Taiwan Summer Drinks

I hate summer because it is really hot and humid here in Taiwan. Good thing Taiwan is a tea haven with so many tea drinks and stores. I am not even including all the 7-11 stores here. If you have been to Taiwan years ago, you probably would still remember the popular bubble tea store - Quickly (快可立). Now I don't think you will see Quickly in Taiwan except probably in other countries like Japan or in Wikipedia (bubble tea). : )


There are now a lot of new and innovative tea drink chain stores in Taiwan. You would even see 3 or 4 of them just across the street or just a few steps away. You wonder how they all compete without differentiating their drink products from each other. You cannot just sell bubble tea nowadays to survive business. Like what Clint Eastwood used to say in his movie the Heartbreak Ridge, "You adapt, you improvise, you overcome." : )

So here are my current top 4 drink chain stores in Taipei or those which I come across daily...



50Lan (50嵐)... I think they still have the best bubble pearl milk tea of the chain store list here. However during the summer, the cool drink I prefer is fruit green tea drink like this "grapefruit green tea" (葡萄柚綠茶) cooler! You can also try their yakult green tea.


Orange Tea (健康橘子工坊)... this store's specialty is their passion fruit QQ green tea (鮮百香果QQ綠茶) with passion fruit seeds, bubble pearl and coconut gelatin strips! Refreshingly good! They really improvised! : )


Ching-Shin (清心福全) - all natural tea. Here is where I normally buy my cool honey green tea (蜂蜜綠茶) drink. I noticed Taiwanese guys prefer this store for pure green tea drinks.


And finally... Herbaceorus Collection (草本茶集)! "50 years specialty strictly choosing the natural flowers and plants source material" - that is what is printed on their store and drink sealed plastic cover. My favorite drink here is their fresh grapefruit green tea (葡萄柚綠茶) with real grapefruit. My favorite drink so far! BTW, their English name should be "Herbaceous Collection". It is a tough spelling to remember really. : )


Taiwan street food and Taiwan tea drink... perfect company! : )


Don't eat Taiwan street food without drinking any Taiwan green tea... it really helps reduce the cholesterol. : )


Read this 10 great health benefits of drinking green tea.

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Hello Kitty Sweets

Yesterday we all took a day off from work and school to register our son John at our nearby elementary grade school. John will finally graduate kindergarten this month and will start grade school in September. Our little girl Lydia will also move to a nearby English nursery school called CKids!

We then went to ride the new Neihu MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) line at Donghu station and went to Hello Kitty Sweets near SOGO to give Lydia an advanced happy birthday surprise treat. : )


Hello Kitty Sweets is a themed diner/restaurant with lots of Hello Kitty deco everywhere and most specially Hello Kitty cakes, desserts, drinks, and even hamburger. And naturally, most of the customers here are girls, ladies, and mothers. : )



My 4 year old birthday girl and her very first Hello Kitty birthday cake...


Hello Kitty counter... where you pay your bill. : )


Hello Kitty pink sofa seating in first floor (need reservation)...


Hello Kitty table, napkin, and placemat...


and on the walls...


Hello Kitty menu...


Unlike what I read from one bad review, I find their food actually good especially if you want to compare it with food restaurants in amusement theme parks. The price for one set meal is just a little above average which is acceptable to me. For kids over 90cm, there is a minimum of NT$300 that you need to order. So we ordered three set meals with drinks and one birthday cake for our little girl.

For our kids, spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce... with egg on top!


I ordered this seafood spaghetti in squid ink sauce... with crab meat, shrimp, squid, and mussel. Yummy!


My wife tried this spaghetti in cream sauce with bacon...


My drink which I shared with my kids... Hello Kitty chocolate chip shake! : )


with pink Hello Kitty chocolate on top...


Coffee Latte with Hello Kitty art...


After we finished our lunch meals, the staff started to play the birthday song (Hello Kitty version) and presented our daughter with this Hello Kitty chocolate mousse cake... Happy Birthday Mei-Mei (little sister)!


This cake is really cute... you just want to look at it! : )


Poor Hello Kitty...


