10 Practical Tips in Visiting a Singapore Hawker Center (Newton Park)

If you’re in Singapore, one of the more accessible hawker places is the Newton Food Center. Located at the MRT Station Newton, the Newton Food Center is a mere 3 minutes walk from the subway.

Merely go out of the Newton MRT Station via the Newton Food Center Exit (There are signs), follow the shaded pathway, cross the street and you’re there.

Newton Food Center is one of the most touristy hawker centers in Singapore. The prices are slightly more expensive than the rest, but some dishes are extra yummy, and I still think is worth a trip.

Photo Credit: Smart Local

Here are 10 practical tips in visiting Newton Food Center and to get the authentic Singapore hawker experience:

1. It gets really hot so wear light clothing: Shorts, Cotton T-Shirts, Etc.

Going to a hawker center is not the same as going to an air-conditioned fashion show. Prepare to sweat, line up, and mill with crowds from all income levels.

This was the scene on a Saturday night:

The place was full, full and FULL! It doesn’t help that Newton Food Center was featured in Crazy Rich Asians. Remember this?

Photo Credit: Crazy Rich Asians

It was hard to get a table especially with a bigger group (We were a group of 7-8 pax), but eventually we did if your eyes are keen and you’re willing to stand and wait for awhile:

Eventually you will get seats, but once again, dress down instead of up. It’s harder to wait when you’re in a neoprene dress and sky high heels.

2. Seats are actually free for all. 

You actually DO NOT have to order from the food stall in front of your seat even though it’s ideal.

My husband was pressured to order from the hawker stall in front of our seat and was somewhat scammed because the vendor insisted he had to purchase a minimum order to seat on the table.

This is NOT true.

You are not obliged to order from any specific stall if you sit on a table. Vendors know this so don’t feel pressured if you want to order from other stores.

3. Before ordering, make a one round trip around the hawker center to get an idea about what to get and where.

There are so many stalls to choose from at the Newton Food Center. It’s so easy to get confused and to wonder what and where to order.

However, a quick trip around the center shows a lot of redundancy. For example, despite the sheer number of stalls, the most popular food stalls sell the same food as the following:

• Chili Crab and Seafood with Baby Veggies
• Oyster Cake & Carrot Cake
• Chicken Wings and Satay
• Indian Food
• Noodles: Char Kway Teow, Prawn Mee, Fishball Noodle Soup
• Juices and Drinks

This means that many of the stalls serve practically the same food, and every stall actually has a minimum standard to taste, so despite the confusion, just pick a stall. Any stall. Given that it’s Newton Food Center, you’ll still be okay regardless of which stall to choose.

4. Despite the redundancy, some food stalls are more popular than others. 

This is what my local friend said about ordering in hawker centers:

When I asked my friend what to get, she said that most locals usually order in the stalls where the lines are longer. Their sense is that the more delicious the food, the more popular it is, hence the lines.

You can also do some minimum research on what type of stalls are more popular. Stalls are numbered by numbers posted on the signboard as follows:

5. Bring wet wipes.

Yes, there’s a clean toilet at the end of the Newton Food Center. There are a lot of washing basins too. It is in this area that you can also refill your water.

However, it’s safer to bring wet wipes with you especially when eating seafood. Better safe than sorry! 🙂

6. Stalls will deliver your paid ordered food to your seat, so REMEMBER YOUR TABLE NUMBER.

Every table has a number which you need to remember. It’s printed on the side of the table.

When ordering on multiple stalls, hawkers will deliver the cooked food to the table once you give them instructions on where your table is.

See? Check out the table number written on the plates that were delivered in our table #202:

It’s a lot easier than carrying plates of food. Just let them do it for you.

7. Never order food that does NOT indicate a fixed price.

My husband didn’t know and ordered the grilled tiger prawn from the stall in front of our table. They charged him SGD13 (Php 500) PER PRAWN, with a minimum order of 4 tiger prawns.

This was what Php 2,000 looked like — not only was it dry, it was also freaking expensive.

Locals will always tell you: Never order anything that’s not fixed price. The vendors may cheat on the weight of the food, and overcharge you on the order.

And of course, once the food is on time table, you have no choice but to pay it. Very important, only order fixed price items.

8. If you’re ordering a non-fixed price item — say, Chili Crab, make sure you determine the price first when making the order. 

Apparently, Chili Crab is worth SGD40-50 depending on kilo/size. While our tiger prawns was SGD 53 for four pieces, a Chili Crab will average around SGD 45-55 per order, which makes it very worthwhile to have:

Photo Credit: GastronomicWanders Blog

Indicate the total price to pay before ordering and paying so there’s no misunderstandings once it’s cooked. Order some delicious mantou to wipe the sauce with.

9. Almost everything was good: Here’s what we ordered from the best to the worst:

When you’re at the Newton Food Center, order the Cockles, Satay Sting Ray and Chicken Wings. They were the best dishes we had when we ate there.

This plates of Cockles (SGD 10/order) was cheap, and was the best dish we had along with the satay sting ray. It was best eaten with chili sauce:

Another best dish was the Satay Sting Ray worth SGD10-15 depending on the size. It was tender, perfectly cooked and very flavorful. Apparently, this is one of Newton Food Park’s specialty. Please order it:

The third best dish was the Chicken Wings, which was around SGD 1.4 each. Eaten with a dash of calamansi, the chicken feet rounded up the best three dishes at Newton Food Center:

Here were the consolation prizes:

Satay — Pork, Chicken, Mutton, worth SGD0.70 each (Minimum of 10 pcs):

Oyster cake worth either SGD6/8/10 depending on size:

Fried Dark Carrot Cake worth SGD3-5:

Char Kway Teow:

And Hokkien Prawn Mee:

 

For the drinks, the Soursop Juice is to die for. I would go over and over again for the Soursop Juice. My juice had bits and pieces of Soursop. Very authentic.

10. Out of courtesy, especially on peak periods, vacate the table/seats when you’re finished eating.

The busy Hawker Center is not the best place to hang out and make tambay especially after finishing your meal. Especially during peak hours, so many other guests are standing by and waiting for the next available seat:

If you want to talk to your friend, go to the coffee shop or the mall. But especially during peak hours, while it’s okay to eat leisurely, please vacate the table for the next guest to sit in once you’ve finished and somewhat digested your food.

It’s just the courteous thing to do.

Come and visit the Newton Food Center in Singapore when you visit Singapore. Start with this center first and go and visit the rest. It’s a great introduction to a hawker experience when you visit Singapore.

Newton Food Centre
Opens till 2:00am
Newton, Singapore

6 Reasons Why You’re Still Single at 40

Yesterday, I asked the question, “Why would a beautiful 40-year old woman still be SINGLE?”

I’ve wondered this question and asked several friends what they thought. We mulled over whether it was the guys’ fault or the girl’s fault that she’s still single. At the end of the day, the consensus is clear: If she is beautiful and sexy, and there’s nothing wrong with her physically, then it’s the woman’s fault that she’s single.

Not the men’s.

WOAH!

Mindblowing!

Here are 6 Reasons why it’s the woman’s fault if she is still single at 40, and she wants to get married before then:

1) Some superficiality was in play.

Some nice guy actually came a calling.

But she rejected him because he is short, boxy and dark-skinned.

The guy was ready for marriage and for a serious relationship. He was already in his 40s, and was keen to start a family. There’s no baggage except for the fact that he was single since he just came off from two long-term, long-distance relationships that didn’t work out.

It doesn’t matter: She still rejected him.

Because he’s not her type.

Sometimes, we can’t help ourselves. If he’s not cute, we’d rather be single.

That’s why, she is still single.

2) Because they think dating apps are for losers.

I met a 30-plus year old woman who wanted to find love, and asked her why she didn’t try dating apps like OkCupid, Tinder, eHarmony and the likes.

“Oh, dating apps are for losers,” she huffed. “I’m not that desperate yet.”

My husband and I met via a dating app.

So apparently, we are losers.

That’s why she’s still single. Close-minded people who shut off avenues even before they try it end up with limited options and no boyfriends. They’re stuck in the pool they already wallowing in over the last two decades. Those who entered the pool later on would rather choose younger, prettier and equally willing to commit women.

My friend went into 10 blind dates per year, for two years, before marrying the man she married. That’s like 20+ blind dates from hell, and a whole lot of stories, before finding her happily ever after.

 

If you don’t try it out with a positive attitude, don’t cry if you’re still single. There is NOTHING wrong with dating apps, and if you’re willing to scratch out this option because of a few bad apples, then you’re losing out.

3) Because they are girlfriend material… NOT wife material.

The Internet are awash with posts such as:

Top 30 Signs That Your Girlfriend Is ‘Wife Material’

Apparently, a girlfriend is still different from a wife. They both start out the same way, but end out differently. While a wife can be girlfriend material, a woman who is just girlfriend material finds it hard to be a wife.

Reason being is, for some reason or the other, the guy shies away from proposing! He’s fine with just dating exclusively, and even moving in together, but when it comes to legalizing it, the guy balks and asks why things won’t remain the same.

I honestly think it’s because the woman in question is not wife material. Sure, she’s fun, adventurous and maybe the sex is good, but hey, she’s not really something you want to spend forever after with.

So the question is, what’s the difference between a girlfriend-slash-mistress material, and not a wife? Both are women and someone you’re intimate with. However, why is it that some women get married while others are stuck in dating limbo?

A wife material is someone who guys see as the following:

Not enough?

I asked a guy friend what’s the difference, to which he answered:

With a wife, you think of forever. On whether she is a good fit to your life. On whether she can be a great partner to you in an out of the home.

You wonder if your mom loves her or not, and how she will fit in your family dynamics. If your mom hates her, then she’s purely just fun and girlfriend material. It will be awkward if you married someone whom your family hates.

You also want someone who has her head straight and who isn’t promiscuous or a flirt. Someone who dresses conservatively and doesn’t look like she’s going to the beach or the bar on a daily basis. Sure, it’s nice to marry someone who’s sexy, but you don’t want someone who looks malandi. That’s just someone you’d love to f*ck, not someone you’d like to start a family with.

Lastly, you also think whether or not she’ll be a great mother to your future kids. You want someone who is smart, emotionally stable and can balance you… not a drama queen who’s irresponsible, stresses you out, and incredibly stupid. They say the kids get their brains from their mother, and you don’t want stupid children.

It’s easy to be like a mistress: You’re fun and sexy and probably great in bed. But it’s not as easy to be a wife — there are so many stakeholders that are in play: Both sides of the family, the community, and the kids.

Usually, unless the guy is really head over heels in love with you, he’d rather wait until all ducks are in a row before getting married.

4) Because you’re already over the hill, and they do want kids.

We had our chance when we were in our 20s, dating men one after another, trying to see who is a better fit for us. This continued on until we were in our 30s, when the pickings started to get thinner and thinner.

At 20s, all the guys from their 20s to 40s want to date you. When you’re in your late 30s, guys in their 20s see you as a MILF or cougar. Guys in their 30s want someone who is 20s and more fertile. Guys in their 40s come with baggage (and kids from their first marriage), or some psychological disorder.

What’s more, most men want a progeny. They want someone to carry their line. Many want a kid and a spare.

Case in point, when I first met my future father-in-law, he already criticized me for being old. I was just in my early 30s. At 32 years old in his humble opinion, I was no spring chicken, and was less likely to reproduce an heir.

He was wrong.

I did have a daughter. And yet, it’s not the 4 or 5 kids he envisioned to carry the line. But he is not unusual: Most guys in Asia do want kids. And they are more likely to have children if the woman is younger.

5) Because they are full of negativity.

I know women who complain about the dating pool, “There are so many losers in (Insert place here)! There are no good single guys out here! Only the asshole ones and those who are gay!” 

Another woman who has a successful career at Goldman Sachs moan about the lack of good guys working there. After I congratulated her about working in one of the best investment banks in the world, she quickly retorted, “What do you mean? Here at Goldman Sachs, there’s NO GOLD, NO MAN, AND NO SEX!”

Sometimes, it’s the woman who is the problem. If guys keep on breaking up with you, then you’re not the problem.

Not the men.

6) Because they do not face the reality: That men are a limited resource and sometimes, you just have to make a choice.

My mom told me a story of the building with many floors. Each floor has selections of men to choose from. If you choose someone from that floor, you can no longer go up another floor. You would have to marry that person and stay with that person ever after. However, if you go up one floor, you can no longer go down the previous floor.

The woman went to the first floor and looked at the selection. These were the regular guys they met in school. They were nice, dorky and boring. They were good selections, but she still went up a floor because she wanted to see what the other floor had to offer.

The second floor were those she met in her first job. Everyone was inexperienced, excited and fun. They had limited money but had a lot of time socializing with each other. There were a lot of people on this floor. But since many of them were still wide-eyed and poor, she still went up another floor.

The third floor have less people than the second, but still had enough. These were people who now have 5 years of work experience under their belt. Some were now married to their college sweethearts but were looking for an affair, while others were single but are still in debt having taken their first mortgage on a home. The people on this floor were not yet rich and were still struggling financially, so the woman still went up one more floor.

The woman couldn’t find anyone from floors four to seven. The guys were flawed in their own way. They weren’t good, rich, or cute enough. Those who were cute were assholes, and those who were good were not cute.

So she continued to go up a floor, thinking that maybe, she will find someone better, because everytime she goes up a floor, she usually finds a guy who is.

As she went up the eighth floor, she was surprised. There was nobody on the eighth floor. The room was empty.

And so she cried.

DO NOT BE THIS WOMAN!

In Summary

We often blame the world for our being single. And yet, while we blame others, we wonder how many other women who are less prettier, less sexier and dumber than us keep on getting married before us?

“There is nothing special about her,” we would huff. “Why did she get married earlier than me?”

“Maybe it’s because she settled, or have lower standards?”

“Maybe the guy is okay with someone dumber, and just feels pressure to get married?”

“Maybe because they’ve been dating so long, and heck, it’s time.”

The questions mask the real issue here — Why them and not me?

And I think there lies the problem: We are so quick to blame others but never see our hand on our own mistakes. When we see others who have better luck than we do, we fail to see that it’s actually not luck as to why they are in situations they are in now.

Unless we look deeply in the mirror in front of us, we cannot solve the problems that face us.

It is us who is the problem.

Not the mirror. Not Snow White. Not the kingdom.

And unless we face this reality, we will forever be single, and will watch the world pass us by. And while there is nothing wrong with being single, I hope that it is because of choice that we are. If so, wear singlehood with pride.

But if you are single at 40, and want to get married, then you have to wake up and smell the roses.

Open your eyes.

Stop being a b*tch.

Make an effort.

Start trying out dating apps.

Go out on blind dates.

Promote the fact that you are single and looking.

Give that nice guy a chance.

Stop complaining and start doing.

Be a positive ball of energy.

And for goodness sakes, CHOOSE SOMEONE.

How about you? Do you agree or not? Comments and thoughts appreciated.

 

 

To Share: My One-Week Travel Itinerary of Amazing Taipei

Most people don’t give Taipei a lot of credit preferring mostly to spend their vacations in Hong Kong or Singapore. However, having stayed in these countries for prolonged periods, I still find Taipei to be the best travel destination in terms of food, sights, culture, people, and value for money.

It’s only in Taipei where food is consistently delicious, be it when you’re forking out NTD 25 for a braised pork rice at the street market, or NTD 2,000 for the best Japanese sushi in town. Taiwanese people are cute and polite, and red carpet service is rolled out to you wherever you go, so long as you smile and persist. Though they have some difficulty to understand you as Taiwan is mainly a Mandarin speaking country, most will try to help as long as they are not busy.

