Restaurant Review: Noodle Flat

Now that winter weather (well...kind of winter-ish) has descended upon Taipei, it's time to tuck into some beef noodle, one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes. Luckily there's a great spot in Tianmu that's delicious, trendy, and absolutely affordable. Called "Noodle Flat," it opened a few months ago and has an easy to figure out English menu.

Easy-to-read English menu

Location: Just north of the intersection of Zhongshan N. Road and Dexing Road, Section 6 on the east side of the road. The outside is easy to spot as there is a plot of grass (strange I know) outside the front door. 

Modern looking exterior plus grass that is looking a little worse for the wear...

The dishes are simple and the menu isn't overwhelming. Jordan and I usually start with the mixed appetizer, which has a variety of traditional "small dishes" like tea eggs, seaweed, and pig ears. They also offer a bunch of different single dishes.

Mixed appetizer dish

I would definitely recommend their beef noodle soup as the meat is very tender and flavorful. It isn't a spicy broth like some places, but they have all of the traditional condiments so you can add additional spice if that's your jam. 

Yum...just looking at the beef makes me want to eat it NOW!

They have two different dumpling offerings: traditional and xiao long bao. The regular dumplings are yummy but nothing super special. The xiao long bao, on the other hand, are really good. They don't beat out Din Tai Fung's (let's be honest, what place could??) but for half the price and no waiting in line, they're a great deal. I don't have a pic, but I promise they're worth it. 

Traditional dumplings (a bit unceremoniously displayed on the plate)

If you're not in the mood for beef noodle soup, but still want to try Noodle Flat, they have different types of noodle dishes as well. Plenty of choice for everyone! Therefore if you're in the 'Mu and feeling the need for something new, this is a perfect spot to fill your craving!

MUN Trip to Shanghai

How did November go by so fast!?! I can't believe that December is only 2 days away. Luckily now that it's Thanksgiving, I finally have a few days off to catch up on my blog (and my life in general).

The first half of November was taken over by preparation for our first ever MUN trip to Shanghai (from now on I'll use the fun SHASMUN acronym to refer to the conference). I coached the team with my friend, Phil, and it was the first time TAS has ever sent 7th graders overseas! Thankfully, we also traveled with two 10th graders who did an excellent job keeping the 10 middle schoolers entertained and occupied (which allowed Phil and me to have some breathing room).

It was my first time in China, but we didn't actually have much time to see the city of Shanghai. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon, we took the kids sight-seeing...but unfortunately a brown cloud of pollution was hovering over the city, making it a bit difficult to see the sights. We did head to the famous Pearl Tower to see some of the city lights, but could only make out the tallest buildings. The kids were highly entertained by the glass floor on the outside of the tower, though!

After the first afternoon, the rest of the weekend was spent at Shanghai American School, Pudong Campus. Initially Phil and I were a bit nervous because we discovered upon arrival that most other schools brought 8th and 9th graders (and even 10th graders!!), but we shouldn't have worried. Our kids totally rocked the conference! They were some of the most prepared and confident delegates at the whole conference. Definitely proud teachers :)

Dressed up and ready to debate!

Fearless coaches

First day of the conference and we're ready to rock!

Exploring the SAS campus

Mentor and dedicated student - isn't it cute??

The Environment Committee

Compliments for our delegates!

Enjoying the double straws in our milkshake :)

Celebratory dinner on our last night

Posing with all of our rockstars and award winners :)

Parents + 10/10 Holiday!

October is flying by! I can't believe that it has already been almost 3 weeks since my parents came to visit...which also means that it has been 3 weeks since vacation time [and I'm ready for another!]. This time when my parents came, they actually stayed for 10 whole days versus the 4 days they ended up being here last time. [You may remember the disastrous flight delays they experienced the first time]. I was so excited to have them back when they could experience sunny October weather and also see my apartment fully decorated and set up - much more adult-like than the first time they were here!

We spent the first three days of their trip hanging out in Taipei since I still had to work. I did manage to take one day off, and we made the iconic Taipei 101 visit - which we somehow missed on their first trip!

How cute are they?

