The last of Taiwan.

Fu-Hang Dou Jiang 阜杭豆漿
2F, Huashan Market Building.
Operating Hours: 530 am to 1030 am daily
Getting Here: Take the Blue Line to Shandao Temple Station. At exit 5, the Huashan Market Building is on your right.
 
I heard alot of stories before coming here.

Alot of stories. Mostly raves abt how amazing breakfast here is. Its so fabulous, the queue in the morning is insane. From the counter all the way to the stairs. I pinned on v high hopes before gg.

Only to be disappointed. Very.disappointed. Even my parents wondered why on earth did i bring them here. LOL. Perhaps our taste buds were simply weird. HAHAHAHA.

This is some pancake. LOL. Which doesnt register in my head cause it wasnt amazingly good. LOL.


Okay. You either love or hate this. Salted soy milk. This little bowl received so much raves and i cant help but ordered 2 bowls. Its done with the addition of vinegar making the beancurd winkled and evil looking. I read from somewhere that it consist of deep fried crullers (OMG at the oil) pickled mustard greens, scallions and hot oil. (OKAY. this is really not traditional beancurd)

This is otherwise called chawanmushi cause its salty. But it makes me nauseous. I am not kidding. I almost turned blue colour eating this. (OMG, how can they replace and think this of chawanmushi ? thats my fav leh?  O.o)

Even my rubbish bin papa eng cant take this. I am so sorry chawanmushi, I really really don like to waste food. But i reallly don have a choice that morning. I cant afford to put you in my stomach. My mama says i must leave you untouched. I am sorry.


HAHAHA. Okay fine. I choose to believe the eng family have got weird taste buds.

But i think everyone should still give this a try! Food is kind of subjective. I choose not to like this. Maybe it will still turn out to be your favourite chinese style breakfast in the world! XX family love this TTM though!

There must be a reason for the nv ending queue. Be there early; before 8am. Else the queue for the morning crowd is even more crazy. (:

If i didnt wrongly it wrongly, they are CLOSED ON MONDAYS.

佳德糕餅有限公司
CHIA TE BAKERY CO. 
105台北市南京東路5段88號
營業時間: AM7:30~PM9:30

I took a cab from there to go for the best Sun biscuits. I really heard alot ALOT of raves abt this. Not sold any elsewhere in the entire Taiwan. Only here. Despite its secluded location, ppl still flocked there. Its not close to any MRT. You will have to take a bus should if you decide to take public transport. Else you can take train to the nearest station and cab there!

So you see, I trusted alot of reviews i read and 50% failed me. Or should i say 70% failed me. LOL. BUT. I decided to trust my last review. And i am glad i cab there.

AND.IT.DIDNT.FAIL.ME. omg. -slurps-



I came here only for my favourite 太阳饼.
All freshly baked from the oven. I still rmb the freshly baked smell empowering the entire shop.

I have to wait for them to cool before i could seal up the each individual packs at the hotel. If you are a milk fan, try this. Try one for yourself and you will love it.

No, I am not a fan of wife biscuit. HAHA.

My colleagues love their  凰梨酥. I am a fan of taiwan style 凰梨酥 though. But as usual, i spent a bomb here. Ma chiam all free one.

If I ever return Taiwan again, i DIE DIE also wanna come here lor. HAHAHA.

貓空纜車 


How to come: Alight at the last station. Follow signs out of the MRT and head for the Maokong Gondola.
Operating Hours:
CLOSED ON MONDAY
Tuesday to Thursday: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday: 9:00am to 10:00pm
Saturday and national holidays: 8:30 am to 10:00 pm on
Sunday: 8:30am to 9:00pm

I dont intend to come here initially, cause i thought i have a very packed schedule. But it turns out that i have way too much time so i decided to kill time by coming here instead!

The tickets are v cheap. $2 per ride per person if you intend to get down at the last stop..
The price of the crystal or normal cabin are the same.

I enjoy taking cable car actually. To see the greens and scenic views. I saw the entire Taipei! Or i thought so to be. HAHAHA.




Hello Taipei 101!


I wonder if he is cold. HAHAHA.




This is v neat farming.






This is what a crystal cabin means. Supposed you are afraid of heights, i suggest you take the normal cabin instead!
Truth is, there is nth much to do up on the mountain. LOL. I head down in less than 15 mins up there. HAHAHAHA. Its purely to kill time and just enjoy the ride.
My parents are not keen to try out any tea dishes so we headed down almost immediately!