Kawaii and Oishii!...


John tries to give a birthday kiss to little sister Lydia...


Hello Kitty Sweets
90, Da-an Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市大安路一段90號)
Telephone: (02) 2711-1132
Open: 11:30am to 10pm
Average meal: NT$330 for dessert sets; NT$350 to NT$500 for entrees; NT$300 minimum per person

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Ming Jih Vietnam Restaurant (銘記越南美食)

This week my wife introduced me to this authentic Vietnamese restaurant in nearby Shi-Jr called Ming Jih Vietnam Restaurant (銘記越南美食).


Long time no "Pho" for me... just perfect for this summer! : )


I can say I have never been to a Vietnamese resto in Taiwan that you feel you are actually in Vietnam complete with mannequin in Vietnamese dress (ao dai), deco, music, and even large screen video travel documentary. : )

Here's a review from Taipei Times on Ming Jeh.




Lovely Vietnamese girls at the back of John... Ye-Nan Mei-Ni (越南美女)! : )


Throughout all regions of Vietnam, the emphasis is always on serving fresh vegetables and fresh herbs as essential side dishes along with dipping sauce.

We went to Ming Jeh twice this week so we can try most of their menus. For starters, we ordered their tasty shrimp fried spring roll (Cha giò)...


This is really a must order...


Papaya salad with shrimp... you must not compare it with Thai salad if you want this salad to be more spicy because they're not, Vietnamese flavor are more sourly sweet rather than spicy.


My wife's favorite as well as mine... Steamed Meat Rolled Cake (Bánh cuon).


My son requested this grilled pork... Vietnamese-style!


Meatballs soup... slurp!


Another must-try... Bánh xèo! Vietnamese crepe-type pancakes made out of rice flour, water and turmeric powder or coconut milk stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts and is pan fried.




They are served wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves, and stuffed with mint leaves, basil, fish leaf and/or other herbs, and dipped in nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce thinned with water and lemon).


Ordering a pho noodle soup is a must here... : )


Delicously smooth and yummy...


You might also want to try this popular Vietnamese coffee drink... "ca phe sua dá". Or in Filipino (Tagalog), we say "ka-pe". : )



For dessert... Chè! It was full of ice cubes. : )


Finally, the surprise menu of this blog... incubated duck's egg! Or in the Philippines, we call it "Balut"! Good for men! : )


I can't remember when was the last time I ate "balut" so I really wanted to taste the Vietnamese version (hot vit lon). My kids were super curious if there is a baby duck inside and my little girl was crying and stopping me from eating it. : (


And in just one split second... the Philippines way of eating it is not to use the spoon but by merely adding a dash of salt and swallowing all of it into your mouth. You then might want to spit out the white hard part of the egg.


See Anthony Bourdain try it... hahaha!


What is a Vietnamese resto without a free candy... : )


銘記越南美食 (Ming Jih Vietnam Restaurant)
電話：2692-7015
地址：台北縣汐止市康寧街536-1號
營業時間：11:00~21:00

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Point of Difference (Hillsong United)

My son's current favorite Hillsong United music in my car - from the album "All of the Above (2007)". He would usually play this first song whenever he hops into my car... gives us the thrill and energy! A good song to turn on when I am rushing to pick up my kids from school or just simply doing youth worship inside the car with my hyperkids! : )

Let Your Love become us
As we live to make You famous
We're in this world but we are different...

Father open the skies
Flood the Earth with Your Life
This is Love to break a world indifferent.

