Day Two was a very hectic day! It was, well, technically our first day in Taiwan because the first day is always spent settling in, as was on Day One. So we packed our portable chargers and extra batteries as we were ready to spend an entire day out!


DAY TWO
台北車站 地下街 Taipei Main Station Basement -> 華山1914文創園 Huashan 1914 Creative Park --> Yong He Beancurd 永和豆漿 --> Taipei Flora Expo Park --> Maji Maji 集食行樂 Square --> 士林夜市 Shilin Night Market

Before leaving the apartment for breakfast we went to dispose of our rubbish and recyclables - almost a daily ritual for us now.

Two bins to sort out food for the swines

I really like how Taiwan places so much emphasis on recycling and reusing materials. Donating our unwanted foodstuff to pigs! When can we pick this habit up? For Lim Chu Kang maybe?

We then marched off to our favourite breakfast shop where we have become old-time customers. I would love to share a picture of the shopfront with its signboard but sadly this shop does not seem to have one - I guess it is a truly local breakfast shop that relies on a familiar customer base so no extra advertisement is needed!





Cheap food in Taiwan never fails to get me. For those who do not read Traditional Chinese:

Value Set B:
Charcoal-grilled Pork Burger
Fries
Hotdog
Beverage worth 10 NTD (Small tea, milk tea or soy milk)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
55 NTD ≈  2.45 SGD




Check the menu out - it's what gets me raring to visit Taiwan again and again!

I had my usual - 起司蛋餅 which translates loosely to.. Cheese Egg Roll?



 A 蛋餅 is what I would describe as a thin layer of prata (without the flakes and outer crust) grilled with egg and rolled together with whatever filling you ask for. For me, I like to have cheese.



The roll is then slathered with this savoury sauce that I love so much! The next time I visit, I'll be sure to ask the shop owner what sauce it is.

After breakfast we went hunting for a proper SIM card with data because we were experiencing so many problems with our portable WiFi. More on that later.

We passed by many convenience stores and marts on the way. We covered less than 1km, but there were at least four of these stores in the vicinity.

Another outlet just nearby

We went in to take a look at the prices and as might be expected, the items were cheaper than in Singapore.










After dilly-dallying we decided to start our day proper so we hopped on the bus and made our way to Danshui Station.

View from the back of the station

We were planning to apply for an Easycard (悠遊卡) as the transport expenses would be much cheaper. However, for tourists like us, it would be most convenient to do it at Taipei Main Station as we will be able to get a refund for the deposit (100 NTD) and whatever leftover value we would have at the end of the trip. If the card is to be made somewhere else, the refund option will not be available.



For the trip to Taipei Main Station we bought a temporary token.

Don't mind my chipped nail design from prom

How the system works:



Every station has its own unique travel fare map (see above). All you need to do is look at the number affixed on the station you intend to travel to and that would be the travel fare you need to pay. For example, for my travel to Taipei Main Station cost me 50 NTD (approx 2.20 SGD) which is rather costly to be honest.

台北車站地下街
Taipei Main Station Basement
100, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, 忠孝西路1段49號
Nearest MRT: 台北車站 Taipei Main Station



We mainly visited K Underground Mall and Station Front Metro Mall (Z Zone)



Great pictorial representation of the area :)











When we reached K Underground Mall we were surprised to see actual shops - expensive cafes, even! Online reviews covered more of the clothes and shoes aspect to the basement shopping area so seeing this caught us by surprise.

We ventured into a Yamazaki to check their food out








A large Christmas tree stood in the middle of nowhere!



And after more walking, we finally came to the area we were waiting for:

Z Zone!

PegaVision seems to be really famous in Taipei; I see it everywhere. And, the disposables there are really cheap too. 11 SGD for half a month! That's 22 SGD for a month - almost half the price of the lenses in Singapore. Then again, it's not the international brands like Bausch & Lomb, so...







Clothes and shoes for cheap! Where else can you get a hoodie for less than 4.50 SGD?





We tried this waffle-like thingy, which I felt was a waste of money. It was cold and lacking in taste! We ordered the 紅酒蔓越莓 flavour (Red Wide & Cranberries) , but nowhere could I taste the said flavour. Disappointment! I keep thinking of how I could have spent that 35 NTD on a bowl of piping hot braised pork rice... But nah, I'll keep my frustrations to a minimum!