I am a milk person and i cant help but try the many different flavours of milk in Taiwan! ^^



Why Singapore dont have?

Anyway, if you are at the airport. Try this.




This is the shop the created the world's first bubble tea. HAHAHA. And its actually pretty good! (:

Bye Taiwan! I hope I will back soon. (:

Danshui Old Street 淡水老街, Xinbeitou 新北投; Thermal valley

I am back to continue my Taiwan entry, even though it happened 2 mths ago. LOL.
Oh wells.

so here goes.
Day 4: Danshui Old Street 淡水老街, Xinbeitou 新北投; Thermal valley

I begin the day with a cup of bitter groud juice. OMG. This is the best juice anyone can have for detox. And, this drink is really not that bitter. The appearance scare most off, but I can assure you this is good stuff.


Favourite this. Its nt the same species at the green ones you see in Singapore.
White coloured version bitter groud are less bitter.


Bitter groud + pineapple is just, TOK GONG man. Its divine.
This is illegal drink. Singapore dont have okay.



I head off and went to Danshui Old Street 淡水老街. Of which, I got a scolding from my parents for wasting their time and bringing them all the way here. LOL.

Getting There: Danshui (Red) Line to its northern end at Danshui Station.  
Food to eat:

小卷, 淡水鱼丸(可口鱼丸才是老店), 糯米肠(半屏店), 阿婆的酸梅汤, 珍珠奶茶(五十岚较好喝) , 许义鱼酥 (味香鱼丸店), 阿婆铁蛋 - -135 Zhongzheng Road (Old Street),  黑店排骨饭, 沪尾豆花, 碳考臭豆腐, 烤鱿鱼, Fish crisps (魚酥), Ah-Gei (阿給) ,阿香烤鳥蛋 –台北縣淡水鎮中正路137號前, Swirly fresh potato chips (黃色巨塔) 

Very easy to go. Just follow signs. No major buildings for you to look out for. The long street itself is  淡水老街.
 

Its basically, a long row of street on either side selling mostly food, snacks, cakes and nonsense.. LOL.

 



And everyone come to 淡水老街 to have this.


Honestly, it taste horrible. I think its the least appetizing food I had in Taiwan. LOL. I have no idea what is all the fuss with this dish. It is supposedly to be the most famous dish in Danshui. Everyone will ask you to try. But, I have alot of difficulty understanding why. Even my papa dont want to eat leh. Its that bad. LOL.

Ah Gei 阿給 is  fried tofu stuffed with glass noodles in a spicy sauce and sealed with fish paste (surimi). In my most humble opinion, it taste horrible. Its awful and fishy. And it really doesnt look pleasing to the eyes anyway,
 

What is all the fuss abt these fishballs too? I have no idea. Mama say, "All the supposedly good reviews I found turned out to be v disappointing and I am not to trust those reviews again."

Either I/we am too picky, or Taiwan just hates me. LOL.


I forget what they stuff inside the fish ball alr! Its yet another awful content. LOL.


Guess what are these. They look like worms. Think again.


On a closer look.


Guess whose palm are this.


I.AM.OUT.OF.MY.MIND.

As i think back, I have no idea why i let the uncle placed that 8 leg creature with a light blue brain on my palm.

I am not thinking straight. Fun for the first 10 seconds for trying sth new. When reality kicks in and all the adrenaline rush is over, I started to panic and freak out at the alien creature on my palm. I almost screamed. LOL.

WTF. My mama cant believe I actually have the courage to put that on my palm. LOL. She knows, how much I am scared of animals. Be it fury, hair, scales and blah blah. I dont even dare to touch my goldfish despite keeping them for 10 yrs okay. LOL.

Damshui is really nth much. Just to come here for the Ah Gei 阿給 and fishballs are too much of a hassle. The river is just, a river. LOL. I didnt head for the lover bridge cause my lover XX is not with me. In short, its just not worth the time and effort gg la.

The famous fish flavoured snacks are available everywhere in Taiwan anyway!

I head for my next destination Xinbeitou after that!
Getting there: Take the subway to Beitou station and change trains to Xinbeitou station, which is just one stop away.

The v cute MTR station.




I enjoy looking at nicely decorated trains! Much nicer than Singapore's boring MRT. LOL.


And the trains to xinbeitou are specially made w a hot spring theme.
There are interactive TV for you to play! LOL. If I didnt rmb wrongly, the interactive TV consist of maps, history for the hot springs in beitou.


