event: TAIPEI DANGDAI INTERNATIONAL ART SHOW 2019

Hello you guys! It feels sort of strange to be typing on a laptop instead of trying to peck out letters on my iPhone, but it feels good. You know how January resolutions go, you cross your fingers and hope that it sticks at least for the first month. So here come some new posts for the few of you guys still reading, as long as my hardware and software cooperate with me! 

Wanted to share some of my fave pieces from the Taipei Dangdai (January 18-20, 2019) with you guys in case some of you wanted to catch it on its last day (Sunday, January 20, today!). Tickets at the door are NT$700. Kids under 12 are free and seniors/students/disabled are NT$400. There's some food and drinks in a mini bar in the back corner by Gastrojoy. 

I usually miss these sort of things because the word doesn't spread far enough, but luckily I had a few friends with an extra pass and they invited me along on Friday (yay for cultured friends). It's much less intimidating to walk around a show than into individual galleries, which most of us not in the art scene rarely do.

With pieces from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Europe, NY, and of course, Taipei, It's the first year for this size of an international art show it seems,  or one poised to become a "global contender." Co-founder Magnus Renfrew brings his experience from Art HK which turned into the extremely popular Art Basel in Hong Kong, and is also the co-founder of the shiny and new Art SG for Singapore. 

Walking around Taipei Dangdai, there were definitely a lot of international art galleries and art dealers in the house. Whenever there are THAT many new people in town for an event, I always wonder, where are _they_ eating in Taipei and did they come across my blog? lol!

So, anyways, here is a small glimpse from the Nangang Exhibition Hall. I'm sorry I didn't catch all the names, until walking around halfway I realized I should take notes. There's quite a lot to take in and fun to wander and gaze and admire and see which ones spark joy. 

Going to try to type up a few more posts while the words are flowing!

can't escape baby shark, THE song of 2018

news: TAIPEI RESTAURANT WEEK 2017 now

It was not until I had lunch at Monsieur L a few days ago that I discovered it was Taipei Restaurant Week. Well, Taipei Restaurant Week and a few days, technically, since it goes from August 29- September 11. Taipei Restaurant Week sometimes can be a good deal (at least when I tried it the dineLA version in LA) when restaurants offer up a set menu usually more affordable than the sum of its parts. The set at Monsieur L definitely is worth trying with the three course menu at NT$999 that has a HUGE pork tomahawk as an option. 

Taipei Restaurant Week is organized by EZTable, so the reservations can be booked through them and you can also check out the menus for each restaurant. While some of the restaurant names aren't in English, the menus all have both Chinese and English on them. I haven't tried booking through EZ table yet, but there's quite a few restaurants I haven't been to yet that are now on my radar. And so many restaurants that I _have_ been to to blog about. 

Here are participating restaurants in Taipei Restaurant Week 2017: 

Sets NT$599/899 

• Restaurant Page
• Osteria by Angie 

Sets NT$599/1099

• Just Grill (semi buffet) 
• Antico Forno 
• Goodies Cuisine
• O'Steak 

Sets NT$799/ NT$899

• Timber
• Jian Yan Tang Teppanyaki
• Jamie's Italian Taiwan
• Yellow Lemon (NT$799)

Sets NT$799/NT$1099 

• L'Idiot 
• La Farfalla (Humble House) semi buffet
• Grace Restaurant (only dinner NT$1099)
• BeApe
• Da Antonio at 101
• Senn (only dinner NT$1099)

Sets NT$799/1299

• La Lupa Classic 
• Sonoma Grill Steak and Teppanyaki 
• Wine-derful 
• Trastevere 
• Que (amba Songshan) (only dinner NT$1299) 
• Jing Zi Teppanyaki 
• Moonlight Cantonese (Taipei Marriott) 
• Danieli (Westin Taipei) 
• Momoyama (Sheraton Hotel) (only dinner NT$1299) 

Sets NT$999/NT$1299

• Toscana (Sherwood Hotel)
• Mediterranean Steak House (Riviera Taipei Hotel)
• Monsieur L Restaurant
• Tian Hsiang Lo (Landis Hotel)
• GMT Gourmet Kitchen (Grand Mayfull Hotel) 
• Yen (W Hotel)
• TK Seafood and Steak  (Hotel Proverbs)
• Garden Kitchen (Taipei Marriott) Semi-buffet
• Prime One 
• Red Flower Teppanyaki 101
• nku
• Shintori Taipei 
• Danny and Company Bistro (Dazhi) 
• In Between
• L'origins by La Credenza 
• Danny's Whats Grill 
• Joseph Bistro (Indian)
• San Hua Japanese
• Xiang Se
• Ziga Zaga (Grand Hyatt)
• Bianco Taipei 
• The Chapter
• Brasserie Bon Recotte

Sets NT$999/NT$1599

• Fresh and Aged Italian Steak House (Semi Buffet)
• Lawrys
• Ben Teppanyaki (NT$899/1599)
• Shin Yeh 101
• Origines (NT$1599 dinner only) 

Lunch NT$1350 / Dinner NT$2399

• Orchid Restaurant
• Danny and Company
• Tairroir
• Top Cap by Danny
• Danny's Steakhouse

Dinner only NT$2399

• Paris 1930 (open for dinner only)
• Kinsui 

night market/taiwanese: i still strongly recommend SHILIN NIGHT MARKET 士林夜市

SHILIN NIGHT MARKET 士林夜市

MRT: Jiantan 

Glimpses from last weekend at Shilin night market. It was the first time I visited the relocated vendors since they had moved five years ago from the corner near the MRT Jiantan exit to a basement food court on Jihe Road. Anyone who has been to Shilin knows it's a sprawling, huge night market composed of many winding alleys, shops, street vendors and stands. So I guess it took me so long to check it out since there was plenty to eat from the street vendors outside.

