The title says it all! Yes, I was one of the lucky ones to get a hold of one of those sold out Coldplay tickets! Managed to purchase Standing Pen A so on the day of the performance we had to go three hours before they opened the gates. Hoping to get some nice spot.
For this year’s front act is Jess Kent. Any one of you know her? Well, before the concert I had no idea who she was. But she’s a great artist. Maybe you can guys check her music. Here’s a link to her YT channel or you can listen to her on Spotify.
Here’s the setlist that Coldplay played during their concert on 1st of April (Saturday):
We took the Taipei to Taichung High Speed Rail (THSR), one 2-way trip costs around TWD1,400. This is the fastest way you can take to Taichung. After about 40 minutes, we arrived in Taichung.
We got distracted by this bakery on our way to Chun Shui Tang — the store who started the whole Bubble tea / Milk tea craze! Anyway, those breads looked so inviting — wasn’t able to resist it, we end up buying. Not complaining though, their breads are good!
After the long search, we finally found Chun Shui Tang‘s pioneer outlet in Taichung. They have other outlets but we had to go where it all started. Just had to!
Each of us ordered our own milk tea. I think it’s the most satisfying thing to do after walking and searching for gem. Personally, I like their milk tea, it’s not too sweet or bland, just right! They also offer dishes that you can munch while drinking your bubble tea.
If you’re fond of sending postcards, they have a post box where you can buy milk tea design postcards and drop it there. There’s also stamping station, where you can stamp the post cards before sending them or you can just stamp any of your belongings for remembrance.
Chun Shui Tang No. 30, Siwei St, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Our next stop which is Miyahara.
But first, some family groufie while wandering the rainy streets of Taichung.
Miyahara is a shop that sells ice cream, tea and lots of pastries that are wrapped in all sorts of pretty packaging. They are ideal to give out as gifts. The interior of the shop is really cool! It somewhat have a Hogwarts feel to it. Well sort of…
Oh just FYI, their cheesecake is the bomb! I love it! You have to taste it!
You also have to try the ice cream, it’s quite popular among locals and tourists — the queue says it all. While waiting for your turn, you can think about what flavour to get as they offer A LOT of flavours!
Miyahara No. 20, Zhongshan Rd, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
Our last stop: Fengjia Night Market.
We strategically picked out a hotel that’s just walking distance to the night market. So we can spend more hours checking the shops.
As we we’re walking around, we spotted these wall arts:
I was like! “Ermegherd! TOTORO! Best day ever!!!” LOL We spent some time posing on these walls. They also have Minions and other wall art which I wasn’t able to take photos because I was busy ogling at Totoro. I love Totoro BTW, but I think you already can tell as I have said the word “Totoro” multiple times already. Ha Ha
Day 6 Itinerary:
Caihongjuan Village (Rainbow Village) | Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
Before heading back to Taipei, we toured around Caihongjuan Village. We’re lucky enough that the weather is cleared up because it was raining since we arrived in Taichung.
You will meet a person wearing an Iron Man mask and rainbow coloured outfit hence, he’s called Rainbow Iron Man. He will gladly take photos / selfies with you — an added entertainment to this colourful place.
Managed to meet and had a picture with Mr Huang Yung-Fu, the artist himself! He was so sweet and accommodating and cute (look at his V-pose).
The village itself is not that big but it’s one of those must visit places in Taichung. And it can really brighten someone’s mood. Just look at the place.
And our final stop:
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The gloomy and rainy weather is back by the time we arrived in Taipei.
To inject some fun to an overcast weather, we did these sort of silly things.
National Palace Museum | Golden Waterfall | Jiufen Old Street
I won’t be able to upload artworks from the National Palace Museum because my memory card got corrupted. Anyway, the main reason why we went there was to see the Jadeite Cabbage but unfortunately, the time we visited they moved it somewhere else. I know right? Sucks! Luckily, we managed to see the Meat-shaped stone. It looks so real that when you see it, you start craving for Dong Po Rou (Braised Pork Belly). For more info about this artwork go here.
