Taiwan 2019 | Recap
What we did in Taiwan
— Jay
This was our first time back in Taiwan since 2015. For those adventures, check out Taiwan 2015 (Pt. 1) and Taiwan 2015 (Pt. 2). On this trip, we did a lot of the same activities (hanging out with the family and that good stuff). However, this recap is all about that new new.
Addiction Aquatic Development
This interestingly named location is a seafood destination in Zhongshan District. Half of Addiction Aquatic Development is a market, where you can choose from a huge variety of seafood to take home. The other half is a cafeteria full of food stalls and bars. On this side, you can dine on whatever you wish from fresh crab legs to sashimi to pasta.
Before you start, cop a glass of bubbly so that you can prowl around with a buzz on (the best way to do most things). It’s a bit pricey relative to the average spot in Taipei, but it’s worth it because you’re paying for the atmosphere.
Beitou
On this trip, we went to Beitou for the first time. This is the Northernmost district in Taipei. You can get there by the Red Line or take a car.
A very mountainous area, Beitou is famous for their natural hot springs and landscapes. When we pulled up, a lot of the hot spring venues were closed. Clearly we didn’t prepare for this excursion. After a quick Google search, we found a hotel on the outskirts with built in Hot Springs. We rolled on up the curvy roads to get there. Along the way, we were treated to beautiful views, like something out of a Chinese painting.
When we got to Grand View Resort, the spot was exactly as advertised. From the deck, there was a grand view overlooking the hilly landscape. We booked 2 private rooms and sat down for snacks and drinks while we waited for them to setup.
After about an hour, we were ready to go. Ewa’s cousin Wei Wei and his lady friend had a private room and Ewa, Andrew and I had the other. Located in the basement, each room comes equipped with a toilet, shower, sink, cabinets, hot spring tub and an open air deck (to chill on if it gets too hot). We turned the water on and started to fill the tub.
One thing to note, the water here is full of minerals (including sulfur); so that shit is quite smelly. If you don’t wanna roll up to the next destination smelling like a stinky tofu, be sure to leave a change of clothes in the car or check your stuff in with the receptionist. We learned that the hard way. Anyways, stank aside, the water was hella soothing. Plus, not having to share the room with random people made it a relaxing experience. If you’re looking for an easy escape from city life in downtown, this is a nice day trip to get away. The private room should run you about $80 for 2 hours.
When we were done, we piled into Wei Wei’s car and immediately fell asleep (jet lag combined with copious amounts of sulfuric steam). We assumed that we’d wake up at our hotel, but Wei Wei had different plans…
The Top Restaurant
When we awoke 30 minutes later, we were driving up a mountain. We asked Wei Wei what’s going on? He said to just sit tight and we’d be there soon. About 10 minutes later, we pull up to a small parking lot and get out. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but at this point, might as well just go with it.
After walking up the path a bit, we were treated to a sick view. Turns out, he took us to The Top, a mountain top restaurant in Shilin District. This one-of-a-kind spot offers an incredible view of the whole city. We went and and were seated at a table on the upper deck.
It’s hard to describe the vibe because it’s something like a restaurant/bar/club/terrace combo. On the top end, you had the dining area which had open air seating and private rooms. There were also a couple bars on the outskirts near the stairs. At the bottom level, there was a pool area with waterfront seating. Until that point, I had never seen something like this. They’ve really cornered the mountain top dining and pool lounging market.
Our table was in the open air dining area. Unfortunately, it was super cold that night and we didn’t pack adequately (because who expects to wear a jacket during Springtime in Taiwan)? They brought out some blankets which helped a little bit. The menu consists of all types of Asian cuisine like Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and more. We ordered the warmest sounding things we could find: Soup, hot tea, lava, etc.
Once settled in, we were able to enjoy it more. The view was spectacular and the ambiance of the venue was ethereal. If you go, just make sure you bring (or swindle) a friend with a car to go with you. It’s about a 40 minute drive from the city.
Elephant Mountain
If you’re looking for views, here’s another great destination. You don’t have to travel very far to get to Elephant Mountain. It’s just southeast of the city in Xinyi District. However, getting up Elephant Mountain is a different story. While not being an extremely challenging hike (the stairs and platforms are well maintained), it’s not exactly a light morning jog either.
In our case, we did it in the morning and on an empty stomach. Stupid idea, but it did help us sweat out all the alcohol that Wei Wei’d been forcing us to drink. When you get to the top, there’s a great vantage point of the skyline, with 101 smack dab in the middle. Shit is ill.
There’s a big ass rock there that you can climb on top off and get photos against the backdrop. Since we went early, there was barely a line. We were able to take our time and get some great content (including a dope drone shot). By the time we finished about 20 minutes later, there was a whole gang of people waiting their turn. So if you go, make sure to arrive around 10am (at the latest) if you want to get photos at a leisurely pace.