Taipei transportation is also top-notch, way better than Hong Kong and Singapore in my honest opinion, with extremely clean, air-conditioned subways that can get you around most places in the city via the help of an Easycard. Looking for a bathroom while traveling? No problem, every subway station in Taipei has one — and they’re clean too!

If subways don’t work, taxis make traveling around Taipei extremely convenient, and drivers are much more polite than those in Hong Kong. Just ensure that you have Chinese translations of the names of your destination written on paper.

Lastly, Taipei is one of the best cities to party, with various clubs offering events from Wednesdays to Saturdays. Most of my friends from Hong Kong used to fly to Taipei on Friday evenings, de-stress, and fly back to work again come Sundays. Entrance fees are relatively cheap, with free drinks usually included, and the music is good, the girls hot, and the vibe electric.

Do spend a few days in Taipei, a bustling metropolis with interesting things to do and places to see whether you are there for a quick 1-day stopover, or if you have a week to spend. A suggested itinerary is included in this package.

• Day 1 – Taipei: Arrive at Taipei – Eat beef noodles lunch @ Hsimenting – 228 Memorial Park – Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Sun Yat Sen Park – Eslite Bookstore – Taipei 101, Dinner at Mitsui Japanese restaurant – Party at Barcode, Room 18 and Luxy Taipei
• Day 2: Stroll around Sogo area – Lunch at Ding Tai Fung (Xinyi) – Dong Qu Fen Yen for Dessert – Longshan Temple, Dinner at Huaxi Street or “Snake Alley”
• Day 3: Dihua Street – Danshui’s Fisherman’s Wharf (Sunset) and Gong Ming Street – Dinner at Villa 32 – Beitou for hot springs and overnight
• Day 4: Peitou for Hotsprings, Lunch at Tasty Steak – National Palace Museum by 2:45pm, Shilin Night Market for dinner, snacks and shopping
• Day 5: Daytrip to Yehliu (No. 167-1 Gang Dong Road, Yehliu Village, Wanli Township) and Jiufen Mining Village
• Day 6-7: Hualian, Taroko Gorge National Park – Taiwanese Dinner

Flights

Flights from Manila to Taipei

• Philippine Airlines 896: 7:30 am –> 9:40 am (Daily EXCEPT Sunday) **
• China Airlines: 10:45 am –> 12:55 pm (Daily)
• Philippine Airlines 894: 12:35 pm –> 2:55 pm (Friday)
• EVA Air 272: 12:50 pm –> 3:00 pm (Daily)

Flights from Taipei to Manila, 2 hours:

• China Airlines: 7:35 am –> 9:35 am (Daily)
• EVA Airways 271: 9:30 am –> 11:50 am (Daily)
• Philippine Airlines 897: 10:40 am –> 12:55 pm (M, T, Th)
• China Airlines: 1:45 pm –> 3:55 pm (Daily) **
• Philippine Airlines 895: 3:50 pm –> 6:20 pm (Friday)
• Philippine Airlines 899: 5:30 pm –> 7:50 pm (Wednesday)
• Philippine Airlines 899: 6:35 pm –> 8:55 pm (Sat) **

Day 1 – Taipei: Arrive at Taipei – Eat beef noodles lunch @ Hsimenting – 228 Memorial Park – Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Sun Yat Sen Park – Eslite Bookstore – Taipei 101, Dinner at Mitsui Japanese restaurant – Party at Barcode, Room 18 and Luxy Taipei

Upon leaving customs, turn left and look for the airport bus terminals. Take the city bus (NTD90 approx) to “Taipei Main Station (台北車站).” Bus company should be called “Toward You.” Get down at the Taipei Main Station stop, and the hotel is close to the Mitsukoshi Department Store.

Recommend to check in first at the City Inn Hotel (No.7, Huaining St., Jhongjheng District, Taipei 100, Tel: +886-2-2314 8008). It’s located two streets down the Mitsukoshi Department Store. Below it is the is the Family Mart Convenient Store.

Before grabbing a bite to eat, check out NOVA Computer Center.Entrance is just beside the hotel. Other side of entrance is the street across Mitsukoshi Department Store. This used to be the tallest building in Taiwan before Taipei 101. PC prices here are the cheapest in Taiwan. Formal address below:

NOVA資訊廣場站前店
台北市中正區黎明里 館前路2
Tel: +886-2-2381-4833 

Then, after checking out goods, take the MRT right in front of the Mitsukoshi Department Store to Hsimending (西門町) MTR Station, Exit C2. Turn to right upon exit, and go straight till you see a Sony Style store on your left. Turn right on that corner (you know it’s correct when you see a Family Mart Convenient Store) on your left side. The beef noodle chain is right beside the Family Mart Convenient Store. Order the 紅燒牛肉麵 and some appetizers. Should come with a nice set.

Restaurant Address: 10 峨眉街, Wanhua  District, 台灣. Order their beef noodles. Cheap and yummy.

Tour around Hsimending (西門町). It’s similar to “Harajuku” in Japan. The local bookstores carry mostly Japanese oriented magazines, books, CD albums, etc. These are where the “young” people all roll…

228 Peace Park (Optional):

Take the MRT to red line, Taiwan University Hospital Station (臺大醫院捷運站) to reach the park.

Originally called Taipei Park, the 228 Peace Park (二二八和平公園) is one of Taipei’s most interesting historic sites. Just a few minutes walk from the Main Station and Bus Station, the 228 Peace Park houses the neoclassical National Taiwan Museum, which used to house a radio station operated under the Japanese and Kuomintang rule. The park contains a number of memorials to victims of the 228 Incident of 1947. In the evenings, it’s a popular place where gay men go cruising at night.

CKS Memorial Hall:

You can walk or take the MRT for one stop to CKS Memorial Hall. Personally, I would just prefer to walk.

Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall showcases two buildings facing each other — the National Theatre and the National Concert Hall — right inside the gated Liberty Square. The CKS Hall lies at the center and situates a large Chiang Kai-Shek statue. Inside the hall, you can see much of what Chiang Kai-Shek’s life was like. From his bulletproof Cadillac to the clothing he wore, and the chair he sat on. A wall clock has needles set to 11:50pm, the time of his death.

Check out the bullet holes of Chiang’s car at the left rear part, and count the number of steps from the ground to the second floor. There are 89 steps to be exact, equivalent to President’s Chiang age. He lived for 89 years. The back of the bronze says, “Ethics, Democracy, Science.” This is the essence of the Three People’s Principles — To practice nationalism by ethics, by democracy, and by science.

Must do: Wait for guards to change. It happens on the hour from 10am to 4pm. Wednesdays are from 10am to 6pm. The army, navy and air force takes turns to be the guards every four months. How do you know who is which? The army wears the green uniform, the navy wears the black uniform in summer and white in winter, while the air force wears blue.

Take MRT from CKS Memorial Hall to Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Park MRT.

The National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park

A memorial dedicated to the Father of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, this Memorial Hall was completed on 1972. The total building area covers 29,464 square meters (7.3 acres) with an open space of 115,000 square meters. It contains displays of Sun’s life and he revolution he led, and is currently a multi-purpose social, educational, and cultural center for the public.

Walk to Taipei 101. Drop by Taipei Eslite Bookstore, the largest retail bookstore in Taiwan.

Taipei 101

Taiwan’s largest skyscraper, Taipei 101, enjoyed the title of the world’s tallest building from 2004 up until the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was completed in 2010. It remains as the world’s largest and tallest green building, standing at 1,667 feet and consisting of 101 aboveground floors, five underground floors, and houses a mix of offices, a multi-level shopping complex, food court and restaurants.

Most impressive than the total building height is its structural integrity. Taipei 101 is designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoon-level winds thanks to a massive damper sphere, the largest in the world. The building’s exterior is meant to resemble bamboo, a symbol of longevity.

Ride the world’s fastest elevator to the eighty-ninth floor of the observatory. Take a self-guided audio tour in the indoor observatory before climbing to the outer deck to take in the bird’s eye view of Taipei.

Hours: 9:00am-10:00pm, daily. Last ticket entry: 9:15 pm.
Admission: NTD 450 for adults

Dinner: Mitsui Taipei (三井日本料理)

Serving Japanese food made from the highest quality ingredients, today, Mitsui operates at ten locations and offers a hierarchy of omakase selections. The basic Yue Yin set comprising of 7-8 courses is already at NTD 1,800 but is worth every penny. The only difference is in the types of dishes and quality of ingredients. The sushi is handpicked by the chef, and is flown every morning from Japan to keep the freshness.

Mitsui Cuisine, B1, No. 108, Sec. 1, Dun-hua South Road, Taipei City (Tel: +886-2-2741 3394, http://www.mitsuitaipei.com.tw/en/home.html). Reservation required.

Alternative: Cuisine M, No. 1, Songzhi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City (Tel: +886-2-2345 1101, About NTD 1,500-2,000/pax or NTD 1,800/pax for a 6-course dinner set, MRT: Taipei City Hall)

Partying in Taipei

Head to Barcode first, then to Room 18, Neo 19 Building, NTD 700 with 2 free drinks. Then, check out Spark, which can be found at the Taipei 101 basement. It’s not huge but gets the job done if your task is to dance, drink and sweat. (No. 45, Shifu Road, MRT: Taipei City Hall Station, NTD 600 for entry)

Luxy Club, No. 201, Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 4, Taipei (NTD 300 for entry with 2 drinks, Closest MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, http://luxy-taipei.com)

The biggest, baddest club in Taipei is Luxy. With multiple floors going from all-out pop extravaganza to four-on-the-floor electronics to some more experimental stuff going upstairs, Luxy brings out the best DJ and is the most famous club in Taipei.

Best times to party: Wednesdays (Ladies Night), Fridays, Saturdays

Day 2 – Taipei: Stroll around Sogo area – Lunch at Ding Tai Fung (Xinyi) – Dong Qu Fen Yen for Dessert – Longshan Temple, Dinner at Huaxi Street or “Snake Alley”

Take the Chungxiao Fuxing MRT station and walk to Din Dai Fung. If you are early for lunch, you can walk around the area and check out the Pacific Sogo Department Store (Exit 2) or the surrounding boutique stores. Best to come in at 11am for lunch at Din Tai Fung to avoid the lunch crowd. Ding Tai Fung does not accept phone reservations so you have no choice but to line up.

Lunch: Din Tai Fung:

When you think of xiao long bao, there is no other restaurant that comes to mind other than Din Tai Fung. The restaurant originated in Taiwan and is the country’s pride despite offering Shanghai staples like the xiao long bao. Make sure to give this place a visit when in Taipei.

Their Xinyi Road location is right at the heart of Taipei City, a 10-15 walk from the Chungxiao Fushing MRT station. This location has long line-ups but the queue moves quick and they allow you to order while waiting.

Start off the meal with a bamboo steamer full of xiao long bao, each with the characteristics of a good xiao long bao: a super thin skin, succulent non-pasty meat, and the skin that holds the meat sauce that doesn’t tear easily. Eat this with a chopsticks and your soup spoon after dipping it lightly in the vinegar and sliced ginger sauce.

Must order: Xiao long bao, steamed vegetable and pork dumplings, red oil wonton, chicken soup, hot sour soup, fried rice with shrimps and eggs

Alternative: Din Dai Fung, No . 194 Xinyi Road Sec. 2, +886-2-2321 8928 (Opening hours: 10am-9pm)

Dessert: Chungxiao Dunhua

Walk to Dong Qu Fen Yuen near Chungxiao Dunhua.

Dong Qu Fen Yuen
No. 38, 216 Alley, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Daan District, Taipei (Tel: +886-2-2777 2057)

Closest landmarks would be the Ming Yao Shopping Center and is close to Ding Tai Feng. The shop will be packed and you can choose all your favorite ingredients. Choose from the tofu, red bean and grass jelly sweet soup, fill up with crushed ice and select up to 3 toppings for only NTD 25. Toppings include yams, green beans, red beans, soft peanut, passion fruit, strawberry jam, gingko, pumpkin balls, almonds and pearls. The QQ balls glistens with the ice and is sweet, soft and very chewy.

Closest MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua

Tofu Dessert
No. 26, Lane 131, Yanji Street, Daan District, Taipei (Tel: +886-2-8771 8901)

Try their strawberry tofu with little tapioca balls, soft bean curd, strawberries and milk. Other selections include black sesame tofu, red bean tofu and mango tofu

Longshan Temple

To get there: take the Longshan Temple MRT station.

Longshan Temple is Taipei’s oldest, most popular temple, dating back to the 18th century, when it was first established by settlers from mainland China. In the meantime, it’s expanded and contracted in times of war and peace, very much integrated into city life, while offering an oasis of reflection and contemplation within its heart. Visitors are usually moved by the amazingly ornate carvings and other decorative elements in display. The ceremonial gateways, elegant pagoda roofs, and heady incense burners associated with traditional Chinese temples are found here. Also typically Chinese is the mix of faiths: Longshan is associated with Buddhism, Taoism and other local gods.

Longshan Temple is found in central Taipei and is served by its own MRT station. It’s open until 10am so you can consider an evening visit when the temple is at its atmospheric, perhaps before or after dinner at the nearby Huaxi Street Market. Admission: Free.

Dinner: Huaxi Street or “Snake Alley”

Huaxi Night Market announces itself with a ceremonial gateway with charming Chinese lanterns providing decoration and more powerful lights illuminating the area to near-daylight levels.

Most visitors are drawn to Huaxi Street by the stalls collectively known as “Snake Alley.” Vendors attract far more onlookers than those willing to test the potency and vigor that comes from eating snake soup and other serpent derivatives. For the less adventurous, there is a huge range of dining options in the surrounding streets encompassing noodles, oyster omelets, chicken skewers, cuttlefish soup, traditional custard pastries, and local delicacies include stinky tofu.

Day 3 – Taipei: Dihua Street – Danshui’s Fisherman’s Wharf (Sunset) and Gong Ming Street – Dinner at Villa 32 – Beitou for hot springs and overnight

Dihua Street

Dihua Street is Taiwan’s most preserved, most historically significant old street lasting generations. It’s the best place to check out Chinese fabric stores, traditional Chinese medicines and is the largest dried goods market outside of China. A walk down the full length of Dihua Street’s three sections is a good 20 minutes. Along the northern section, there are a number of old historic stores. In the central section is a collection of dried good stores of any and every kind you could imagine, including a variety of products from Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. The southern section is a dried goods market with a long history. The dried goods available here are all fresh and of top quality.

To get here: A 5-minute walk from Nanjing West Road. Closest MRT is Shuanglian MRT Stop (Red Line).

Danshui: Fisherman’s Wharf and GongMing Street

Upon arrival at Danshui, head to Fisherman’s Wharf by taking the R26 bus from Danshui MRT station. Go to the Lover’s Bridge, an infamous bridge born on Valentine’s Day and is the reason for its inspired name. Watching the sunset off this bridge is one of the most breathtaking moments.

Then, head back to Danshui’s GongMing Street, a street full of unique Taiwanese eats to enjoy some local food. A mere 5-minute walk from the Danshui Main Station, try the following eats:

• Ice cream shop that sells 6 different flavors — all at arm’s length: vanilla/chocolate, green tea/mango, taro/strawberry. Taste-wise, it doesn’t have the same creamy consistency and is more of a sorbet. But it sure is refreshing. Price: NTD 10
• Freshly grilled squid with bonito flakes and onion garnish. The squid is usually moist and the texture is neither pasty nor chewy. The taste is a little sweet. Price: NTD 60
• Ah-Gei (NTD: 30): Fried tofu stuffed with cellophane noodle and sealed with fish paste. It’s steamed and topped with special ketchup sauce.
• Souvenirs include iron eggs, almond tae and nougat (Flavors: Green tea, almond, chocolate). The iron eggs are stewed in a variety of spices and air dried, giving them a chewy consistency.