Who wouldn’t be hungry after seeing that? LOL We had our lunch at the Xianjufu Cafe. It’s located on the 1st Floor East Side of the Main Building (Exhibition I). Let the feast begin!
Next stop: Golden Waterfall and Jiufen Old Street. We didn’t expect that there will be a road closure due to the heavy traffic. A lot of people are going there since it’s a holiday, it’s the first day of the year. Vehicles aren’t allowed to go up anymore so we decided to walk to the Golden Waterfall first. It’s an uphill trek but the view is worth seeing!
Finally, we were able to reach Jiufen after the unexpected delay. If you are a fan of Hayao Miyazaki, you’re aware that the movie Spirited Away took inspiration from this town. Jiufen will literally transport you to another era, this place is enchanting! As crowded and far as it is, I think it’s still worth visiting.
We managed to try the Bawan Dumplings and Bao Bing. Bawan dumpling is a glutinous dumpling with red meat filling. I think some people call it red dumplings because it’s red and it’s a dumpling. Ha ha
I’m not a fan of the taste, though. x.x What I love is the Bao Bing or shaved ice dessert. It is usually topped with red azuki beans, mung beans, taro balls, peanuts, soya beancurd and finish it by pouring some milk over it. Yum!
A very tiring but satisfying day. Excited for Day 4!
Day 4 Itinerary:
Niu Ba Ba | The Red House | Ximending Night Market | Taipei 101
Starting our day with hearty beef noodle soup. It’s not just any beef noodle soup, it’s from Niu Ba Ba Restaurant. They serve the most expensive beef noodle in the world according to World Record Academy. Consider trying it out when you’re visiting Taipei. There are six different reasons for the price – quality of beef, custom cuts, freezing technique, soup blending technique, noodle quality, and minimal seasoning.
If you are not willing to pay $324USD for a bowl of beef noodles, they also carry “ordinary beef noodles” which costs around NT$500 – NT$1500.
And here it is! My very own beef noodles! I didn’t get the most expensive one. I liked everything about it. The beef was soft and the soup…it was beefy goodness!
Niu Ba Ba (牛爸爸牛肉麵) Address: 149 Minquan East Road Sec. 6, Taipei 台北市民權東路6段149號(國防醫學院大門旁) Getting there: Take the metro – Bannan Line (blue) to Kunyang Station. Take a bus (284, 617, 903, 645, Blue 36 or Red32) to National Defense Medical College station and alight. Niu Ba Ba is located on the left side. Click here for the Google Map location. Opening Hours: 11:00am – 09:00pm Telephone: +886 2 8791.7187 Website: www.beeffather.com/
Before heading to Ximending, we dropped by Le Cake for some Sun cake and pineapple tarts. Their flagship store is in Jiufen but we went to the Taipei branch. I wrote some info below on how you can get to there. I will share all of the pastries and goodies I got from Taiwan on a separate post.
Le Cake Taipei branch (李儀餅店) Address: Taipei Main Station, Underground Mall, Unit 11-2B Getting there: Located in the Underground Mall of Taipei Main Station. It is near Z3 and Z6 exit. Opening Hours: 10:30am – 09:00pm Telephone: +886 2 2331.3017 Website: http://www.lecake.com.tw
We checked out The Red House first when you go out Ximen MRT station. Since it’s nearby the exit, it’s quite convenient to go there first before heading to Ximending night market.
Milk tea craving satisfied from50嵐! Yum!
We had Japanese dinner at Ximending. Food’s good and many people are eating here. It must be a good sign right?
Our last stop for the day: Taipei 101 Observatory.
Just a little trivia, building dampers originated from Japan, where there’s frequent earthquakes. Damper works by isolating the building from the earth, which creates relative shift that produces a counterforce, effectively reducing earthquake energy.
And to cap off the night, we had some Mango Diamond Ice from Big Tom. I know the weather’s freezing, but who wouldn’t say no to this?