Original Din Tai fung
What can be said about DTF that hasn’t already been said? Starting out as a cooking oil company back in the 60’s, they branched out to sell xiao long baos (XLBs) in the 70s. Since then, the brand has blown up with outposts all over the world including Hong Kong, Australia, the UK and even the USA.
On this trip, we got to try the original location in Xinyi District. When we pulled up, there was already a huge line out front (it was 2pm on a weekday). Normally, I don’t like to hang around with a bunch of tourists, waiting for the tourist attraction to open. But for these XLBs, gimme that #1 fanboy hat and I’m chillin. However, we were pleasantly surprised by how efficiently they were able to move large amounts of people in and out of the (relatively) small dining areas. When it was our turn, they took us up to the 2nd floor. We passed by the prep kitchen where we saw 10+ workers putting together the XLB. They really had it down to a science. The whole assembly line could produce an XLB within a few seconds, and they were cranking them out non-stop. If I’m ever rich enough, I would like to hire this team to just produce XLBs for me all day. The assembly line would end directly in my mouth.
We sampled a bunch of different items including noodles, soup and veggies. But without a doubt, the main event was the XLBs. We had some good soup dumplings in the past, but nothing like these. These were on some heavenly jade king level shit. The dough was strong enough to hold the soup but wasn’t overly thick. It provided the right amount of chew. Inside, the meat was tender and flavorful. And let me tell you bout the soup. This golden elixir was the perfect blend of fat and umami broth and was just the right ratio of broth to meat when you bit into it… like a delicious salty gusher. We ended up getting another order for the table. Even though this place is popular, you won’t break the bank eating here. Come hungry.
Jiufen (pt 2.)
This time, we decided to spend a whole 24 hours in Jiufen so that we could explore everything that we missed last time. Getting here is quite simple. We took the train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Railway Station, and then a bus the rest of the way (Taipei Main Station has a ton of delicious food options so try to arrive early so you can sample the goods).
When we got there, we checked into our lodging at Long Men Ke Zhan; a nice Bnb off the beaten path, just a few minutes walk from the main square. With a whole day to explore, we did some photoshoots, ate at various stalls and restaurants and took in the scenery on the outskirts of town.
During the day, the streets are fairly bare and you can mosey around at your leisure. However, once the sun begins to set, the lights start coming on and the town comes alive (just like Spirited Away). Staying for the whole day offers the opportunity to experience Jiufen both ways. At dinner time, we hung out on the porch of 悲情城市-小上海茶飯館. With a view over the main square, this is the perfect place to snack, sip a Taiwan Beer and people watch.
After dinner, we headed across the street to A-Mei Tea House to digest. When we got there, they took one look at us and sat us up on the top floor, far away from all the other patrons. How did they know to isolate us!? We ordered a pot of tea and some snacks. When the attendant brought them up, he proceeded to walk us through all of the steps in fast forward mode. Understanding none of it, we spent the next 5 minutes trying to recreate the process to get some tea to drink. After a while, we finally got it (I think). As we sat sipping tea by the open window, we were treated to an amazing view of the valley below. This was definitely a top 5 highlight of this trip.
After a long day of exploring, we headed back to the crib to chill out. The owner left some DVDs out for us. The selection was The Grudge, The Midnight Meat Train and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Not sure what vibe he was trying to cultivate there…. so we decided to just stream Spirited Away again. When in Jiufen…
The next day, we caught a quick breakfast at the bnb, packed up our bags and headed out to our next stop.
Daoist Temple
Right outside of Jiufen, there is a beautiful Daoist Temple called 九份青雲殿 (“ Jiufen Qingyun Temple”). You can see it off in the distance when you’re at the Tea House. But you don’t get a sense for just how big it is until you roll up. This building brings to mind intimidating castles and fortresses from Chinese or Japanese folklore. You can imagine that a Hero’s about to battle several warlords to free the villagers from their tyranny. Except this place is extremely peaceful and calming.
You are free to explore the entire building on your own, except for certain areas that are closed down. Or, if you’re nice enough, you can get one of the Monks to show you around.
The main floor is where most people are situated. There are several shrines to various deities here. For a small donation, you can get a bunch of incense in order to pray at the shrine(s) of your choosing. I chose to do my bowing at the main shrine near the entrance — get the most bang for my buck.
After that, I wandered around the temple to see what secrets it held. The first few floors were fairly devoid of visitors. There were a few shrines, some open spaces most likely for group praying or events, a kitchen and some storage areas. When I got to the 4th floor, I had to hop on an elevator to proceed. Getting off on the top floor, I noticed that it was completely empty. It almost felt a bit spooky, but I realized that Demons and Monsters probably wouldn’t be hiding in a Daoist Temple… so I kept going.
As I circled around the corner, I was treated to a breath-taking view. The main room of the top floor was dripped out in gold! Bright red columns connected the golden ceiling to the reflective floor. I stood there for 5 minutes, taking in this otherworldly vibe. Got me feelin like the Jade Emperor outchea.