Beitou Hot Springs District

The Beitou district is the most mountainous in Taipei, and its geothermal warming has created a series of natural hot springs, one of the largest concentrations in the world. Beitou Hot Spings was originally developed as a public bathhouse during the Japanese occupation beginning in 1895. For decades, the area was one of the country’s largest red light districts before a major cleanup by the government in the 80s and 90s.

Today, there are luxury hot springs resorts in place of brothels in what has become a family-friendly area of Taipei. The Beitou Public Bathhouse, the largest during the Japanese era, is now the Beitou Hot Springs and Museum, where visitors can read up on the history of the hot springs before soaking in the healing sulfuric waters. Since the baths of Beitou Hot Springs Park are public, men and women share the same pools and wear swimsuits, and women must have their hair tied up.

Dinner: Villa 32

Villa 32 only has one Italian restaurant, providing classical and fine Italian delicacies. Chef Jimmy selects the best local and worldwide ingredients to present aromatic food and delicacies. Set menus and a la carte menus are available.

Villa 32 is located at n°32, Zhong Shan Road, a five minute walk from Xin Beitou MRT Station. Near Beitou Park, Spring Museum and Hot Spring Valley, Villa 32 is the nearest backyard garden of the city you can reach

If you have special dining requirements, they can provide customized menus. Call for reservations.

• Set menus for lunch start from NTD 980 + 10%
• Set menus for dinner start from NTD 2,200 + 10%

Villa 32
For reservations, call: +886-2-6611 8888
Website: http://www.villa32.com/frameset-en.htm

Check-in Overnight: Aquabella Hotel

Suggested accommodation:  Hotel – Aquabella Hotel

63 WenQuan Road, Beitou, Taipei
Tel: +886-2-2891 1118
http://www.aquabella.hotel.com.tw
Closest MRT: Xin Peitou MRT
General direction: It’s less than a 10-minute walk up a road behind Sweetme. It’s in front of KFC. Stay overnight and includes a tasty sesame dumpling dessert, with free complimentary breakfast. Check-in at 5:30pm.

Day 4 – Taipei: Peitou for Hotsprings, Lunch at Tasty Steak – National Palace Museum by 2:45pm, Shilin Night Market for dinner, snacks and shopping

Complimentary breakfast at the Aquabella Hotel. Checkout at noon.

Lunch:  Tasty Steak

Tasty Steak Restaurant, Set Menu: NTD 550/pax for 8 courses

• Taipei Chongqing South S. Branch, 2/F, No. 129, Sec. 1, Chongqing South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei (Tel: +886-2-2370 8292)
• Taipei Nanjing East Road, 2/F, No. 11, Sec. 2, Nanjing East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei
• Taipei Fuxing S. Branch, 3/F, No. 152, Sec. 1, Fuxing South Road, Daan District, Taipei
• Taipei Guangfu South Road, No. 94, Sec. 2, Keelung Road, Xinyi District, Taipei
• Tianmu Zhongzheng Branch, B1/F, No. 188, Sec. 2, Zhongcheng Road, Shilin District, Taipei City (Tel: +886-2-2876 6591)
• Beitou Zhonghe Branch, 2/F, No. 366, Zhonghe Street, Beitou District, Taipei (Tel: +886-2-2896 2109)

National Palace Museum

The Museum has a permanent collection of more than 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic age to the late Qing Dynasty. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by China’s ancient emperors.

The National Palace Museum and the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City in Beijing share the same roots. They split in two as a result of the Chinese Civil War. Its most famous items are the Jadeite Cabbage, and the Meat-shaped Stone. The Jadeite Cabbage with Insects is a piece of jadeite carved into the shape of a Chinese cabbage head, and with a locust and katydid camouflaged in the leaves.

It’s best to join the English guided tours that is available twice daily, at 10am or 3pm to fully enjoy the relics. Each guided tour is open for 15 online reservation applications, and should be completed 3 days prior to the visit. You need your passport number, contact number, and email address. For those successfully registered, visit the audio reception desk on the first floor at least 15 minutes before the start of the guided tour.

To get to the museum, take the MRT to Shilin Station, and take bus R30 (Red 30), 255, 304, 815, Minibus 18 or Minibus 19 to the plaza in front of the National Palace Museum. The National Palace Museum is open daily from 0830-1830 all year around. Tickets: NTD 160/pax. Allot 2-4 hours for tour.

Shilin Night Market

Take the bus back to the Shilin Night Market.

The Shilin Night Market is one of the most well-organized, most popular night markets in Taipei. One section covers the streets surrounding the traditional Yangming Theatre and stretching to the Chicheng Temple on Danan Road. The other sector is a centralized food court serving a wide variety of snacks that attract large crowds.

Must haves at the Shilin Night Market:

• Hot Star Fried Chicken, NTD 55
• Giant sausages, NTD 60
• Frog eggs drink
• Fried oyster omelets
• Cold Layers milk dessert, Stall No. 250
• Chili Wantons, Stall No. 1, NTD 45
• Lou Rou Fan (Stewed meat in rice)
• Teppanyaki, ~NTD 100
• Cheap steak, NTD 120
• Pan-fried bun (生煎包), NTD 50. Like the fluffiness of cake and the crunchiness of potato chips? The pan-fried bun gives you the best of both worlds. The buns are made with spongy white Chinese bread that is pan-fried on the bottom. Break one open to reveal the moist porky filling. A Shanghainese staple, the Taiwanese version differs in two ways: it’s slightly bigger in size and it hits the pan upside-down. Hsu Ji (許記), Shida Night Market, Taan District, Taipei City; +886 9 3085 9646
• La mian, NTD 50
• Oyster misua, NTD 30, at Shilin Market Food Street arch
• Toilet restaurant

To MRT to get there: Jiantan MRT Station, NOT the Shilin Night Market Station

Day 5 – Northern Taiwan: Daytrip to Yehliu (No. 167-1 Gang Dong Road, Yehliu Village, Wanli Township) and Jiufen Mining Village

Yehliu

Off the coast just north of Keelung sits one of Taiwan’s most fascinating geological parks, the Yehliu Coast. Over thousands of years, wind and rain eroded away parts of the softer top layer of rock to reveal interesting patterns. Some look like honeycombs, others like potholes, a shoe and even a queen’s head. The exposed sandstone landscape is littered with fossils, old relics of a past era. The mushroom and candle-shaped rocks are among the more alien-looking formations. It’s a perfect trip to combine with a visit to the Keelung seaport and Yehliu’s Baoan Temple.

To get there: Take a bus from the Taipei West Bus Station Terminal A (near Taipei Main Station) to Yehliu (NTD 96-102, cash or Easycard). It’s the “Jin Shan Youth Activity Centre” route, bus number 1815 and is operated by Kuo-Kuang. The first bus departs at 0540 hours (weekdays) and 0615 (weekends). Bus frequency: 15-20 minutes. Travel time: around 1 hour 20 minutes. Be sure to request the bus driver to alert you when the bus reaches Yehliu.

From there, it’s a 10-minute walk to the Yehliu Geopark after passing a quaint fishing port town. There isn’t a lot of variety for snacks on food stall at the park so if you’re hungry, grab some fresh seafood along the row of restaurants outside the park. Better yet, bring some bread and snacks with you so you don’t get hungry on this trip.

Entrance to the Geopark is NTD 50 for adults and NTD 25 for children shorter than 115 cm. They are open from 8:00am – 5:00 pm daily, or 6:00pm from May to September.  The Yehliu Ocean World is just next door, but we usually just skip this attraction and focus on the Geopark.

Allot yourself 3 hours to leisurely visit the park. After paying the entrance, catch the short English film at the visitor center introducing the park. Follow the path to observe rocks and amazing views and allot yourself 3 hours to go around. Please wear a light jacket. The park is divided to 3 areas: there are mushroom rocks, ginger rocks, candle rocks and even a queen’s head.

The Queen’s Head resembles the head of an Egyptian Queen from the narrow delicate neck ot the imposing head dress. It’s been said that the Queen’s Head will break due to natural wear and tear within 50 years.

On the other side of the park, notice the statue of Lin Tien Jen, a man who sacrificed his life by jumping in the water to save some drowning children. After saving the children, he couldn’t pull himself back in. He left behind a wife and kids and a the statue was built dedicated to this unsung herl.

You can take a separate day for Jiufen and after the park, visit Keelung City by taking a bus from this stop outside the convenience store. Travel time: 30 minutes. Eat at the Keelung Miaokou food street and night market. It’s just a 10-minute walk from Keelung Railway Station where you can get back to Taipei. Alight train at Keelung Railway Station and board a trip to Songshan Railway Station (for Wufenpu and Raohe Night Market) or Taipei Main Station. Alternately, take a Kuo Kuang bus back to Taipei Main Station.

Jiufen

If you want to take a separate day trip. From Jiufen to Taipei: From Taipei, take the Jiufen bus # 1062 (Bus company: Keelung bus) from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station Exit 1. Make a U-turn as you come out of the station so the Sogo mall (big red letters) will now be on your right hand side and the elevated railway line will be in front of you. Walk a minute and take the first left, then after a few meters, you will see the 1062 bus stop. Cost is NTD 102 so bring exact change or easycard. Travel time: 1 hour.

From Yehliu to Jiufen, walk back to Yehliu stop and cross the road. Take the Keelung Bus #790, 862 or 1262 to Keelung City. Fare: NTD 43 and travel time: 40-50 minutes. Then, transfer to Bus #788 or 1013 to Jiufen. The bus stand for Keelung bus from Keelung Railway Station to Jiufen is located at one of the staggered bus stands to the right if you are exiting Keelung Railway Station. Board Keelung bus with destination “Jinguashih”. Fare: NTD 40 to Jiufen and travel time around 40 minutes. The Gold Ecological Museum is a short walk from Jinguashih bus terminal. Alight at Jiufen at the 7-11 at the right of Jiufen entrance.

Jiufen is situated in the hills overlooking a small harbor on Taiwan’s northeast coast. Once a prosperous town famous for its gold mining industry, Jiufen was abandoned by the 1970s and nearly forgotten, and is now a mecca for artists and writers, as well as the inspiration for films like A City of Sadness and Spirited Away. Jiufen so much inspired Hayao Miyazaki, the director of the 2002 Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away, that he used the town’s scenery as a backdrop to the Japanese film.

Follow through the narrow cobbled streets past stone walls and tea houses that provide a picture of the town during the Japanese occupation. The Jiufen Old Street offers plentiful food stalls throughout the entire town. Walk down the long, narrow street that brims with traditional crafts and delicious snacks such as sweet taro balls, rice cakes and grilled squid. In the Jiufen residential area, try to find the restored Shengping Theatre House, the first movie theater in northern Taiwan, originally built for mineworkers’ after-hours entertainment. Admire authentic details such as the ticket office, seats and stage, as well as vintage movie posters and defunct equipment.

Drink tea at the Jiufen Tea House (No. 142, Jishan Street, Tel: +886-2-2496 9056). The tea house was once the meeting place for many great Taiwanese writers and artists when it first opened. When you enter from the narrow crowded street, you will come into a spacious and calm interior. The host will lead you to a quiet table on the lower levels, or you can sit outside on the back terrace in good weather. Choose your favorite tea and tea snacks from the menu and sit for as long as you like.

To get back, walk back to the bus stop just near the convenience stores near the entrance to the town. Fee: NTD 90. You can get off at MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes.

Day 6-7: Hualian, Taroko Gorge National Park – Dinner in one of Taipei’s nicest restaurants

Some of Asia’s most spectacular scenery awaits at Taroko Gorge National Park, Taiwan’s foremost tourist draw. Marble rock faces plummenting into chasms, teeming rainforests, crystal waterfalls, and pine covered alpine reaches, offer breaktaking panoramas wherever you look.

Among the park’s unforgettable sights are the looming Chinghshui Cliff on the Pacific coast, the twisting vistas of the Tunnel of Nine Turns, and the dramatic hanging bridges of Swallow Grotto. Few buildings make the most of the topography, particularly the Eternal Springs Shrine, which hugs a lush green hillside next to its namesake springs.

Take the high speed Express train from Taipei to Hualien. It only takes 2 hours 15 minutes. Book online: http://www.railway.gov.tw/en. While on the train, have a lookout for vendors selling Taiwanese (便當)) or Taiwanese lunch boxes.

A lot of Taiwanese have a love-hate relationship with Taiwanese biandang (bento), the takeaway lunchbox that packs rice with a main dish (usually a type of meat) and small, often unappealing side dishes such as fried and preserved vegetables. It’s a convenient, quick, cheap (around NTD 100) and generally decent way to eat. Biandang isn’t one of the most delicious foods in Taiwan, but it’s a staple for countless working parents and busy urbanites. Bento with chicken cutlet is a good biandang choice.

As it’s not possible to walk to the main points in the park, best to book a local tour agency in Hualian (Approx fee: NTD 1,000/pax) to get around (Tel: +886-972 501 921)

Tour itinerary: Pickup from Hualian train station at 8:15 am → “Clear Water Cliff” →Taroko National Park →Eternal Life Temple situated atop a waterfall → Swallow Grotto Trail → Lunch at Buluoge Visitor Center → Hulian Train Station by 4:00pm. This tour requires you to take the newest train in Taipei from the Tze Chang line at 6:10am.

Other local drivers:
– Mr. Zheng (+886-989 777 576 or +886-989 055682)
– Mr. Lu Lai-Fu (+886-928 569 081) and ask him to bring you for Zha Dan. It’s open after 1pm and will close shop when out of dough. Wait 20-30 minutes.

Suggested Accommodations: Leader Village Taroko (No. 231-1 Fushih Village, Sioulin Town, Hualien 972), Grandview Chief Suite for 2 nights. You can book a one-day private tour for two from the hotel at NTD 1,400 per person.

Great food, location, culture and service at excellent aboriginal-styled villas with free 1.5-hour aboriginal shows every night. The rooms are lovely, simple, in faux-rustic style. Simple but delicious food is served with kings of local special products like wild barbecued pork, mushroom, and sweet potato.

Farewell Dinner: AoBa Taiwanese or Shinyeh Restaurant or Flavors

Aoba (No. 116, Anhe Road, Sec. 1, Tel: +886-2-2700 0009) or (Minsheng East Road, Sec. 3, Songshan District, Taipei, Tel: +886-2-2547 1111)

Making the most of Taiwan’s culinary traditions but presenting them in an environment of quiet luxury is what AoBa is all about. Menu ranges from set menus priced at NTD 800 per head or NTD 2,800 for four. Seafood set at NTD 3,800 for four.

Must try: Soup Noodles (NTD 80),Taiwanese style spring rolls (NTD 70), Shrimp with egg yolk (NTD 380).

Shinyeh (2/F, No. 112, Zhongxiao East Road, Sec. 4, Daan District, Taipei, Tel: +886-2-2752 9299, shinyeh.com.tw)

What started as a tiny back-alley mom-and-pop joint in 1977 has blossomed into one of Taipei’s most reknowned restaurants. Although its gone progressively upscale over the years, the menu is still about home-style Taiwanese classics.

Closest MRT: Chungxiao Fuxing Road. Open daily 11am-3pm, 5pm-10:30 pm. / Must order: Fried oysters, three cups chicken.

Three-cup chicken is cooked in a cup of rice wine, a cup of oil and a cup of soy sauce. To this Taiwanese culinary triumvirate is added fresh basil, chilies and garlic for an irresistible combination.

