Taipei

I was off on my first holiday since going to Europe in 2019 (Thanks COVID!). I decided to head to Seoul in South Korea and Taipei in Taiwan, spending a week in each.

Just inside Zhongshan Market is a small beef noodle shop that I stumbled upon. Its a small shop run by an old gentlemen with seats for maybe 15 people inside and a couple more outside.

I’d made a last minute decision to change hotels after working out it’d be difficult to get around where I was originally staying. As I was looking for my new hotel, Palais de Chine popped up. You can’t fault the location. Just across the road from Taipei Main Station, and a 7 minute walk to … Continue reading Palais de Chine, Taipei, Taiwan

It was time for my last meal in Taipei before flying back to Seoul and then to Melbourne. I pulled out my trusty map and had a look around the local area and I found a quite well regarded Japanese izakaya maybe 500 metres away, so, without a reservation I decided to chance it and … Continue reading Izakaya Kokomi, Taipei, Taiwan

Just across the road from Q Square I found a little coffee shop that does a roaring trade. In the mornings there will be a queue to get in. A testament to the quality of their coffee.

As I was walking around Tamsui I spotted a small Pho shop and decided that I wanted to have lunch there. Translating the Chinese name gives me Mei Xiang Beef Pho, I hope this is right!

I decided to venture out of Taipei and head to an area called Tamsui, specifically I wanted to see what Tamsui Old Street was like. It takes about 50 minutes on the train from Taipei Main Station on the Tamsui-Xinyi line. I arrived and had a quick walk around the waterfront and then headed to … Continue reading Nanxiao Xuan Cafe, Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan

On the way back to my hotel I was on the hunt for some food. I ventured into Q Square and upto the 4th floor and did a lap to see what was on offer and if there were tables available. I eventually decided on Yakitori Express.

BeerCat is an interesting place. It’s a small bar that has a decent beer selection, and there are two resident cats who sit near the bar and do what cats do, sleep.

After getting back to Taipei station I had a quick rest and then looked for my next beer. Close to the station is a place called BravoCafe which calls itself a draft beer bar so I had to go and take a look. I believe BravoCafe are a small chain of locations, but this entry … Continue reading BravoCafe, Taipei, Taiwan

In the morning I jumped on the train to head out to Taipei 101 to visit the observatory there. On the trip east I noticed that we went past the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall so took a mental note to hop off the train on my return trip to visit. It was around lunchtime when … Continue reading Scenery Books & Cafe, National Theater Hall, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

After a very wet afternoon in Taipei, I braved the rain to head to a craft beer bar that I’d spotted previously. Getting lost in the underground tunnels of Taipei Main Station I eventually surfaced not too far from where I headed, just on the wrong side of the road. Road crossed, down the side … Continue reading Jup Jup Craft Beer Bar & Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan

I’ve eaten at the original Tim Ho Wan plus several other of their Hong Kong locations, and I’ve tried their Singapore location as well, so when I saw Tim Ho Wan pop up on my map I thought I’d better head there.

After a quick flight from Seoul to Taipei I was ready to head out for a drink and dinner somewhere close to Taipei Main Station. Across the road from the station is a shopping mall called Q Square, and along with lots of shops there are a good number of bars and restaurants. A quick … Continue reading Le Blé d’Or, Taipei, Taiwan