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!

Visit to Huashan 1914 Creative Park

This post is about 2 weeks overdue, but I thought it would still be worth writing since the current main exhibition at Huashan is still there! On the last rainy/typhoony Saturday, Jordan and I decided to do something a little more cultural than just sitting on the sofa avoiding the windy rain (which is usually what a typhoon makes one do). I've been trying to read up on the blogs to see if any cool new events are happening in Taipei, and I stumbled across a post about National Geographic's 125th Anniversary Exhibition at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park [here's a link to the Taipei Trends post about it]. I had always wanted to stop there, but never had the chance...so here was the perfect opportunity!

Because of the rain, Jordan and I took a taxi but it's also easy to get there on the metro [Zhongxiao Xinsheng on the blue line]. Huashan Park is actually an old wine factory, so the whole complex has a cool "industrial" feel. We decided to save our explorations for later and made a beeline for the National Geographic show. 

What a great experience!! The exhibition was divided into 8 different themes, full of fantastic photographs dating all the way back to the late 1800s when National Geographic was founded. It took about an hour or so to get through. I would highly recommend going especially if you want inspiration for where to travel next!

Snapping a pic at the entrance!

Cool set up at the entrance. They had every cover from all of the Nat Geos since like 1896!

Checking out the Taiwan photos.

One of my favorite pics from the whole exhibition.

Another one of my favorite pictures - and we just finished the Maya Unit at school!

One of the most famous of all Nat Geo covers. Gorgeous!

Selfie out front! :)

After we finished the Nat Geo exhibit, we wandered around the rest of the Park and discovered lots of cool little shops. There are restaurants, a wine shop, a gelato place, a coffee shop, and lots of little cute shops - all worth checking out. 

I can never resist gelato! Although it did make me miss the gelato in Rome...

How hilarious are these postcards?? A perfect representation of Taiwan night markets!

So if you're looking for something to do in the next few weeks, this is a perfect afternoon excursion. The Nat Geo exhibit is around through the middle of November! Enjoy!

Addiction Aquatic Development Review

After Jordan and I both posted some Instagram pics of our fabulous sushi dinner at Aquatic Addiction Development on Friday night, I feel like it's all I've talked about with people this weekend! I realized that it might be easier to just write about the place so people can get more info and see some pics. And what better way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon than doing some productive blogging?

Aquatic Addiction Development is apparently in the building that used to be the Taipei fish market but has been converted into a fairly upscale/posh restaurant and market (that description will make more sense once you see the pics, I promise!). It's near the Songshan airport, but not really within walking distance from any MRT stops, so we just took a cab from Tienmu. Here's the address in Chinese to show the cab driver:

No. 18, Alley 2, Ln 410, Minzu E Rd

台北市民族東路410巷2弄18號

(02) 2508-1268

The website has English on it, though once you actually get to the place there isn't much English on the menus. 

From the outside the building doesn't look like much, but once you walk in there is SO much to see! You enter into the fish tank area, which is fascinating and full of the biggest crabs I have ever seen. My suggestion would be to go immediately to the sushi restaurant to grab a number (our wait was about 45 minutes on a Friday night at 7 pm) and then kill time by exploring the rest of the place. 

View of the entrance from the outside. Easy to spot sign!

We first walked over to the cute wine bar to sit and have a nice glass of white. Not cheap, but good quality wine. 

Nice date atmosphere!

There were lots of different types of wines, champagnes, and sakes. We just ordered one of the whites by the glass.

Posing for the camera!

We then explored the home shopping section which was full of cute decorations like vases and candle holders. It is right next to the grocery store-esque section that has fruits, veggies, and fresh fish.

This area is right next to the wine bar. It's full of fun gift ideas!

Next we walked to the back and checked out the raw/seafood bar. At this point we realized that we could have gone there first since there was no wait and the raw oysters that people were slurping down looked totally magical. They also had steamed king crab legs (same crabs that are in the tanks when you walk in) that looked delicious. Definitely eating there when we go back! You can also buy some of the seafood and sushi to-go near the front of the building if you don't want to stand and eat.

The raw seafood bar at the back of the place. Look at those massive crab legs!

Then we walked back to the entrance area to look at the tanks. The king crabs literally look like an alien species!

Ahh scary alien monster crab!!!

Fresh raw oysters!

Watching one poor crab get carried to his death...

Finally our number was called! When we walked up to the entrance (i.e. a rope) the host asked if we needed help reading the menu - yes! We basically described the things we wanted, and he helped us find them on the menu. It's standing room only, which was kind of fun and different. We were lucky to get a spot overlooking the prep area so we could watch the chefs at work. They were super busy! The food was all amazing and of great quality. 

Our view of the chefs at work. It was nice just having two of us...I would say that the maximum number of people to go with is 4 otherwise it would be too hard to talk seeing as though you're standing in a row.

Get in my belly RIGHT NOW! All was delicious, but Jordan said the scallop was his favorite.

I've recently become enamored with salmon roe eggs, and these were particularly salty and delicious.

We were standing right in front of the miso soup man and could see him putting all of the extra fishy parts into the pot to make the broth nice and rich.

And here's what we were really waiting for! This was the $600NT nigiri set that came with miso soup. Great variety and totally fresh.

In total we spent about $2000NT for one sashimi bowl, two hand rolls, two nigiri sets, and two beers, and we both left feeling full and satisfied. Definitely felt like it was worth the money! My parents will be visiting in a few weeks and I'm putting this at the top of my list of places to take them as it's not only delicious, but also a unique experience. And if anyone wants to go in the interim, just let me know as I'll be happy to go back!