Flavors (No.13 Alley 26 Lane 300 Ren Ai Rd. Sec.4, (02) 2709 6525, flavors.com.tw)

TripAdvisor hails it as the top 5 restaurants in Taipei. Swedish food in Taipei? I guess so! Flavors has moved to a bigger location and is apparently still delicious. Try out their Swedish set menu and definitely order the apple cake. It’s moist, crumbly, sweet, flaky- just SO good.

The English and Chinese menu is pretty huge and can be a bit overwhelming. If you choose a main dish, it comes as a set with the soup of the day, bread, salad, apple cake and coffee. There are also a few multi-course set menus to choose from- “Taste of Sweden” (NT$1700) with aquavit (a flavored spirit) and snapas (small shots of snaps), or Chef Ola’s “Summer Gourmet Menu” which included 3 appetizers and 2 desserts (NT$1100).

Bistro Le Pont 樂朋小館

Your goose is cooked at Bistro Le Pont (樂朋小館)). The restaurant is an extension of Le Pont (橋邊)), a Kaohsiung-based restaurant that specializes in dishes and condiments made from goose meat and goose fat. The space off Yongkang Street (永康街)) captures the spirit of a French bistro, with large picture windows and low lighting. The menu even lists prices in New Taiwan dollars and euros. Bistro Le Pont’s food, however, is made with mostly locally produced ingredients and features a fusion of French, Taiwanese and Chinese flavors.

Bistro Le Pont’s signature dishes are its plates of goose meat, viande d’oie au sel maison (NT$250) and viande d’oie fume maison (NT$280). The latter is smoked and has a heavier taste. Both dishes feature juicy, slightly oily, slices of poultry. An alternative is the confit d’oie maison (NT$450), made from leg of goose and very robust and complex in flavor. People prefer these to the two previously mentioned goose dishes.

Bistro Le Pont
176 Chaozhou St, Taipei City (台北市潮州街176號), Tel: +886-2-2396 5677 (Near Yongkang Street)
Open: 11:30am to 10:00pm
Average meal:: NT$350 to NT$500

Day 8 – Taipei: NOVA – Heading Home to Manila

Head to NOVA where you can find every laptop, phone, printer, cord, cable, accessory and every attachment known to the tech-dependent man. NOVA Electronics Center (2 Guanqian Street, Taipei Main Station MRT, Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Weekends start at 10:30am).

Lunch: Yong Kang Beef Noodle

We started our Taiwan journey with beef noodles and will also end our trip with this famous dish. The Yong Kang Beef Noodle Soup shop has been around forever, or since 1963, as the sign proudly declares. The beef tendon noodle is only a reasonable NTD 180 a bowl, and its broth is made out of beef and soyabean-based stock. Very tasty indeed.

Yong Kang Beef Noodle
No. 17號, Lane 31, Section 2, Jīnshān South Rd, Daan District, Taipei City (Tel: +886-‎2 2351 1051)
Hours: 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-8pm
Closest MRT: Dongmen MRT Exit 4
Must try: Beef tendon noodle soup , little spicy, and “fen zheng pai gu” (yam and pork ribs)

Other Notable Restaurants in Taipei (Taken word for word from: A Hungry Girl’s Guide to Taipei)

Best Hot Pot – ORANGE SHABU SHABU 

If there was gourmet shabu shabu, Orange Shabu Shabu would be it. Offering luxe meats and seafood like prime rib beef or emperor crab for the customized copper hotpots, Orange also offers sashimi and cooked seafood dishes in a romantic ambiance.
No. 135, Da An Road, Sec 1, B1, (02) 2776-1658;
29, RenAi Rd, Sec 4, 2 FL, (02) 2771-0181; orangeshabu.com.tw

Ding Wang Spicy Hotpot
No. 89, Guangfu N. Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: 02 2742-1199

Best Steak – RUTH CHRIS

American chain Ruth Chris Steakhouse’s broiled steaks are topped with butter and apparently that’s how the readers like it.
No. 135 Min Sheng East Road, Sec. 3, 2 FL, (02) 2545-8888; http://www.ruthchris.com

Best Buffet – THE KITCHEN TABLE

The Kitchen Table is with no doubt the best buffet restaurant in Taipei! The food they offer is diverse, the ingredients-fresh, the service-impeccable! I tried both the Chinese and Western food they have and both were incredible! In addition, the restaurant makes its own ice-cream which is fantastic! The decor is unusual, fresh and inviting and makes you feel you are at home, having a world-class chef just for yourself. Taipei has so many restaurants, but the Kitchen Table is a real gem!

10 Zhongxiao East Road, Sec. 5,Xinyi District, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Tel: 02-77038888, www.­wtaipei.­com/­thekitchentable

Best Pizza- ALLEYCATS

Locally founded Alleycats wins votes with its stone oven baked pizzas and fresh toppings and multiple locations. One of my favorites is the “Napoletana” with fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, anchovies, olives and spinach.
No. 6, Li Shui Street, B1, (02) 2321-8948
No. 285, Song Ren Rd, (02) 8780-5421;
Da An- No. 2, Lane 248, Zhong Xiao E Road, Sec 4, (02) 2731-5225;
Tien Mu- No. 31, Lane 35, Zhongshan N. Rd Sec. 6 , (02) 2835-6491;
Nei Hu- No. 67-1 Cheng Gong Road, Section, 5, (02)2630-6278;
Xi Men- No. 49, Alley 10, Cheng Du, 2FL, (02) 2370-8858;
www.alleycatspizza.com

Best American/Western- MACARONI GRILL

You can find huge American sized salads, pastas, pizzas and desserts at Macaroni Grill, and though it’s a little more than what we’d pay in the states, there’s nowhere else in town you’d get table side opera.
at Neo 19, 30 Sung Shou Road, (02) 2722-4567

Best French- CHEZ JIMMY

You can’t get more decadent than the foie gras and steak at Chez Jimmy. Apparently there used to be locations in Tien Mu or on Fuxing N Road (or so says Yahoo Travel and other websites) but after a call to the restaurant, they confirmed only 2 locations right now.
No. 128 Xin Yi Road, Sec 5 (02) 8788-3336
No. 180, Zhong Cheng, Sec. 2 (02) 2874-7185

Best Italian- TUTTO BELLO

Another place I hadn’t heard of until now and am looking forward to trying. Upscale Italian that might surprise you in Taipei.
No. 15, Lane 25, Shuang Cheng St, (02) 2592-3355
tuttobello.com.tw 

Best Japanese Restaurant- SUMIE NOUVELLE CUISINE at SAN WANT HOTEL

I always get the multi-course set menu and my friends new to the restaurant always are dazzled by Sumie’s plating and presentation of every dish. Don’t let the upscale modern interior scare you away from some of the freshest sashimi in Taipei.
No. 172, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, 4 FL, (02) 2781 6909, www.sanwant.com 

Best Uniquely Taiwanese Restaurant- SHIN YEH

When even the locals line up for this Taiwanese restaurant, then you know that it’s good. Shin Yeh offers Taiwanese classics in a sit down, family friendly setting.
No. 112 Zhong Xiao E Road, Sec 4, 2FL, (02) 2752-9299
No. 34-1, ShuangCheng St, (02) 2596-3255
No. 12, NanJing West Road, 8F, (02) 2523-6757
Shinyeh 101 at No. 45, Shifu Road, 85 FL (02) 8101-0185
shinyeh.com.tw 

Best Romantic Restaurant- VILLA 32

Complete your romantic evening with some hot springs or a couples massage, or just wine and dine your honey at ultra-luxe Villa 32’s Euro restaurant, tucked in Beitou, about an hour outside of the city.
No 32, Zhongshan Rd, Beitou, Taipei, (02) 6611-8888, villa32.com 

Best Unexpected Find in Taipei- FLAVORS

Swedish food in Taipei? I guess so! Flavors has moved to a bigger location and apparently still delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
No.13 Alley 26 Lane 300 Ren Ai Rd. Sec.4, (02) 2709 6525, flavors.com.tw

Best Super Cheap Eats (Meal NT$100 or Under)- SABABA

Sababa is one of those restaurants that I’m surprised is in Taipei, but am very glad is successful. Part of the reason is its fast and fresh pita sandwiches and hummus platas- all great prices, especially for a “foreign” specialty food. Must try the Plata Sababa- hummus with roasted eggplant topped with a falafel.
No. 8, Alley 54, Ln 118, Heping E Rd Sec 2, (02) 2738-7769;
No. 17, Lane 283, LuoSiFu (Roosevelt) Rd, Sec 3, (02) 2363-8009;
No. 3, Lane 12, Yong Kang St, (02) 2327 9159;
Breeze at Taipei Main Station,
www.sababapita.com

Best Breakfast/ Brunch- THE DINER

The first time I ate at the Diner, I couldn’t decide what to eat- but in a good way. Offering a wide selection of Western brunch/breakfast options all day, it’s definitely the place to go if you’re missing tasty pancakes, eggs benedicts, omelettes or even a breakfast burrito. Just be prepared to wait for a table and don’t forget to try the dessert menu.
No. 145 Ruian St, Taipei, (02) 2700-1680;
No. 6, Ln 103, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, (02) 2754-1680,
www.thediner.com.tw

Best Late-Night Bites- CONGEE on FUXING

While voters didn’t vote specifically for No Name, I included its address and review so you could get a gist for the general area. Offering Taipei’s version of comfort food until the wee hours of the morning, a row of restaurants offer up congee and all the sides you’d want on Fuxing South Road.
No. 130, Fu Xing S. Road, Sec 2, (02) 2784-6735

Favorite Night Market- SHIDA NIGHT MARKET 師大路夜市

Beating out the previous long time winner Shihlin, the new favorite Shida Night Market is a winding collection of lanes and alleys of shops and street eats including traditional favorites like baos and fried chicken and new offerings like Yofroyo and slider burgers. It’s one night market that I’ve been meaning to explore and write about. Try the following dishes:

Must try: Hsu Pan-Fried Dumplings and Lantern Hot Stew.

Lantern Hot Stew. Basically the stall has a large variety of different stuff to eat, all braised in a tasty broth then plopped onto a place for your enjoyment. On offer are about a dozen types of fishballs, meatballs, noodles and vegetables.

Favorite Afternoon Tea- SMITH & HSU

Winner second year in a row. As someone who thought scones were always rock hard and dry, the warm-out-of-the-oven buttery scones from Smith & Hsu were a revelation. You can’t go wrong with a bit of clotted cream, lemon curd or jam on top, and the inviting space to chat with a friend for afternoon tea. For serious tea drinkers, there are over 50 teas to select from, as they give each table a tray of bottled tea leaves to browse and there is a shop area to buy teas and tea sets.
No.33, Section 5, ZhongXiao E. Road, (02) 2747-4857;
No.103, Section 3, Minsheng E. Road, (02) 2546-6088;
Tianmu Sogo, No.177, Zhongshan N. Road, Sec. 6, (02) 2838-1828;
No. 8, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec. 5, 6FL, (02) 8786-2877;
No. 21, Nanjing E. Road, Sec. 1, (02) 2457-6842;
smithandhsu.com

Rose House, a Victorian-themed tea house on Li Shui Lane. Has Little Prince Afternoon Tea Set (NTD 399), featuring cheese cake, rose lychee jelly, rose macaron, roll cake, scone, creme brulee, quiche, bacon burger and petite sandwich (No. 1, Lane 3, Lishui Street, +886-2- 2394 8202, 11am-10pm)

Best French- SAVEURS 歐洲風味餐坊

Saveurs shows that you don’t have to empty your wallet to have an amazing French meal. Tucked in the lanes off of ZhongXiao, it’s one of those restaurants you’d pass by and never notice, but it’s worth looking for. Advance reservations strongly recommended for lunch.
No. 14, Lane 219, Fuxing S. Rd, Sec 1, (02) 2751-0185

What I did in 2010… (Part I)

2010 had been a year of new beginnings and many changes. Here’s a brief rundown:

January 2010: Trader and I had already been together for the last eight months and our relationship is rocky. We fight a lot because he somehow makes a lot of hirits (underhanded comments) about other women and my weight. It pisses me off. Regardless, we are in a serious relationship and I am starting to think of the relationship on a long-term way.

Career-wise, I am doing our firm’s largest conference for the second time. I am more relaxed this time around and the event was very successful. I do experienced a huge bout of food poisoning on the last day of the conference. Experienced what it’s like to have myself checked in a Mandarin hospital. It ain’t that bad after you get used to the zig zags and confusion.

===============

February 2010: Trader visits for an investor conference. I find out that my house got burglerized and my precious laptop and all my photos got stolen! Sucks.

Went back to Manila and Met Trader’s parents – they hate me. Oh well, you can’t really win them all, but for sure, I don’t have any bad feelings against them. They did a good job raising Trader and I’ll love them for it.

Favorite post that month: The Allure of the Married Guy

===============

March 2010: I take a leap and my GMAT, applying for HKUST the very next day. The essays were a bit of a bitch but not as difficult as I love to write. What sucks however is my laptop got stolen the month before — taking along my almost-finished essays. Sighing, I do them all over again.

I was torn between doing my MBA part-time or full-time especially since my colleagues are pressuring me to NOT quit my job. I finally submitted my application citing that I am interested in a full-time degree and crossed my fingers. Figured, it’s harder to transfer from the part-time program to the full-time instead of vice-versa.

Favorite post that month: At the Crossroad

===============

April 2010: I went on a nine-day trip to Eastern Europe, jetting to Germany, Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary and buying beautiful things from Prada when I can still afford it. Warning: I love the purse, but the bag can be a tad bit heavy. And with no zippers, not as practical especially in areas where pickpocketers are rampant.

I have just gotten my acceptance letter to HKUST after one round of live interviews. I got the letter before I left for Germany and pondered over the issue. When I got back, I told my boss about it and he’s been encouraging. So I kinda resigned right then and there.

It’s funny – telling your boss you’re resigning is liberating. I lose a bit of that energy for work and get to work at 9:30 am for the first time I started working. I feel a bit guilty. My colleagues are snickering but they still don’t know I’m leaving them yet. Their panic comes later when they find out through other channels.

Favorite post that month: Why a relationship is like a branded bag

=================

May 2010: People are surprised when they found out I’m quitting and choosing a Hong Kong university (and not an overseas university) for my MBA. This is the reason. I finally decided to do my MBA full time. This is the reason.

Trader and I celebrate our 1st year anniversary on May 16. I write a post listing 50 reasons that people didn’t know about myself and Trader. Full of vanity really, but this is my blog so I figured I could write whatever I wanted. Haha.

I travel to Shanghai to see the Expo on my own eyes with my parents. Here are my comments (without photos) about the event. Just too freaking lazy to post long posts about it. But it’s spectacular.

After seeing my pregnant friends transform into aunties, I write this post. Quite mean in a way, but brutally honest.

=================

June 2010: I bid goodbye to my office after almost 4 years of service (am one month too short). I travel to Singapore and celebrate my first day of bumhood there. After a few days in Singapore where I celebrated Trader’s birthday, I travel to Egypt. I attempt to post about my experience but think lasted for only a few days. This is my post on my first day in the Karnak Temple.

– To be continued –

Top 10 Brunch Places in Taipei

As spending a leisurely weekend morning with a friend or two is one of my most favorite pasttimes, I’ve been quite fortunate to sample some of Taipei’s best venues for having brunch. I’ve been wanting to come up with the list to share to you guys but for have been so lazy to do it. Finally, I’ve risen up my lazy ass and just started typing, and looking through some of my photos to see if I’ve managed to take pictures of these places I speak of.

I haven’t included hotel breakfast offerings — most are too expensive for regular diners like me anyway retailing at around NT$800 a buffet meal, and felt that authentic brunches are those outside an institution, made my normal people who enjoy flipping pancakes and frying omelets for the average Joe. In addition, I’ve tried to categorize these venues via the quality of food, speed of service, breakfast ambiance, location and price, with 6 stars as the highest ranking.

