With faith and love

Travelogue to Taiwan Part 2

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Day 2 (Taichung)
03/09/2015
Places visited: Sun Moon Lake 日月谭｜Feng Chia Night Market 逢甲夜市
Food:

Started our day having breakfast at the hotel cafe which wasn't fantastic. Took bus 106 opposite Macdonald (near our hotel @ Feng Chia night market) to HSR Taichung station to purchase the tickets to Sun Moon Lake. From there, you can take the Nantou bus.

We purchased the 990 TWD because I wanted to sit cable car. Haha This ticket includes the bus to and from Taichung HSR, unlimited boat rides, unlimited bus rides and of course the cable car tickets.

At Xuanguang Temple, nothing much over here except there's a famous tea flavoured egg 茶叶蛋. Personally don't find it amazing. Good tourist location.

Off to Ita Thao Pier where there were more food here.

This yummy boneless chicken stuffed with fragrant glutinous rice and the chilli and spring onions add another punch to it.

This deep fried mushroom was terrible :( my sis was eating and spilt out many pieces of plastic. Ahhh! There was a kid who ordered it too. I hope he knows how to differentiate and don't swallow it.

Take 106 back to feng chia night market from Taichung HSR.

Salmon Ikura Don which cause less than 10 dollars.

Dine at this store as we were craving for Japanese food. Food was normal but good pricing.

A better view of the Jap eatery at Feng Chia Night Market. Ended the night with lots of good food at the night market!

Yummy yummy clams that you can find in the night market! Choose Garlic! :D

Day 3 (Taichung, Taipei)
04/09/2015
Places visited: Taipei 101 | Ximending
Food: Lai Lai Soyabean Milk Shop 来来豆浆 | Dazzling Cafe (Sunshine)

Good Morning!

Took a bus to Lai Lai Soyabean Milk Shop 来来豆浆 to have breakfast!

Assorted breakfast in Taichung.

Salty bean curd which I was not use to it. Definitely an acquired taste. The food was good but the ironic was the soya milk was crap. There was a burnt smell which ruin the whole taste.

Lai Lai Soyabean Milk Shop 来来豆浆

No 91-2 Section 3, Wenxin Road, Taichung

台中市四屯区文心路3段91-2号

Reason to return: Try other stuffs!

Took a bus to Taipei after checking out. We checked in to our Airbnb apartment upon reaching Ximending which both of us wasn't happy about it. How the apartment can totally ruin your holiday.

Travelled to Taipei 101, did some shopping before proceeding to Dazzling cafe.

Was very excited to try because of the hype in Singapore. You can totally skip this. The toast was so hard and dry. The taste wasn't flavourful. Nothing nice at all. I don't know if it is the same kind of standard in Singapore because I haven't tried yet and I doubt so after this experience in Taiwan. After you dessert from Thailand is at least 10 times better than this.

Dazzling Cafe (Sunshine)

No 11, Alley 7, Lane 205, Section 4, Zhongxiao E Road, Da'an District, Taipei City 106

台北市信義区松壽路11号

Reason to return: Noooo.

Ended our dinner with a comfort beef don located at the basement level of Dazzling cafe. Dread going back to our apartment. Sigh!

Had a long discussion with my sister whether to move out but we decide to stay because host's friend was really nice and he was trying his very best to make us feel good about the apartment and of course strictly no refund. I will share more about it next time.

Labels: free&easy, holidays, taichung, taipei, taiwan, travelogue

Travelogue to Taiwan Part 1

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Booked a promotion ticket for $250 all in per pax including excess baggage via Jetstar. Hehe :D
Though it wasn't the first time for me to fly to Taiwan, I was actually quite excited because I would be travelling with my sister.

Day 1 (Taichung)
02/09/2015
Places visited: 一福堂老店 | Miyahara Ophthalmology Department 宫原眼科 | ~~Gaomei Wetlands 高美湿地~~
Food: Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 | The Forth Credit Cooperation 台中第四信用合作社 | Elixir Health Pot 无老锅

Flight was midnight and we reached Taoyuan airport early in the morning. Great thing about Taiwan is the unlimited free data at affordable price and they do everything for you (change sim card, activation).

My sis opted for bus to Taichung instead of High Speed Rail which I planned. The bus seat was really comfortable and spacious.