Luckily my parents were able to come at a perfect time for our 10/10 holiday weekend [woohoo four day weekend!], so Jordan and I decided that the best way to show them Taiwan was to go on a road trip around the island: first to Hualien and Taroko Gorge and then around to Kaohsiung. We rented a car in Taipei and hit the road early on Thursday morning...but unfortunately a lot of other people had the same idea as us! It took us quite awhile to get out of the city and onto the main highway, but once we were clear of the car cloggage, we picked up speed and were on our way to Hualien. The mountains we drove through were absolutely stunning.

Gorgeous view of the Qingshui Cliffs.

Feeling a little tired after 4 hours of driving!

Hi road trip buddy :)

Jordan found a perfect bed and breakfast for us to stay at that was right at the mouth of Taroko Gorge. Our first afternoon we arrived just in time to do a short hike so that my parents could get a sense of the beautiful surroundings. That night we introduced my dad to his first night market experience [an experience he avoided on his first Taiwan trip]. Last time we were in Hualien, Jordan and I found a fantastic seafood "restaurant" in the night market - definitely a must experience for Taiwan visitors!

Hanging out with the lions - RAWR!

A little bit sweaty, but enjoying the views.

A little bit of rain never hurt anyone, right?

Sweaty and ready for some giant grilled oysters!

Enjoying some much deserved beverages. 

Biggest shrimp in the world!!

We had a full day in Taroko Gorge on Friday, and luckily the weather was absolutely gorgeous - bright blue sky with sunshine! And conveniently for us, the buses were blocked from going all the way up the gorge...so no Chinese tourists for us! Total win.

We couldn't resist stopping on our drive up the gorge to capture this view at Swallow's Grotto!

We tried to get across that bridge, but they wouldn't let us :(

Yikes! Scary wasp sign!

Hanging out with dad!

Family pic!

Loving that waterfall in the background.

How cute is this pic? We captured the hand-holding moment.

Taking a rest before preparing to hike up LOTS of stairs.

Saturday morning dawned rainy and cloudy, which wasn't too big of a deal since we were piling back in the car to head down the East Coast Highway. We were all feeling a little sleepy after the big hike the day before, but as the sun started peeking out from behind the clouds about an hour in and we turned up the radio, the cameras came out! We stopped at some of the best views on the coast - all gorgeous and dramatic. I was pretty impressed that we didn't get lost until the very end of the drive, and I'm ashamed to admit that it was my fault :( But we still managed the whole drive in about 8 hours! Not too bad considering that we stopped for lunch and missed our turn to Kaohsiung.

One of my favorite views in all of Taiwan.

Right after we snapped this pic, the rain came down in sheets and we had to run for cover!

All of us were pretty tired after the day spent in the car, so we took our time in Kaohsiung easy. But we DID make sure to see the famous giant rubber ducky!

And there it is in all of its glory!

Couldn't resist getting this iconic shot :)

And of course we needed a duck selfie. Typ.

We dropped the car off in Kaohsiung and headed back to Taipei on the high speed rail - always a fun experience and one that my parents found impressive. [Why America can't figure out a similar system is beyond me, but that's another discussion!]. Unfortunately the last two days of their visit I had to go back to work, but by that point my parents were expert tourists and used the MRT to their advantage!

So now the question is, who will be the next visitor??

Restaurant review: Al Cicchetto

If you're in the mood for tasty Italian food and a trendy atmosphere, Al Cicchetto in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park is a fun option!

Location: in the center of Huashan Park which is only a 5 minute walk from the Zhongxiao Xinsheng stop on the blue line. 

Reservations recommended: 02 2395 7117

We went at 8:30 pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant was still packed and had more people waiting outside. The vibe is very hipster with low lighting, repurposed furniture, and exposed concrete walls. The space is small, so the tables are close together but this didn't bother our group of four as there was enough space on both sides of the table. 

Front of the restaurant where everyone was waiting for a table.

Cool lamps over the tables and exposed walls. Very trendy interior decorating!

The bar area was well stocked with wine and spirits.