Forgive me if your favorite brunch places aren’t part of my list, as these are based merely in this humble blogger’s opinion. None of the restaurants listed have tried to bribe me with egg benedicts so you can at least assume that I’ve tried to be as unbiased as possible.

So without further ado, here you go! Hope you enjoy this list — the top 10 brunch places in Taipei. Do note that this list is made with a specific order in mind… listing up in front the places I enjoy the most, up to the least. To start off, we have:

1) Carnegies (No. 100, Anhe Road Sec. 2, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2325 4433)

Despite their reputation as one of the most fun dance clubs in Taipei (alternately, they’re known as Taipei’s Best “Meat Market” depending on who you’re asking), Carnegie’s is also well-known for their all-day weekend brunches. They’re also my number one choice for brunch in the island. When my friends ask me where to go, I choose Carnegie’s as the safest bet there is.

And what’s not to like? At Carnegie’s, one can expect American-size helpings, fresh orange juice, and decent coffee. Their dishes are so big that they offer a two-plated “Big Brunch” (NT$480) and a “Not So Big Brunch” (NT$380) for women like me who are trying (yet failing) to control our diet.

But don’t be fooled. Do not underestimate their Not-So-Big-Brunch as it provides a wide range of breakfast fare in the menu. To list them all, there are thick English sausages, 2 eggs (you may specify on how you want them cooked), red baked beans, unlimited toast with jam, sautéed mushrooms and all the other things that make you oh-so-fat. So don’t be turned off by the hefty price tags, trust me, Carnegie’s brunches are American sized portions!

Meanwhile, if you’re not into these typical brunch sets, you can also try their big-ass omelets (though I find them slightly dry/too flat for my tastes), Eggs Benedict (with or without salmon), or their delicious and ingenious pancakes which is my alternative choice if I’m being adventurous. Check out the pancakes:

The ingredients may sound weird, but are a perfect mix. Mixing apple and bacon… who would’ve thought of that?! They’re yummy too! Sweet and delicious with a dash of spice, just the way I like them! As for those who prefer the regular lunches, they can also opt for the ala carte meals which are equally big and satisfying. If you’re feeling generous, you may also order a glass of champagne to complement your meal while sitting at the patio and inhaling the polluted Taipei air.

So overall, Carnegie’s gives you a great brunch experience, well earning its reputation as the best place to have brunch in Taipei!

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: ***** (5/6)
• Size of servings: ****** (6/6)
  
• Level of service: **** (4/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: ****** (6/6)
  
• Convenience of location: *** (3/6) – Reachable via bus, a good 15-20 walk from the MRT
• Affordability of price: ** (2/6) – About Average: expect to splurge around NT$300-500 a meal, depending on what you order. At least they don’t charge 10% service charge.
• Overall ranking: 4.3

2) Cosmopolitan Grill (218 Changchun Road, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2508 0304)

In my honest opinion, the best omelets in Taipei are found at the Cosmopolitan Grill.

Located at the intersection of Changchun and Jian Guo, the Cosmopolitan Grill is not that convenient to get to, as it falls between the Nanking East Road and Chungshan High School MRT stops, requiring diners to walk around 10 to 15 minutes from the MRT. Usually, I just take a cab because am a heavy sleeper and generally wake up late. Regardless on how you get there, the walk/cab ride is worth the deliciousness of their omelets! They are in general, soft, fluffy and just has the right watery consistency!

Specifically, my favorite is their signature breakfast dish — their Sour Cream Omelet with Black Caviar (NT$280). Seriously, you’ve just got to try it. Appreciate that hint of luxury thanks to the black caviar, which is an ingredient not usually used in making omelets. I would go back to Cosmo over and over for this dish!

The only downside is that their sets do not include refillable coffee which retails at around NT$90 a cup. Regardless, if you mix and match the drinks with their reasonably-priced ala carte menu (try their desserts, they’re delicious!), it’s still bang for your buck. So while all your friends trudge on to the Diner for their eggs, better head to Cosmo instead for better food and no waiting time!

Even better, Cosmopolitan Grill recently offers a 4-for-3 brunch deal where 1 person eats free with a party of 4 — a great deal if I do say so myself.

Give it a go while the promo is still on! Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: ***** (6/6) — can only vouch for the Sour Cream & Caviar omelet
  
• Size of servings: **** (4/6)
• Level of service: **** (4/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: **** (4/6)
• Convenience of location: *** (3/6) – A good 15-20 walk from the MRT
• Affordability of price: *** (3/6) – Expect to spend around NT$330-400
• Overall ranking: 4
  

3) Citizen Cain (No. 66, DongFong Street, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2708 4557)

At NT$199 a set, Citizen Cain’s breakfast is a steal with 4-5 engaging meals to choose from!

Pictured below is their famous Mediterranean-themed Citizen Cain breakfast complete with hummus, scrambled eggs and some meats. They also offer fluffy pancakes strewn with fresh fruits and served with apple-ginger jam (Quite good, and is filling enough for one), as well as fruit muesli yogurt with Mimosa (champagne cocktail), among others. You can also order some sausages on the side for a small fee:

What’s more, they also have hazelnut flavored refillable coffee! Ain’t life grand? 🙂

Here’s another photo of their tomato breakfast if am not mistaken. Forgot the name as ordered these ages ago. Heavier on the tummy, this dish is quite delish if you don’t mind the heavy flavor. Nevertheless, I usually order this if am especially hungry as always like food that pack a lot of punch and this does it well:

The place may be a tad small for huge parties and the venue slightly dark for a cheery Sunday afternoon, but if you’re looking for decent special-tasting food at good prices, then Citizen Cain (if you can find it) is just the right place to go.

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: ***** (5/6) — if you like heavily flavored Mediterranean fare
• Size of servings: **** (4/6)
• Level of service: **** (4/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: ** (2/6)
• Convenience of location: **** (4/6) – A good 10 walk from the Chungxiao Dunhua MRT or a bus ride away
• Affordability of price: ***** (5/6) – Expect to spend around NT$220 – 250
  
• Overall ranking: 4

4) Grandma Nittis (No. 8, Lane 93, Shida Road, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2369 9751)

Tucked in one of the little lanes at Shida Road, Grandma Nitti’s is a classic breakfast favorite with delicious omelet breakfast sets with French toast on the side complete with a scoop of butter, jam and real maple syrup. Pictured here is their special set breakfast which retail for NT$300 plus tax — pricier but worth the French toast IMHO. Usually eat the toast last as I add in the butter and dribble the maple syrup… mmmmm….:

At around NT$280+ a set, their breakfast is not the cheapest in Taipei, but it’s worth the relaxing open-air ambiance. There’s something about the white-washed walls that make me feel as if it’s weekend every time I go. If you don’t mind the sound of motorists zooming down the Shida lane, the patio also provides the best seat and light.

What’s more, the refillable coffee served in thick Grandma Nitti’s cups is another plus. Remembered one Sunday where a friend and I sat for almost 8 hours chatting the day away. Think I may have refilled my glass cup around 8 times and went to the restroom around 10, but Rainbow and Grandma Nittis management were nice enough not to kick us out.

As an alternative to the brunch, Mexican burrito dishes awith salad as a side dish are also served at Grandma Nittis. Their Mexican fare is merely so-so and best for you to go for Amigos or Tequila Sunrise instead. However, their freshly baked pies is a real treat though slightly pricey at NT$100 a piece.

Aside from the food, I also like their huge selection of second-hand books at the ground floor which you can purchase at discounted prices.

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: **** (4/6) — biased towards French toast, sorry!
  
• Size of servings: **** (4/6)
• Level of service: **** (3/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: ***** (5/6)
• Convenience of location: ***** (5/6) – A good 5 walk from Taipower Building MRT
• Affordability of price: *** (3/6) – Expect to spend around NT$300 – 400
• Overall ranking: 4

5) Omelet to Go (No. 350-69, Keelung Road Sec. 1, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2720 8782)

Tucked in one of the little lanes behind the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Omelet to Go is indeed a Taipei’s hidden secret for delicious brunches at very VERY reasonable prices. As you can see, the place is tiny. Even so, you can squeeze by the bar and chat with the owners. They’re pretty friendly:

It’s worth finding though — their brunches are one of the cheaper ones among the top 10. Omelets cost a mere NT$100! Cheap, ey? My only complaint is their artificial jam that came from a glass can but heck, for NT$100 a set, who can complain?

Also, they have the brunch special which if am not mistaken sells for NT$200. Not bad when you think about it especially since it comes with two pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs, delicious hash browns, and sausage.

For those who are not in a breakfast mood, you can also try out their chicken pesto rice (NT$120) which I felt were slightly dry, and yet uses real pine nuts so hai hao la. I just wish they can decrease the amount of rice and pile on more of the chicken meat, but if you’re trying to get yourself full, this should do the trick!

In addition, they also have chicken fillet with macaroni and cheese (NT$150) which were pretty good. I think that’s chicken on the side which was slightly saltier to compensate for the cheesiness of the main dish.

Lastly, to finish off the satisfying meal is their chocolate brownie (NT$50) which is drizzled in thick chocolate and can be topped with vanilla ice cream (NT$80). The brownie felt cakey and too doughy as I prefer more compacted desserts, but hey, if you just need to satisfy your sweet tooth, then this would have to do:

Beware, unlike other brunch areas, Omelet to Go is only open from Monday to Saturday so call before going! You’ll need the directions too as it’s not easy to find if you’re unfamiliar with the area. If you can’t make it in the daytime (which ironically is their busiest time of the day), you can try visiting in the evenings when business is slower. Trust me, you’ll appreciate the relaxing ambiance. They open till 9:30 am to give you enough time to chow your food and sip a latte while taking a bite from your brownie.

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: *** (3.5/6) – omelets recommended
  
• Size of servings: **** (4/6)
• Level of service: **** (4/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: **** (5/6)
• Convenience of location: *** (3/6)
• Affordability of price: ***** (5/6) – Expect to spend around NT$110-200
• Overall ranking: 4.1
  

6) The Diner (145 Ruian St, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2700-1680; http://www.thediner.com.tw)

The Diner’s popular all-day brunch includes a wide range of breakfast classics and omelets of around NT$180-NT$240 an order, served with fresh orange juice and coffee or tea. Omelets come with a choice of hash browns or potatoes O’Brien, and there is an option of egg-white only for the extremely health conscious.

Personally love the hash browns as you can see that they’re made from scratch, and not something that you can buy from Costco. A patron describes them as “sliced and pressed potatoes grilled to a golden brown, they were slightly crunchy on the outside, with the starchy texture retained in the middle.” Since he writes better than I do, I had cut and pasted the whole quote instead.

My favorite however is their Breakfast Burrito (NT$160) which consists of eggs, onions, ham/bacon and green pepper wrapped in toasted pita and sliced. I’ve ordered their main dishes (meatloaf and country fried steak) but they’ve failed to impress so try as I might, I stick to their tried and true and order their Breakfast Burrito every single time:

Their pancakes (NT$180) I heard are pretty good too. An article I googled raved about it saying, “It was the pancakes that earned the highest praise. Unlike the doughy concoctions at many restaurants, pancakes at The Diner are made from the perfect batter. Biting into the soft yet slightly resilient texture, I thought how a stack of these pancakes would make an ideal pillow.” Hmm… maybe I should be more adventurous and try the pancakes next time then!

Other options include 10 types of burgers (NT$180-260), sandwiches like Philly Steak and Turkey Reuben, and desserts like homemade apple pie, brownies, and strawberry shortcake. They also have vegetarian options.

Overall, it’s an adequate breakfast place in Taipei if you don’t mind the wait.

At their Rui-an branch, you’d always have to wait at least half an hour for food. Things are looking way better with the opening of their Dunhua branch, which would soon be filled with patrons looking for some reasonably-priced breakfast alternatives.

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: *** (3/6)
  
• Size of servings: **** (4/6)
• Level of service: **** (3/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: **** (4/6)
• Convenience of location: *** (3/6) – Bus to both branches
• Affordability of price: **** (4.5/6) – Expect to spend around NT$220 – 300
• Overall ranking: 3.58
  

7) The Taiwanese Breakfast Place Near my House (Chungxiao East Road Sec. 5, close to the 7-11)

Am not kidding, this small stall just right in front of Chungxiao East Road Sec. 5 serves the BEST Taiwanese omelette (dan bin) in town! At only NT$35, it’s definitely a steal and would strongly recommend that you order their huo thui yu mi dan bin (ham and corn Taiwanese omelet).

The eggs itself are not too runny, but are of the right consistency. Their ham isn’t overcooked and still retain their chewiness. And the corn? My gosh, they may come from the can but they reserve the right hardness and sweetness that complement the salty soy sauce accompanying this dish. What’s better is that their chef is a pro and can prepare one in less than 3 minutes! Great way to grab breakfast when you’re almost late!

Don’t go for their iced coffee though. Like similar stores all around Taiwan, this store doesn’t serve any better coffee. But if you’re wanting a good treat and want to find what good Taiwanese breakfast is all around and you’re just right near the Taipei City Hall MRT Station (it’s in front of MRT Exit 2), then this is just the place for you! Seriously, their dan bins are just YUMMY!

Raven’s Relative Rating (compared with the rest of the list):

• Deliciousness of food: ***** (5/6)
  
• Size of servings: * (1/6)
• Level of service: **** (4/6)
• Breakfast ambiance: ** (2/6)
• Convenience of location: ****** (6/6) – 2 minute walk from home
• Affordability of price: **** (6/6) – Expect to spend less than NT$50
• Overall ranking: 4
  

8) Dan Ryan’s (No. 8, Dunhua North Road, Taipei; Tel: (886) 2 2778 8800)

9) Swensen’s (No. 109, Ren Ai Road, Sec. 4, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2772 6174; http://www.swensens.com.tw/)

Swensen’s is mighty convenient as it’s accessible at all hours of the day.

Unfortunately, breakfasts are an exception as they stop serving them at 10:00 am sharp! I’m serious, try getting there at 10:05 am, and they’ll tell you that you’d have to order their regular fare, no exceptions!

Hence, check out the only food photo I have for Swensen’s — their deluxe mushroom burger which is worth around NT$250 — how can I take their breakfast photo if they stop serving it on time?!

Anyway, if you do manage to wake up early (or drop by after an exhausting night of clubbing and KTV), at NT$120 to NT$250 per set, their breakfast offers a terrific deal! Their servings are just the right amount, and the last time I went, I ordered their fluffy pancakes, which consisted of 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of sausage, scrambled eggs and a hashed brown — all for less than NT$190!

Now if that doesn’t convince you to wake up earlier, then I don’t know what else! Plus, their regular meals are decently priced, so if you don’t mind the more local scenery as a lot of Taiwanese families love dropping by this 24-hour delight along with their noisy kids, then probably Swensen’s just the right place for you! There’s at least two branches I know… one at the Ren Ai Circle and the other one’s at Jeelung Road.

10) 24-Hour NY Bagels Cafe (No. 147 Renai Road Sec. 4, Taipei; Tel: (02) 2752 1669)
Consolation Prizes – Other Breakfast Options (in no particular order):

* The Tavern
* Pasta and Brunch Cafe
* G’ Day Cafe
* Woolloomooloo
* Mary’s Australian Bistro

Too bad they’re CLOSED: JB’s and the Shannon

It’s getting late. I’ll just finish tomorrow. Night night!

Raven’s Dating Tips

Dear Successful Date,

Congrats on passing the first rigorous days/weeks/months!

Reaching this point is truly an achievement and if you think dating is tough, you’re not the only one. Trust me, there are so many guys who manage to screw up dating a wonderful woman because of some avoidable boo-boos.