Upon reaching Taichung Main Station, we placed our luggages at the baggage services before exploring places near the station.

First stop in Taichung - Chun Shui Tang 春水堂
We have to visit this store because it's where the first bubble milk tea originated. Haha Head to the pioneer outlet at Siwei street.

The store wasn't crowded and there wasn't much choice of food because we went during breakfast time.

We ordered some light snacks to share Siew Mai, 甜不辣 (Fish Paste), carrot cake. Personally love the carrot cake but others were mediocre. Of course not to miss the pearl milk tea which consist of too many pearls!

Chun Shui Tang 春水堂

No 30 Siwei Street, West District, Taichung City 403

四维街30号

0800 - 2200

Reason to return: try the lunch/ dinner menu!

What you cannot miss in taichung if you love pastries is sun biscuits 太阳饼! We went to the famous 阿明师老店太阳堂 which many blogs recommended. I find the 太阳饼 too sweet for my liking so we didn't purchase any.

Walked along the streets and we found other pastries stores.

We bought all our sun biscuit from 一福堂老店. It's so far the best we can find along the street. Haha the 太阳饼 aren't too sweet and moist inside. Thumbs up! The lemon tart looks tempting but we didn't get any because there wasn't sample to try.

一福堂老店

No 67 Zhongshan Road, Zhong District, Taichung City 400

台中市中区中山路67号

0900 - 2200

We bought over 40 pieces of sun biscuits but was decline when we requested for 3 small boxes (just hard cupboard type) to repack it at first. I don't know but I feel that the service staff or maybe the boss is too stingy? Just 3 hard cupboard box and it seem like the boxes cost a lot? Hmmm. Anyway we managed to get 3 boxes after some "teng-ing" -.-

Nice interior design in Miyahara Ophthalmology Department which sells pastries. This store as the name suggests was an ophthalmology clinic in the past. The store started out selling cheese cakes to many different pastries now! They also sell ice cream and tea now.

Miyahara Ophthalmology Department 宫原眼科

No 20 Zhongshan Road, Zhong District, Taichung City 400

台中市中区中山路20号

1000 - 2200

We walked 10 minutes to the sister branch of Miyahara which is call The Forth Credit Cooperation 台中第四信用合作社

There were so many ice cream flavours to choose but no tasting allow. Hence we just went with the recommended flavours shown on the menu. The dessert is photo worthy but the ice creams taste like crap! The ice creams weren't creamy. The only yummy toppings were the cheesecake and butterfly! 好看不好吃 Definitely not going back for dessert next time. Maybe can consider buying the box of butterfly biscuits.

The Forth Credit Cooperation 台中第四信用合作社

No 72 Zhongshan Road, Zhong District, Taichung City 400

台中市中区中山路72号

1000 - 2200

Reasons to return: Nope. you can totally skip this.

We went back to Taichung Main Station to take our luggage before taking public bus to our hotel. We stayed near Feng Chia Night Market (remember to purchase a you you card if you are planning to use their public transports)

The moment we reached Le Parker Hotel, we bathe and dozed off. Hahaha totally cancel our plan to Gaomei Wetland. Maybe next time? :(

Woke up in the evening and decided to shop around at Feng Chia before heading to our dinner place. The road to our dinner place was extremely tiring! From Goggle map, it showed 10 minutes walk to destination but ended up walking 1 hour and 45 mins to our dinner place. Hahahaha! Got nagged by my sister and guess what happened?

Our table full of food and this was only one side of our table. My sister said YES to everything the waitress recommended. I made her walked too much.

Everything was delicious on the table. This steamboat place call 无老锅 is a must try! We ordered the beauty pot soup as we were afraid that the mala 麻辣 would be too spicy for us to handle. They serve free flow of duck blood and bean curd skin. You can omit the duck blood if you aren't a fan of it. Personally feel that it's better than Hai Di Lao!

You will like it if you love the collagen beauty pot in Plaza Singapura. The soup base at 无老锅 isn't as thick as the collagen beauty pot which wouldn't make you feel jelat drinking it.

Elixir Health Pot 无老锅

No 74, Section 2, Gongyi Road, Nantun District, Taichung City 408

台中市南屯区公益路二段74号

1130 - 0400

Anyway remember to make a reservation if you don't want to feel disappointed. There wasn't much people when I went during dinner time at 8pm. So good luck!

