漿). This is actually the go to place when visiting Taipei for breakfast. It opens at 5:30am up to 12:30pm. It used to be just until past 10am but they extended it because of the long lines.
When you visit, I would suggest going either really early or late. Early or late because of the queue. Some would spend hours lining up just to buy delicious breakfast from this place. If you're like me, you would definitely be rewarded. I went there at 5:15am, and there were already more than a dozen in front of me. The wait was actually quick but after sitting down and finishing my meal, I saw the lines outside and I was thankful for waking up early. You could visit late but just remember that they close at 12:30pm
Located on the second floor of this building, you could get here by taking a cab or by getting out of the SHANDAO TEMPLE STATION exit 5. It's in the Hua Shan Market Level 2, No. 108, Zhongxiao East Road, Sec. 1 華山市場 2F忠孝東路一段108號紹興南街 (善导寺). It's also closed on Mondays. Remember that the train isn't open at 5am as such taking the cab or uber would be your best bet.
Once you get there, just head on over to the side and enter via this stairwell. It's on the second floor.
Once in, you might have a hard time choosing what to eat. Here's their menu of Fu Hang Dou Jiang (阜杭豆漿) for you to study. I suggest you take note of what you want before going just so as not to annoy other customers waiting in line.

Once at the front, there would be two ladies that you would order from. The first would be for your soy based orders like this cold soy milk (which was extremely good).
and the salty soy milk. This was pretty different. It's like custard that is a bit spicy. When asked, I would suggest you tell the lady not to add the spicy sauce. I was pretty lucky as the staff could talk in english.
A soft and fluffy version, the EGG PANCAKE was pretty good. Mixed with a bit of greens, it was like crepe but in a good way.
If there was one thing to order from Fu Hang Dou Jiang, it would be the SIGNATURE THICK BREAD WITH EGGS AND DONUT STICK. If you know me, I have been a fan of you tiao. That's the chewy and airy bread in the middle. Here, it's sandwiched between scrambled eggs and a thicker bread. This is definitely breakfast of champions and a must try.
Honestly speaking, I wished I had visited this place with friends. I had over ordered just because I wanted to try a lot. The YOUTIAO was fantastic. Chewy and crunchy at the same time, it was perfect for me. The soy milk was seriously good as well. Trying out the Salty Soy Milk was also a highlight for me. Since I'm a carbs person, I'll definitely give it another visit when I go back to Taipei.
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Just like Filipinos,  the Taiwanese loves to eat. As such, they have a lot of restaurants to visit. Actually, they also have a number of dessert brands from other countries as well like Bake, Godiva, Tsujiri, and many more making it a must to visit.
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