Taipei

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Visited Taipei for the first time this past December and it was a fantastic introduction to Taiwanese food! We had more recommendations than we knew what to do with as we got started with our time in the city.

Shortly after dropping our bags off at the hotel, we headed to Fu Hang Dou Jiang. The breakfast spot was located on the second floor of a two story market. The line up for it snaked out the second floor entrance down to the ground floor and around the building. Thankfully the line moved quickly. We were ordering at the counter a short 15 minutes after starting at the back of the line.

Kitchen at Fu Hang

Kitchen at Fu Hang

We got a bowl of cold soy milk, youtiao, and a piece of their oven baked thick bread. The soy milk was refreshing and the youtiao was hot out of the fryer, crispy and oily. The thick bread wasn’t my preference, especially compared to the combined flavour profile of the youtiao dipped in fresh soy milk.

Youtiao on top the thick egg bread, with a bowl of soy milk

Youtiao on top the thick egg bread, with a bowl of soy milk

As we were still a good three hours away from the hotel’s check in time, I googled for cafes in the area and stumbled upon Simple Kaffe near Fu Hang. It was a well laid out 2 story cafe that was packed. They had menus in Mandarin as well as English for your convenience. I enjoyed the matcha milk I ordered. It came with a thick layer of foamed milk, was densely milky and has a strong matcha flavour. A bonus point in my book was that the drink came in a 6 oz serving. The drink came sweetened, which paired well with the intense matcha milkiness.

Matcha Milk, Simple Kaffe

Matcha Milk, Simple Kaffe

We headed to Raohe Night Market that night, rounding off an entire day of feasting and exploring. We had planned to try the black pepper pork buns as we entered the market. When we went to Raohe around 7:50 PM on a Tuesday night however, the queue for buns curved around the block. We decided to explore the market first and try again as we exited. By the time we were done exploring the market two hours later, there was barely a line up. At NT$55/bun, and a generous portion, it was well worth buying.

The snack was super peppery, with tender flavourful meat, and a crispy and dense bun.

The market was packed, we inched our way through the massive crowds and line ups trying to spot foods that seemed promisingly delicious.

I spotted a man at a tiny counter selling muah chee and I had to order some to let Christine try it.

We also tried stinky tofu for the first time and it smelt so much worse than it tasted! The tofu tasted slightly fermented but mostly garlicky, with a tangy metallic aftertaste. The sauce it came doused in cut through the intense garlic flavour. Overall it was a yummy adventure.

The next day, we had xiao long bao (XLB) at the Din Tai Fung on XinYi Road, the original location of the massively popular chain. By the time we got there on our first visit just before 12 PM, it was a 60 minute wait for a table for two. The entire walkway and pavement was packed with tourists waiting for their number to be called. I was quite impressed with the efficiency the restaurant operated. You arrived and got a number as well as a menu in the appropriate language. Once you knew what you were going to order, you go back up to the front counter and place the orders and have them confirmed. Then, you continue waiting for your number to be called and get seated.

Once we got a table in the vast multi-story restaurant, we were speedily greeted and served hot tea. And then our dishes came in a staggered manner. We tried the fried shrimp pancakes, pork XLB, truffle XLB, shu mai, Taiwanese lettuce, spinach, beef noodles, and liu sha bao. It was a lot of food. But we finished it all!

Now, for a quick un-scientific bubble tea review. We tried four bubble tea places while in Taipei: Bobii Frutti, SOMA, Tiger Sugar, and Day Day Drink.

Bobii Frutti’s bubble tea had an excellent tea flavour without the accompanying bitterness. Their brown sugar pearls were soft and tasty, and the option for 100% sweetness was the perfect level of sweetness.

SOMA was a small hole in the wall store and packed when we got there. We realised quickly that the reason for the long wait was that the staff were packing a massive order for take out. We tried the oolong tea option which was delicious, I didn’t see an option to add pearls, and 30% sugar was the right level of sweetness.

We chanced upon Tiger Sugar at Shilin Night Market and had to order it despite being fairly full from our hours long feasting wandering around the market. The drink had an excellent tea flavour and soft chewy non-sweet pearls.

Day Day Drink was another stroke of luck, which we happened upon on the way to Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice eatery. This was our favourite of all the bubble teas we tried. The drink we ordered offered an intense tea flavour, and they had the softest pearls among the four brands we tried followed by Bobbi Fruitti. I found the 50% sugar level here to be the right balance for me.

We also squeezed in a visit to Maokong and were lucky enough to get to the front of the gondola line just in time for the sunset. It was a gorgeous ride up, though the night got chilly after dusk on the way back.

Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice eatery was our favourite food spot in Taipei. It was cheap, delicious, and filling. Really not much more we could have asked for. The “big” portion of braised pork rice we shared was in reality quite small even by Taiwanese standards, but combined with the side dishes we ordered, ended up being the right amount of food.

We ordered braised tofu, tea eggs, and sweet and sour pork soup as well. The food hit the spot. The best part was that all that cost us NT$150.

