"Ameizing" Taipei!!! Part 2

Jiu Fen is a very popular mountain for tourists. According to my friend, she said this place has the most consolidation of Taiwanese ancient and well known brands of goodies. So it is a place not to be missed.

Jiu Fen is very easy to reach, take a MRT to Zhong Siao station, exit E and look for a bus stop that written 1602 or 1620 (if I can still remember correctly). Anyway, if you don't know the direction just go to any MRT control station for enquiry and you will know how to figure that out. Public bus journey is about 1 hour.
It is best to reach Jui Fen around 1030am (I think most shops should be open by then), take your time to enjoy sampling and shopping of the goodies, have lunch there and travel back down from the mountain before 2pm. The reason is when I arrived at 230pm it was already very crowded. And due to the old road which is very narrow, lots of package tour buses and cars it easily caused a huge traffic jam. Seats for the public buses are limited and no passagers are allow to stand for whole journey (in Taiwan traffic rule, buses using the highway, passagers are not allow to stand). We waited for almost 30 minutes to catch the bus back to the Taipei city due to long queue.

This yam dumpling with different colours and favours in hot or cold soup is so common in this mountain.

This is the first yummy that caught my attention. It is a freshly deep fried prawn ball.

It is sizzling hot. It goes so well with the prickles and chilly sauce. I am drooling again...

You walk, you see and then munch... then it starts all over again... hahaha

This is another local snack that I cannot miss when I am in Taipei. Muachi! It is so soft, light and not too sweet. And I can have a few in one go. These days they have some many flavours, strawberry, blueberry, greentea, yam, lemon etc. Tips: it never taste as good when you buy them back. Infact, I think the freshness can only last 2 days. I used to buy a few boxes home but it turned hard and chewy after 2 days.

What a simple delicacy! It goes really well with Tea.

You can see lots of local crafts and toys too.

This is something I have not tried before and it is really creative and interesting. A thin layer of crepe (pohpiah) wrap with coriander leaf, sprinkle with lots of peanuts and a scoop of ice cream. Our eyes were wide opened with a big smile when we have our first bite. So delicious. 

That is a huge block of peanut cube and it is scrap out only when it is needed. That is why, everything tasted so delicious and fresh. Keep it up, Taiwan! 

I didn't get a chance to try this. Apparently, it is like our Suen Kwey (Teochew) but instead of raddish it is wrap with red dates.

These are tins of local famous brand peanuts and crackers. 

The barbecue mushroom is one of my favourite. It tasted amazingly like Squids. Again it is very easy to prepare, barbecue mushroom and sprinkle some chilly powder and salt. That's it! It feels like a treat! Trust me, once you pick up the first piece with a toothpick, you just don't know how to stop until you can't find anymore in your cup. Thumbs up!!!

Once it is cooked, it is cut into big chunk and served in a cup.

Ru Rou Fan (minced pork with rice). This is what I called Taiwan national dish. It is so easy to find this in any part of the country. Sadly to say, my friend who ordered this do not really like it. He complaint that the rice was too wet and soft. Pity!

I was so happy when I saw this, homemade Winter Mellon Drinks. My body weakest part is my throat, everytime when I eat too much deep fried or chilly etc, anything that can caused heatiness my sore throat will say Hi instantly. After having 2 bottles from the bucket I feel so much better and relief.

When you walk all the way to the end of Jiu Fen, this is what you see. A spectacular view with a late winter chill. I can't ask for more!

This is something I never know how to appreciate, infact I would walk as fast as I could if  I know there is such stall around. Deep Fried Fermented beancurd! Is just like durains, some like it others run for their life when they smell it.

Usually I love to window shop those cake shops in department stalls. The decorations and packaging always catch my attention.   

How can you do without afternoon tea when you are having holiday? Find a nice seat, relax, have a aroma coffee with cakes and feel such moment as heavenly.   

Yes, this is how it served. Don't be fool by the look. This hokkien traditional snack called Wa Kwey. We used to have this in Singapore but these days I doubt is easy to find. It is made of Yam, Chinese mushroom, deep fried spring onion. This particular stall is one of the most famous stall in Taipei, it located at Ning Xia Ye Shi (Ning Xia night market). Ning Xia Ye Shi, is so called their local night market. From what I know, the local do not really fancy the Shi Ling Ye Shi where all tourists go.

It was already 10pm and we were near to our hotel, to our surprise we passed by this spa call Karada Factory. Its interior is rather contemporary and chic. So a friend and I happily walked in and requested for a slot each. Luck is not at our side, it was fulled. Sigh. Next time then!

Mostly are young therapists and their service looks really good.

