All in all, dining at Fire Lake Grill is a flavorsome, grilling experience matched with a dreamy, relaxing atmosphere.
Shopping is one thing that Taiwanese's heart to do. A living proof to that is the enormous number of shopping malls and traditional markets found in the country. In Taipei, the most popular, biggest and most varied is the - Shilin Night Market. It is Taipei's premier night market that lures crowds (massive on weekends) with affordable eats and great bargains. Think of shopping and eating at the same time! Clothing, shoes, accessories, leather goods and other bric a bracs, name it they have it! It is common to find stuffs priced at NT$100. But bargains such as these including those tagged with a specific price are hardly negotiable (take it or leave it). If you're on a budget and have a long "pasalubong" (gift) list, this is the place to be!
The newest, fashionable shopping mall built in Taipei, is the Breeze Center. It is located in Sec. 1, Fuxing Rd., 5 minutes walk from the intersection of Civic Blvd. and Fuxing South Road. It is a high end mall where international brands are abundant. This is where Taipei's Fashionistas shop. Do check the ladies room in this mall, simply amazing! The ambiance looked more of a hotel room rather than a comfort room. There's even a big flat screen TV inside the CR that shows episodes of Fashion TV. How else fashionable can it get!? What I personally liked in this mall, is the food court at the basement area. You'll feast on real good tasting, affordable meals. By the way, I noticed that it's dominated by Japanese Food Stalls. It is here where I tasted a very affordable, authentic Udon Noodles. I can't help but wished that the same food selection be offered in our own shopping malls in the Philippines. Great food, superb ambiance at a reasonable price!
Very near to our hotel is Taipei's most popular department store - SOGO. It is conveniently located near an MRT station (both the old and the new one; Zhongshiao Rd.). I was a bit surprised when I learned that this mall has 13 floors to roam around. Whew! However, if it's not sale season, things are a bit pricey here. Thus, if you would like to stick to your budget, go to the night market instead.
At the basement of Taipei's landmark (Taipei 101) is a shopping mall. There are 5 levels that house plenty of upscale boutiques and bookstore (Page One). There's a good toy shop as well. If you're in search of great international brands, hop on to this elegant mall.
High volume and low cost is the mantra at this next shopping area. WufenPu, is Taipei's version of Bangkok's Pratunam. The entire place is filled with narrow alleys showcasing diverse, fashionable garments and leather goods. Great bargains are offered for wholesale purchases.
Another cheaper alternative for shopping is the Underground Mall. Some subway stations have shops underground that sell various items at relatively lower prices compared to ordinary shopping malls. We found a store that sells shoes for NT$200 only, really good deal!
If you're looking for electronic or computer goods, Guanghua Computer Market is the must visit place. You'll find great deals of all things related to computer. If you're lucky, you'll even get freebies from your purchases. It would be better to compare prices from different stores to be able to get the best deal.
What else will top the Taiwan must visit list other than TAIPEI 101?! As they say it, you've never been to Taiwan if you never set foot on this towering landmark. Pending the completion of Burj Dubai, it is still the World's tallest building to date. Given that this breathtaking Skyscraper was built by a country as small as Taiwan, to say that this has been a remarkable achievement by the Taiwanese is still an understatement. Taipei 101 epitomizes the vigour and intellect of Taiwanese expertise. Truly deserving of world's recognition and a traveller's respect. The first time my eyes laid on it, I was seized in absolute awe! Further, when I got inside, the marvel and grandeur of its beauty made me astounded! It's as if the city found a powerful yet elegant shield.
The next must see landmark is the Memorial Hall of Taiwan's great political ruler Chang Kai Shek. It's now known as the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. The big monument for the former president is situated in a wide, agreeably well landscaped courtyard. Since it's nearing winter time, the cool breeze and serene ambiance set the mood for lazing around.
The Chinese Garden with a nice Koi Pond inside the Park, is another spot to idle away at. It's so picturesque here! There's even a vending machine for feeds near the pond for those who would like to feed the Koi Fish. (That's Taiwan's animal welfare for you!)
Other than that, Taiwan is also known for comforting "hot springs". Although most are located on the outskirts of Taipei and remaining provinces, it's not difficult to find a restful one within or near the city. If you want to be relaxed, dip into one of Taiwan's natural bathhouses.
Given these choices, rightly, no country is too small to explore.
Given these choices, rightly, no country is too small to explore.
The Taiwan International Chain Stores for instance, showcased the emerging players in the segment but not limited to foods alone. However, still the apparent giants are 7-eleven and McDonalds.
Health and wellness is the name of the competition. A lot of products promoting health and vitality are very visible and popular. Replenish.., refresh.., restore.., re-young! These are becoming the mantra in this country.
In the Tea, Coffee and Wine Hall, you will feast on the delightful taste and aroma of warming beverages. Most Teas present in the trade fair were produced in Taiwan, Japan and China. Coffee products on the other hand, were made from Europe (Italy, Germany), America(Columbia, Honduras, etc.) and Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia). Green Tea is largely seen as more popular than Black or Oolong Tea. By the way, Tea here is elevated into a higher level. Promoting it doesn't stop from merely providing an appealing taste and aroma. From the finest tea cups to the right choice of concoctions, everything must be delicately taken cared of. From a visitor's point of view, it's like being transported to a homey tea house with the ambiance of natural tea landscapes. It's having a "complete tea experience" that exhibitors are trying to communicate. It is a culture that is worthy to share. Suffice it to say, most tea products came in natural, dried leaves form. Instant, powdered type is hardly visible. Likewise, it's more for end-user consumption rather than for further commercial processing. On Coffee trends, increasingly being well liked is the one with "no raw sugar" claim (2 in 1). Taste is strong and bold. It's under the brand name CAFE 21 made in Malaysia.
