We decide to take the coach bus (Ubus, 統聯客運) from Taichung to Taipei, the ticket cost NT230 per person. The ride took about 2hr 30min.
Finally we reached Taipei after the long journey and we alight at the Taipei Main Station Bus Interchange (台北車站).
I choose The Tango Hotels for our lodge at Taipei, near Zhongshan Station. I love the hotel, the bathroom has bathtub and television, the toilet seat come with the electronic bidet, there are microwave and the fridge drink are free to consume, beside the bed there is also a L-shape sofa to relax but we utilse the sofa to put our barang (stuff) and most importantly the location are surrounded with shopping center and there are lots of shop (Daiso, bakery, fashion shop etc) directly beside and opposite the hotel.
Day 4 - 15 August 2014
Morning plan to visit Yehliu (野柳地质公园), they are famous of the nature formed rocks. The lime light is the Queen Head.
We took Kuo Kuang bus (国光客运), number 1815 to Yehliu. We had a hard time looking out for the bus station. Initially I thought the bus station is located at the Taipei main station but I'm wrong. Is located at another building call 捷運南勢角站轉乘停車場, many of the locate Taiwanese didn't know where is the bus station either. Thanks to the eldest people gave us the route way information.
Here we are, the journey took about 2hrs to reached. After alight, still have to walk a distance to reach the destination. You will pass by a temple.
Later on we proceed to Danshui, 淡水老街. From Yehliu, we took bus number 862 to Danshui. Bus stop is located outside the main road, not the opposite bus stop.
Our first stop, late lunch at 曾記阿給。Honestly I do not recommend this shop because the food not very decent and portion given are pretty stingy. As I feeling so hungry and because this shop provide table and chair for the patron so I choose to enter and try their food.
A menu order list is given to choose the food and payment must be make at the counter before the food will be serve. I choose 清蒸肉圆 and he choose 古早乾面。=)
Steam pork meat ball (清蒸肉圆), the dough is too thick and meat inside is so little. Is like eating savoury muah chee.
A view of the Tamsui Old Street map.
A nice view of Tamsui old street.
BF want to try this fried milk ball, he said this snack is nice.
We saw this giant squid but didn't buy and try as we are quite full by than. It doesn't look appetizing to us. That all for the day 4, we are exhausted by than.
Day 5 - 16 August 2014
The day before, we saw Tim Ho Wan (the first outlet in Taipei) when we pass by while walking towards the 捷運南勢角站轉乘停車場。Is located opposite of the Taipei Main Bus Station. I told BF I want to try the next day for breakfast. The next day when we arrive outside the restaurant at 9.50am, we saw a long snaking queue and guess what. The restaurant operate at 11am so we decided to give a miss as we are heading towards 九份.
Here we go, we took the TRA from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang (瑞芳) Station. Total 11 stop to Ruifang station, appropriately 1hr to reach. A view of the map station.
Here we are at Ruifang after one hour of journey. After exiting the station, follow the signboard guarding to Jiufen bus stop. This is the bus stop (as shown in the picture above) to take the bus. Just follow the queue, most of the people are heading towards Jiufen too.
The bus journey took about 15 to 20 minutes.
As usually, super crowded and very squeezing.
Our first food item over there is grilled mushroom, it look so interesting and yummy. The seller apply a layer of sweet sauce on the mushroom, grill till slightly brown and cut into bites pieces. The mushroom taste really good, the texture is chewy and the sweet sauce combination with the mushroom taste so delicious.
We saw this crystal red meat ball but didn't buy to try as we are pretty full due to the breakfast we had earlier.
A scenery view from the top of the hill.
After reached up the hill, we are drain from the hot weather. Just nice we saw one store selling cold dessert and we decided to order Taiwan famous mango shaved ice. Feel so shiok after we gorge down a bowl of cold cold ice.
We saw this narrow stair case down the hill and so we follow. This route is towards the ground floor where we alighted at the bus stop area. Overall Jiu Fen is more on food hunting and buying souvenir. Next stop we are gping to 十份. But you need to take the bus from Jiu Fen down the hill and go back to Ruifang station. Take TRA to Shifen station.
The train is super duper pack and squeeze, not even a little space to turn at all. Worst than our peak hour MRT train. No choice, that is the easier and cheaper way to reach there.
Upon arrived, we need to cross over the track to visit the shops and tourism attraction area.