Flight from Singapore to Taoyuan Airport | Shilin Night Market
This post is long overdue but I’ll post it anyway. Just because.
The yearly family trip destination for 2015…Taiwan! It’s that time of the year to bring out the sweaters. Oh yeah! Sweater weather here we come!
Upon checking in, we got our Hello Kitty print boarding passes (had no idea that we’re flying on a Sanrio airbus). So psyched and shocked when we boarded the plane. **Hello Kitty fan over here.**
Everything in the plane is Sanrio-fied (pillows, utensils, monitors, everything!) What an exciting way to start our trip.
The flight from Singapore to Taipei takes about 4h25mins so I managed to squeeze in two in-flight movies—Hotel Transylvania 2 and A Wonderful Nightmare.
By the time, we landed in Taipei it’s already past 8 in the evening. But that doesn’t stop us from going to Shilin Night Market*.
*TIP: Go there on a weekend, more shops are open compared on a weekday.
There are a lot of cute stuff you can find here. Lookie! Star Wars inspired Minions—Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Yoda and R2-D2.
Ending the night with some Taiwanese snacks—pancake filled with sweet potato and cheese, chicken feet, salt & pepper crablets and many moooore! Get ready to eat, shop and eat while you’re in Taiwan.
Day 2 Itinerary:
Tien Lai Resort & Spa | Yangmingshan National Park | Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Rise and shine people!
We stroll around the neighbourhood first to get some breakfast before going to Tien Lai Resort in Yangmingshan. I ordered some Fried chicken cutlet and sausage noodles with mushroom sauce. Yum!
Tummy’s happy, hot spring here we come!
Went to Yangminshan National Park afterwards since it’s near Tien Lai. Go to Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑) as well when you’re in YMSNP. I guess the view will be nicer during summer or spring when the weather’s not gloomy.
We decided to watch the NYE fireworks show at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Look at those people waiting! If you plan on watching the show in the future, be prepared with the amount of crowd. It’s nice to bring some mat or cardboard where you can sit on. Because placing your butt on a cold cement for a long time sucks. LOL Scarfs/blankets and hot drinks will also be helpful in keeping you warm.
I’m psyched to share my first hiking adventure with you. Yey! I’m no expert, so if you’re looking for pro-tips, you won’t find it here. But stay with me, I’m sure you can pick something useful—or not. Kidding!
Btw, this happened last February. Soooo..yeah.. Super late post! Guilty as charged! O.O
Going back to the topic. Make sure to do some preps, a few weeks before the actual trek. Go for a jog or run or cycle, anything that will help in increasing your endurance and in conditioning your muscles before an intensive activity.
Things you need (or the things I brought):
1L of water (our guide provided another 1L so that makes it 2L of water)
Towel
Sunglasses
Cap
Scarf
Snacks (I brought jelly sticks—no judging please)
Money (prepare small change—you need it when using the toilet)
Slippers / extra clothes (change to something comfy after the hike)
Toiletries (if you are want to take a bath after)
Phone / Camera (you know why)
We started our ascension around 6 in the morning, so we were able to witness the sunrise on our way. Before the actual hike, we had to ride a 4×4 for around 2 hours or less to drop us at the starting point. The ride will be bumpy and dusty, this is where the sunglasses and scarf will come in handy.
We had a quick stop at this place they called Toblerone Hill (I guess because of the shape) to take some photos and selfies.
Be prepared for a rough and rocky terrain. Do yourself a favour and make sure to wear durable shoes. And if you are planning to wear trekking sandals, do wear some socks. This will save your precious feet from blisters. Also, do not force yourself. Take your time and don’t get pressured by others’ progress. Better be safe than sorry. Take quick breaks and enjoy the view. Hiking is something that can de-stress you, so have fun and take it easy.
The real challenge was the 30minute trek to the crater but it was worth it! The view was…beyond words to describe.