Among the few that offered commercial tea products for instant consumption is the KING KUNG HEALTH FOOD CO., LTD. They claim to have nutritional at the same time good tasting tea drinks. Some of the products we sampled which we found true to their claims were smoked plum soup, brown rice tea, ginger tea, burdock tea, taro coconut milk, maple syrup milk tea and ten grain nutritional tea.
Other products we also found promising when made available in an up and coming health and wellness driven market like the Philippines, are these Herbal Crackers and Vital Balance Biscuits. We noticed their high acceptability among Taiwanese. It only proved then that taste and health can complement each other in a finished product.
With that, this all about Taipei Post will be divided into 4 parts:
Part 1 - Good Eats in Taipei
Part 2 - Taiwan International Food Show
Part 3 - Going Around Taipei: The Must See
Part 4 - Shopping in Taipei
For now I'll let you have a taste of the first installment, the delightful Taiwanese Cuisine and the good eats Taipei can offer. In the entire duration of the trip, there was no meal occasion that my colleague and I did not enjoy. Every food that got into our palate deserved a pleasing nod or that popular Japanese sensory gesture, OISHI (masarap, delicious)! I've read from one Taiwanese Blog, that food courts in Taipei have great food finds as well. So off in our first day, we tried the FOOD COURT Cuisine. Opportunely, my first official food in Taipei did not fail me. It's a typical Chinese Bento Box that's affordable, filling and tasty (photo below). What a good way to welcome a Pinoy Tourist! Further I came to know that indeed Food Court Meals in Taipei are not mere so so. Some are treasures underground.
Dumpling Noodles - NT$110 (P146); Generally, clean, non-descript soup. This noodle soup showed us how good the texture of the noodles in Taiwan can be. Firm but enjoyably chewy.
Most Food Courts in Taipei boast of an enormous selection of baked goods. In Sogo Department Store for instance, you would feast on the inviting showcase and aroma of sumptuous cakes, pastries, cookies and a lot more. Just a mere peek from the chiller will make you salivate already. What's more interesting is the design of the cakes. Oh, I love to have a slice of this so cute Hello Kitty Cakes! But a part of me also wants to keep it whole for the sheer delight of its beauty.
Just like in Japan, LUNCH BOX is also popular here. A complete meal usually comes in attractive paper box. What's important to note, is that the food packed inside is equally appetizing as the design of the box outside. Although not visually clear from the photo, the print on this box states delicious, healthy, fresh, natural! This gained Taipei an initial thumbs up from me. How I wish, the Philippines will slowly veer away from using styro and plastics. It's but high time for us to be more eco-friendly similar to what our neighboring countries are doing.
Steamed Pork Dumplings (a natural winner, already good as is)
Braised Beef Noodles (a little spicy, quite fatty but juicy, flavoursome, worthy enough to be in Din Tai Fung's Finest Cuisine list)
There are two things Taiwanese love to do: shopping and eating. With no surprise, I lost count on how many night markets and shopping malls can be found in Taipei alone. Most Taiwanese flock to the Market not only to shop but more importantly to find great foods as well. Thus, it's not difficult to replenish that much needed energy whenever you do your shopping. Among the NIGHT MARKETS, the largest and the most popular in Taipei is the Shilin Night Market. There's a separate hall in this area that is largely dedicated for foods. The alleys can be easily filled with hungry mouths to feed, be it locals or wandering tourists. Different smells migrate from one corner to another, from one food stall to the next. Simply astonishing!
Outside the hall, there are people showing placards to sell foods. Isn't that a sample of Taiwanese's hard selling technique?
To add more zest to this dining experience, we did not resist trying their traditional drinks as well, the Taiwan Beer and the Plum Juice. However, since I have very limited alcohol threshold, I can hardly say how different their beer was against ours. For the Plum Juice, I gave it a score of 5 out of 5. According to the Taiwanese, this is best consumed after drinking a beer. Probably because it's refreshing and the juicy, sweet and sour characters of the plum juice wash out some bitter notes left by the alcohol. As for me, it's sufficient to replace water on that dinner occasion.
From our bountiful table, we feast on the following dishes...
From our bountiful table, we feast on the following dishes...
The newest and intriguing dining place in Taipei that is becoming more and more popular these days is the TOILET RESTAURANT. I saw it featured in one of the local news in the Philippines prior to my trip in Taipei. Thus, it certainly made its way to the must see list. Contrary to my initial notion that it might be "yucky" to try, it turned out to be just another out of the ordinary experience. I didn't find dining here disgusting nor nauseating. Simply, the ambiance is just DIFFERENT. The food is like any of those you find in typical restaurants. On the whole, it's the unique experience you'll come here for. If diners will be captured by the taste of the food the restaurant offers, it'll encourage a consistent following. Otherwise, those into a more adventurous feel are the ones who'll likely frequent this spot.
These are Shaved Ice flavored with Ice Cream and toppings placed in a ceramic, "bed pan" inspired serving dish. This is Taiwan's version of their Halo-Halo. But ours is still a lot better. The photo above is Strawberry Flavor, below is Chocolate. Both generously topped with sweet biscuits, raisins, cereals, red beans, chocolate bits, wafer sticks, mongo beans, marshmallows and other fruits. Did the shape of the soft served Ice Cream remind you of something?
With only limited time for such a wealthy culinary haven that is Taipei, I'm already thankful for a slice of a superb Taiwanese Cuisine.
(watch out for the other 3 installments related to this post...)