The place is packed like sardine and the weather is really hot, 34°C on that afternoon.
We each bought a post card and mail it back to Singapore. Keep as a memory.
Saw a long bridge filled with crowd of people but we are too exhausted to walk over there. So we just hang around the train track area.
There are many people bought the lantern and waiting to light it up to the sky but once again I didn't join in the fun because I wanted to save the environment with lesser trash. Before I came to 十份, I have the thought of buy and light up the lantern too. But I saw those lanterns land down at the forest/hill after the fire are faded. I feel pitiful for the mother natural which are ruin with all the burn lanterns, hopefully there are people clean away. 
We missed the 4pm train and ended up waiting for the next train that arrived at 5pm. The train come every one hour so be punctual or I should said come early to queue because the train is packed with people. Try your best to squeeze in if you can. I don't think I will visit 十份 again because of the terrible transport unless you hire a taxi who will fetch you to there and back to hotel.
We missed the 4pm train and ended up waiting for the next train that arrived at 5pm. The train come every one hour so be punctual or I should said come early to queue because the train is packed with people. Try your best to squeeze in if you can. I don't think I will visit 十份 again because of the terrible transport unless you hire a taxi who will fetch you to there and back to hotel.
I went research for delicious breakfast at Taipei and people recommend 永和豆漿大王. They operated 24 hours! Which is good, anytime can visit when feel like having some soy milk and fried dough.
The place is located at 106, Taiwan, Section 2, Fuxing South Rd, 102號. Take MRT to Zhongxiao Dunhua Station. After alight, estimate 10 minute walk to 永和豆漿大王. You will pass by this fire station and the shop is right infront there.
Here we arrived outside the shop, is not difficult to locate the place. There are air conditional seat inside the shop.
The kitchen is an open concept when diner/consumer can see the process of making and cooking. Did you saw the blue label 内用區 (having here) and red label 外带區 (take away)。 At first when we reached there, we enter the shop and look for seat. Follow by look at the big menu board and decided what to order. Bf when to queue outside and order the food than the staff told him that he queue at the wrong queue. It should be the inside queue because outside that queue is for take away and inside the queue is for those who are having here. Hahaha, we are so blur but at least we learn something new and will take note if we saw that label again.
See the golden standing tall 油条 (you tiao) (*.*)
The big and clear menu board is placed inside the shop with price indication. We order 油条, 蛋饼夾肉鬆， 萝卜糕， 蛋饼夾油条，温豆浆 and 咸豆浆。
All the food we order are decent, crispy and fresh. My first try on salty soy milk but I prefer the warm soy milk.
We saw 101 building when we walking back to Zhongxiao Dunhua Station. Seem like so near yet so far. Later on we proceed to 五分埔. Take MRT from Zhongxiao Dunhua station to Houshanpi (後山埤) Station. There are sign board guide to 五分埔, follow and walk to there. I didn't buy much at 五分埔, nothing catch my eyes. I still prefer Bangkok clothing and fashion. =p
We had our late lunch at Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張). Bf wanted to try braised pork with steamed rice (滷肉飯). I remember we pass by this restaurant when we walk to 五分埔.
蹄膀 (Pig Trotters), the meat is soft and tender.
水耕菜 (Kang Kong with some special sauce), taste quite bland.
貢丸湯 (Meat Ball Soup), my flavour among all the dish. The meatball is super springy and bouncy, the soup taste light and flavourful. I order a second serving because one is just not enough for me. Muahaha!
After we done with the meal, we went back to 五分埔 for more shopping. Later on after the shopping, we went straight to Raohe Street Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市)。
Walk to Raohe Street Night Market from 五分埔 is not difficult at all, there are signboard guild to the place and is pretty near as well.
You will see a temple infront when you continue walk straight and Raohe Street Night Market is just located left side of the temple.
The moment we step inside this market, we saw a snake queue so we walk up further to check it out.
Tadah the famous 胡椒饼 (Pepper bun). Actually is a bun stuff with full of pork and spring onion with some sesame seed sprinkler on the surface of the bun.
The man behind the scenes rolling the dough.
The staffs are busy wrapping the dough with the filling. See how much the meat they stuff in and the spring onion too!!
See all the bun are so big and round.
The baked bun skin so crispy and thin. As for the filling is so juicy, love the pepper chunky meat and full with lots of spring onion. Yummy!! Missing it right right now.