Once I collected myself, I stepped outside onto the patio. Here, I was flocked by an army of stone dragons crawling up the columns, standing guard at the railings and emblazoned on a decorative tablet. To the left and right were pagoda towers, each adorned with figures of (what I assumed were) Daoist spirits. The true star of this spectacle was the view though. From the patio, you overlook the entire valley, with Jiufen merely a speckle in the distance.
If you’re doing a day (or two) trip to Jiufen, definitely stop by here for a bit of inner peace.
Kavalan Distillery
My cousin Ray suggested we hit up the Kavalan Distillery in Yilan. Kavalan is an increasingly popular whisky brand and we’d enjoyed the samples that we’ve gotten to taste so far. We were definitely down to go. Since it was all the way out in Yilan, Ray told us that the most efficient way to go roundtrip was to rent a driver service. For about $100, a driver will ferry you to most areas within a reasonable distance (split amongst a few people, this is very cost effective). If you’re planning a visit to Yilan, see if your hotel concierge or airbnb host can hook you up with the private driver plug.
We met Ray downtown and hopped into the car to roll out. We left around rush hour, so the total ride time to the distillery was just under 1 hour. When we got there, I was surprised at how big the operation was. There’s a whole Kavalan campus out there with multiple buildings housing various parts of the distilling process. The driver let us off at the visitor center. Here, we signed up the most popular tour option. For like $40, you can do the joint mixing class and tasting. Great buzz for a great value.
While waiting for our tour, we had a quick snack and a coffee from the Mr. Brown cafe inside (Kavalans parent company also runs this brand). 10 minutes later, they came and got us for the mixing class.
Since it was a weekday, we were the only people there, so we could be as goofy as we wanted (or needed) to be. The way it works is, they bring you out 3 beakers full of various Kavalan whiskeys (definitely the lower tier stuff). They also bring out some vials so that you can get on your Walter White and whip up some blends. Once you make the right one, you mark down the proportion for each. The teacher will come by and produce the final blend based on your notes. They also bottle it up and give you a nice gifting box for it. Unfortunately, we had to toss our boxes at the hotel because they took up too much space in our luggage :-(.
Next up was the tasting portion down the hall. Here, you get a sheet listing out 20 or so of their liquors and you can choose up to 4 to taste. I was already a bit tipsy from the mixing, so I don’t recall every single sample that I tried, but I do remember having the “One Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask”, which was amazing. Highly recommend. Come here with a group so that you can order a variety of options and try each other’s selections.
By the end of the 30 minute tasting, I had a major buzz going. Possibly the 7-8 shots worth of high quality booze within an hour had something to do with that. We decided that, since we were all the way out in Yilan, might as well make one more stop before heading back to the city.
Red Lantern Restaurant
To cap off our Yilan excursion (and to soak up the booze from the mixing class and tasting before hand), we headed over to Red Lantern for Dinner. It’s about 20 minutes away by car. This is a very popular restaurant, famous for their duck dishes. You know we all bout that!
The restaurant is located inside of a hotel; so we tried (unsuccessfully) to make our way to Red Lantern without disturbing the guests. When we got there, they sat us at a prime table smack dab in the middle of the dining room. Maybe they thought our group, all deeply buzzed, would be entertainment for the other diners?
The next 20 minutes are a bit blurry as Ray took the reins on ordering. We sat sipping on hot tea and chatting. I start to brown back in when the food started to come out. They brought the whole roasted duck out and the chef carved it at the table side; always one of my favorite spectacles.
The first dish was crispy duck skin wrapped around a duck fat soaked rice ball. Everyone took a bite, and the table went silent…. The shit was so amazing. The flavor literally brought my consciousness fully back on line. I don’t think anyone said anything for the next 2 minutes, while we polished off the dish and savored the moment.
After that, we ate the rest of the duck infused dishes including peking duck style, a thigh meat noodle dish and white water snowflake stems sautéed in duck fat (which is one of my favorite vegetable dishes that i’ve ever eaten to this day). The meal was so rich and heavy that, coupled with the Kavalan, left us all nearly PTFO at the table. We had to order 2 pots of hot tea to wake us up from this flavor induced stupor. After a couple more beers to settle ourselves, we stumbled out of the restaurant and to our car, to begin the journey back to Taipei.
On this trip, we (Ewa, Andrew and I) had a lot more time to ourselves to explore the myriad of bars, restaurants and landmarks that litter the city. In addition, we spent a good amount of time bonding with her cousins, even through the language barrier (I speak Mandarin at a 2nd grade level, maybe worse). Taipei remains one of our favorite cities in the world to visit. It’s very relaxed, clean and everyone is relatively friendly. If Hong Kong is New York City, then Taipei would be Chicago.
Hopefully this provides some inspiration for things to do when you go visit!
Peace