The tide is turning
This is redemption's hour
In the midst of the world lost for love
You are all we have now

The lost returning
Salvation is all around
In the midst of the world broken down
You are all we have now

For You are God and this hope is ours

So Father open the skies
Flood the Earth with your light
This is love, to break a world indifferent

Sing

Our hearts are burning
The fire that won't burn out
In the midst of a world that's grown cold
You are all we have now

The earth resounding
The anthem of your renown
As we lift up our eyes
And look to your glory

Call us out let the world see
You are God and this hope is ours

So call us out, let the world see
You are God as we sing

Open the skies
Flood the Earth with your light
This is love to break a world indifferent
As we lift up our eyes
Fill our hearts with your fire
In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference

So call us out let the world see
You are God and this hope is ours

Our eyes are open
Every chain now broken
In this world we are different
Let your love become us
As we live to make you famous
We're in this world but we are different

So call us out, let the world see
You are God as we sing

Father open the skies
Flood the Earth with your life
This is love to break a world indifferent
As we lift up our eyes
Fill our hearts with your fire
In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference

So call us out let the world see
You are God one and only
In this world you are all we have now

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Brunch at Messe Bistro

Finally got a chance to take my family for brunch at Messe Bistro in Nangang Exhibit Hall after we took our kids to visit their soon-to-be new nursery and English learning center. Messe Bistro specializes in serving German cuisine and Warsteiner beer.

The Taipei Pack 2009 Exhibition just ended yesterday so there was not much people at the exhibit hall. We were surprised that we were the only customer at Messe when we arrived so we were treated as guest very well! Thank you Messe staff for the great service! : )

We ordered the Classic Brunch for Two that includes cold cuts, fine cheese, fried or scrambled eggs, hash browns, side salad, baked tomatoes, and Nürnberger sausages (bratwurst)... all in one big plate!


The Classic Brunch comes with complimentary orange juice and refillable coffee and tea. They also served you with lemon water. They also provide newspapers in English and Chinese plus wall television. You can see the same headlines all over the world...


You can watch the business news and sports news on the wall...


You can take as much of their assorted German breads as you would like including their different flavorful spread... they also served you with toasts.


Their bread and spread combination was a delight...


I like the baked tomatoes... really fresh tomatoes!


You will love their big cup of coffee... still refillable if you want more.


Our kids love the eggs, sausages, and hash browns!


My Pretty Young Things (PYT) having fun outside the hall...


MESSE BISTRO
台北市南港區經貿二路1號 (Nangang Exhibition Hall)
02-27867800


Check their photo gallery here.

Again, thanks Michael...

I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin' (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin' Care
And I'll Take You There

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Clinging to the Cross

It is a sad week for me... I don't know how to put it in words. Two of my close brothers in church (different families) had their sisters passed away due to cancer. Today, I just learned that the father of my dear classmate in college also passed away yesterday on the same day of her birthday.

This morning while driving to office after sending my kids to school, I listened to the song 'Clinging to The Cross'... letting go of all earthly things and simply to the cross I cling.

My soul is weak
My heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope is found in You
I’ll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go of all earthly things...

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Uokin (築地魚金) & Father's Day

Father's Day today around the world except Taiwan... nevertheless, my family treated me after church late afternoon at Miramar mall for this nice sushi set (銀座壽司 NT$300) at Uokin (魚金). Well, we supposedly went to Miramar for some Cold Stone ice cream but we were shocked to see many people lining up. Photos taken using my Nokia phone.



I love their paper placemat...


I say their miso soup is the best miso soup I've tasted... the miso flavor is lighter. : )


Fresh and yummy... my sushi fever is back!


To my two dear hyper kids, it is really tiring to raise both of you... but it is also rewarding. (Read my letter again last year). You can't eat sushi so have a Dunkin' Donuts instead! : )


To my son, thanks for giving me a good foot massage for just NT$20. Keep it up!


To my little girl, you really need to eat more unless you want to be a skinny model when you grow up...


Uokin also sells fresh seafood imported from Japan including sushi to go...




My kids are asking me if it is real... : )

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Chia-Chia Sizzling Steak (佳佳牛排)

The first time I came to Taiwan many years ago, I remember my uncle took me to XiMenDing (西門町) streets to treat me with those very affordable beef steaks served in sizzling plate with pasta and egg on the side. The first time I saw the sizzling steak, I really couldn't eat it. It was not the kind of steak I was expecting to be treated first time in Taiwan. I was so amazed back then on how my uncle was really enjoying his steak (and later mine). Those were my early days in Taiwan still not adjusted to the local street foods. : P


The first time I think I started eating Taiwan steaks in sizzling plate is at "My Home Steak (我家牛排)" where they also provide many "better looking" steak choices all served in sizzling plate. The price is just around NT$200 and comes with all-you-can-eat salad bar, bread, drinks, and desserts. Another popular affordable steak in sizzling plate is "Noble Family Steak House (貴族牛排)".

