Scenic Hualian, part 2

On our second day in Hualian, we decided to take it much easier. No long hikes, confusing buses or waiting in line. After a leisurely breakfast at our hotel we headed to the train station. Directly in front and across the street from the train station is a scooter rental place. It's called 小馬 or Pony Rentals. They're special because it's one of the few places that will rent a scooter to foreigners. Bring your passport and ID and International driver's license if you have one. It ended up being $500 NT for one day. However I find that Taiwan doesn't mean 24 hours when they say 1 day. They mean you have to return it by end of their business day. Which in this situation was 8pm. Since I usually ride a 600cc motorcycle with a different seating position, it took a few minutes to get used to riding a 125cc scooter. Shortly after that, we headed out of town to highway 11. It only took about 15 minutes. It probably would have been shorter if I was more used to riding in Taiwanese traffic and knew where I was going. Once on highway 11, it was a very straight and smooth ride with limited traffic. Riding down with the sea on the left and the greenery on the right was a rare experience. I think riding a scooter is the best, so you can really take in the fresh sea air and the smells and sounds of the open road. After a while we decided to take a bathroom break at a rest stop. The rest stops along the shore are very different than the ones i'm used to in the States. The ones in the States are so dirty, dark and general lack of anything nice. These rest stops are more like visitor centers. With a beautiful courtyard, vending machines, clean bathrooms and a very helpful staff. The one we went to had several large verandas for picnicking under shade. They also had a room with a miniature road running around the circumference of the room. Along this miniature roadside were the miniaturized version of major attractions along the way. It was a representative of Highway 11. Each miniature stop had pamphlets, pictures and brief descriptions of the destination (in Chinese, English and Japanese). I was so surprised! This is such an amazing over-the-top effort by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. For lunch, we asked the helpful staff for some pointers and found a local seafood restaurant just down the road called 055. After heading in, we picked a nice table outside on the patio and picked some fresh (some live) seafood from the tank at the front. The meal turned out to cost around $800 for two people. But that's really good for some fresh seafood, sushi and even a small lobster. We thoroughly enjoyed the view and the food. After lunch, we headed further down HIghway 11. However we didn't have enough time to make it to where we wanted to go. We turned around and headed back to town. All in all, Highway 11 doesn't have much to offer other than some nice visitor centers and beautiful vast aqua colored seas and a large water park. Next time, I'll have to better plan a definitive destination like the water park or 055. I heard Shi Ti Harbor was a great place to stop by along Hwy 11. There are also some natural caves around the area that was open for tours. Next time.

055
花蓮縣壽豐鄉鹽寮村132

Irodori 鮨彩 @ Megacity

There's a new mall that has opened in Banqiao. It's part of the FE21 chain and is called MegaCity 大遠百. It's right accross from the Banqiao MRT station and New Taipei City City Hall and fairly close to the original FE21 mall. The new mall is a very modern took with outward slanted windows. The courtyard in front has been remodeled to include a lower level atrium and a giant Christmas tree in the middle. The Interior design of the food court area is awesome. It's modeled after Venice. So there are Venetian boats in a water filled canal, a 3 story Venetian building facade and lamps, pillars and walkways all tying into the theme. In fact I shouldn't say it's the food court, but the restaurant avenue. The basement floor is the food court. Don't worry, they created another themed world of visual delight there too. The Food Republic, the name of the food court, is painstakingly modeled from ceiling to floor to resemble the 40's era of China/Taiwan. They have rustic store fronts, with wood paneling, clay shingles and wooden beams. The old wooden chairs, lanterns, and various decorative items (including some old rusty bikes and straw baskets) help bring the atmosphere back 70 years. It's part museum and the coolest food court I know of in Taipei. But moving on, my parents, my cousin and I decided to try out one of the restaurants on the Venetian floor (9th i think). However it's Chinese New Years and most of the restaurants were booked, limiting our choices. Fortunately we were able to get a table at Irodori Sushi, one of our top choices. The interior resembles a simple and humble Japanese restaurant, not thing to elaborate much about. After sitting, we quickly decided on a set meal for 4. It turned out to be way too much food. After the salad, vegetables sticks and loads of sushi, there was still the hot pot. The beef that the hot pot came with probably weighed in over 2 kilograms. If you click through to the original image size, you may be able to make out the thickness of the pile 'o meat. Consequently, less than half way in, we all quit and called for a doggie bag. The quality of the sushi was excellent and the presentation was great. The bill ran into just under $1000 NT per person, so it's not going to be a cheap meal unless you stay away from the sushi. But note for the future, the set meal for four can definitely be split more thinly with 5 or even 6 people. The price will definitely be worth it for five people. Nice place overall and recommended. Great Venetian atmosphere, great service and perfect for a lazy saturday after some shopping (for people with fat wallets). Perhaps I appreciate it more that it's not on my checkbook. So big thanks, Mom and Dad!