Which is why, after seeing another guy fall flat on his face last night, I’ve decided to share with you men some dating rules of mine that may hopefully help you prevent having the same fate of the unfortunate gentleman last night.

I call them “Raven’s Dating Rules,” — cheezy I know, but this is a fun post, so am just running with it unless you have some better ideas.

Now, just as a disclaimer, you’re already old enough. Use your judgment on whether these tips do make sense or not. Most of them are my own opinions of the subject so don’t treat them as the dating bible, nor slash me to itsy bitsy pieces if you don’t really agree with what I recommend.

They are tips, okay? So loosen up!

And if you have any other Qs or have anything to add on the subject, feel free to let me know by leaving a comment. So anyway, enough with the yak-yak and here goes:

Raven’s Dating Rule 1: Chances of success in taking a woman out significantly increases as you ask long ahead of time…

You didn’t ask me out at the last minute, fully expecting that I’d be free and wrongly assuming that I’m disinterested if I’m not.

Smart boy!

How did you correctly guess that I have so many things in the pipeline that when I said that I’m busy, I’m not playing a game, but really am! You do know am not the type to drop everything in her life (ergo, work, friends, etc.) just for the pleasure of going out with you, right? I don’t even now you so why should I… which is why you are asking me out for us to get to know each other better.

Now, stop comparing me to those immature women you’ve met at Room 18, okay? If I’m not busy, I won’t play games and say that I am. And if I already have plans, believe me, I really do have plans.

Hence, to increase your chances, ask ahead.

You knew that chances of success of me going out with you on a date significantly depends on how far ahead you ask. It’s not rocket science: the earlier you ask, the better, so at the very least, it doesn’t conflict with any event I’ve already planned to do.

For example, if you ask me the day of, there’s an 85% chance that I already have plans (who wouldn’t?). So unless you’re a business contact, wherein which I absolutely have to accommodate the last-minute request, chances are, I won’t break my plans for you. As a warning, don’t go for the business contact ploy: as a rule, I digress from going out with business acquaintances.

They’re kinda messy if you know what I mean.

Anyway, if you ask me the day before, there’s a 70% chance I have plans.

If you ask me three days ahead, chances of actually taking me out increases to around 85%, because hey, at three days prior, if I am still busy at the proposed date, I will in return propose an alternative date when I’m free because you asked in a timely manner,

Now, if you ask me a week or two weeks ahead, I’ll almost always make time for you and meet so long as you’re no weirdo who asked me up his room or felt my butt up the first time we met (e.g., I have no negative impression of you).

At that lead time, I can always move my plans around to accommodate going out with you. If I still offer some excuses despite you asking way ahead AND not offer an alternative time, well then, give up now because I ain’t be going out with you anytime soon.

Raven’s Dating Rule 2: When asking a woman out, be suave, BUT be a man. Just ask her!

Asking me out is really simple:

1) Form a plan on your mind on what you’d like to do on the date.

Gosh, I hate it when I ask men who ask me out what he had his mind, and the best he can utter is, “Uuuuh, you’re the master in restaurants and fun things to do. What do YOU want?”

For me, this just means the guy’s lazy and didn’t do his research, leaving the woman to do all the work in planning the date! Argh.

Sure, my knowing all the best restaurants may be partially true, but still, if I wanted to organize an event, I can do that from work. Pai tuo — can you please come up with a game plan for our date just so I can take a break? Believe me, I would appreciate that thoughtful gesture very much.

Besides, figuring out where you take me is part of the plan. It shows a bit on who you are, which is good, because the reaosn why I’m going out with you is to get to know me better.

Find a place that you like and the food’s delish. A hole in a wall is good too. Trust me, I don’t care how much the dish costs, but for sure, do NOT bring me to McDonald’s or a fast food chain.

That’s just tacky.

2) Gather up the guts, and slip that invite out during a text/phone/mail correspondence.

Do the invite with style — Calling me and asking me out straight out isn’t doing it with style. Sending me an invite to go to your gallery to hang out anytime after 10:00 pm is not a considerate invite. It shows you just want to get laid.

Ask nicely and invite me out at a more godly hour will get you further.

One thing that works is to maybe start an MSN, email or text communication. Do you know the story of the Fox and the Little Prince from the book of the same name? Start slow and if I respond, continue on and start approaching closer and closer on regular periods so I’ll grow to expect it and even look forward to it.

Show that you want to get to know my mind better even though it’s sometimes obvious that you want otherwise. And then extend an invite while suggesting an activity.

Here’s a few good ones: “I like to try out new restaurants. Hey, there’s that suan cai bai rou hotpot place I want to try. You think you’re adventurous enough to give it a go?”

“I do want to watch Sweeny Todd this weekend. Are you free?”

Start talking about Macs, and when girl admits she’s a Windows loyalist, offer to show her what Macbooks are all about.

Guys aren’t the only ones who are dense.

We women are too.

So, the more straightforward an invitation is, the better.

For example, an invitation that goes, “Hey, want to grab dinner Thursday night? There’s a restaurant I’d like to try out near the Heping area.” works a lot better than “Hey, let’s hang out this weekend…” <– vague and shows you’re chicken.

An open-ended question will get you nowhere. For example, I recently received an invite saying, “Let’s meet up soon. Just let me know when you’re free.”

Okkkaaaay.

Guys, listen up, never throw the ball to the girl’s court. Chances are, you’ll be waiting till the US government evacuates out of Iraq before that woman gives you a call. Why? Ha, doesn’t she have anything better to do and be too desperate?

As a rule, we women dislike making the first move in inviting you out. I know you hate us playing games, but look at it from our point of view.

1) There are tons of people we can call — so why call you? I can hang out with friends I’m already comfortable with. Why call a random stranger? If he’s interested, he will call.

2) We don’t want to build up guy’s bad habit of laziness. If we take the initiative now, chances are, we’ll be left taking the first move going forward! Again, if he’s interested enough, he will call.

Someone said that guys are like fishermen and women are like fish who choose to be caught. It’s kinda true. There has never been a happy ending with me taking the first move with a guy. It always ends up badly because the guy takes you for granted.

Maybe it’s because you never know if the reason they’re going out with you is because you’re available, or if they really, really like you.

Chances are, it’s the former because hey, if he’s interested, trust me, he’ll be in touch. You have your mutual friends, he can google you, but trust me, he will find you.

So to conclude, if you ask nicely and smoothly way ahead of time, am sure, if the girl’s even slightly interested, you’ll snag that date!

Raven’s Dating Rule 3: Dinner preferred for first dates. How to make a date memorable? Talk! Get to know each other!

The worst dates I’ve ever had if there’s such a thing is at a movie theater. There you are, munching on fattening, calorie-filled popcorn and huge sodas, wasting 2-3 hours of your date, just staring up the screen.

It’s even worse if the movie sucks too. I remember my date and I watched “Ice Age 2,” which was absolutely terrible.

Movie dates are great for the third or fourth date, but avoid them for your first two.

What does Raven recommend for first dates?

Admittedly, I’m a bit biased towards dinner.

You see, the best first dates I’ve ever been to were in a quiet quaint restaurant, and you’re just relaxed and talking about nothing and everything. It was enjoyable enough that we then moved to take walks at the Daan park, or continue on with desserts at Swensens till wee hours of the morning.

If you can’t really talk to your date, abandon ship. It’s not going to work out that much anyway…

The reason why dinner dates work better is because it introduces a romantic aspect to the hopefully blooming relationship. It’s hard to get in the mood if it’s in the daytime. What’s more, if you’re lucky and the girl’s reciprocating the interest, it’s easier to prolong the date if ever.

Take advantage of prolonging the date by offering some variety. Always have Plan B or an idea on what to do after you have dinner so you can change the scenery, making the woman think that you are at the very least, interesting.

Suggested Plan Bs: Having dessert at Dong Qu Fen Yen/Swensens, a walk at the park (e.g., SYS Hall, etc.), grabbing a drink at a nearby lounge bar (if you’re in Anhe area) or going to an amusement center (really good suggestion in my book!).

Save the lunch, teas, coffee, lounge bars invites for the 2nd dates. Start with dinner first, and if everything is in plan, proceed with the rest.

And here’s another tip, better to offer red/white wine than Japanese sake. I’ve had Japanese sake on dates, but they’re just awkward because they never really get you tipsy enough to loosen up.

Oh, and never order food that are inconvenient to eat — Sure, I know you’d like to eat a burger, buffalo wings or that eeky black-colored octopus pasta. But it’s not really sexy if sauce is everywhere, or your teeth are black.

That goes for men and women alike.

Raven’s Dating Tip 4: Don’t ever fall at the “Friends Zone!”

People unconsciously fall on the friend’s zone. That’s a sucky place to be in especially if you’re interested. You don’t really kiss friends… that’s just disgusting.

How NOT to fall in the friend’s zone? I can’t really say, but I can share some clues on when I put guys on my friend’s list. They are as follows:

1) You don’t pay for the first date.

Look, I’m no gold-digger and don’t mind paying for dinner, but if you let me pay for the first one, sorry, but you’re a friend. If you’re romantically interested, you’d want to set a good impression and pay for the first dinner.

I remember one time I went out with someone who asked me out. We had a nice dinner at Brass Monkey and the bill turned out to be NT$800+. He looked at the receipt, and out of courtesy, I offered to pay around NT$300, which he took!

Jeez, for NT$800, I could very well treat him to dinner. But if it’s a first date, for goodness sakes, take out that wallet and pay! For one, it offers me the opportunity to treat you back the next time around (and I have treated guys in return), and for another, it’ll pay back in the end.

I’m a firm believer of guys paying for the first dinner, and maybe I can pay for the movie tickets or the taxi.

I absolutely hate splitting the bill right then and there. And if you’re too exact with the split, it won’t be long till I split. And to hell if I ever go out with you again on a 1×1 basis!

Likewise, if I insist paying for dinner, that’s not a good sign. It shows I don’t want to be obligated in going out with you again ’cause I don’t owe you any favors.

2) You yak about your ex-girlfriend.

As much as possible, do NOT mention the ex.

It tells us that you’re still not over her, and you have emotional baggage we have to contend with if we continue to go out with you. We already have baggage; we don’t need yours to make it heavier.

There are a million topics to talk about. Choose one of them. And if we ask about her, downplay her presence.

A good answer is that you broke up because you’re incompatible, and leave it at that. Bow out gracefully against bashing your ex because it introduces negative thoughts in the conversation. If I hear a guy complain that his girlfriend cheated on him repeatedly, I’d think he has bad taste in women because he loves to accept abuse. If a guy states that his girlfriend dumped him because her parents disapproved, I’d leave thinking about what my parents would say about this guy.

Your date is not your shrink.

Don’t make her one.

3) You don’t have any passions except to play video games.

Don’t be a bore — Talk about things you’re passionate about.

There’s nothing sexier as seeing the twinkle in your eyes as you revel on that trip you took to Cambodia, the thrill you get after finalizing a deal at work or you painting.

We don’t really need to share interests. For example, you can go bicycling all you want, or you can go hiking. But at the very least, so long as you’re interested in something, that makes you interesting.

I’ve seen dates where both people are not even talking. I can imagine that both of them need to get the hell out of there, but cannot be too impolite about it.

The purpose of the date is to get to know each other, and what better way to do so than to ask questions and share interests?

4) You treat me as a sister.

It’s one thing to respect that woman and keep your distance. But do it too much and we think you’re disinterested.

The best move I’ve ever seen was with this Hong Kong guy last year.

After dinner, he moved right beside me in the sofa and continued talking to me. In a way, he invaded my personal space and introduced the prospect that he’s not just taking me out just to be friends. Sometimes, his hand would brush by mine and he would lead me through the door as he opened it.

Trust me, I did not place him in the friend’s zone at all!

Of course, there are limitations.

A few weeks ago, there was a guy I met at the party who kept on touching me incessantly. Maybe he was tipsy but since I met him only at that party, I didn’t really care about him taking the liberty to hold my waist, hug me close or giving me a kiss on the cheek.

Unless you’re French, you do not kiss me repeatedly! And even if you are, you should at least control yourself…

Truth be told, I have stayed away from this lecher because all I kept thinking is that this guy just can’t control his hands or himself. I would be stupid if I went out with him because who knows what he’ll do…

So lesson is, do invade my personal space but don’t go overboard. Do the push-pull strategy of moving one step forward, and two steps back. It shows you’re not desperate, and that’s quite attractive.

Raven’s Dating Rule 5: End the date sweetly. Make her want you more…

So anyway, the date is nearing an end and you’re wondering if you’re getting a kiss goodnight in the end…

Sadly, you’re in Taiwan so women here are a bit more conservative than in the US. You may make an attempt but if you fall flat in your face with the girl declining your overtures, say bye-bye to Date #2.

Take things nice and slow. If you can, take her to her door (unlikely because of the convenience of the MRT), but it shows you’re considerate and gentlemanly.

Whether you’re at the door or at the MRT, if you can, manage your raging hormones and DON’T ASK HER TO GO HOME WITH YOU! Say goodbye nicely, maybe give her a warm hug and tell her you had a great time. If you’re brave, give her a friendly peck on the cheek and a friendly squeeze hug.

Don’t say you’re going to call if you’re not.

We women hate that.

Just say bye and leave it at that. And if you say you’ll call, call the day you promised. Otherwise, we’d think you’re playing games and dump your sorry ass.

Oh if you do drop her at the MRT, for goodness sakes, give her a message/call in an hour to make sure that she’s home safe. At the very least, that shows thoughtfulness.

Leave the sexual overtures after she’s more comfortable with you. Play only a winning hand or risk never seeing her again. If she sleeps with you early, both of you know it’s nothing serious. And we both know that if she does, you’ll think she’s a slut.

So leave her waiting for more.

Again, don’t screw up such a lovely date by asking her to go home with you. Let her look back on the evening with a smile, and trust me, you’ll be talked about and positively analyzed by her and her girlfriends in the few days afterwards.

Anyway, getting late. Thanks a lot for your patient reading and hope it helps somehow!

Night night!

100 More Things About Me

It’s typhoon day and I found myself finishing this list — at long last!

It’s been over a year since I’ve come with a list — and at a point of being uber-narcissistic, am again recording my legacy by listing down another 100 things about myself. Hate it or love it — it’s my blog and for my reading pleasure when I’m 40, so forgive this entry if it’s too zzzzzz for ya.

Here goes:

1. One thing I can’t live without — chapsticks. If I forget mine at home, I rush off and buy a new one. It’s super irritating when my lips get dry.

2. Oh, and I also can’t live without my oil absorpsion sheet. It’s sick but my nose gets pretty icky early.

3. I’ve never dyed my hair. Wanted to get highlights once but my mom told me she’d just give me the money. She didn’t give me the money but afterwards, when I got to Taiwan, everybody dyed their hair, so I never dyed it at all. Feeling special, huh? I then liked it black just fine.

4. Regardless, ever since I was young, due to my papa’s good genes, I’ve never really had a serious acne problem. When I was in high school, I begged my mom to bring me to a dermatologist ’cause it was cool to have one. My mom told me I was crazy.

5. My first drink was when I was 21. My first kiss was when I was 22. Go figure, I had strict parents

6. I wear my watch on the right wrist.

7. I don’t like mornings. I have 3 alarm clocks and my parents give me a missed call daily just to wake me up in the morning. Am totally an evening person. Am wide awake at night.

8. Given that, my parents never really gave us everything we wanted. Whereas my classmates had allowances to buy themselves coke and chips during recess, we received nothing. We were definitely not spoiled children.

9. However, they did splurge on us kids by bringing us abroad every summer. That’s why, we’ve managed to go to the U.S., Europe, and all around Asia at a young age. Most kids don’t get to travel till they were teenagers. My first trip abroad was to Singapore when I was 3.