One sizzling steak house (for only NT$200) near our house is Chia-Chia Steak House (佳佳牛排)...




US Imported Beef...


There are many steak choices for you to choose... my wife and I both tried first their NT$200 beef steak.


Mine with mushroom sauce... underneath the steak are pasta twirls (fusilli) with egg.


My wife's steak with black pepper sauce...


Aside from your steak in a sizzling plate, you also can enjoy their self-serve salad bar with soup, spaghetti, ice cream, drinks, bread, and even shrimp chips... all-you-can-eat and eat-all-you-can! : )




Kids will surely love the self-serve corn soup, spaghetti, bread with butter, and shrimp chips...



My now Little Count Dracula... ready to enjoy his soup and pasta.


They usually offer A1 or Worcestershire steak sauce...


Cooked medium-rare... just right!


Finally, some self-serve fruits...


For just NT$200, this steak house has become very popular for nearby residence customers to take their whole family to enjoy some good sizzling steak together. You can also take your date here next time. : )


佳佳牛排
台北市內湖區東湖路119巷30號
(02) 2631-2436

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Showgirls & Messe Bistro

Last two weeks, my friend Jepoy and I went to see Computex Taipei (Asia's largest computer exhibition) at the new Nangang Exhibition Hall. Thanks to my wife for getting me two free tickets.



I feel pity for the products exhibited because most of the crowd and photographers are actually more focused on the many showgirls dancing or just making cute poses.


Jepoy and I still haven't had lunch when we met afternoon so we went looking for some decent food aside from the ordinary exhibition hall fastfood and restaurants... outside the hall we saw this chic restaurant called Messe Bistro (Michael Tu).


Nice interior deco... the place was really full during the exhibition show.



Jepoy ordered this Roasted Chicken Leg in tomato sauce with vegetables and fries...


While I ordered this Roast Beef with mashed potato and sauerkraut... Jepoy said it is somewhat similar to IKEA's but this one is real good including the mashed potato and sauerkraut.


Since the Nangang Exhibition hall is just a few minutes drive from our house, maybe I'll visit Messe Bistro again with my family and maybe also try their brunch menu. : )

MESSE BISTRO
台北市南港區經貿二路1號 (Nangang Exhibition Hall)
02-27867800

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West Well Lu-Wei (西井村蜂蜜滷味)

My office mates ordered one of Taiwan's favorite local cold delicacies - "lu-wei (滷味)" or stewed food. 'Lu-Wei' (滷味) is made by simmering different kinds of food and vegetables particularly fowl parts (almost every outside and inside parts) in seasoned soy sauce with Chinese medicine and served hot or cold. I want to blog here the cold chicken and duck lu-wei which I normally would not dare to eat because of the way they look.



My officemate was able to convince me when I checked out "West Well Cuisine" website. It is based in Tainan (Southern Taiwan) selling all kinds of lu-wei cold food. I wanted to give it a try so I ordered two packs of their chicken and duck wings and also their pork knuckles.


Duck's wing (鴨翅).... dare to eat it!


I was thinking twice after I served them on the plate with the chicken wings... : )


Finally I took a bite like a hungry dog on this cold poor simmered duck's wing... leaving only its bone on the plate, hehe. I finally discovered why Taiwanese love duck lu-wei very much.


The duck wing taste very delicious and better than the chicken wing (the chicken wing tasted similar like a cold chicken adobo). The skin and meat of the duck's wing is more firmer and dry so you will really enjoy grinding or pulling the meat with your teeth. It is really finger-licking good! I will surely order the duck wings again next time. : )

Click here to see this Chinese blog for more "Fear Factor" looking duck lu-wei... the last two photos you'll see are duck's tongue and head.

Here's a video of popular Aloha lu-wei...

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