"Ameizing" Taipei!!! Part 1

After my fourth trip to Taipei, I declared "Annual trip to Taipei is a must!" Firstly, the weather was so lovely. It was sunny most of the days and temperature was 13 degree in the evening and max 26 degree in the windy afternoon.

This trip I travelled with a big group of family and close friends so we get to try some round and rectangular table course dinners.

I have tried a few fantasic restaurants, not only the food was delicious, the price is definitely attractive and most importantly their services really make dining experiences so enjoyable.

On the first night, we (10 of us) were invited to this Cantonese restaurant just outside one of the train stations. It is a typical round table chinese dinner and the menu was really so extensive that you may get indecisive what to order. Fortunately, one of our friends who host the dinner had ordered a long list of food when he made arrangement for this reservation. In the end we counted we been served a total of 18 to 20 dishes. We have never been so well fed. It was such a wonderful evening. 

Yes, yes, yes...I can be bias. Even though I have not stay else where before in Taipei., what I really like about this hotel is, it actually popular among Japanese business travellers so the service is more to Japanese service culture. It is not located along the main road thus it is quiet most of the time and so convenient to reach the main Taipei Train Station and MRT. Lots of food and convenient stores around too.

I really like their bathroom, very spacious and well equiped. Just last January all bathrooms have up-graded a new electronic toilet bowls. It is so amazing, first of all the toilet bowl seat is always heated, once you complete your "business" just touch a button (many choices) a small water jet will take good care of all the cleaning and on top of that you can choice to be blown dry. For those who have not tried before will be giggling and smiling throughout the whole "ride". hahaha.....

The room itself consider pretty standard but I must highlight that the bed is the most comfortable that I have ever lay on. I really slept like baby..zzzz...ZZZZ...zzzz

This restaurant called Bite to Eat, it feels like the 15 Minutes that we have in Laselle Singapore. Very relaxing and causal setting. It was really crowded when we were there around 12pm and since we didn't make any reservation ( In Taipei if you wish to dine at famous restaurants reservation is a must) , we waited for almost 30 minutes before they started serving our orders. Food was quite good and ingredients used were rather fresh too.  Price is about $15 each, you get a appetitiser or soup, main course and dessert or coffee. Everyone of us paid willingly.

Bite to Eat locate around Zhong San MRT Station, it is not that easy to locate though.

It is a interesting place if you are going with a big group of friends. They do have huge table for as many as 10 people.

Behind this wall is the kitchen.

This is really soft and goes really well with soup

Stew vegetables as appetitiser

Duck Salad, Yummy!!!

Seafood Pasta with class

After lunch, since the weather was so comfy we strolled along the street and surprised to see so many exciting shops and what really caught our attention was the decorations and the colours of all these shops.

I am rather thrilled when I saw the Spa L'occitane, no doubt it not cheap and I wondering how come it has not come to Singapore yet?

This is gorgeous cafe, so cool. Would love to try this when I return to Taipei again.

Our Taipei trip meant to be free and easy so after lunch we decided to visit this mountain where they were having annual Calla Lilies blossom season. Honestly, we didn't expect the journey to be that long and rough. Buses that shutter to the Calla Lilies show took us about 90 minutes, it was so packed that we were sardined in standing position almost throughout the whole journey. The worst part was most of the Calla Lilies have been plucked even before the whole show ends, which suppose to last for about 2 weeks. With disappointment, we left and it was already getting dark when we were back in the Taipei City again.

It looks really sunny but the temperature is about 23 degree and with the wind in the mountain. What a beautiful day!!! 

Where are the Calla Lilies??? Ok, I did find some but scattered too widely. Sigh...

But the beautiful weather, the mountain view, the blue sky and the holiday feeling.... I am contented already. 

It will be perfect, if I am on a bicycle ride. Take deep breath of the fresh...mmm... this is what I called Life!

I have never seen this before. Pretty!



The project of "Let money work for you."

It all happened so fast! 3 weeks ago, a client of mine asked whether I am interested to be a "talent" for his client. Without thinking much and since it is a new experience I submitted a picture for selection. The following week, I was summoned to attend a 5 minutes casting in her office. A few days later, luck was with me and I have been selected.

On the day of shooting, I woke up early in the morning, had a big breakfast and met a big team of people for this project. From that moment, I realised that whao! it really involved quite a big group of people for just a shoot. It started at 7 am and by the time it all completed it was already 130pm. Most of the time, before the photographer hit the button, I was asked to post motionlessly on a particular spot, try to look relax, successful and confidence.

After make-up I was dressed up as golfer

I was amazed when I saw the actual shoot location. So nice!

What a professional team.

Fortunately that day it is not hot.

2 weeks later, it was out in Straits Times, Business Times and Todays paper.