Labels: free&easy, taichung, taiwan, travelogue

Fat May

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Food: Long Beach Seafood @ Dempsey | Pollen @ Garden by the bay

Perfect excuse to get fat when it's your birthday month.

It's been a long time since we last dine here! Food is still awesome especially the pumpkin fish maw soup!

My main course looks lonely! In my opinion, food was mediocre. My beef was not cooked according to the doneness I wanted. A big disappointment as I was expecting more but service crews were nice (although they didn't bother to ask about my half unfinished beef).

Delicious birthday cake and great companion to end off my night. :D

Thank you family and friends for all the well wishes and gifts! Hehe

Didn't have a great start this year, hopefully all will come to an end soon! I need to rush my paper work! Ah!

Labels: celebration

Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Thank you for sacrificing all your life to give me such a peaceful and beautiful city. For you have made me so proud for being a Singaporean and calling Singapore my home.

May you rest in peace!

Thank you!

Labels: thoughts

I will be with you

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

I will be physically there for you.

I will be your listening ears.

I will text you to make sure you are alright.

I will text you to make sure you are home safely.

I will call you and chat with you.

I will be there even though you will ruin my mood.

I will be there for you. really.

I know we all need to deal with problems but after this depressing incident (!@#$%), I learned the importance of being with you when you need me.

Because I do need you but I have no idea why you didn't care?

Labels: thoughts

Travelogue to Bangkok

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Day 1 (Bangkok)

Place Visited: Bobae Market | River City Shopping Complex | Wang Lang Market | Central World

Food: The Dish | Nara Thai Cuisine

Sawadee ka! So happy to be able to make this last minute short trip to Bangkok. There wasn't any itinerary because we just wanted to relax, chill and of course shopping for me! Hahaha

Travelling on klong boats. Definitely a much faster way to reach your destination. :)

We thought of visiting Bobae Tower since many suppliers get their goods here. I see rows of vendor selling yellow T-shirt. There wasn't anything I like in Bobae Tower so no more coming back!

Randomly choosing street food to eat. Every thing is nice when it's unhealthy! Haha

I want to try this next time. Is this call grilled snakehead fish?

Since there wasn't much in Bobae, we took the klong boat to another ~~random place~~ Si Phaya Pier. We decided to stopped by since the shopping mall (River City Shopping Complex) looks welcoming and grand! Haha okay it was the air-condition that was welcoming.

I enjoyed shopping at Naraya outlet because there wasn't much people. You know how scary some Naraya outlets can get right especially in Central World Plaza. Haha

Resting my feet at must visit place when I am in Bangkok - Grand Canyon Coffee at River City Shopping Complex.

Off to Wang Lang market to visit one of my favourite place for good Kor Moo Yang (Grilled Pork) This is the best I have eaten so far in BKK.

Anyway it was sold out. D: Totally mood less.... Well we settled for other decent food then. There have both English and Thai Menu so remember to request for the English Menu.

Oh just realised I can't find the address online.

The dish

Wang Lang Market (Can't seem to find the address online)

Reason to return: Charcoal Boiled Grilled Pork.

Back to our hotel for a quick shower before we head out to our favourite restaurant in Central world plaza. - Nara

This is why both of us gain in size! Haha

Nara Thai Cuisine

Central World Plaza Level 7

Reasons to return: Phai Thai and Tom Yum Gung.

It would be better if the tom yum kung was served piping hot.

Day 2
Place Visited: Chatuchak Market | Union Mall
Food: After you

Good Morning! It's freaking hot but I can't complain because you can find really affordable items here.

Having yummy boat noodles at Chatuchak Market. You can't go wrong when u see many thai eating from here. We had 2 bowl each!

Hahaha serve you right S for being greedy! Unable to eat my favourite Kor Moo Yang yesterday, I googled to see if I can find any at other place.

Moo Yang Nam Peung
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Area 22 Soi 4
Reason to return: None!

So apparently this was quite popular as there were many locals buying from them and S ordered one big packet! Unfortunately, it tasted normal. Haha and the meat was too hard.

Thai Fish cakes

Love eating the grilled pork along the food street which cost 10 baht per stick! Haha Super delicious!

Headed our way to Union Mall, one stop away from Chatuchak Weekend Market. Lots of shopping here and the aisles were much bigger and comfortable to shop! but I only see women apparels! Haha poor S.