Visiting Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taitung in Taiwan

While I’m focusing on my family getting back to our daily routine and recovering from jet lag, I put together highlights of our recent trip To Taiwan from my Instagram between unpacking and several loads of laundry. Hope you enjoy!

Leaving for Taiwan

1) The morning of our trip. After many trips back home, I usually need 2-3 hours to pack for my family.
2) San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
3) Four suitcases total, checking in two.

Taipei, Taiwan (North of Taiwan 台北)

1) Taipei 101, the 2nd tallest building in the world.
2) The amazing view from the 89th floor.
3) Taipei 101 from the ground level.
4) National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
5) Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and my daughter.
6) Busy street at night near Regent Hotel.
7) Subway ticketing machine.
8) Taking subways is fun – reminds me of my life back in Japan.
9) Lots of motorcycles on the street.

1) The view of Taipei 101 from our room at Regent Hotel.
2) View of Taipei 101 at night.
3) Japanese flavor macarons from Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris: yuzu, hojicha, matcha, (strawberry for my daughter,) genmaicha, (blueberry for my son).
4) A friend took us to the best Peking Duck restaurant in Taipei (龍都酒樓).
5) We loved their thin wraps instead of buns!
6) Ippudo, one of the popular ramen shops from Japan (with locations in NYC, SG, HK, South Korea, Sydney, Taipei), happens to be close to our hotel.
7) Shiromaru – original ramen .
8) Akamaru – modern ramen (I prefer this over Shiromaru)
9) Pork belly bun.

Train Trip to Taitung, Taiwan (East of Taiwan 台東)

1) Taking a train to Taitung (East of Taiwan).
2) Traditional bento box on a train with pork chop, seasoned egg, veggies, and rice.
3) Surrounded by the rice field.
4) Peaceful view near the resort.
5) Papago Resort, where we stayed.
6) Our spacious villa with a private pool.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Southwest of Taiwan 高雄)

1) Our first meal, Tonkatsu at Shinjuku Saboten.
2) Traditional breakfast stand.
3) 2 egg pancakes and 6 pot stickers with garlic sauce for $3!
4) Dan Zai noodles, pork ball soup, and pig feet.
5) Black chicken soup (skin and bone are black).
6) 7 ingredients soup including shark fin and frog ovary.

1) Sweet rice with crab – my favorite dish at the wedding reception.
2) Another day with crab.
3) And more crab!!
4) Mullet soft roe – not really my favorite.
5) Braised pork belly with bittermelon.
6) Traditional Taiwanese stew dish.
7) Famous Chou’s Shrimp Roll from Tainan.
8) Fish and fish ball soup.
9) Deep fried stinky tofu – I love this particular restaurant where they serve special sauce over the tofu.

1) A Taiwanese wedding reception. It reminded me of my wedding in Taiwan 7 years ago with 500 guests (which I don’t know most of them).
2) One of the most beautiful subway stations I’ve seen, in Kaohsiung.
3) Visiting a temple with Ama (“grandma” in Taiwanese).
4) Kids praying for education.
5) Taiwanese opera on the street at the temple.
6) Playing at a park. Besides that, we went swimming almost everyday.
7) VIP room at cinema – my husband and I watched Skyfall and Breaking Dawn Part II.
8) My most favorite thing to do in Taiwan: foot and whole body massage (went 3 times!).
9) Going home, at Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei.

If you are interested in other Taiwan posts, check out 5 Things to Eat at Taiwan Night Market (Travel Vlog).

Last but not least, I want to thank my friend Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover for sending me beautiful wooden plates and bowls. On her recent trip to Bali, she remembered that I have hard time finding wooden products here in the US so she bought some for me and shipped these along with other kitchen gadgets to my in-laws in Taiwan from Malaysia. Thank you so much Sonia!

If you haven’t seen her blog Nasi Lemak Lover, I hope you stop by. She has a wide-ranging collection of Asian and baked goods recipes from her kitchen in Malaysia.