Desserts and Fruits in Taipei

While planning this trip, I knew I had to try Taiwan's Shaved Ice. Jeff and Joan recommended a place for Mango Ice (Yong Kang 15, formerly Ice Monster). The serving size was huge, but it was so delicious, light and refreshing that we could have had one each! This is such an ideal dessert for a hot and humid climate.

When I go on trips, I try to make an effort to keep up my healthy lifestyle - drinking enough water each day and having a good amount of fruits and vegetables. To satisfy our fruit intake, we usually stop by a local market or grocery for some local fruit. The selections were so clean and huge! It is so refreshing to see fresh and healthy looking fruits, especially coming from Manila.

Here are a few pictures. Remember, place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Shabu Shabu in Taipei!

Japanese cuisine is all over Taipei. Sushi, teppanyaki, shabu shabu, and so on. For a late lunch one afternoon, we decided to try out Shabu Shabu at the Q Square Mall right next to our hotel. What a find! We ended up going back a second time because we enjoyed it so much. It's so great to have a huge plate of fresh vegetables, especially while you're on a trip.

Here are pictures from our meal. Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Dim Sum Craving - Satisfied!

For as long as I can remember, my brother's best friend, Jeff, has always recommended some of the best dim sum restaurants. Whenever we ate out with him in the Bay Area, we knew we'd be in for a treat. So I knew that any place that he recommended for us in Taipei would automatically mean a happy stomach. Plus, Hungry in Taipei, has written up some delicious blog entries about all that they recommended to us.

For a late and spontaneous dim sum, we ventured to Taipei 101 to try out Shin Yeh 101 on the 85th floor. Unfortunately, the place was fully committed for the rest of the afternoon. I guess we'll have to try that place out next time, and with reservations. So we took a cab to the San Want Hotel and tried out Chao Pi Ji's Cantonese Dim Sum. Our weeks of dim sum cravings in Manila were finally fulfilled here in Taipei! What a satisfying meal! From the places that we've eaten at so far, we noticed that the foods are less salty, but still have incredible flavor. That was definitely the case here, as well. I really can't wait to go back to Taipei to eat some more!

Here are pictures from our afternoon meal. Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Din Tai Fung - The Original Location

For my first trip to Taipei, I knew I had to visit Din Tai Fung. I first tried the restaurant in Shanghai - it was some of the best xiao long bao that I've encountered. Taipei houses the original location. So, a visit here was a must!

The xiao long bao were even better than in Shanghai! Delicately thin wrapper, a delicious pork flavored soup inside, and a succulent pork filling. This applies to everything: After eating some of the best, it is so hard to eat something that is just average - I'd rather not waste my calorie intake. My mark for good xiao long bao now stands with Taipei's Din Tai Fung.

Here are pictures from our memorable meal. Place your cursor on "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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A Weekend in Taipei

My first visit to Taipei! I had high expectations for this city and its eats! My parents and I spent the weekend there and had an incredible time! We're so excited to go back very soon to discover more of the city! My brother's best friend and his wife were our virtual tour guides, as they were unfortunately out of town that weekend (next time, guys!!). We visited some quality shopping malls with food centers and stayed at a beautiful hotel - all thanks to their recommendations.

Here is a brief slideshow of a few of the places we visited. When we go back to Taipei, I'll make sure to take more pictures for next time! (Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Here is another slideshow with pictures of our hotel. We stayed at the brand new Palais de Chine, which opened in May 2010. What a beautiful hotel! And, their service was excellent!!

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