The Foods I Almost Forgot to Blog This Year

It is the last day of the year 2010! My two friends who encouraged me to blog before have already stopped blogging and I am also considering retiring my blog journal or probably just do a monthly journal with a new format, theme, and blog title. : )

So before we enter the new year, here are some of the good food in Taiwan that I almost forgot to blog or no time to blog...

Jolly Brewery + Thai Restaurant visited during my birthday:
Good thai food comparable to Thai Town flavor with nice selections of brewed craft beer. Their Thai shrimp cake sticks and chips are kids favorite. Very nice ambience and service as well. Recommended!



Xiao-Gao-Yu (小高玉) Sushi Express inside Nankang Software Park H Building where my wife is working:
This is my current favorite sushi express bar where the price is just right and the freshness is one of the best. A must-try is their grapefruit jello dessert. Yummy!


Small local restaurants (小館) near our house... we usually visit once-a-week for delicious local Taiwan food. My favorites are the 3-cups chicken, sizzling oysters with black beans and yuotiao, and fish-flavored spicy braised eggplant. They go very well with white rice. : )


Weng-Yao Stone Oven Chicken (甕窯雞) at Yilan... Experiencing Taiwan won't go complete without taking a hotspring in Jiaosi (Yilan). And along the way, you might want to try this old Taiwan tradition wood stone oven delicious chicken.


C'est Bon Steak (Chez Jimmy 法樂琪法式牛排館) in the newly open Uni-President Shopping Mall (統一阪急百貨) in Xinyi Shopping District near Taipei 101... Woodstone oven USDA prime steak and Boston clam chowder. We were craving for more!


Time for me to get ready for 2011 Taipei 101 fireworks countdown. Taiwan is celebrating its 100th birthday so everyone is hyped. Happy New Year to everyone! Hope I can bring more food and travel blog next year. : )

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Taipei Flora Expo (Xinsheng Park)

Last Friday, I was able to sample visit part of the Taipei International Flora Expo that runs from November 6 till April 25, 2011.



This huge flower expo encompasses four large connecting park areas at the heart of Taipei city (Yuanshan Park, Taipei Fine Arts Park, Xinsheng Park, and Dajia Riverside Park) with 14 pavilions and exhibition halls.



The city government provides free shuttle bus to the expo from designated MRT stations including Songshan Airport station (Taipei International airport) where we parked our car.


The weather was very lovely that day... almost clear skies.


Missing luggage... anyone?


All free shuttle buses passing by the Expo areas are marked with special Expo stickers... here comes the bus.


We drop off at Gate 4 (Xinsheng Park) where the Pavilion of Dreams is located and which I wanted to see most. I need to check first where I am.


Ticket prices are as follows... Taipei residents are entitled for 50% discount on designated dates which why me and wife are here. : )


General admission card... and I thought it was a one-day admission electronic card which I can use to exit and return on the same day. Turns out if you leave the exit gate, you will need to have your hand stamped with a red expo logo mark to show when you return on the same day. Hmmm...


We first went to see the flower base which was colorful but not very big.


Is that Willy?


Free Willy!!!


Moby Dick also?


Other photos taken inside the Xinsheng park...







I could not believe the long long lines to see the pavilions... it is longer than the queues at Disneyland. So visitors beware!


I was asking my wife if there is a Fastpass just like in Disneyland. I was a bit disappointed. My pavilion of dreams now became an oblivion of dreams. : (


Inside the park, we saw this very interesting art figure of a father and his very attentive children... how I wish my children were like this when I want to talk to them.


Not wanting to join the long lines to enter the pavilions because we had other plans in the afternoon, I was thrilled to see the Taiwanese Gourmet Delight area inside the park with 26 different food kiosks to choose. So let's forget about flowers. : )


Black Bridge sausages... our favorite!


I ordered the grilled pork sausages in stick...


Too bad my kids were in school... : )


Fried squid balls...


These are the most beautiful flowers I've seen inside the expo. They look so edible. : )


Delicious!


