Friday, April 25, 2014

Rainy Day at Jiu Fen...







The rain enhanced the nostalgic charm of Jiu Fen. But it's difficult to manoeuvre with brollies in the crowded narrow lanes & alleys. *.*

Jiu Fen was an isolated town until gold was discovered in 1893. Its development reached its peak during the Japanese colonization, but saw its decline after World War 2, following the decline in mining activities.

The film City of Sadness revived Jiu Fen's popularity.



























Food makes one feel better. :) We just had to munch. :)

Snack 1: Prawn & veggie balls




































We traveled back in time for lunch at the City of Sadness Restaurant. This place is very quaint and it boasts pieces of furnitures that are perhaps a hundred years old. 
















































































The restaurant specialises  in pork lard rice. :)
































































We heart Taiwanese cai po omelette. I'm never sick of it. :)))













Dragon beard veg













3 Cupped Chicken





























Betel leaves













Stir fry beef




























Mini shrimps




























Off to the cinema next. :)














































Couldn't decide which movie to watch! :)))







































































Getting some snacks before the show. :)













Enjoy the movie! :)









There were also a couple of gorgeous tea houses we had to stepped into. :)































Snack 2: Pumkin & taro balls















Snack 3: Peanut ice cream roll






























Not sure if I liked the taste & texture




























Wendy took a bite too. :)))













And our last take away from Jiu Fen...ginger tea. :) Wendy's mom liked it very much and hence we bought some too. :)




























Jiu Fen, you would have been more enjoyable if the weather hadn't been so insane...

Looking for Gold (黄金博物馆)




























The Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park wasn't on Lin's itinerary. We visited nonetheless as the driver wanted us to do so, due to the rain??? 

This area is known for it's rich gold mining industry. 




























A glimpse of the miners' 
work...














Checking out the exhibition.






























While I applaud the efforts to preserve & educate people on the gold mining industry, it's not a place I would like to visit. 


















Other sights at the Gold Ecological Park:

Japanese inspired houses














and the Japanese Crown Prince's residence.





























Visit only if you have lots of time on hand...














Details of Gold Ecological Park:
No.8 Jinguang Road
Jinguashi
Ruifang Town
Xinbei, Taiwan

Rise & Shine to Soya Bean & Dough Fritters (阜杭豆漿)


Lin made Wendy & I wake up early for soya bean & yutiao...yawn....6.00am...

Venue: Fu Hang Soya Bean

It's located on the second floor of a wet market.

Because of it's popularity, it has a queuing chart. :)))






































































Savory soya bean is not my cup of tea...














Doesn't help I'm still in la la land....




























There's dried shrimps & salted veg at the bottom. The texture is similar to that of chawamushi. Strange..





























Dough Fritters













We love the freshly made shao bing. It's probably the only item I like here. :)







































































The soft crepe paled in comparison to the shao bing.




























By the time we left, the queue was snaking out of the market on L1. *.* 

Details of Fu Hang Soya Bean(阜杭豆漿):
台北市中正區忠孝東路一段108號2樓之28 (華山市場二樓)
108 Zhongxiao East Road, 2nd floor of Hua Shan Market
Getting there: Shandao Temple MRT station (
善導寺站), Exit 5. The building is right next to the station exit. Look for the sign “華山市場” (Hua Shan Market) at the entrance of the building.

Hours: 5:30am to 12:30pm (Closed on Mondays)

To queue for at least 45 minutes

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Hotpot at Man Tang Hong (滿堂紅復興店)














Taipei has lots of hotpot establishments, you would be spoilt for choice. Elaine chose Man Tang Hong. :) 

















It's amazing how much food Elaine ordered & how much we could eat!















































































































































































































































There's room for dessert still. ;) Have as much Hagen Daz ice cream as you are able to stomach.















































Free flow of drinks too... :)















































Awesome company! :D














Details of Man Tang Hong:
  • 台北市復興南路一段127號2樓
  • Taipei, Taiwan 106
T:02 2775 3738