When we reached the crater, it was already drizzling so the view is quite gloomy. Rain or shine I think the scene will be breathtaking. Be the judge.
And as enticing as it is to jump into the water, swimming is prohibited. It was quite an experience and would love to go for more hiking trips. Hopefully anytime soon.
Celebrated the Delicious last weekend at Savour 2016 with one of my best buddies. We had lunch under the scorching sun, it sounds crazy but with all the tasty food and fun we had… I say it was worth it.
Here’s the list of food that we munch on.
(Clockwise from the top)
1 – Signature Stewed Ancho Pork Taco, Sweet Corn and Mango Salsa by Team Lower East Side [$6]
2 – Siew Yoke Umami Rice (Roasted Pork Belly, Crispy Nori, Japanese Umami Rice) by Labyrinth [$12]
3 – Peach Cooler Mocktail by Harry’s
4 – Wagyu Striploin, Mushrooms, Beans and Truffles by Team Bar A Thym [$12]
5 – Angel Hair Lobster Pasta, Fish Roe, Crispy Ebi by Team Saveur Art [$12]
6 – R&D’s Fried Chicken (12 Spice Dredge, Gong Bo Sauce) by Guest Team R&D [$6]
We also tried some cheeses. Just because it’s cheese, right?
And finally, some Hokkaido Lavender Soft Serve Ice Cream for $5 to cap off our food trip.
There will be more Savour shows for this year—Savour Wines on September 8-11 and Savour Christmas on November 17-20. Mark your calendars.
Kimchi. Kimchi. Kimchi. I’ve been craving for kimchi these past few days already. So I decided to try cooking some Kimchi Pancakes for lunch. So here it is. Ta-da!
Disclaimer: I am not a chef or anything, I just like to experiment when it comes to cooking.
Things you need:
3 tbsp of flour
3 medium eggs (I used only 2 eggs, but I find it needs more egg)
A handful of soybean sprouts
1 cup of kimchi
3 tbsp of kimchi sauce
1/2 cup of chopped white onions
Chopped spring onion (depends on your liking for this one I used around 2 tbsp)
1/2 tsp of sugar (I used brown sugar)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Procedure:
On a separate bowl, whisk in the eggs, kimchi sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and the flour. Make sure to mix in the flour carefully as it may create lumps.
Over a low heat, pour sesame oil on a hot non-stick pan and then fry the onions until they becomes transparent.
Add the soybean sprouts, kimchi and toss in half of the spring onions.
After a minute, pour in the egg batter mixture and sprinkle the remaining spring onions. After two minutes or if the other side if cooked already flip the pancake. About a minute or so your Kimchi pancake is ready.
This brand is worth trying. I tried many kimchis already and this one is nice! The brand is Chan Chan Chan. Yup! That’s three Chan(s) there. We usually order it online, so I’m not sure if FairPrice or Cold Storage sells this.
If you’ve managed to try my recipe, let me know how was it.
Finally, National Gallery of Singapore is now open to the public!
One of the ongoing special exhibition now is the Wu GuanZhong: Beaty Beyond Form. And It will be on the National Gallery of Singapore until 03 May 2016. So be sure to check it out!
My sister and I were really shocked when we saw him. He looked just like our Angkong (or Grandpa)! Seriously! I even send the photo to my mom and she affirmed it. And to think our surname is also Go or Wu in chinese. Maybe it’s where I got my passion for the arts? Hmmm.. He He
And more photos around the gallery.
Inside the Keppel Centre for Art Education. This area is made specially for kids but I’m sure adults and those child at heart will also have fun here.
We were looking forward to go to the Playscape that day, but too bad it was already closed when we finished going through the other exhibits. -.- But I managed to take two photos. LOL Will be definitely back for this.
National Gallery Singapore 1 St. Andrew’s Road Singapore 178957 Opening Hours Sun – Thu, Public Holidays: 10am to 7pm Fri – Sat, Eve of Public Holidays: 10am to 10pm
Kriscel Diane 