*MegaCity Venetian floor and Food Republic picture credit goes to http://www.wretch.cc/blog/bajenny. Thank you!

Irodori Sushi 鮨彩 in the Banqiao Mega City Department store
新北市板橋區新站路28號9樓(板橋大遠百)
http://www.zoe-grp.com/irodorisushi

Interview attire

So since my time at Shida MTC is coming to a close, I have to start looking for a job. However, I've been on the hunt for it prior to today. If i'm to fulfill my goals of living in Taiwan, then I'll eventually need a job to pay for living costs. I'm just about at my spending limit, so if I don't find a paycheck, it's back to my mother country. Fortunately, through some networking, I was able to find a job at a local Taiwanese company. They've decided to interview me, so today my only goal was to find a suit. Actually this is my second day looking for a suit. But as the interview day is in a few days, I had to purchase something today or tomorrow. I went to Carnival and finally settled on a suit. Although it was more expensive than what I found at G2000, the extra price tag was worth the 3X increase in quality and fit. I'm happy and I hope I can leave a good visual impression. Now I just have to work on the professional impression so they choose me over the other applicants. For a quick lunch, Yuki and I headed over to a local japanese fast food joint. It also started to rain pretty hard, I mean HARD. Typhoon season rain with large water droplets! Lunch ended up being $300 because it was a fixed price set menu restaurant. You'd think ordering Sushi from a place like that would be crappy, but no. I've learned that sushi quality is pretty good here in Taipei for a really cheap price. Just take a look at the picture. That's a set price fast food Chirashi bowl! Later on in the evening, Yuki and I headed back home. On the way back home, we made a detour to Tea Guan, my favorite neighborhood drink store. We noticed they had mint chocolate pearl milk tea. mint chocolate!? We had to try it. Well...it certainly tastes like mint chocolate. But it's just such an odd combination. It doesn't taste bad, it's just way off the typical path of flavors you'd expect from milk tea.

SushiX = Sushi Express

So i'd like to say now, for a student of a very tight budget, the ability to still be able to eat sushi is awesome. Thank you Sushi Express! Yuki and I have gone back to SushiX a few times in the past month. Since we usually go there after I get off from class, we frequent the location near the Guting MRT station. I'm still a fan of quality Sushi, but I'm such a fan of sushi, I can't do without it in my daily diet. So as my only alternative for cheaper sushi, it's really not that bad. The cuts are thick, the fat distribution is good and they seem relatively fresh. I usually get 16 slices of sashimi and 2 nigiri and a bowl of miso soup. Total cost $180 NT ($6). Wow, I think i've adjusted to the cost difference here in Taiwan. After converting the cost, $6 is hella (excuse my California slang) cheap! On top of that, I still haven't gotten sick from it the day after. Well, I think last time I wasn't able to provide pictures of the sushi, so this time I made sure to snap a few for you readers. You be the judge! What do you think, at least from a visual standpoint??