10. My godfather is Singaporean, and he was the one who came up with my name, which consists of my father’s initials. Now, how narcissistic was that?

11. My complete name is so long that I am usually the last person to start an exam because I had to circle my complete name. Of course, most institutions would misspell my name from “Lisa” to “Liza.”

12. Come to think of it, I have a boring name. I wish I had a sexier name; I’ve thought about changing my name to Silver, Megan or Paige a couple of times.

13. Megan and Paige are names off a Sidney Sheldon book, one of my favorite author. They were smart doctors by profession.

14. I’ve thought I’d make a good doctor because I’m not afraid of blood and because I can memorize concepts well. But since there are already two doctors in the family, I took up business instead.

15. I’ve also thought about being a lawyer since I like to read and can memorize concepts well. My mom told me to earn a lot of money as an entrepreneur and hire a lawyer instead when necessary. It made sense at that time.

16. I have no clue why I’m in the financial industry as I hate math. My lowest grades in college were business calculus, chemistry and physics. They totally bogged my GPA down. My statistics grades were decent though. One day, I just “got it.”

17. Though my mom actually taught calculus to engineering students for a decade before marrying my dad and helping him start his own business.

18. I honestly think marrying my mom was the best decision my dad ever made. She is my hero, and I sometimes as my mom why she’s crazy to put up with my spoiled dad!

19. Needless to say, my dad didn’t think I should take up business in college even though it was in a prestigious university. He wanted me to take a more feminine course like interior design in St. Paul’s college since it was just a minute from home.

20. I almost didn’t go to Ateneo and had to write my dad a long letter on why he should make me go. In the end, after talking to his best friend who was pro-Ateneo, he did and now, he keeps on telling his friends he’s proud that his daughter was an Atenaan.

21. Which brings us to the lesson that parents are not always right. Whenever I follow my parents’ decision, I usually regret it. Coming to Taiwan is their only idea which I don’t regret taking.

22. I do have one regret about Taiwan — a day after I left, Shell Philippines’ HR manager gave me a call and asked why I didn’t submit my application form. I impressed the marketing manager a few months before when interviewing for a leadership seminar that he remembered me and wanted me to work for them.

23. Even till today, I think about what life would be if I didn’t leave Manila. Would it have been any different? Maybe I would be taking my MBA right now at AIM.

24. I’d love to get my MBA one day. It’s not that it’s good for my career, though that would be nice. But rather, I’d like to be with smart people as much as I can. If I have the budget, I’d like to do it either in Europe or the United States. I think my father wants me to take it at AIM.

25. Regardless, I know I would like to take my MBA someday — just hope that it’s not in the Philippines, but somewhere abroad.

26. But before the MBA, I’d have to work on my CFA first, which is far more relevant to my line of work.

27. Financial independence is important to me. Father’s house, father’s money, father’s rules. I earn my own money just in case I fall in love with someone my father disapproves of, and I wouldn’t mind too much if he disinherits me.

28. Come to think of it, my dad will probably disapprove of all the guys I’ve dated. Considering what happens, I wish I listened to him and were more careful in my choice of men. Oh well, next time…

29. Oh, and so that I can afford to travel around the world. It’s my hope that I can travel to at least 2-3 countries per year, and so far, have fulfilled that quota — and more — for 2007.

30. I still hope I can do one more, maybe Laos or Indonesia this year. We’ll see.

31. Finding a traveling buddy is a major kick in the butt though, so this year, I tried traveling with a Taiwanese tour group — where I found my Taiwanese admirer/stalker. Maybe I should rethink traveling with a Taiwanese tour group…

32. Frankly, I don’t really like to shop. I don’t have the time or the money to do so. Ironically, the companies I work for often give me Sogo or Mitsukoshi gift vouchers, leaving me with the dilemma on how to dispose of them. It irritates me if traveling buddies only want to shop.

33. My parents don’t really know that I’ve been traveling. I asked for their permission to go to Australia and was rejected, and now, if I can, I wouldn’t ask them if I wanted to go abroad. This way, they won’t worry and I don’t disobey them.

34. As a traveler, I like to go sightsee and visit the cultural sites. I like to sit on ledges and watch the awesome landscape, immerse myself with the culture, and taste the culinary delights.

35. I am NOT the type who likes to vacation lying on the beach and reading a book. What am I? A beach whale?

36. Amazingly, ALL the guys I’ve kissed, all their names begin with the letter, “M.”

37. I have kissed a non-smoker once though. My gosh, his breath, his clothes, everything smelt like an ashtray! When I smell somebody smoking, I still remember him.

38. He was probably the cutest guy I’ve ever seen though — He looks like Tom Cruise, but taller. Seriously.

39. Guys who come in my life come in patterns. At one time, the names of most guys interested in me started with “Ds,” now, it’s “Js.”

40. I usually pay attention to their zodiac signs — they’re very telling. Cancers are now a turn-off; Geminis are supposedly good for me, but I’ve yet to date one.

41. Turn-ons? How about “Fine Dining?” Yeeehah! I like a guy who knows how to order wine. So does that make me a snob?

42. Likewise, I love to dine well (much to the chagrin of my diminishing budget). There’s nothing I like best than to relax in a decent quaint restaurant with lovely conversation.

43. I’m not one of the girls who let the guy pay all the time and try to catch some of the costs on a date. I don’t mind splitting the bill, though it’s very telling if a guy whips out the calculator and computes how much you need to pay. Now, that is just too much!

44. Another turn-on after the date? “Would you like to walk back home so we can work off the food?” That way, you can continue on the conversation and get to know each other better.

45. Something about the Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall that makes it extremely romantic. Definitely a good date place to go to. 😛

46. I totally hate it when guys cancel dates, or are super late. Oh no no…

47. I dislike making choices. When in a new restaurant, I ask the server what’s their specialty and order it (usually getting the steak unless something’s more appetizing) while deciding between two choices. In an old restaurant, I usually old the tried and tested, lest I regret my stupidity of ordering something that’s not as good afterwards.

48. I used to like iced coffee, but it was too sweet — so I drink coffee with cream only instead.

49. If I drink bitter office coffee, I add half a pack of sugar.

50. My parents were in the coffee business so at a young age, my mother encouraged us to drink that evil brew. When Starbucks came out, she’d mix a few and give it to us kids saying, “Look, tastes like Starbucks.” It didn’t.

51. On the other hand, my dad thought of it as overpriced and with too much fluff. I once got into tons of trouble because I had coffee out with my friends.

52. Ironically, he now only drinks instant coffee. Yuck! The wheels have turned.

53. Admittedly, I am pretty sick of Starbucks coffee after reading that every pump of that vanilla syrup add packs of calories into every cup.

54. It’s been awhile since I’ve ever had a Starbucks Mocha Frapp, which used to be my favorite.

55. I don’t really like Chinese food, preferring more exotic dishes like Indian, French, Thai, Vietnamese, or yes, even Japanese. But beef noodle soup just doesn’t do it for me; nor do dumplings.

56. Okay, I was born an ugly baby. Happy? I had a pug nose, flat face and huge lips. I used to scratch my head in wonder when people called me attractive and pretty. Were they blind? Now, I just say thank you.

57. How unattractive was I? In high school, my dad told me, “Raven, you should study hard because you’re going to need it.”

58. Now, I regret I didn’t study hard enough. Education truly IS important.

59. One of the reasons why I led an organization was because my previous job was too unchallenging for me. I thought I was 80% underworked. Guess am the type of person who likes to be overworked and underpaid over paid well yet underworked. Weird, huh?

60. I cannot really keep to a strict diet. I love steak and food too much. However, it’s indeed a blessing that I’m not a chocoholic. Somehow, those devils just don’t do anything for me. Phew!

61. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d like to have kids. They’re not economically practical and you’d have to sacrifice at least 18 years of your life to raise them (and you’re lucky if they’re even grateful). However, this is still open for discussion with future hubby.

62. Regardless of kids, I’d like to get married one day. And no, I don’t believe in divorce.

63. Exception to the rule: Only two things would make me divorce my future husband — if he cheats and if he physically abuses me. Don’t think I can settle for that.

64. Problem is, at this rate, I doubt if I’m going to get married. It all started with a joke with my dad stating that I can only have my first boyfriend at the age of 28. However, given my strong dominant personality, the chances of finding an equal partner for life at this rate is very slim.

65. Almost all of my good guy friend’s girlfriends hate me — at first. Then they realize that am no threat and start to like me, after which they break up almost immediately afterward.

66. To that sense, I don’t do attached men. Divorced guys I can handle, but attached guys with wives, girlfriends or even worse, kids, no way.

67. I often sleep in the bus. Defense tactic I suppose. It’s part of my training when I was a child so I don’t get motion sickness. Unfortunately, I get to miss out with a lot of scenic views. It’s indeed a blessing and a curse.

68. I want to be part of the mile-high club someday. Should be interesting. Any takers?

69. To that effect, I think am a pretty sexual person. Wait, if you would call someone who loves sleeping in nude sexual. Or maybe am just comfortable with my own skin.

70. I like to sleep naked. There, I’ve said it.

71. Tried yoga once but ended up dozing off in the mat. That activity is too darn slow! I know it’s cool and everybody does it, but it just bores me.

72. I prefer pilates instead, and wonder why a lot of guys I meet lately are so into yoga. I am now getting into pilates and trying to do it once or twice a week. Works wonders for my abs.

73. I hate exercising but I like looking good. Guess what wins out?

74. My favorite exercise is still hands-down, wallclimbing. I try to go at least once a week in order to stay in shape. When I get depressed, I go climbing and I’m totally energized afterwards.

75. Speaking of guys, I have a lot of guy friends. During my most recent birthday party, 80% of the comers were men (eeeps!). Hope that my future hubby won’t get so jelly!

76. Come to think of it, guys I date are usually not jealous or possessive. What is wrong with them?! They trust me too much!

77. It takes me awhile to get over someone. The last time around, my heart took double the time to heal more than the time we got together. That’s why, am pretty cautious with whom I get into a relationship with. Must be a defensive mechanism — think before you leap.

78. If I’m wrong, I’d immediately acknowledge it and say sorry. But I expect the same to those close to me. It’s just fair.

79. All of my then-boyfriends were far too cleaner than I was. Next to me, they were neat freaks! What’s common about them was they both did my laundry regularly (sans the underwear). Ex#1 even picked it up from my place, did the laundry at his, sundried, folded and delivered them back.

80. To that, far from being a scheduler, my room’s a mess. One of my girlfriends came in and immediately panicked and said, “OMG, a thief ransacked your house!” What can I say? Don’t have too much time to clean!

81. Been TV-free for almost 5 years now. I credit my colourful life to being TV free. I was getting too addicted to that thing.

82. Now, I watch DVDs and surf the Internet. Darn you Facebook! You’re wasting too much of my time.

83. Scented candles and aromatherapy — two things that I like because they’re romantic. If I have a house, I’ll fill it with lighted candles.

84. Oh, and I like paintings too. My dad is an art collector and I totally get it why people will spend tons of money on a single piece of canvas. I can get lost in a painting.

85. I’m a voracious reader. My house back home looks like a library and nothing’s better than going to a bookstore and thumbing through the selections. Ironically, I don’t visit the Eslite bookstore often, which is just right across the road.

86. I like to bring a book anywhere I go just in case I get bored.

87. It’s hard for me to get bored — am always off doing something. Now, if I have free time, I study.

88. Never dyed my hair yet — they’re straight, black and long — and I like them to keep it that way. I think I mentioned this earlier.

89. Did I mention that I’m an avid steak lover? Am so bribable with Ruth Chris’ Fillet Mignon. Yummy! But don’t go for their wine, it’s so-so.

90. Have a complicated family life since I have 8 half-siblings. I think my little brother who’s 21 and has his own business is the coolest though.

91. Had lash extensions before. They felt sexy and I loved it. But people felt it looked too unnatural so removed them at the early part of the year.

92. When having a massage, I love it when the masseuse is standing atop of me and getting rid of the wind from my lungs.

93. I abhor eating fish and crab. The official story and one good reason are that I’m afraid I’d choke to death. But I think it has more to do with being too lazy to take off the bones or remove them from their shells. My mom usually does that in Manila.

94. I love sexy outfits and dressing up. Can no longer count the dresses in my wardrobe — some dresses can make your mouth go wide with surprise. Totally HAWT.

95. The sad thing is, I am totally conservative and traditional. Must be in growing up with a Christian background. I can’t be like other women who sleep around and do stuff — that’s just not me.

96. My best guy friend accuses me of falsely advertising. I make guys think I’m easy to get when I am so not.

97. I have a problem with discipline and focus. Sometimes, I need a good nip in the butt just to get going.

98. However, once I get started on a project, I transform into a crazy animal, working long hours and just being so focused, it scares people.

99. I am a social person, but recently have been more comfortable being on my own and getting things done. My laundry bag thanks my new lifestyle.

100. I know A LOT of people in Taipei, and some see me as “popular.” Ironically, there’s only like 5 people I count as my real friends here.

Phew, making this list is no piece of cake, but thanks for reading if you’ve even reached the end.

Gotta go to my date — yes, he did ask me out! Yeeha! 🙂

16 Things About Taiwan That Drive Me Crazy

Sometimes, Taiwan just drives me nuts.

Despite being here for over 4 years to date, there are still things that I can’t understand about this country.

Therefore, ignoring the risk that you’ll be pummeling me with rotten eggs and tomatoes in exchange for my right to free speech, here goes:

1) The attack of the convenient store

Taiwan embodies convenience and ease. And what better way to do this than to have an onslaught of convenient store in almost any corner?

I have one less than a minute away from my place.

It’s THAT convenient.

Not that am complaining, but don’t you think that one in every 10 corners should be sufficient?

Talk about saturation.

Regardless, at least big names like 7-11 can keep their market share instead of losing your money to competition by not having one shop next door.

2) The Essentials of Owning a car

At least NT$40 an hour for parking, if you can even find one.

Taxis, buses and MRT available ubiquitously make traveling ultra-convenient.

Narrow roads.

Steep gasoline prices.

Hey, I know you’ll need a car to travel away from Taipei during weekends but renting may prove to be cheaper.

Unless it’s company-sponsored or you have a family, driving a car in Taipei especially when you’re single is simply impractical.

But not everybody shares the same viewpoint. Actually, correct that, not a lot of people think the same way.

My friend tells of an acquaintance that worships his car and even goes Dutch with his girlfriend because he can’t afford to take her out since he spends most of his paycheck on his automobile. Even more, during a recent trip, he was so occupied about his car that he insisted that they drive to Ilan to have it repaired after having scratched it.

What’s even laughable is that he’s driving a freaking Toyota Altis!

We can easily forgive him if it was a Porsche, Benz or BMW, but a Toyota Altis?

But who can blame him?

From what I heard, women here place a lot of emphasis on prospective boyfriends owning a unit.

Their mindset?

No way am going to a date on the back of a scooter.

Hence, when I ask my girl-friends what type of guy they want, “having a car” is one of the key factors to a guy’s date-ability.

No wonder guys are scrambling to the showrooms to buy one!

3) Dating married men

One common theme that I’ve noticed is that women here have fewer qualms in dating a married man.

Affairs don’t seem as taboo in Taiwan, as tons of girls I know have dated one at one point in their life.

At first, I was like, “How do you feel being a mistress?” but have finally gotten used to it after hearing the same stories over and over.

Ironically, most women don’t really aim to tear him away from his legally binding wife.

Their requests are surprisingly simple:

Love me.
Pay attention to me.
Treat me well.
Your wife I can handle. Your other girlfriends, I cannot.