Shilin Night Market was insanely packed on the Friday night we chose to go. The crowds were evident from the MRT as we exited, all the way to and within the sprawling market itself. We tried so much food including the famous Taiwanese fried chicken. The gigantic Hometown Chicken fillet was served piping hot out their fryer and tremendously filling even shared between the two of us. It was crispy and tender meat that was doused in their BBQ sauce.

From the uniquely Taiwanese sausage in a sticky rice sausage snack, to fried milk balls, grilled mushrooms, Taiwanese oyster omelette, and sweet potato balls, we were stuffed by the end of the night.

During our stay, in our walks to and fro the MRT stations and convenience stores, we spotted a local bao stall near our hotel. It was the epitome of no frills street side food, with just one lady and massive bamboo steamers in front of her peddling her bao.

Of course we had to try it. After a brief inquiry on what types of bao she had on sale, we got 2 large pork buns for only NT$40. The very first bite revealed tender well marinated meat, and a soft fluffy and mildly sweet bao.

We managed to visit the National Palace Museum, which was an eye opening excursion. I learnt a lot about ceramics and the carving and sculpting of jade. I had expected more socio-political history focused exhibitions, much like the palace museum in Seoul, but each exhibit focused much more on the nature and history of the objects displayed.


The neighbourhood where we stayed was quirky and was lined with hip stores and amazing food in a maze of alleyways. One of the dessert spots that came well recommended was Soypresso. We got the original flavoured soy bean soft serve the first time we went. This was the best soy soft serve I’ve ever tried.

The soft serve in cone was mouthwatering, delivering fully on the fresh soy bean taste. The texture was deliciously creamy and the cone had an excellent crunch and flavour. We also tried the sesame soy bean soft serve on a subsequent visit and found the original one preferable.

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Soypresso also sold fresh soy milk which we had to get as well. The milk came with a strong soy bean flavour, and was a thick drink in the best possible way. You could taste the hint of roasted soybeans with every mouthful.

Of course, while in the area we had to try mango shaved ice. We tried two spots during our stay: King Mango and Smoothie House. The winner by far was King Mango. They had the finest shaved ice both of us have tasted, even compared to shaved ice in Seoul. The bowl came with ripe and generous mango servings.

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The day before we left, we visited Jiu Fen. The public bus ride took a few hours and thankfully dropped us off at the top of the mountain, avoiding the lengthy arduous stair climbing. It was ridiculously packed with tourists. It was most crowded at this one spot halfway down the steps which overlooked A Mei Tea House. Everyone was vying to take pictures of the tea house which apparently looks similar to the bathhouse in Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.

Walking down the crowded winding narrow streets, we came across an amazing taro ball dessert stall.

It was clearly popular as their employees were scooping out taro ball soup non-stop while others deftly swung and rolled out massive logs of dough and hand cut them into the small taro balls that each bowl was generously filled with. The taro balls were tremendously soft, and came with varied natural sweet potato and sesame flavours. The taro paired well with sweetness of the bean soup which we got iced.

Taiwan was interesting- we primarily focused on the food experience and I definitely felt everyone we encountered was friendly and warm. It helps if you speak some Mandarin or Taiwanese Hokkien, although between the two it seemed the older generation spoke Hokkien more frequently than the youth. The architecture was curious. It felt like I had been transported to the 1980s or ‘90s. Ultimately, it was a fantastic affordable city for a short trip that’s for sure.

Tokyo

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Tokyo was invigorating.

The Asakusabashi neighbourhood where we stayed had a buzzing nightlife. The area around the subway station was filled with narrow bars and tiny restaurants spilling out onto the pavements and side streets. Small tables were laid outside on the adjacent alleys for added restaurant space. Late on a Friday night when we arrived, we saw plenty of office workers having a late dinner with drinks, stumbling around or chatting loudly. Amidst their racket, a few couples were quietly having dinner.

One of the other neighbourhoods that had a distinct character was Akihabara. It was a massive anime and manga filled area we spent 5 hours in. I was completely mentally and physically exhausted by the time we were done. The entire experience was overwhelming and overstimulating. Loud music, anime clips, store sounds and more chimed everywhere we went.

It was also in Akihabara that I made my first and last visit to a “Maid Cafe.” I had never heard of this cafe concept before our trip! It seems to involve female servers dressed in maid outfits serving you food and performing. We went to @Home Maid Cafe which was a completely bizarre experience for me.

The cafe actually comprises an entire building and each floor had a sort of mini-cafe with different servers (“maids”) from what I could gather. All the servers were women in French maid costumes. Most of the guests were men.

We had to participate in little singalong cheers before eating and could request a small drawing on our food/drink by the server. The food was quite mediocre but it was clear that no one was there for a gourmet meal. There were performances involving the servers on a small stage dancing a routine with strobe lights flashing. There was a sign stating that you weren’t allowed to ask the maids probing questions about their personal lives and photos weren’t permitted except of our food.

After that bewildering experience, we spent hours walking around the Akihabara neighbourhood which spanned multiple street blocks. Many store buildings housed one specific anime company selling a vast range of animé and manga merchandise from key chains to comics and figurines. Given the size of the neighbourhood I would have expected it to be less densely packed but every street and store alike was filled with locals and tourists.

