10 Things To Do in Taipei

1. At the top of the list is the stinky tofu. You must try it, even if it's the first thing that greets you as you alight from the taxi. The smell is unmistakable, it stinks like no other. According to legend, this used to be a delicacy and was made from the poop of babies (sorry, I am just re-telling a story). As babies only drink milk and their poop is considered fresh, some weird person tried this and made this a delicacy. I don't know how much of this is fact or fiction, but I just tried it once and I'm done.




2. Go to a local Chinese restaurant and try the siao long pao. Try Din Tai Fung.
This is a famous restaurant, where both locals and tourists dine. The siao long pao is special because this dumpling has soup inside, and every dimsum is handmade. There is a "viewdeck" for customers to see how the dimsum is done- in exactly 18 strokes. I saw on Travel and Living how this was actually done, the soup is frozen before it is put inside the dough, then it is steamed. When you eat the dimsum, pick it up carefully from its wooden basket, sip some of the soup (like our balut), then shoot the entire thing in your mouth.




Order this along with some vegetable dimsum, hot sour soup, Taiwan pechay or vegetables, chow mien, and finally, some red bean paste for dessert.




3. Check out the night markets: Raohe, Shulin

You will find an odd assortment of goods, from clothes to accessories, live fishes to fresh fruits, a snake alley, bags, more shoes, DVDs, underwears, kung fu shoes, fruit shakes, berry-filled pancakes, The Face Shop, and many others. I really could not take this funky looking (and smelling) hodgepodge of internal organs for sale which are juxtaposed near the clothes.




4. Have you ever had oyster miswa? A must try.



This Ay-Chung branch in Ximenting area is very popular. Imagine this, it's mid-day, at 29 degrees Celsius, and its hot and humid, but people are lined up to buy this. They eat the miswa while standing up, and just pile the dirty dishes on a cart in front of the store.







5. Shop for shoes and clothes. Find that unique piece, the top that would surely be noticed. As for shoes, there's dime a dozen, from cheap ones to good quality finds.
Yes, you can haggle. There are also many accessories that are handmade, and unique, at least I have not seen them in Greenhills. The ladies selling these are dressed so well (in minis, usually), with 3 layers of false eyelashes on each eye, golden trinkets, multiple bracelets and high- heeled wedges. Their goods are in bulky luggage that they just fold up and carry when it is time to close shop, or when somebody forces them to leave their respective areas.




6. Guang-hua for electronics and cameras
They have recently constructed a 6-floor building similar to Sim Lim Square in SG. Gadget girls or not, you will find something for you. I am still pining for the digital photo frame that a year ago cost NT$5,000, and is now down to NT$3,800. I can wait another year.

7. Get your hair done here, color and digital perm would cost you NT$3,0000.
(see previous post)

8. Go to Taipei 101, it is after all, the tallest building in the world, at least for now. All the luxury brands are here- Tiffany's, LV, you name it, they have it. I love their Page One and L'Occitane shops. One day I'd buy my LV here (or wherever is cheaper).




This week Taiwan's Fashion Week is going to be held at the Taipei 101 square.
Not that I can get in, but that's the kind of place it is.

9. Have the pearl milk tea. If you don't like tea, but love frozen drinks, you will love this. Taiwan has good quality pearls that are so soft to the bite. At the night market, this would cost you $NT 30, while in the restaurant where I treated the girls, this cost NT$130 per glass.



10. Taste their guava. The best kind, especially with its special spices (a mixture of salt, sugar, and 3 more spices).

There you have it. Just make sure you know someone who can interpret for you, because they do not speak English, and can't even understand "water" when you ask for it. Coffee, the Taiwanese understand.