Sushi in Taiwan is super cheap too!
Many shops sell their sushi at a rate of one piece for 10 NTD, which would be about 45 cents. Sure, we have Junshin Express with their 50 cents per piece sushi in Singapore, but the quality is nowhere near that of Taiwan's. With the recent hooha over Sashimi and GBS however, I think we should all avoid raw fish unless it's from a properly certified Japanese restaurant.

Before leaving, we went to make our EasyCard 悠遊卡! I like the look of it - simplistic!






And off we went to the Creative Park!


華山1941文創園
Huashan 1941 Creative Park
No. 1, Section 1, Bade Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100
Nearest MRT: 忠孝新生 Zhong Xiao Xin Sheng







My lovely sisters :)



To get to Huashan 1941 Creative Park, you need to take Exit One and look out for the following sign. Continue in the given direction and you'll find yourself there in no time!

Art pieces lining the walls on the way

I love the tranquility in the area! There are numerous boutique cafes that give the place an artsy feel.



I don't know how and why but the above picture gives me the 'medieval' feels.





We chanced upon Deja Vu, a cafe-cum-gallery opened by Jay Chou, and on that day very it seemed like there was free entrance, so being the cheapo Singaporeans that we are, we went in for a look.




After exiting we found a really cool cafe - Twinings of London! It looks a lot like TWG Tea but they are two separate brands.









Us being goofy again

And then we began a round of crazy photo-taking...



 

When we were tired of snapping, we went over to 50岚 for a drink













Selfies with my sisters

While walking to the Creative Park, we noticed a 永和豆漿 (Yong He Bean Curd) and we had intended to go there after visiting the park, but we went the wrong direction after buying our bubble tea...



And we chanced upon a food street!


 

 


We bought 小籠包 from an old lady vendor who was kind enough to let me take a photo of her freshly steamed pastry!







This is a nice place to walk around in if you are hungry because there are many stalls to choose from! I don't have the exact address as this was a chance encounter, but I do know that it is near this Electronics Mall we saw just around the corner


B1, No. 6, Section 1, Xinsheng S Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100

Address as above for those interested in electronics and food!

Later we found our way back and went for 永和豆漿 just by the roadside








The food isn't all that cheap, and the kitchen was unsanitary... Quite a big disappointment if you ask, but it doesn't exactly bother me. We ordered a bowl of soy milk, and rice milk 米漿 + 2 dough fritters. The total cost was 72 NTD, which is cheap but expensive, if you get what I mean!



The soy milk and rice milk were mediocre - Watery and almost bland! I thought the dough fritters would be better, but I guess it isn't my thing. They were crispy on the outside, which is supposed to be good, but the inside was not as dense as I had hoped it would be.


On the way out, we saw yet another art piece depicting what I figured was a toy poodle. It got me missing Mocha so much :(


























台北花博公園
Taipei Flora Expo Park
No. 1, Yumen St, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 104
Nearest MRT Station: 圓山 Yuan Shan






We heard there was a free-entry flower exhibition there, so we decided to visit to take some photos for my grandmother who loves flora :)
























At times like these I wish I had a DSLR so that I could capture all things beautiful in high definition :(

Maji Maji 集食行樂 Square
 No. 1, Yumen St, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 104
Nearest MRT Station: 圓山 Yuan Shan

The flower exhibition got boring in about 20 minutes, so we headed over to Maji Maji Square, which is supposed to be something like Scape. 





It was nice to see the place all made up to celebrate the coming Christmas!





Before we left we decided to visit the food court for a small meal before leaving for our next destination! This food court, is amazing. No other food place depicts international like it does!

Vietnamese Cuisine

Moroccan Cuisine

Western Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine

Thai Cusine

There were many other cuisines available, such as Korean, Indian, East European, Mexican and Latin!



We went for the classic Braised Pork Rice 滷肉飯 which cost 40 NTD a bowl.

Yum!

With our stomachs partially filled, we then took the train to Jiantan station for the world-famous Shilin Night Market.


