On our way back from our amazing two-week trip to Asia, we had a layover in Taipei, Taiwan. This layover was no accident; we purposely planned it so that we could explore the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes that Taiwan is known for, and experience the unique charm of its capital city firsthand.

After landing and getting our baggage (note to myself, hand luggage travel is always the smarter idea), we took a taxi and drove to Taipei. It’s about an hour away so by the time we arrived at the hotel (MADISON TAIPEI), it was getting late in the day and we were hungry.

First things first, we wanted to go to the famous Din Tai Fung. Unfortunately, the waiting list was so long that it exceeded the opening hours and we’ve been told to come back tomorrow. Well, never mind, we have a nearby Din Tai Fung in San Jose after all.

Instead, we checked out neighboring bars and restaurants. We happened to be in Da’an District, which is known for its vibrant atmosphere, trendy cafes, upscale shopping, and diverse dining options. It’s a fashionable and bustling area, popular with both locals and tourists. We crossed a couple of night markets, hawker stalls, and a lot of creatively fashionable places. I have to say this is the first time we were kind of getting uncomfortable with a language visible that we don’t speak or read. Most streets have Chinese signs, and it can get confusing when the taxi drivers don’t speak English either. We also were not lucky to find a spot to dine at first because lots of places were fully committed or wouldn’t accept walk-ins. Eventually, we ended up at a very cute Izakaya Restaurant called “大村武串燒居酒屋-大安店” – I am actually proud I was able to find it with all the Chinese signs. It’s located here.

Funny enough, it was a Japanese place but the host spoke English well and seemed overall very eager to show us the culture and explain the menu as much as she could (which was written in Japanese sign, funny enough).

After that, we went to Hotel Proverbs which has an awesome bar “East End Bar” with award-winning bartenders where we had a cocktail. We again had the feeling that we were kind of left out though when everyone around us was getting served pretty rapidly, while we were waiting for our drinks for about 30 minutes only to try to get a hold of a server for another 30 minutes. Eventually, we left. It was pretty decently priced anyway (~15 US for a cocktail) and we wanted to explore more anyway.

Again, being very unlucky and ran into a couple of very busy places that wouldn’t take us (e.g. The Public House, highly rated but always buzzing). Lucky enough, we found a very lovely spot right around our hotel, called Sidebar, where the managers were incredibly eager to show us that Taiwanese people can be hospitable. We were served an entire Gin Tasting, lots of great, very boozy cocktails, and sat on the bar counter until they closed, chatting about everything with them.

The next morning, we definitely felt all those things. It was raining and we went to find a cute little brunch place (Cafe Le Mahe) where we ordered a lot from the menu. It seemed to be more of a local spot run by a family and the owners were visibly surprised to see us stumble in it. Generally speaking, we were mostly the only Western people that we saw. Taipei doesn’t seem to be as touristy frequented as other cities in Asia (e.g. Phnom Penh).

After breakfast, we took a taxi to check out the hip area XX where we spent the afternoon strolling around and taking pictures. I also stumbled across a spot serving Tofu Pudding. The owner, an auntie, seemed so eager to serve me the pudding and explain this traditional food and was overly happy that I liked it. I also saw a great dumpling spot that I’d loved to try but unfortunately, they only took cash (and we didn’t have any at this point).

Later, we took a taxi to visit the Memorial Chiang-Kai-shek which was impressive. I took many photos and was really amazed by it.

At night, we had plans to try to go to Din Tai Fung another time by the 101 Tower. Unfortunately, it was even more crowded, and the tower had a big line too, so instead, we strolled through the alleys nearby, on the hunt for one last dumpling or dinner and some photo spots. We eventually ate in a hawker stall, just as we know it from Singapore. If someone had told me 5 years ago that we’d actually go in these places, I wouldn’t have believed you. Anyway, after that, I stumbled across a place selling egg tarts (did you know these were actually invented in Taipei) which made me withdraw cash (finally!), and I bought one, and later came back to buy two more. The lovely lady at the counter remembered me and gave me a discount since I bought 3 in total. What a service.

Then, it was time to go back to the airport. We had extended our room until 9 pm (for a late check-out fee) so we could shower and change in the hotel before leaving to the airport. Unfortunately, we eventually had 2 hours of delay so we only left Taipei at around 1.30 am time. So I guess, we stayed almost 30 hours in it all in one. But these were so worth it.

 

All places visited in Taipei:

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