Din Tai Fung And Mango Shaved Ice, Yongkang

Previously:
One Fine Day In Jiufen

If you are a true Taiwan's expert, you will definitely know Yongkang Street in Taipei.  At first, we didn't know about this area but our local friend brought us there for a good dinner.  Only had a short night here, therefore we only can do like tourist normally do.  Merely covered Din Tai Fung and mango shaved ice, the two most popular food in Yongkang street.  Din Tai Fung in this place is the birth place of it.  There are plenty more other snacks that the locals have such as xiao long bao, spring onion pancake, beef noodle soup and so on.  Probably next time, we will dig more this area for food after food. 

Mango shaved ice

 

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road, Da'an District

Tel: +886 2 2321 8928

 

Smoothie House

15 Yongkang Street, Da'an District

Tel: +886 2 2341 8555

 

Get off at Dongmen MRT Station (Exit No.5)

 



Stay tuned for the next blog still in Taiwan:
Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

One Fine Day In Jiufen

Previously:
Ning Xia Night Market

Spending a full day in Jiufen is totally recommended.  The information desk advises us to go with the bus no. 1062 (Keelung Bus) from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station Exit 1 and costs 102 TWD.  This journey will take a little more than one hour.  However, as we came out from the MRT exit, we look a little confuse to whereabouts the bus stop is, as the direction from information desk wasn't that clear.  That's the time we are kinda be an easy target to the taxi drivers who waive us and luring us to take their taxi.  At first, we were strong enough refused them and asked the locals around there about the bus stop.  But with the toddler who half a sleep and as am unprepared tourist, we decided to catch taxi where we actually shared with another couple.  It costs us 200TWD per person, but the journey took only about 45 minutes.  Not too bad indeed.  And he drop us right in front of the main walking street (the most popular entrance, near the bus stop) plus he be able to give us some tour tips because his English was pretty good.

Jiufen is a mountain town which is small enough to cover on foot.  The main area for visitors is the Historic Commercial District which is consisted of two pedestrian streets: Jishan Street and Shuchi Street.  These narrow hilly streets are built into the side of the coastal hills and lining up with heaps of stores and restaurants.  This area is allowing visitors to sampling local specialties, purchasing handicrafts and enjoying aromatic teas while viewing the spectacular looking of the harbor and the Pacific Ocean below. 

Ah Zhu Peanut Ice Cream - Taro ice cream served on popiah skin and sprinkled with peanut bits

Yu Wan Bo Zai

Kurobuta Sausage

Grilled Sea Snails with five spice sauce

Restaurant with built in food elevator

 

Enjoying the hot aromatic tea with a top knot view

Back to Taipei early as we had an appointment with our friend for dinner.  We try to slip in some more Taiwanese delicacies before hand.  That would be pork chop and deep fried chicken.  It was definitely an unregretable meal. 

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Taiwan:
Din Tai Fung And Mango Shaved Ice, Yongkang

Ning Xia Night Market

Previously:
Longshan Temple And Taipei 101

Ning Xia Market is a night market on one long narrow Ningxia street between Nanjing Road and Mingshen Road.  Packed not only with tourists but also for locals.  Some famous Taiwanese foods are sold here, such as stinky tofu, beef cube steak, tang yuan, oyster omelette, and so on.

Love everything that we tried, especially those stinky tofu.  Taste wonderful, despite all that stinky smelly tofu.  It is actually a great thing, because you won't miss that tofu stall whenever you walk pass. 

Face to face food stalls are lining up

Dining space area

Beef cube steak

Tang yuan (peanut or black sesame)

Stinky tofu

oyster omelette or o-a-chian

Take away and enjoy them in our hotel room, rather than join the crowd, it's pretty hard if you're going with a toddler
Having this dinner, accompanied with my new favourite drink - Peanut milk from convenient store.  It was wonderful.

Not to sure what is this but I saw so many locals buy this - not convince with their strong weird flavor though

Shuanglian MRT stop and Zhongshan MRT stop are the closest to Ningxia Night Market.  From Shuanglian stop, Exit 1 and head west down to Minsheng road for about 15 minutes until you reach Ning Xia Road. 


Stay tuned for the next blog still in Taiwan:
One Fine Day In Jiu Fen

Longshan Temple and Taipei 101

Previously:
Modern Toilet Restaurant, Ximen

We bought the metro day pass for 150TWD, very convenient and worth it.  The metro is very decent, less complicated than Tokyo metro yet cover most of the places (tourist destinations).  Today, we visited Longshan temple, SunYat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101, and Ning Xia night market.

Selfie

Longshan Temple

SunYat Sen Memorial Hall

Pearl milk tea

Street food - Mango and coffee pudding

Taipei 101

Pork chop set with lu rou fan - from Taipei 101 food court



Soya chicken set - from Taipei 101 food court

Fresh papaya milk - my first time and I thought it was quite addictive

 

105 TWD for Metro one day pass



Stay tuned for the next blog still in Taiwan:
Ning Xia Night Market

Modern Toilet Restaurant, Ximen

Previously:
Hotel Midtown Richardson, Taipei

In that evening, after drop our luggages, we cluelessly strolled around the Ximending city, searching the one restaurant that I would like to visit (vow to visit whenever I'm here), of course this famous Modern Toilet Restaurant.  However, we innocently forgot to save the map and their address.  Around an hour had gone, still no sign of that restaurant.  By the time we nearly gave up, I coincidentally turned my head to the right, there was a small room with shinning toilet bowls that caught my eyes.  It doesn't look like a restaurant but when I read the sign, "Modern Toilet".  I shout with delighted, 'This is the one, This definitely is."  We rushed climbing up to the second floor.  There were a few waitresses and nearly all the tables were occupied but then one of the nice waitress said that on the third and fourth floor still have lots of tables available, wherever we like to sit on.  So we went straight up to the third floor.

We choose the ordinary one with a fancy toilet bowl seat.  And in front of us got this sink with hmmmm fake "poop" in it.  For some people (like my husband before he went there), he feels yucks and no appetite when seeing this thing while eating.  For me, I don't give a s***.  But once we're there, my hubby completely forgot yet quite amazed with the ambience and the food in front of him. 

By the way why this restaurant is so famous and become the talk of the town?  What the hype about this place?  Food.. Nope!!  I mean it wasn't that bad but it wasn't that good either.  I won't personally come back here just because of the taste of food.  So what then?  Serving dish... Tick!!  Decoration.. Tick!!  Idea..  Thumbs up!!  I honestly do not know why but having dinner here, it just makes me happy. 

If you see this on the street level, means you are in the right place.  The restaurant is actually located on the second floor and above.

All toilet decoration

Giant toilet bowl sofa



Menu

Complimentary chocolate 'poop' ice cream

Modern toilet Restaurant

2F, No. 7, Ln 50,Xining S. Rd., Taipei City

Tel: 02-23118822



Stay tuned for the next blog still in Taiwan:
Longshan Temple and Taipei 101