I'll come right out and say that the service wasn't great - a bit slow and the main course dishes came before the appetizers - but we weren't in a hurry so it wasn't too bothersome. We brought our own bottles of wine, and they only charged us one corkage fee, which was nice. There is also an extensive drink and wine menu to choose from. When I glanced around at the other tables, people had fun martini glasses - def want to try a cocktail next time!

The food had some hit or miss dishes, but overall things were yummy. There is a page of "a la carte" options, cheese and meat platters, and then main dishes and pastas. We ordered some small dishes to share and then each got a different pasta. I found the small dishes to be very flavorful with a wide variety of options. We also ordered a meat and cheese platter and were disappointed when the waiter told us near the end of our meal that they had run out. We opted for just the cheese platter instead, and that ended up being a nice way to finish the meal. 

The "a la carte" options on the menu.

I forgot to snap a pic before we all started munching on these little fishes with roasted garlic - oops! They were really yummy!

Spicy shrimps that had a super serious kick!

I ordered the pasta carbonara and it was probably our least favorite - way too saucy, but the soft boiled egg was delicious.

Pasta with beef and mushrooms. I liked this pasta dish the best as it had a simple olive oil base.

Seafood risotto that had excellent clams.

Cheese platter at the end of the meal.

Overall, we all felt satisfied and would definitely return, though next time I think I would order more small dishes rather than a pasta. I enjoyed the atmosphere as that area feels unique in Taipei. There is also a yakatori restaurant next door that looks fun. We will be back to try that, too!

Me and my trusty food companion :)

Restaurant review: Universal Noodle

Ramen has been a hot topic of discussion amongst TAS peeps lately. Three new ramen places have opened just in Tienmu in the past month or so...which is fantastic because now I get to sample all of them!

Universal Noodle is the newest of the 3 to have arrived - it opened its doors only a week ago! This is the place that many of my friends have been raving about and trekking down to Ximen to slurp down. I had not yet made the journey, so I was pretty pumped when I heard the new location was only a 5 minute walk from TAS!

Location: it's right behind Mitsukoshi on the corner between Spice Shop and JB's Diner - Alley 19 off of Tienmu East Road. 

Jordan and I arrived early (5:30 pm) for dinner and got seated straight away, but there are queue lines set up for (what I expect are) long lines, and when we left at 6 pm there were already people lined up. Clearly lots of people were hungry for ramen, too!

When we walked in, we were handed a menu and an order sheet (in English - yay!). There are 4 different broth options, and then the best part is that you get to totally customize your bowl! You can choose the broth thickness, spicy level, noodle thickness and firmness, pork belly or shoulder, and then extra toppings (oh yeahhhhh soft boiled eggs). 

The entry way of Universal Noodle - and where you pay at the end of your meal.

Filling out the order menus - one per person.

Once we turned in our sheets, we were ushered upstairs to a nice open space where we could see behind the busy kitchen counter. The decorations are super cute - lots of vibrantly colored posters of what appeared to be a Universal Noodle superhero! At each table was a nice array of interesting condiments. They asked us to sit on only one side of the table in case another group needed to use the other side, but there was plenty of room so it wasn't a big deal.

Condiments and a jug of ice water in the middle of each table.

And then our ramen arrived only minutes after we sat down! (I've become quite spoiled at how fast food comes out at most restaurants in Taiwan). I ordered the traditional broth while Jordan got the "Red King" - spicy! Our extra toppings came on the side, which was a new experience for me but kind of fun! We got seaweed, soft-boiled eggs, and extra tree fungus (sounds gross, but is absolutely delicious).

My bowl: regular broth, pork shoulder, green onions, seaweed and tree fungus...happy!

Jordan's bowl: spicy broth, pork belly, green onions and tree fungus...also a happy eating experience.

Extra toppings on the side!

We both gave our bowls big thumbs up! Jordan loved the pork belly in his, and when I took a bite I was also impressed - perfectly cooked and super thick. Yum! I got the pork shoulder which was tasty, but the pork belly beat it in overall awesomeness. We will definitely be back to try the more unique broth flavors - squid ink and basil...but we will be prepared to wait in line if it's after 6 pm!

Here is one happy noodle slurper!