Taichung (台中)

Well, I'm writing this a little bit late. So most of the things I don't remember, but at least I have the photos the show for it. Perhaps they'll jog my memory. First things first, we headed out to a traditional market. I'm sure sure what the name is, but I remember Grace saying it was one of Taichung's most famous. Oh wait, maybe it was 向上市場. Anyways, we headed in for a bit of a late breakfast. So we just had a plate o'carbs. It was delicious especially with the orangey sauce you see on it. It was semi-spicey but I like spicy. It's a good thing that we shared that plate, because i didn't want the responsibility of finishing it all my self. After that, we heading into the market to a famous sushi place. Yes, normally I wouldn't trust a chinese owned Sushi restaurant in a traditional (and considered dirty) day market, but Grace said it was supposed to be really really good. Despite my preconception, it turned out to be excellent. The service was very kind and prompt. The sushi is pretty cheap. $100NT for four very thick slices of sashimi. It was just a quick snack, but wish we could have stayed longer and just satisfy my gluttonous desires! haha! Say HI to the smiling wasabi. After sashimi, we headed to the birthplace of pearl milk tea. Not that fancy of a place, but the decor reminds you of the traditional days. The pearl milk tea tastes very different than what you'd find at a local store. It has more of a fresh ground texture in the milk. They said they add red bean with is hand ground into a powder and mixed into the milk. It makes the ones I get at a local store taste more sweet and less-organic by comparison. In the early evening, we headed out to the famous 逢甲夜市 (Feng Chia night market). Grace introduced us to a famous fried chicken stand. We get this in Taipei too, but this one was different. It's apparently unique to the Taichung area because it's crispier and a little sweeter because of the glaze it has on it. It's awesome! If your ever in Taichung, I'd suggest getting this at the night market. It's far superior to the one's i've found in other cities or night markets. There's only one specific stand that's the best, but since I can't describe it well enough to direct anyone, any of the stands at this night market will have the same flavor. So just pick a stand and enjoy. It's called 碳烤雞排.

Shredded duck meat sandwich! A little dry and it could use a tasty sauce along with it. It's not like having peking duck in a quality restaurant, but still something I haven't seen at a night market before. Not bad over all! Cheap, so if your there, give it a try.

small sausage wrapped in a big sausage (大腸包小腸). The usual. you can get this in almost any night market all over Taiwan. But it's one of my favorite "go to" eats at the markets.

Cheese Potato! Again, I think you can pretty much get this at any of the night markets across Taiwan. But I never had the chance to try it out. Now that I have, it's pretty good! Can't argue with the great combination of warm gooey cheese and bacon bits with hot potato.

This! Awesome fried squid filled with flavorful rice and your choice of sauce. I chose honey mustard. I'm pretty sure you can get this in Taipei too, as I think i've seen pictures of this before, but I'm not sure. Anyways, Please try this if your in Taiwan and see this at a night market. It's soo delicious! It's ridiculously awesome and I want another one now!

Thai satay beef, chicken and lamb. Some night markets have this, some don't. It compares to the lamb shish kabobs at the 樂華 night market in Taipei.

曰曜天地 outlet mall

Oddly colorful Dim Sum cart. Almost like they're been painted or nuked. haha!

Look at the fat stripes on that salmon!

More cute signs from Taiwan. Watch out, don't pinch your fingers! it says.