To go to Thermal Valley: 


Location: Zhongshan Road, Beitou district (near Beitou Park)
Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday; free entrance (close on
Mondays)
Transportation:  Get off at Xinbeitou 新北投 MRT Station, walk along the Zhongshan Road next to the Beitou Park, across Beitou Hot Spring Museum, and then proceed forward about 10 minutes.


As you exit the station, cross the road and keep walking straight ahead. You will pass by a library


To the right of the path would be the Ketagalan Cultural Center, Beitou library, Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Beitou Outdoor Public Bath, and various hotels.

Ketagalan Cultural Center; Its free entry.
 



Beitou hot spring museum. Its free entry as well.
 

And then you will see the Public hot spring pool.
$2 SGD per entry.



And then, you will reach here!

Head towards to the path beside the yellow building on the left.

And then you will reach the entrance of Thermal valley.




I think its worth coming here though! Even though you only see a pool of  hot spring water with streaming coming out. LOL.




In short, Thermal valley is a place with huge clouds of steam and pungent odor of sulfur fuming from the hot spring source. Which is SMELLY. HAHAHAHA. Hi, rotten eggs.

Okay la, i admit. I am exaggerating. Its not that smelly. LOL.



There is a whole list of chemistry behind the formation of these. But, I am not interested to find out more. Although I find the entire place amazing. Its an isolated natural pond of spring water heated up by volcanic rocks from underneath



The temperature of the Thermal Valley pool is about 100 degrees Celsius. So its really quite hot. LOL. But no, the water consist of many minerals in it, so the boiling pt is not 100 degrees. Else there is no water. All stream. Only pure water boiling pt is 100 degrees Celsius. HAHAHAHA.

The Thermal Valley pool has an emerald bluish green colour and constantly producing fumesssssssss.
 

Dogs in Taiwan all look like toys. LOL.


Exit the Thermal valley, you will be able to find the hot spring water from the Thermal Valley mixing with another river source of cold spring water into the Beitou River.



The result is a luke warm temperature hot spring water, perfect to soak your aching feet.  The best deal of all this is, ITS FREE. And then i saw some locals sitting at some rocks nearby soaking their feet in the hot water. Just simply walk down the path, you will see some stairs leading down towards the side of the river. So, i monkey see and monkey do. My bro have no intention of gg for hot spring bath anyway.

Scalding hot at first before it turns to shiok. The perfect way to soothe your aching feet after a long day of walking.


Note: Some of the hot springs hotels in Beitou do not offer real natural hotsprings in their facilities, as some of them simply pump boiling tap water and just mix sulfur powder. They will give your alot more privacy, but usually they cost abt $50 - $100 person.

Its a give and take. (:

Well, you can only stay in hot spring for 15 mins max, full body in. Is it worth it to pay so much for it? Else, if you dont mind, you can always go for the public hot spring bath!

And then mama and I headed to Shilin night market! (Although I heard the best night market in Taipei is actually Shida. LOL.)

Location: Around Wenlin Road (文林路) & Dadong Road (大東路)

Getting There: MRT Danshui (Red) Line to Jiantan 剑谭 Station. The food court is located directly across the street from the station with the rest of the night market spreading out to the north. (Last MRT train leaves Jiantan station around midnight).

Food:  Hao Da Chicken Steak (豪大大鸡排), fried buns (生煎包), lemon aiyu jelly (檸檬愛玉), peanut candy (花生糖), bubble tea (珍珠奶茶), snow flakes crushed ice (雪花冰), braised stinky tofu (紅燒臭豆腐), Bun in a Bun (大餅包小餅), Mango-bin (芒果冰), small bun wrapped in big bun (大餅包小餅) & oyster omelet (蚵仔煎)  

刀削面, 猪肝汤, 蚵仔煎, 高雄肉丸, 大饼包小饼, 士林大香肠, 蕃茄沾姜汁, 东山鸭头, 青蛙下蛋, 炒花枝, 红油抄手等, 大饼包小饼, 生炒花枝羹, 十全排骨, 士林青蛙下蛋

 




Mama is not a big eater and there is only so much food I can eat. LOL.

Ah zhong mian xian is still nicer. Probably because this stall has got oysters and i hate it.


Pls do not ask them to add sugar for you okay. I hate it when vendors secretly add sugar just to make the drink nicer.

And its actually v easy to make papaya milkshake! LOL.


This is damn nice. Their green bean is TOK GONG man. Pls drink this.

I see ppl queue, I also queue. LOL. This is so oily and i dont like bacon at all. The moral of the story is not to be a copy cat. LOL.