Interestingly, there are still guys who fail on the 4th request.

One guy admitted to failing at monogamy and not being able to limit himself to one mistress.

In a sardonic twist of fate, his wife divorced him afterwards, and hooked up with another guy!

But this does show how much crap women tend to accept from their men nowadays.

4) Jump-packed New Year Eve celebrations

Ever been out at the Taipei 101 area 2 hours before the New Years?

It’s crazy.

As if the entire population has sardined itself in this small tract of life just to see the fireworks — that last a measly 188 seconds.

That’s 3 minutes.

Only.

So miss the Philippines where fireworks would last for hours.

Even better, in the U.K., heard that fireworks would go off for over 20 minutes that you leave because you’re bored.

This year, it took me an hour to journey 3 blocks, after being cursed on, punched on the side of my face by a careless man, stepping and falling down amongst throngs of people and pushed/carried by the crowds that lead to nowhere.

Ordinarily, this would’ve taken 10 minutes.

15 minutes tops.

What’s even crazier, half an hour after the stroke of midnight, half the crowd disappears.

Don’t even know where they go, but finally, you discover that you can finally breathe.

What the heck?

5) They love falling in line

The Taiwanese love fads and falling in line!

When Mister Donut in Tienmu opened, lines were three blocks long!

Same goes when a new club, restaurant or hip spot open.

Some peeps even part-timed standing in line for a fee.

Their logic, if there’s a line, it should be good.

Makes sense?

6) Silly drinking games

You’re over 30 and you’re still playing games that people play when they’re 12.

Paper, rocks and scissors hardly count to any increase in productivity or intelligence, but people here still play them anyway.

Blame it on the alcohol but truly, what gives?

I feel dumber by the minute.

7) The obsession with anything “cute”

A lot of women here like pink.

It’s kawaii (cute in Japanese).

They see Hello Kitty, a cat that has no mouth, and they yell, “Oooooh, that’s soooo cute!”

One guy-friend even swears that his girlfriend would watch cartoons after they did the deed.

Seriously.

Blame it on the Japanese/Korean influence, but a lot of Taiwanese take cuteness to the next level.

Maybe it’s because they’re trying hard to look Japanese and Korean, but only appear as copycats.

It’s too unnatural.

Forced.

That’s why in general, people claim that given the same age, the maturity level is still higher in the States than in Taiwan.

And why leggings, ribbons, lace and things that separately look nice but when put together look horrendous are so popular nowadays.

Why?

Cause they’re cute.

Nevertheless, if you sell anything cute, most likely, it’ll take off.

That’s why one convenient store found its sales booming after giving away Doraemon, Little Twin Stars and Hello Kitty freebies.

Trust me, people who collected the goods were mostly over the legal drinking age.

Here, it’s cool to be “cute” and it’s acceptable to act 12 even if you’re 25.

Actually, it’s even encouraged.

Shoot me now.

8) Bony-thin Taiwanese women

This I can’t comprehend — after huge servings of cake, pastries, sweets and midnight snacks, in addition to NOT working out regularly, Taiwanese women are still as thin as toothpicks.

One girl boasted she’s never been over 50 kg.

Another claimed that she’s never even been over 40 kg.!

What’s more, even after giving birth to 2 children, they’ve miraculously still managed to keep their lean figures.

What gives?

Great “thin” genes?

Miracle appetite-reducing drugs?

Bulimia?

Absolutely no clue.

But they sure are thin, especially compared to their voluptuous Filipino counterparts.

In fact, they make me look fat.

Obese, even.

It’s indeed a losing battle.

9) Obsession with fair skin and beauty

In general, women here pride themselves for their fair, pale skin.

As a result, they carry an umbrella even when stepping out on a cloudy day, because “the streets can still reflect UV rays to your skin.”

This I kid you not.

Some women claim to not have learned how to swim because going outdoors make them dark.

They should get their priorities straight — What’s the use of having pale skin when you’re shipwrecked and drowning?

No wonder women would rush to the stores during a Sogo sale to purchase the latest beautifying product.

And they have no qualms in throwing over NT$30,000 in purchasing a small lotion as well!

No price is expensive as the cost of beauty!

10) “It’s special here”

Talking about food, Taiwan knows how to promote its local delicacies.

Regardless on where you are in this island, each area has their own specialty.

In Ilan, it’s a biscuit shaped like a cow’s tongue.

In Jiaoxi, it’s their chicken rice.

In Alishan, it’s their bento box.

Sometimes they’re really good, but oftentimes, they’re just blah.

Ordinary.

Overrated.

How many times can I learn excited Taiwanese peeps shriek that we should try this or that because it’s special in the area?!

But it’s something we Filipinos can learn to promote our very own trade and tourism.

11) Crazy Doctors and Crazier Pills

When sick, Taiwanese peeps usually rush to the hospital for a check-up where you line up for hours seeing a random doctor you don’t even know.

Over-the-counter drugs?

Gimme a break.

Instead, they give you bags over bags of pills.

Heck, you don’t even know what you’re taking. My guess, a lot are mere placebo drugs.

What happened to good ol’ Tylenol when you’re experiencing pain, and Benadryl when you have a cough?

Those work perfectly fine as dozens of pills do.

12) The powerful influence and implication of Taiwan news and media

In the Philippines, the newsfeed are full of stories on crimes, rape, robbery, graft and corruption, the Iraqi war, the recent elections in the U.K., business news from around the world, among others.

In Taiwan?

It’s the 300-people rally near the government office, another poor heart-broken fellow committing suicide, some healthy tapioca chewy eats available in Kaoshiung, one politician socking another in camera, one guy not taking care of his grandmother, a special flower in Taichung, a talking dog/cat/bird/whatever, and maybe, an ongoing affair in the celebrity arena.

Note the common theme?

Sometimes, I believe that a lot of Taiwanese live in a bubble, where the sun revolves around Taiwan.

Limited mentions are made by news overseas, and many Taiwanese believe news from the media as if they were words from God.

Hence, stocks have risen and fallen, government officials have backed off races, policies have been changed, reputations destroyed just because of media.

My Taiwanese aunt quotes the news reports as if it’s part of the Bible.

It’s great that people here aren’t as apathetic as Filipinos, who can’t even manage to jail a corrupt official even after accepting a bribe and caught on tape.

But would hope in the future, they’d focus their energies more on international than local news.

Seriously, it’s been quite a while that I’ve seen the Iraqi war heavily featured in Taiwan media.

That’s how local news and media here is.

13) Intense Political loyalties

Green and blue.

Basically, Taiwan politics is divided into two parties, and they’re intentionally passionate on where they stand.

In general, Taipei’s more Blue, while the South is more Green.

Green is incumbent Chen Sui-Bien’s party and heartily pushes for Taiwan independence before the elections but once they get elected, and then they get real careful on what they say.

Ah, politics.

What I found funny however is how passionate Taiwanese peeps in genereal really are on local politics.

One long-term couple broke up due to political differences (shouldn’t they figure this out before they go steady?).

A taxi driver almost fought with me after I nonchalantly said that the new Sogo department store should be painted blue (due to aesthetic reasons and simply, because I love blue) because he felt that the color of the new store signified a strong support for President Chen.

14) Weird Hobbies

For both men and women, sleeping here count as a hobby.

Specifically, for adult men, video games are a key hobby.

For women, shopping is a hobby.

Actually, for many women here, that’s their only hobby.

Maybe it’s just me but I’ve previously believed that hobbies mostly include reading, singing, surfing, playing sports, etc.

Somehow, the notion of mindlessly walking around the streets of Taipei blowing off your salary isn’t really my idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Don’t you girls have too much clothes already?

15) Too much practicality

A lot of peeps here think more with their brains than with their heart.

One former student of mine chose Math because her parents wanted to and ensured her of a better future than art, which she’s more passionate about.

One friend took up economics and finance because of a better career path than music.

People marry because their partners offer stability and money instead of love.

Kids go home to visit because of obligation despite hating their kin.

Something Taiwanese can learn from the happy-go-lucky Pinoys: Sometimes, it’s good to use your heart.

You may not make the most money, but at the very least, for some insane reason, you’re most likely to be happy.

And am sure that the Taiwanese people are scratching their heads about that.

16) A lot of Taiwanese can’t swim

Isn’t it insane that despite being an island surrounded by water, a lot of Taiwanese can’t swim. They can paddle in shallow waters like toddlers, but put them in deeper water and they scream and squeal. My Taiwanese friend said it’s because as young kids, learning how to swim wasn’t really a priority. Guess moms believe that getting high grades or learning how to play the piano are more important than learning a survival technique.

But then again, how often do a ship sink and you have to fend for yourself in shark-infested waters?! Ha! If you think about it, when do we need how to learn to swim anyway?

That’s why when we did a surfing discovery class, a few good women had to stay onshore because they can’t swim much to the chargin of their foreigner boyfriends.

Oh well.

So what make your crazy about Taiwan?

Disclaimer:

Mind you, this is my blog so if you read something offensive, please blame it on my ignorance as a foreigner and leave it at that.

Anyway, I’ll be posting another entry on why I love Taiwan to even it out soon, so stop complaining.

All’s fair in love and war.

,Signing out!

My Top 20 Dining Picks in Taipei

I’ve always raved about food in my blog, but never really collated a list of my top dining picks in Taipei. So here you go for your viewing pleasure:

1) Ruth’s Chris – If you don’t mind the $$$, it’s the best steak in Taipei. As a steak-lover, am in meat heaven. Kill me now.

2) Carnegies – Breakfast, lunch or dinner, Carnegies has it all. Their brunch portions are HUGE, and their lunch just serve the best bang for the $$$ (if you don’t mind the layers of fat you’re going to put on). What’s more, it’s prolly the best top 3 steakplaces in Taipei. Their NY Strip at NT$690 is a steal by itself, mashed potatoes and creamed spinach included.

3) Alleycats – Still the best pizza place in Taipei at a very reasonable price. Just wished they don’t allow smoking inside their restaurant.

4) Citizen Cain – Mediterranean food, great brunches, terrific price. A favorite hangout with
English teachers, Citizen Cain puts together a great mix of delicious food and relaxing atmosphere, with 2-for-1 pizzas every Monday.

5) Bongos – Great burgers and very laid-back atmosphere, reflecting of their Canadian owners. I especially love the bookshelves with tons of books you can browse on while you eat.

6) Flavor – Prefer something more “European” today? This small Swiss restaurant is located at the not-so-convenient San-Min Road is a true find. At around NT$500 a meal, you get a most delightful set of sweet and sour, auethentic meat balls that just melts in your mouth, plus some Swiss vodka.

7) Watami (HeMin) – Fusion Japanese dishes and hip alcoholic mixes that enhances the party atmosphere, visit Watami with groups of 6-8 to order more dish varieties. With branches popping all around Taipei at Taipei Main Station, Dunhua South Road, and Neo 19 (Coming Soon) among others, I highly recommend this for birthday parties that don’t burn a hole in your wallet. If you can go more upscale, I also recommend Dozo at Guangfu North Road, perfect for entertaining foreign clients you don’t really want to have serious conversations with.

8) Macaroni Grill – Pricey pastas given its size, but arguably the best salad in town. I almost always order the Chicken Florentine. Just don’t order the chicken caesar and you’re good to go.

9) Cusina Sabatini – Just right atmosphere, and heavenly caramel and almond ice cream! You won’t go wrong with this above-average classy restaurant at Chang-An Road.

10) 1010 Hunan Cuisine – Located at the 6th floor of the Eslite Building, 1010 doesn’t disappoint with its big-ass flavorful ribs whose meat just falls apart when you slice ’em, in addition to its huge variety of Hunan dishes. If you’re looking for a quick lunch that is sure to impress clients, 1010 is a pretty good place to take ’em. Better try their lychee drink as well — they’re tasty!

11) Herbs – Up in the rank of Cusina Sabatini, it’s a pretty good date place for guys who doesn’t want to burn up their wallets. Their fillet mignon’s pretty good for the price, but the ambience is the factor that counts Herbs as one of my favorite dining places to visit in Taipei.

12) AoBa – Good Taiwanese food, great service, expensive price. But if your clients demand to be taken to an authentic Taiwanese restaurant, AoBa’s just the place to go.

13) Italian Job – Just located right beside Alleycats in Yongkang Street, Italian Job’s a great place to dine with friends at good prices. Love their parmesan chicken roll at a very reasonable NT$290 an order, and their antipasti dish is terrif. What’s more, you can opt to order pizza from the neighboring Alleycats and eat it at the Italian Job’s patio!

14) Chili’s and Friday’s – First up, if you don’t mind the calories, Chili’s fried chicken is just GREAT. Too bad it’s too loud for intense, deep conversations. But for the perfect combo of food and drinks, Friday’s the place to go with its big-ass ultimate strawberry daiquiri is just the place to go. Oh, and you can order the BBQ chicken salad to go with it too. Yummy!

15) Gloucester (Neo 19) – My friends don’t really like their place, and admittedly, their other dishes need much improvement. But their Indonesian fried rice is still the best, and makes the visit worthwhile.

16) Dong Qu Fen Yen (Eastern Tapioca Balls) – Chewy Sweet Potatos Gluten Balls, Taro Gluten Balls, Black Tapioca Balls in Black Sweet Syrup at only NT$45! Mmmmm… need I say more?

17) Shilin’s Snow Iced Delight (Stall #250) – Ice Monster does not serve the best ice in Taipei. I swear, it’s this tiny stall at Shilin that brings home the cake. Order anything with Xue Bin (snow ice) and you won’t regret it. First bite, and you’re in icy heaven. I swear.

18) My friend just opened a new Japanese Ramen place called Le (Happy) Mien (Noodle) Wu (House) at #7, Lane 10, Yongkang street, Taipei (Tel: (02) 2395 1787). They’re not paying me for mentioning their name (heck, they don’t even know), but I swear, their beef rice and side dishes are wonderful. At NT$140 for a huge bowl, it’s a steal. So if you’re ever in the Yongkang area, that’s just the place to go.

19) Amigos – My friends don’t really like this place, but personally think it’s way better than Tequila Sunrise in the Taida area. Heck, with the lack of good Mexican places to eat in Taipei, I daresay, Amigos is prolly the best that you can get. Their fajitas are pretty good, though better to get the margaritas in Friday’s instead. Alcoholic content is pretty weak.

20) Tasty Steak – A popular food chain, I think they serve the most reasonable menu for a decent price, and their steak / ribs / chicken / etc. offer you one of the better meals you’ve had without really hurting your savings account.

There you go, my top 20 dining picks in Taipei. Please note that these are MY fave places to eat in, so if you have any negative reactions, just keep it to yourself. And if you’re wondering why I haven’t mention more popular eats like Din Dai Fong, the Diner, Lawries or Joyce East, well, it’s not that I haven’t tried them, I just don’t prefer them over the restaurants I’ve just mentioned earlier.

For example, with Din Dai Fong, personally, I think it’s overrated and expensive for what you get. But if you have guests in town, this is the place to take them to. It’s not everyday you get to dine in one of the world’s top 10 restaurants… even though the list came out 20 years ago (sometimes, I wonder when they’re going to update it). Their fried rice is pretty good though.

The Diner’s meat loaf is pretty good, but their brunch serving’s pretty small and looks a bit dry. As for Joyce East, my god, for NT$2,000++ a head, I’d rather go to Ruth’s Chris instead.

Yes, I’ve been to the cheap and to the pricey, and cost does not make a meal better or not. But this is my list, so I get to decide which to include. However, if you can recommend some new restaurants to me, bring it on! Would always be open to try out fresh dining places in Taipei!

Who knows, next time I come up with a new list, they’ll be included too!

Enjoy!