So Taiwan wasn't really one of my to-go places, but we ended up going there anyway. And then I got there and wondered why Taiwan was never on my bucket list because my 13-year old self was obsessed with all things Taiwanese. Meteor Garden, Devil Beside You, F4, Wu Chun and Mike He anyone?
It was boiling hot, but not humid. I now appreciate anywhere more breathable and easier on the lungs than Hong Kong. I also appreciate anywhere with more space than Hong Kong. I forget how modern HK is sometimes; Taiwan has a slightly quaint and old-school feel. For anyone who's watched Meteor Garden, Taiwan still looks THE SAME. Fyi, MG was released 15 years ago and I was reliving it everywhere I walked.
We ended up eating and finding a lot more sushi than I expected (but Taiwan was once part of Japan's colony after all). This sushi restaurant with a train track conveyor belt was a particularly cute find.
We also had sashimi at Addiction Aquatic Development - a wet/wholesale market. Everything is fresh and I guess not as expensive as fresh sashimi could be, so basically it's sashimi heaven. There's a table area where you can stand and eat as soon as you buy. It was super busy, but genuinely the fattest and best scallops everrrrr.
Taipei is dotted with Instagrammable cafés. Oyami Café was a random find before we left to go to the airport. The interior was decked out like a pretty countryside, shabby chic wedding complete with bride and horse near the entrance. (Although the bride looked slightly creepy, so no pictures)
Instagrammable right?
We also went to Taipei 101, the 4th tallest building in the world, and home to the fastest passenger elevator in the world too. And of course we had to visit the famous Din Tai Fung (3 Michelin Stars chain specialising in xiao long bao). I think this one is their flagship or first store? Queuing time was a ridiculous 90 minutes so we just had takeaway. There's so many different variations, but the original xiao long bao has to be the best. And yes, I would say it's probably the best I've had.
We went to the Hello Kitty restaurant too, but I'll save that for another post. Need to come back here with my girl friends one day so we can do some clothes shopping in Xi Men Ding.
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