TAIPEI AGAIN (AMIDST A JIGSAW LIFE)

When our helper, Nana, told me she needed to return home to Indonesia for three weeks, I didn't panic.  Instead, I quickly arranged for my mother to be in a nursing home for the duration.  I then happily booked myself an air ticket to Taipei.  

Fri 18 Sep.  Eunice and I arrived in Taipei.  Went to eat at KaoChi 高记 for the first time in 10 years.  Sadly, the branch on Section 2 Xinyi Road did not serve 蟹壳黄, which I missed very much.  The restaurant manager confessed that her kitchen is too small to fit an oven.   I still enjoyed the 生煎包 (10 pieces for NT$250 is pretty inexpensive) and 葱油饼.  There is another KaoChi about 6 minutes' walk away.  I was just too hungry (and lazy) to venture further.

Sat 19 Sep.  Took Eu to Nanmen Market 南门市场.  We bought pork jerky from KuaiChe 快车肉干.  My favourite is the 梅酒炙燒肉乾 which is made by pre-soaking the meat in Choya Umeshu.  They were sold out and I had to pre-order!

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Shopping in Zhongxiao Dunhua District.  I was aiming for lunch at Shirakawago 合掌村 but (quite expectedly) got distracted by the end of season sales in Uniqlo Flagship, and Niko and ... stores.  By the time we were done, Shirakawago was closed.  We ended up having lunch in this Japanese restaurant.

壽司美登利.台北大安店

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Mon 21 Sep.  We loved the flaky croissants and coffee at Muhei Bakery 暮黑烘焙 so much, we came for breakfast TWICE.

Apple pie with bottarga.  Sweet and savoury.  I shall be savouring the memory of this pastry for a long time to come.

Today's coffee bean.

Eunice's almond croissant

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We ate two times at Dongmen Dumplings 東門餃子館.  The cozy restaurant occupies two floors and looks to be newly renovated.  There's even a small koi pond at the entrance.  In the evenings, when the wait gets too long, the restaurant manager comes over with a bag of fish food for restless children.  I had anticipated VAT/GST or some kind of service fee added to the bill but there was none.

pork potstickers 猪肉锅贴 NT$210

chives & pork boiled dumplings 韭菜鲜肉水饺 NT$110

shrimp & pork steamed dumplings 鲜虾蒸饺 NT$240

sour & spicy soup 酸辣汤

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Dihua Street 迪化街.  Eu said she wasn't interested in buying iconic Taiwanese Gaji tote 茄芷袋 but she couldn't resist buying just a few in the end.  She was looking forward to having a strawberry daifuku but I told her 'tis isn't the season.  

Then, guess what she discovered at the end of our walk on Dihua Street?!

I wasn't counting on having seafood noodles on Dihua Street.  Was just walking passed but got completely bowed over by just a whiff of the scallion oil.  Yelled at Eu (who had already walked ahead) to stop.  "I want to eat these noodles!"

Yuan Qing Oyster 源庆鲜蚵 

I'm having 小卷面 NT$110

Eu is having 海鲜米粉 NT$190.  I have to say the oysters look really plump and succulent.

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Local breakfast @ 永和豆浆大王.  There are a number of shops in Taipei with the same name.  We were in the one on Section 2 Fuxing South Road, near the Da'an MRT Station.

烧饼油条 NT$40

肉松夹蛋饼 NT$40

萝卜糕 NT$20

温豆浆 NT$25

Zhongshan MRT Station vicinity.  The weather was sunny and extremely hot!  I bought a messenger bag from RITE on Chifeng Street.

For lunch, Google led us to this tiny Japanese restaurant that offers 12 seats.  It has a review rating of 4.8.

Yoshikawa Seafood Don 吉川海鮮丼专门店.中山店

Small Blessing Bowl 小吉丼 NT$310

(7 pieces of sashimi, 1 piece squid, 1 angle prawn)

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‘Twas 8:30AM on a Wednesday.  The queue at Qingdao Soy Milk 青岛豆浆店 was extremely short this time, with only about 8 customers ahead of me.  (The last time I was here, the wait was one hour!)

Having our 2nd breakfast of the day and Eu is buying, YAY!  We're back in Muhei Bakery.  Today I'm having cinnamon roll, paired with a fruity Americano.

Today I chose coffee bean No. 2.  I have no knowledge nor interest the species or the roast of coffee beans.  I just know that this one is the best coffees I've had in ages.

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Of course, no trip to Taiwan is complete until we eat a pork pie or 饼 of some kind.

福州世祖胡椒饼 bib gourmand from 饶河夜市

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Wed 23 Sep.  Ended our trip with McD's at Taoyuan Airport.  Hahaha!

Arrived back home at around 11PM.  Said "hi" to my neighbour yesterday afternoon. Mentioned to her my "busy" schedule.  

7 Sep - sent Mum to the nursing home
8 Sep - sent the maid off to the airport
18 Sep - went on holiday
23 Sep - I came home
24 Sep - had the whole apartment cleaned
25 Sep - Mum comes home
26 Sep - the maid comes home

"Your life is just like a jigsaw!" said my neighbour. "Everything just comes into place."

It was three weeks well spent, I decided.  Everyone got their own Me Time.  

My mum was looked after, and very happy.  "The staff at the nursing home treated me like a queen!"

Nana got to settle her divorce matters and spent quality time with her own parents and children.

I travelled without having to worry about things at home and having to call home every evening.

So, yes, everything just fit into place. :)