It was in Akihabara that we first discovered Don Quijote- a discount chain retailer. It was a multi-story madhouse. At first glance it seemed to be similar to Mustafa in Singapore. It sold everything: clothing, cosplay outfits, Kit Kat flavours exclusive to Japan, food, stationery and household goods, shoe wear, sex toys, and more.

We attended Mass on Saturday evening at the Franciscan Chapel Centre where the congregation and the entire chapel was packed. Dinner after was at Afuri Roppongi which we had chanced on the way to church. We placed our orders at a vending machine inside the small restaurant before finding a seat. Both the yuzu broth ramen and the dry ramen noodle bowl accompanied by a dipping sauce were interesting! The citrus flavour cut through the richness of the broth. I liked how tender the meat for both bowls was.

One observation I made in Japan was that we could rarely walk in a straight line to get to our destination. In many cases, to turn left, we had to head right. To go uphill, we had to head downhill before looping back around. It was always a winding path that led us to our end point. In Shinjuku station for example, we tried to find the right exit and ended up wandering from exit to exit for 30 minutes before giving up and leaving out the nearest one we saw.

We were curious to see what the bar scene was like in Tokyo and found what seemed to be the sole female-only karaoke bar called Gold Finger located in Shinjuku.

Gold Finger was filled to the brim with patrons and a pretty fun experience. We arrived near the end of their happy hour where an all-you-can-drink menu was in effect till 9:30 PM. The happy hour meant everyone in the already narrow small space were packed like sardines. Because of our limited Japanese, it was difficult to speak to anyone in the bar.

As luck would have it, we bumped into a few patrons who spoke English- a Dane, a Nederlander, and a Singaporean. The Dane happened to be fluent in Japanese, and after a few loud renditions of karaoke, showed us all around the LGBT scene in the neighbourhood. She pointed out discreet lesbian bars and the best gay clubs. We walked by a number of fabulously dressed drag queens on the side roads before ending up at Honey Bunny, a narrow basement bar that fit maybe 15 people, where she knew the bartenders. We talked the night away there.

Of the other noteworthy meals we had in Tokyo- I have to mention the conveyor belt sushi restaurant we stumbled upon at Katsumidori Seibu Shibuya right by the famed Shibuya Crossing. The filling feast was mouthwatering for the price tag of just under 5,000 yen for 2 people. Thankfully given the restaurant’s size- the wait of over 25 people in line sped by in under 30 minutes. The restaurant even provided around 2 dozen seats neatly arranged in a snaking line along the corridor for waiting patrons. It had a no reservations, first come first serve policy. The fewer people in your party, the quicker you were to be seated. 2 person parties frequently skipped dining groups of 4 or more much to our good luck. We enjoyed 16 plates of various types of sushi.

After dinner, we discovered a great bird’s eye view of the Shibuya Crossing from the free viewing deck atop Magnet by Shibuya 109. There was barely anyone there too! That same we checked out Ginza which we both deemed to be quite posh, filled with mostly rich Japanese and Chinese tourists.

One thing I appreciated so much about Japanese culture was the conscientiousness demonstrated throughout our trip. During our time in Tokyo, we bought a few pairs of Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, and because it was a rainy day, the staff wrapped each of our paper shopping bags in neatly folded plastic covers. When eating out, restaurants tended to have square baskets for your purses/bags below your seat so you wouldn’t have to put your things on the floor. The customer service ethos was unparalleled.

We managed to check out the new Tsukiji Market, rebranded as Toyosu Market. It was vast and new enough that some areas were still under construction.

Omakase at Sushi Daiwa in Toyosu Market was another fantastic sushi and sashimi experience. The line wasn't too long; we waited only about 30 minutes. Every piece was delectable with one exception. We were disappointed by the quality of the otoro. The otoro at Katsumidori Seibu Shibuya was better. The piece I had at Sushi Daiwa had a tough tendon running through the piece and Christine's contained a bone.

In terms of the Japanese palate, I noticed most dishes were seasoned lightly compared to say the Korean or North American standard. When we had cup noodles for dinner, they were much less savoury than the ones from the same brands sold in other countries. Even when we enjoyed a Kobe beef kaiseki on one of our last nights, the beef was paired with sides that accentuated its natural flavour profile, instead of being overwhelmed by competing tasting notes.

Transit wise- the transportation system was punctual and perfectly reliable to the minute. Everyone lined up in an orderly manner to get on or off. In most countries I’ve been to, peak hour tends to be around 5 to 7 PM. In Japan, we only experienced hordes of office workers heading home around 9 or 10 PM. It was a common sight for us to see red-faced, tipsy men in business attire on the trains home after 11 PM.

My last few thoughts: as a visitor, you definitely saw that Japanese society thrived on the orderliness and uniformity of everyone and everything. Office workers all dressed identically. Staff in any establishment ranging from restaurants to retail stores bowed when you entered or exited to thank you for your patronage. Everyone we met was tremendously polite. The appearance of homogeneity in Japan is an entire topic that could be discussed separately.

I thoroughly enjoyed Japan. It felt like an excellent balance of old and new. I’d go back in a heartbeat.