Murtle & Mr. J

I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 7th of 10 parts.

This post is dedicated to all Jay Chou fans!

I’m sure the number one reason Murtle wanted to go to Taiwan was to see Jay Chou in the flesh. 

Sadly, Jay Chou was nowhere to be found so Murtle settle for the next best thing: A trip to Mr. J, Jay Chou’s "French- Italian" restaurant!

We went to the branch found within the Taipei Medical University Hospital complex (odd choice of location, I know) where the theme of the restaurant was inspired by his movie Secret.

Since we already had lunch, we no longer sampled the food of Mr. J and instead spent most of our time choosing what overpriced memorabilia Murtle ought to buy. In the end, Murtle opted to be the proud owner  of a  Mr. J keychain which easily broke after a few months use. (fan trap alert!!!)

Regardless, I’m sure Murtle considered going to Mr. J as one of the most memorable moments of the trip.

Mr. J has three branches in Taiwan. The branch we visited was just 10 minutes away from Taipei 101 via cab.

Shilin Night Market is a Must Visit

 I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 6th of 10 parts.

One hasn't fully explored Taipei without visiting the mother of all night markets, Shilin! 

Shilin Night Market is the biggest and most famous night market in the city with hundreds of kiosks and stores selling food and  non-food items (clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.). Arcade arenas, karaoke joints, and theater houses also surround the area. 

Don't be deterred by the huge crowds as the frenzied and chaotic environment is part of the Shilin experience.

Our first stop was the popular chicken stall Hot Star.

Hot Star has one of the longest lines but wait time isn't bad...

thanks to a very efficient system!

Chicken Getting Floured 

Fry Station

Ready to be Served

Deep Fried Chicken Fillet

Juicy with an addictive flour coating, I could eat this jumbo chicken all day long!

A few stalls from Hot Star is Ladu Alibaba...

Making the roti in full view of passersby is a brilliant strategy as it drew us in.

Kebabs Anyone?

Curry Beef Roll

Sadly, there was nothing remarkable about this roll. Hot and filling but not much else.

A food kiosk not be missed is the stall below. It's home to the best scallion pancakes in Taipei!

Scallion Pancakes

This fried dough with egg didn't picture well but was oh so good! Salty and greasy making it perfect for midnight snack. Best eaten piping hot.

Our last food stop at Shilin Night Market was Cheng Zu.

I could not resist these buns!

Small Meat Buns

Loved the crunchy bottom bits and the very soft and flavorful meat inside. 

Curly also tried the intriguing "froggy" drink...

but got disappointed. She said it tasted weird.

We also joined the long lines of this 50 year old establishment.

Everyone was queuing for this drink....

and it tasted like grass!

Oh well, at least we also had milk tea which wasn't so bad!

Shilin Night Market is open from 4 pm to 2 am daily. Get off the Jiantan Station (not Shilin!!!) of the Danshui MRT.

Tourist Trap Alert: Jiufen

I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 5th of 10 parts.

I dragged Murtle and Curly to Jiufen a sleepy mountain town, an hour away from Taipei because I couldn't resist the lure of quaint shops, red lanterns, and its Spirited Away connection.

    

I learned however, that Jiufen is nothing but a tourist trap making me regret all the hours we wasted exploring the place. It was hard to appreciate whatever little charm the community had as it was very crowded.

We had to navigate our way through throngs of people everywhere we went...

Aside from avoiding the crowds at Jiufen, one can eat overpriced street food,

Curry Balls

take pictures of the town below,

and shop for souvenirs.

Given the number of people visiting Jiufen, it was no longer surprising that we had to deal with a long line just to return to Taipei.

 I couldn't be happier when the bus finally arrived!

I'm not sure if Jiufen is worth a visit even without the crowds as the only memorable moment I have is seeing this beautiful sleeping dog. :(

From Jiufen, we went to Shida, a popular night market among college folks. Egad! It was just as crowded!

We gave up and called it a night after a quick takoyaki run. 

50 Lan: The Best Milk Tea in Taiwan

I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 4th of 10 parts.

I don't drink milk tea but I know just the place to find the best milk tea in Taiwan!

There's nowhere else to go but 50 Lan!

And how do I know for sure???

It's because Curly, my friend/milk tea expert, said so!

I encourage everyone to trust Curly's judgment and pay 50 Lan a visit when in Taiwan! Just look for the blue logo found all over the city.

For 50 Lan's menu, click here. 

Another Go at Din Tai Fung

I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 3rd of 10 parts.

A window of hardworking men making dumplings?

It only means one thing....

I made sure to visit Din Tai Fung in Taiwan because it's here after all, where this very successful xiao long bao chain originated.

We couldn't be bothered to go to the original Xinyi restaurant and instead settled for the branch found at the basement of Sogo Department Store in Fuxing.

Even if it was way past the lunch hour...

one has to wait...

in order to get a table.

Dining in the motherland didn't make any difference as selection and flavors were similar to what I previously had in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Noodles Mixed in Sesame and Peanuts

Steamed Pork Dumplings

Spicy Shrimp Wanton

What made the trip worthwhile, however, was the discovery of these:

Steamed Mashed Taro Dumplings

Smooth, Silky, and Oh So Delicate

I'll never eat at Din Tai Fung without ordering these small heavenly wonders again. I think I found a new favorite!

Din Tai Fung has seven branches in Taiwan. For more information, click here.