But if you're looking for an air-conditioned place to sit down, you can check it out and don't wait as long as I did. Look for a brightly lit sign and some vendors on the first floor.

Once you go down the stairs, you emerge into a brightly lit, noisy, sensory overload aisle of oyster omelettes, stinky tofu and lots of people. Most of the vendors had signs filled with photos as well as an array of foods on display to point at. Each of the vendors have their own area to sit at, and I ended up just picking one that had an open table since they were all pretty crowded.

Multiple vendors making oyster omelettes by the dozen.

Sunrise Teppanyaki had a bevy of awards and customers.

Coffin bread stand served fat slices of bread stuffed with savory or sweet concoctions. I've actually never tried it before.  

Sweet and salty "da bing bao Xiao bing"

Stall number 20 is the one I ended up grabbing a table at. Bright clear sign, yellow tables and lots of choices. Staring down the menu, the owner handed me an English menu after hearing me speak English. 

English Menu and photos avail to point at and order from. Definitely order the pork braised rice, or the lu rou fan, and the ten bu la or fried fish cake. 

Front row seat to the chef's table 

The food comes out fairly quickly and the table full of food was NT$500. I would recommend everything except the fried tempura shrimp, it was the most expensive and our least favorite. 

Stinky tofu 

Braised pork rice or Lu rou fan-- I quite liked this. I always feel a tad indulgent eating Lu rou fan because it has a lot of pork fat and oil, but this was the right amount of sweetness and saltiness and cooked to an almost melt in your mouth consistency. I liked how it wasn't all fat, but had some ground pork mixed in too.

Our next favorite was the fried ten-bu-la fish cake. Slightly crispy on the outside and had a qq chewy consistency and slightly sweet. 

Be prepared to swim in the crowds on the weekends.

Taiwanese sausage in a sausage 

Famous Hot Star fried chicken g-pai. There was a stand here in the basement as well as outside and near the theater. Lines at all three vendors. 

This translation! 

Along Jihe Road are also a row of games for kids and kids at heart to play. There was one woman who was next to me who was shooting 10 balloons in a row, on the top spinning wheel. Bang, bang, bang, bang.. sharp shooter. 

This number toss game had the best prize-- Pikachu!

You can even find popular items from other countries, like Korean fried chicken, or the latest craze, the rolled up ice cream from Thailand. 

I always make my way to the street vendors on the other side of the night market, near the theater. I love the pan fried buns and the variety of food there. 

The Pokemon Go craze is real in Taiwan. Have you seen the video of the mob of people running in Beitou, reportedly to catch a Snorlax? 

Pepper bun

Shaved ice

I couldn't believe this shaved ice shop was closed!! It looked like it has been closed for awhile. Does anyone know if they relocated or just went on vacation? They are missing prime summertime customer dollar bills!

#exploretaipei/food court: i strongly recommend MAJI MAJI

MAJI MAJI 集食行樂

No. 1, Yumen St. 

玉門街1號

(02)2597-7112

MRT: Yuanshan 圓山

Hours: Mon~Fri 11:00~21:00, Sat/Sun 11:00~22:00

website: MAJI MAJI FB page 

visit reviewed: 5/15/2016 & 2/2015

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SPEND THE AFTERNOON IN TAIPEI, look no further than Maji Square. Located near the Yuanshan  (圓山) MRT and Taipei Flower Expo Park, Maji Square is a hidden away open food court, marketplace, restaurant square, courtyard of shops, performance space and expo space that constantly has rotating events. Opened in 2013, it's made  I think one of the first time I went to Maji Maji was for the Lantern Festival, with towering constructed lanterns to pose with and admire. The most recent time was a Food expo which we browsed before walking into the main food court area.

When you first walk in, you'll see Good Cho bagels and soft serve, Maji Food and Deli which is a gourmet market with artisanal local and imported products, frozen goods and deli section. Then there is a long row of food court seating and shops on the left hand side, with a surprisingly array of choices under NT$200- from Taiwanese soy tofu, beef noodle, to fish and chips, burgers, Indian food, Korean food, Thai food, pasta and even French crepes, which seemed like the newest shop that I hadn't seen before.  Tucked in the back is a handful of sit down restaurants for those craving steak or fish and chips, as well as kid friendly space Brickworks (part Lego store, part cafe) and a Merry Go Round.


(1) MAJI FOOD AND DELI MARKET

(2) MAJI MAJI's OUTDOOR FOOD COURT 

Need any "imformation?"

(3) CUTE HOUSEWARES AND LOCALLY DESIGNED GOODS

love these. might have to go back and pick some up.

(4) RESTAURANT SQUARE includes The Three Lions Inn (三隻獅子英國餐廳), Gaucho Grill, Butcher's Kitchen (肉舖廚房), Popeye's, with some outdoor seating, a small stage, a garden and a Merry Go Round. I've tried all of them through the years and if you're craving meat, try Gaucho Grill or Butcher's Kitchen, if you're craving fish and chips or salad, go to Three Lions. Will have to post more detailed posts of each soon. 

Just a peek at the photos from my last visit, as there's so much to explore and see and share. Who's been to Maji Square? Which food court shop is your favorite? Any tips to share?