士林夜市
Shilin Night Market
Address: 111台北市士林區基河路101號
Nearest MRT Station: 劍潭 Jian Tan NOTE: The nearest MRT Station is NOT 士林 Shilin! 

Shilin Night Market is one of the most well-known night markets in Taiwan! It's a blessing that we have it in Taipei.

王子起司馬鈴薯





I first learnt of this cheese potato trend from television, and as an ardent cheese lover, I knew I just had to try it out! There are now many stalls selling this dish, but this particular stall is situated at the edge of the night market facing the train station, which means that you'll be able to catch it as soon as you enter the night market area.



The queue was rather long so they had a staff member collect our orders first. I chose the 'Prince Combination' that basically had everything inside. It was 70 NTD - Quite costly!

FLOODED with cheese sauce!

I really liked how the potato was simply boiled and stacked with toppings! I always thought that was so, but as I got nearer to the cooking stand I realised that the potato was boiled, mashed, then moulded back into the original shape of a potato before being fried. 

The toppings included ham, corn, sour cream, pineapple cubes, egg, and many more! I loved it, but Taiwan being Taiwan I feel like this dish could have been cheaper. 60 NTD maybe?





Shilin Night Market also has international brands for those who wish to grab branded stuff at cheaper prices (compared to Singapore)









Cheap clothes for sale!



A classic drinks stall you can find in a typical night market, and many other food choices as captured below:













While walking along the streets I found this cafe that looked very very similar to Starbucks..

I see what you did there...

寒天Q棒



If you come to Shilin Night Market, you must come visit this store! The stall sells jelly popsicles of various flavours, at a cheap price of 10 NTD! My sister bought a Yakult-flavoured one, which was really good but I didn't manage to get a picture of it because we finished it within 30 seconds.

正宗嘉義火雞肉飯





This stall selling chicken rice and braised pork rice always sees long queues and a packed storefront! The food sold here is truly of good quality, and it is rather cheap, at about 40 NTD for a bowl so it is no surprise that you might have to wait to order your food.

However, the service is nothing to shout about - in fact, the staff's attitude is really quite a put-off! The boss restricts you from using your phone while eating at the stall because he expects you to finish your food and leave immediately, so that his queuing customers may have a chance to sit and enjoy their food too. While this seems reasonable, it is the delivery that matters, and the owner certainly does not take the nicest tone when talking to you...



The rice comes with crunchy preserved plum that you MUST eat at the end to help reduce the oily taste of the chicken rice.







Grilled beef cubes are taking over night markets nowadays! I don't eat beef but the pure sound of sizzling beef against the hot grill makes me salivate, and I would definitely order a serving if not for my dietary restriction. A serving usually costs 70 NTD depending on where you buy it from, which is worth it considering that it is beef.



青蛙下蛋 is a household 'brand' for night market beverages. You can bet your shopping expenses that this stall will be present in any night market you visit! At least in Taipei, that is. And then there's the dilemma as to which stall is the original one (because you will often find different stalls claiming to be the genuine one) and sadly I do not know the answer to that - however I do know that the stalls I've visited serve drinks that taste pretty much the same so kudos to them!

青蛙下蛋 translates literally to 'Frog laying eggs' and the name is so-given because of the appearance of the basil seeds that are traditionally added to the drinks. Nowadays you don't find them around anymore (perhaps due to inflation?) but the alternatives (Aiyu Jelly, Pearls, Taro Balls) are equally delicious. A must try if you visit Taipei!

More stalls for your reference:

Giant grilled squids/cuttlefish

Papaya milk, a drink rumoured to have breast-enhancing properties

This stall sells fried taro balls, which are up and coming in the night market scene!



Preparation is on-the-spot, as is the standard in Taiwan's night markets.

A while later we decided to check out 康是美 (Cosmed) which is Taiwan's counterpart of Singapore's Guardian.



I love how every store is ready for Christmas! And a purple tree at that!

Three-stories... I can imagine my mother squealing in delight!

Soon after we left for home because it was a seriously long day that we had. End of itinerary!

Day Three and onwards coming up soon - stay tuned!

xoxo
Valerie

Here are the links for the other days (click on the days!):

DAY ONE
DAY THREE
DAY FOUR