Sumi Sushi

My dear friend, Yuhki (different from Yuki), will be departing from Taiwan soon. So for brunch I joined him at NY Bagel in the Taipei Main station Q Squared mall today. He'll be leaving for Japan this coming Saturday. So we talked and had a nice brunch, possible our last one before he leaves. Yet another fellow student from Shida University MTC leaving :(. After saying our farewells, Yuki (not Yuhki) and I headed to the Huasan Creative Park 1914 because she has never been there. In fact I have never been there during the day. It was bustling with people and most of the stores were open. So this was my first opportunity to explore the book store and gift shops it offered. I really like the gift stores. They have a lot of unique and creative Taiwanese designed gifts. Afterward I headed to the Eslite bookstore on Zhongxiao East Road. They have a jewelry, clothing and gift shops on the basement and 1st floor. The second floor was the books. Pretty big, but not nearly as large as the Xinyi district one I visited yesterday. Yuki and I just went there to kill time before heading off to Sumi Sushi for dinner. They opened at 5:30 and we were running early. Sumi Sushi is just south of the S.Y.S Memorial MRT station. The owners are very nice. Not only are they friendly, but they can speak English too. They're Taiwanese but immigrated back to Taiwan from Vancouver, Canada. This place has some great Maki rolls and they're glad to recommend a roll or two for you. They even have a $1000 NT option to create a set menu for you with only the sushi you like. It was a little expensive for me on a student budget at the moment, so I passed. I stuck with a la cart. We had a braised salmon special, spider roll, Hokkaido raw scallop special and a special California roll. Yes, california roll. Yuki likes it because they don't have that in Japan, so it's a foreign oddity. A Japanese person that likes California rolls, go figure LOL? But this California roll was custom for us. I like Herring Roe and she likes California roll. So he combined the two, so awesome! How many sushi places do that? On the flip side though, the place was a bit tiny though. Maximum of approximately ~14 patrons. But that sort of makes for a more comfortable and quaint environment. No other patrons came in while we were there, probably because it was an early dinner, making it a nice private affair. I'll definitely try to make it out there again, and maybe try the $1000 set. Tomorrow, i'm heading to Tainan, there will be a lot to blog about there!

MiaoLi grave sweeping & Luminaries 2011

Today I went with my parents and other relatives to my grandfathers home in MiaoLi for grave sweeping day. It's a chinese tradition to come and clean the grave site of our ancestors. We then prayed for them and did the ritual "wish" to our ancestors as well as burning of money for the afterlife. Afterwards, we headed in to town and had a traditional Hakka lunch. This was my first time to have a Hakka only meal. It's hard to differentiate the different between Hakka cuisine and chinese cuisine, but being that MiaoLi is full of Hakka people, this was definitely the real deal. That and of course I trust my dad's opinion on the matter. So it was a real treat and now I can better recognize Hakka cuisine when I see and taste it. After coming back and doing some laundry, it was already time for dinner. So Yuki and I headed over for some cheap sushi at Sushi Express near the Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT station. I must say, it's mediocre at best. But at least it's not making me sick. I still give it a good review though. Why? because it's $30 NT a dish. At two pieces of sushi per dish, that's $.50 cents each piece. I can't get a can of Coke for that cheap in the states. So if you need to satisfy your craving for Sushi on a budget without getting stomach sickness, try out Sushi Express. But if your craving the quality stuff, this is not the place. After wards we made a quick run through the Taipei Luminaries 2011 festival at Chang-Kai Shek memorial hall. Then onwards to the Eslite mega bookstore at Xin Yi district (next to 101). I ended up purchasing a Taiwanese cook book. It was cheap, simple, in English and a good start to chinese style cuisine. So expect some of my culinary creations soon.

Mimi-JieJie, sushi, Coldstone = !!!

Today is special. I got to meet up and have lunch with my Mimi-JieJie and huzi-daddy (鬍子爸爸). If the names don't make sense, it's because they're childhood nicknames my sister and I gave them when we were little children. Anyways...She is my Father's second brother's daughter. Most of my happy childhood memories are with her in Taiwan. So she is a big part of the reason why I love Taiwan so much. We ate at the old 1946 Japanese restaurant in Ximending shopping area. I don't remember the name, but it's a very famous establishment. It consistently has a line outside and the two floor restaurant is always packed with more people than should be at a single table. The sushi was really good and extremely large cuts. I never got to see the price tag on this thick sashimi cuts, but I'm going to assume it doesn't come cheap. Thank you Mimi JieJie (姐姐). Afterwards I went shopping around and found another pair of jeans I liked from Samual and Kevin. Semi-shiny black jeans, daring and a little out of my comfort zone. But oddly enough, cheaper than Shilin night market, so I purchased it. Hopefully i'll get more comfortable with it. Just before we left the market, we decided to rest up at the Ximen ColdStone Creamery.They have the flower Expo special flavors which I assume would not be available anywhere else in the world and for a limited time. It was delicious. It tasted like roses. Well not like actually eating the plant, but eating the fragrance of a rose. Excellent and unique! There were two flower flavors, so I'll definitely have to try to other one next visit if the specials are still available.