Taipei 101

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 8th of 10 parts. 

It's impossible to escape Taipei 101 when in Taiwan. It's the 2nd tallest building in the world after all standing 1,674 feet tall.

When I was younger, I actually joined a youth group and we went on a three week coast to coast exploration of Taiwan (see adventure here), so I no longer joined Murtle and Curly in ascending the top floors of Taipei 101.

Based on the pictures Murtle and Curly shared, not much has changed from my visit 6 years ago. (Wow! It has been that long... time surely flies!!!)

Line Going Up

Sending A Postcard is A Must

View From the Top

I spent my time waiting for Murtle and Curly at Taipei 101’s food hall, Grand Market.

I was craving for Tom Yum soup that day so I bought tom yum noodles from this outlet:

I wasn’t surprised that the flavors were not authentic but I was at least able to satisfy a craving. 

After what felt like forever, Murtle and Curly finally joined me at the food hall. These were what they ordered:

It goes without saying that Taipei 101 is a must visit for first timers.

Taipei 101 is located at No. 7 Sec. 5 Xin Yi Road, Taipei Taiwan.

Mr. Prata & Its Curry

Singapore Day 2

The Food Place at Raffles City Shopping Centre

11:30 a.m.

During our second day in Singapore, we had roti to start our day. 

Mr. Prata is a popular 24 hour roti outlet located near the Botanical Gardens but we were pleasantly surprised to have spotted a Mr. Prata stall at The Food Place in Raffles City Shopping Centre.

Mr. Prata Menu Board

Folded to Order

We just ordered two pieces of roti since we were heading straight to lunch after the excursion.

Close-up Look

Plain and Cheese Roti Prata

The roti itself was not as flaky and crunchy as I would have liked it to be but I enjoyed the sweet  flavor of the roti without the curry. The roti, of course, was still much tastier once dipped in curry with the thick curry giving the roti a rich,deep mildly spicy flavor profile.  It was yummy and such a comforting eat that we wished we ordered more. 

Roti is a popular breakfast option for most Singaporeans and if one doesn't have time to visit authentic but out of the way roti places, dropping by Mr. Prata at Raffles City's The Food Place is recommended.

Mr. Prata is located at The Food Place, Raffles City Shopping Centre. Its main branch is located at 26 Evans Road, Singapore.

Wings & Takoyaki at Food Opera

Singapore Day 1
Ion Orchard's Food Opera
7:03 p.m

Three hours after having dimsum at Din Tai Fung, we found ourselves exploring Food Opera at Ion Orchard. Food Opera is an upgraded version of a regular food court with its swanky design and choice food stalls.

Naturally, we were unable to resist the lure of Food Opera so we decided to try two of its more popular outlets even though we were nowhere near hungry.  

First stop was 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken. 4 Fingers claims to have Korean themed cuisine inspired by the streets of New York City. 

Cute Compact Store

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken

Similar to what I have been accustomed to, the wings and drummettes of 4 Fingers are hand-painted in soy garlic or hot sauce. I thought this would be an upgrade from what I've been having in the Philippines, but aside from being juicier, the crispness of the skin and the flavors were the same. To be fair, I think I would have been blow away if it were my first time eating bonchon chicken.

Our second stop was Gindaco which had long lines. Gindaco is an import from Japan, popular for its takoyaki balls.

A Fraction of the Long Line

Takoyaki Making as an Art Form

Leek with Cold Tempura Sauce

The balls were moist and huge with a generous amount of real octopus bits. I was not feeling the unconventional sauce though.

Gindaco Original Sauce

This was more like it! Tangy Gindaco original sauce topped with Kewpie mayonnaise and bonito flakes made for one heck of a takoyaki! I enjoyed every bite tremendously. My friends who lined up for this for more than 10 minutes were left unimpressed though. HAHA

Food Opera is located at Basement 4, ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore. For more information on 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken and Gindaco, click here and here. 

Tai Hing at Food Republic

I was recently back in Hong Kong where I was unable to fully unleash the glutton in me. yey!!! This is the 4th of 5 parts.

We had lunch at Food Republic while on a break hunting for the cheapest bargains available at Citygate Outlets. 

Food Republic is a food court chain operated by the BreadTalk group and it offers cuisine from all over the world. American, Korean, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, and good old Chinese food can be found here.

One can truly get overwhelmed with the wide variety of choices available in Food Republic but I already had my stomach set for Tai Hing.

Tai Hing is a fast food chain that has over 40 branches in HK and Mainland China. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has dubbed Tai Hing as having "5-Star Barbecued Meats." Predictably, I went for the board's recommendation.

Chicken and Goose Rice (46HKD)

Oh-so-ordinary! Unfortunate really, given the many options I gave up to have this.

Lesson Learned: Never believe in the Hong Kong Tourism Board again!

And oh, I spotted  Singapore's popular Sergeant Chicken Rice at Food Republic though I have to say I'm not a fan.  

Food Republic has branches in Hong Kong, Mainand China, Singapore, and Malaysia. For more information,  click here.

Jatujak at the Food Court

While I haven’t featured a lot of Thai restaurants in this blog, let it be known that I’m a lover of Thai food.

Unfortunately, Thai food is not as popular as American or Japanese cuisine here in the country.

Times are changing though and I will not be surprised if Thai food soon goes mainstream with Tom Yum Thai setting up shop at Mall of Asia’s food court.

Tom Yum Thai is managed by Jatujak, a relatively established Thai restaurant found in SM malls.

Tom Yum Thai has a limited menu offering the essentials of Thai cuisine at affordable price points.



I had lunch at Tom Yum Thai on two separate occasions with contrasting results.

Bagoong Rice (80php)

Everything fell short with this bagoong rice. Rice was needing more bagoong and the few meat pieces were too sweet. This was one big fail and I wasn't satisfied.

Meal of Chicken Curry, Bagoong Rice with Papaya Salad (90php)

Good thing I gave Tom Yum Thai another chance as my second meal was much better. While the bagoong rice is still bland, the red chicken curry has the right consistency and spice level albeit a bit oily. The star of the show though is the papaya salad which has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spice. Unbelievably good that I am willing to brave the crowds of Mall of Asia just for the salad.

For a quick fix of cheap Thai food at a more comfortable location, head to Tom Yum Thai.

Tom Yum Thai is located at SM Mall of Asia's food court.