Traditional Taiwan mochi with red bean inside and covered with peanut powder and black sesame seeds...


Kungfu champion beef noodles (功夫蘭州拉麵)... also a long line. : |


Laughter (a joyful heart) is the best medicine...

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Well, I have to settle first for this Youtube video of the Pavilion of Dreams exhibit hall... I need to prepare well for my next visit and make sure to get in.


Hopefully, I still have time to do this blog journal because Facebook is slowly killing it. : )

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Blue Skies and Orange Sunset

I've been capturing some amazing blue skies and orange sunsets from our living room window overlooking Taipei 101.

Blue and White...


Blue, Orange, and Yellow...


Orange...


Oh! Knowing You Jesus... there is no greater thing.

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Jin-Tai Unbeatable Chirashizushi (金泰無敵蓋飯)

Can anyone beat this unbeatable chirashizushi (無敵蓋飯 or unbeatable sushi rice bowl) at Jin-Tai (金泰) Japanese restaurant?

Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司, lit. scattered sushi) is a bowl of sushi rice with other ingredients mixed in (also refers to barazushi). It is commonly eaten in Japan because it is filling, fast and easy to make. Chirashizushi most often varies regionally because it is eaten annually as a part of the Doll Festival, celebrated only during March in Japan. The ingredients are often chef's choice. Edomae chirashizushi (Edo-style scattered sushi) is an uncooked ingredient that is arranged artfully on top of the sushi rice in a bowl. Gomokuzushi (Kansai-style sushi) are cooked or uncooked ingredients mixed in the body of rice in a bowl. There is no right or wrong way to make your Chirashi. You simply place your favorite ingredients whether it is fish, shrimp or even egg.

Maybe you wonder how many people would go crazy to eat this level of raw sushi. You'd be surprised to see many people always lining up outside before Jin-Tai restaurant opens just to experience it. No reservation allowed! First come, first serve! : )


Well, we were early too! It's a long story really. My car was towed away that early morning for parking in a red line while I was walking my son across the main street to the school gate. The tow truck was very early that morning where they normally don't. Bad luck! My wife and I decided to take the day off from work and our little girl who is still in kindergarten joined the day-off to get my car. It so happened that the place where they towed my car is just near Jin-Tai. Is that a consolation? : )


The place is not very big and can sit around 60 people I think. You could see many pictures of their menu specialty. Jin-Tai was originally just a company selling fresh seafood but later open this restaurant when many people tried their chirashi and seafood dishes.



Our first order was this plate of sashimi... really fresh and good!


Free appetizers...


Delicious miso soup with large fish chunks and egg white... this comes free with the chirashizushi.


Grilled beef rib steak (烤牛小排) for our little girl... she's a meat lover! But I would not recommend ordering this. The grilled pork looks better. They also have many grilled seafood to order if you don't like eating raw.


Here comes our chirashi! This NT$600 chirashi bowl (無敵蓋飯) includes a large raw botan shrimp (botan ebi), salmon roes (ikura), flying fish roes (tobiko), sea urchin, raw salmon, raw tuna, raw bonito fish, raw scallops, raw shrimps, raw oysters, and last of all... raw egg yolk. All RAW!!!


My wife and I actually never had this kind of chirashi before and we were feeling a bit scared to dig in at first. We were just used to eating chirashi with raw salmon and tuna. I was asking for more wasabi. All the ingredients are very fresh but it was too raw for us. I would recommend sharing one bowl instead with your partner or friend. But if you are a raw-lover, this is a must try for you! I was craving for a hot beef noodle soup afterwards.


Jin-Tai restaurant is not accessible by bus or MRT so you will need to take a taxi and be early especially weekends.


金泰食品有限公司
Address：台北內湖區舊宗路二段121巷34號
Phone：02-87928164
Open Hours：Everyday except Monday 11:30AM-21:00PM (Weekends 11:00AM-21:00PM)


Chinese blogs with more wonderful photos:
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/aqei/24241446
http://sallysoup.pixnet.net/blog/post/26742562

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