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Showing posts with label where to eat in taiwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label where to eat in taiwan. Show all posts
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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Tuesday, September 19, 2017
VISITING MAOKONG: Perfect Place to Drink Tea in Taipei

Taipei would always be known for their food. One of the many reasons why tourists flock to Taiwan is because of their affordable yet delicious dishes. Believe it or not, Taiwan is more than that. Tea is another reasons why one should visit Taipei.
Say hello to MAOKONG GONDOLA. This here transports visitors to the famous MAOKONG. This used to be the biggest tea growing area for Taiwan. When the weather is cold and lovely, it's a nice place to visit. Just head on over to Taipei Zoo via the metro and a short walk would lead you to the Gondola Station. There's actually 4 stations. Beginning with the Taipei Zoo, all up to the Moakong Station which is high up the mountain.
There's actually two types of gondolas. There's the normal and the one with the glass floor. If you're feeling adventurous, I would suggest to go for the one that let's you see everything. The Crystal Cabins was launched on March 2010 and could take fewer passengers though. As such, it has a different line.
After a few minutes, you get up high and reach the station. I would suggest you make use of their washroom and other facilities before heading out.
From here, the road divides to either the left or the right. We went with the former just because there's somewhat of a food station nearby. Here, different stalls are set up and sells traditional Taiwanese dishes and street food among other things.
If you walk some more, you are greeted by different tea restaurants. One of them is this more modern one that sells tea flavored ice cream. Even if the the weather is pretty cool, go for it as the flavors are quite unique and different.
Here, we have a couple. One might think that the green one would be matcha. Although correct, it tasted somewhat different. Yummy still, it's more herbal than the usual bitterish version we get to taste with Japanese green tea. 
If you walk some more, you head on over to other tea places and even a temple. After moving around, my feet led me to SHUANG HSIANG YUAN TEA HOUSE.

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It had an unobstructed view of Taipei and was very relaxing. The staff was very accommodating and helpful. You get to also decide and take a pick from their menu of different tea.


From here, they get to teach you how to go about serving tea. 
How it is very important to warm the cup first and to use to proper technique.
Of course, you shouldn't just go for the tea. They also offered different snacks for you to enjoy.
Aside from the flavored buns, these tofu are quite pleasant and goes well with the tea chosen. Don't worry if you don't finish the tea leaves. Once you're done, they could vacuum seal it and remove all the air, making sure it's remains fresh and perfect to use at a later time.
As the sun sets, you get to have an amazing night time view of down town Taipei.
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Please take note of MAOKONG GONDOLA'S operating hours. They might differ and might also get cancelled depending on weather. Better to go back earlier than later as winds could sway the gondolas a bit.

You could reach Maokong by taking the Metro towards Taipei Zoo station. Around 350 meters, walk to the Maokong Gondola Taipei Zoo Station. Usual operating hours is from 9am -9pm but could open and close at an earlier or later time depending on festivals and holidays. Best to check http://english.gondola.taipei/ for any announcements and news.




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