The flavour and price are listed clearly at the glass which is easy to locate and see.
Pass by this stall selling beef cube meat. We was attracted by the cooking method they use. The chef used a pipe gas and fire it on the raw beef and keep toast and turn the meat till cook. The meat is tender and soft. We order a small portion because there are too many foods to eat at Raohe.
I saw this big pan of Okonomiyaki (日式大阪烧) but I was too full to stuff anymore. =(
The Dorayaki pancake look so pretty, all are so even and brown but I didn't buy any too.
I saw my flavour food, 棺材板 (Coffin Bread). Actually is a thick slice bread, deep fried in the oil and cut the center of the bread than stuff with filling of the choice. This is the small version of the 棺材板.
Next, we end our day with mango shaved ice with one scope of mango ice cream. This is so much better than the one we had at Jiufen.
Day 7 - 18 August 2014
The next morning we went back to Yongkang street as the day before I went to that watson outlet and bought the wrong face powder tone. I went to the watson that nearest to our hotel to check with the staff if I can change the product and they told me I need to go back to that outlet where I bought it.
Haizz no choice but luckily they allow me to change when I went back to the outlet where I bought the product. I saw an chinese restaurant, KaoChi which is located opposite the watson, so we decided to have dim sum for breaky.
The menu for dim sum. The choice are quite limited and some of the items are not ready yet and is already 10.30am when we reached there.
We order one plate of prawn chee cheong fun, one basket of char siu bao and siew mai. Luckily we didn't order much because my taste bud tell me that Taiwan dim sum not suitable for me. Especially the siew mai, the pork is too tough and is like eating chewy gum. We went to Xiementing in the noon.
阿宗麵線 is a must to try when you visit ximenting, the crowd is forever but the serving speed is fast.
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| We order the big portion, the taste is still as good as before I tried 4 years ago. The 麵線 is so smooth and the intestine is clean and soft to chew. After shopping at ximenting, we went back to hotel had a quick nap. After the power nap, we went to Shilin Night Market. |
The place changed a lot compare to 4 years ago when I visited here. The place look so much cleaner and neater.
The moment we arrived the place, I saw this 豪大大鸡排 （XXL fried chicken) store with queue but not very long yet because we arrive at around 5.40pm.
The chilli powder is not spicy at all compare to Singapore version Shilin. I prefer Taiwan large fried chicken, the size of the meat is really huge and tender.
豬血糕 (Pig Blood Cake) sprinkler will lot of peanuts bits. The cake doesn't have the blood taste and the texture is soft and chewy.
棺材板 (Coffin Bread), I saw my flavour food again. I order the pineapple with seafood fillings but I find the filling is too creamy. Non the less, I like the crispy bread.
Fried bee hoon with vegetable, nothing special and a little bit too oily.
Next we had the hotplate with chef cook in front of you. The price are very reasonable and affordable with hot and delicious food. We order one set meal to share in order to try more other goodies. Our set meal consist of prawns, bean sprout, cabbage and chicken.
That all for the dinner we had at the Shilin basement food court. After we fed our stomach and next will be shopping and to digest as well. Haha...
I saw this penis shape pancake and ice cream advertised on the TV & blog. Finally I get to saw this shop. Bf bought one ice pop but I can't remember the flavour. That all for the day at shilin, indeed he can really eat alot. >.<
Day 8 - 19 August 2014
The last day we only left half day in the morning, our flight depart at 2.30pm and we need to reach the airport at 12.30pm. Wake up early and go to 台北犁記餅店 to buy the famous 太阳饼 (Sun Cakes).
That period when I visited hit the Mid-Autumn Festival hence there are less variety over the counter but I'm still lucky that they are selling suncakes during this period because the staff told me usually mid-autumn period they doesn't sell suncakes because they are rushing and busy with the mooncake. Anyway I bought 2 boxes of suncakes, one for my family and friend another for my office colleagues.
After I came back from Taiwan than the news announce about the cooking oil scandal. The scandal sell recycled waste oil and animal feed oil to Taiwanese. By the time we knew it is too late, the lard oil already in our stomach. We threw all the food we bought back from Taiwan like instant noodles and sun cakes. What a waste but health is more important.
This is the asset we left for the trip. I will be back again to Taiwan, I love and enjoy the trip over there. =D
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