Saturday, January 21, 2017

Day 4 - Lunch at 口福黑輪 ->Check out -> Travel to airport -> Dinner at Airport, Chef Teng -> Flight to Singapore

Back at bnb, we took lunch at 口福黑輪 which was just round the corner of airbnb. Beside it is a Korean eatery which also looks interesting too.


Surprisingly, the pig trotter beehoon was exceptionally tasty and sweet. At NT60, it was value for money in an air con eatery! Interior was very clean.

Aftr check out, We went to airport early to avoid the peak hour in KRT. Dinner was at Chef Teng at the airport. total cost : NT710.

Seaweed soup - very ordinary.

My daughter ordered the fish set. It turned out that there was very little meat but full of fish roe!

Pork Belly Set

Stew Beef

The set comes with rice and vegetable. Not too bad a meal. The airport is really small and there are not very eateries before or after immigration.
So this eatery was a good choice. the price is a steal for an airport restaurant.

After dinner, it was time to check in and then it was home sweet home. End of our short vacation.

Day 4 - Breakfast at 美紅豆漿 -> East Gate 旧城东门 -> South Gate -> Lotus Pond 蓮池潭風景區-> Dragon and Tiger Pagodas 龍虎塔 -> Spring and Autumn Pavillions 春秋閣 -> 文昌祠 ->North Gate

Breakfast was at 美紅豆漿, our third choice as the first two choices (宽来顺 & 来来were closed). We had to take a cab here. Cab fare was about 130NT.
The shop served two queues of customers so it was not a long wait.
Background showed the city of Kaohsiung enveloped in mist in the morning. It happens everyday.




I ordered to eat in but they thought I want to take away. Total cost about 160NT

蛋饼 - tasted ok.

Bao, not as good as Xing Long Ju 興隆居

The soya bean milk tasted normal without the strong bean taste of Xing Long Ju 興隆居

Vegetable biscuit - the skin was a bit dry.

韭菜包

Cabbage bao - their signature - tasted ok

Red bean bao - skin to thick and dry, filling was little.

After breakfast, we took UBER (costed NT80 only) back to bnb before venturing out to Lotus Pond. The cab went on a long way on the way here.
Wanted to visit East Gate 旧城东门 so from Zouying HSR, we took a cab since we did not know if there was any bus going there from exit 2 of the KRT.
Later realised that bus 301 will stop there before going to Lotus Pond and this bus has the shortest route.
East Gate 旧城东门 which was the longest gate.




Sparrow

Nearby, within walking distance was the south gate



From the south gate, took bus 301 at the nearest bus stop to entrance of Lotus Pond. It was 2 stops away.
The bear resembled the bear at Kumamoto.

Dragon Tiger Pagoda



Spring and Autumn Pavillions 春秋閣


Very elaborate design




Magpie



Confucius Temple Ground






Entrance to the Confucius Temple - only realised this after we were back. No wonder we could not locate the temple.

文昌祠

Then we walked to the North Gate, perspiring in the hot sub - it was supposed to be winter!





Enroute, passed by the shoushan, hill of monkeys!

Friday, January 20, 2017

Day 3 - Confucius Temple 臺灣孔廟 -> Great south Gate -> late lunch 铁台便当 -> Hanshin Arena 漢神巨蛋購物廣場 -> 阿崑家常菜料理

We were too full to try other recommended food so we skipped most of them and walked to Confucius Temple 臺灣孔廟
En route to Confucius Temple 臺灣孔廟


Enroute, historic landmark of Tainan - Hayashi Department Store 林百貨

葉石濤文學紀念館

Nearby the confucius Temple is the former Tainan Martial Arts Academy 台南武德殿 which now serves as a auditorium for elementary school - 忠義國小. It is the only school in Tainan without a fence.


Confucius Temple compound

Art Street opposite Confucius Temple

It was a pretty colourful street with many handicraft stalls





Narrow door cafe


Further down was the Great South Gate which was very well maintained and there was no entry fee!








Tainan Presbyterian Church - 台灣基督長老教會台南南門教會

Church in the school compound 臺南市建興國民中學 which is a Christian Church.

THSR Bus Stop outside Jian Xin Guo Zhong 臺南市建興國民中學 near Confucius Temple. Enroute, actually passed by the famous fruit shop and meat shop.

Late lunch was TRA 铁台便当 bought from Zuoying HSR Station. Costed NT100 each. I thought it was quite nice but hubby did not.




Then we visited Hanshin Arena 漢神巨蛋購物廣場 located within walking distance from airbnb. Beside it is the Kaoshiung Arena.



Dinner was at 阿崑家常菜料理 , very near to the airbnb. Only cash was accepted. Total cost: NT460.
It was a very popular eatery. We had to wait for 20-25mins before getting a table and have to share table with another family of three.

Menu

Home cooked or tze char taste - Not fantastic but edible.



Clams in soup , not really clam soup .

Day 3 - Chinkan Tower 赤崁樓 -> 神农老街 -> Lunch at 国华街三段, 永乐市场 -> 金得春捲 -> 富勝號 碗粿

After finishing the bean curb, we flagged down a cab to Tainan town centre's Chinkan Tower, famous landmark in Tainan. Cab Fare costed about NT165.
We took cab because the frequency of the bus was irregular and infrequent. Entry fee to the tower was NT50.
Fort Provintia 赤崁樓 or Providentia was a Dutch outpost on Formosa at a site now located in the West Central District of Tainan.
It was built in 1653 during the Dutch colonization of Taiwan

Statue of Dutch surrender to Koxinga forces.







From Chinkan tower, it was a short walk to 国华街三段, 永乐市场. Wow, it was very crowded with long queue at almost every shop.

Since we were not hungry, we decided to visit Shennong Steet, 神农老街 first. This is supposedly the oldest street in Tainan.



There are still people staying there and some of them are used as restaurants





Map at the end of Shennong Street.

Walking towards Wind Temple to take the 接官亭石坊.

接官亭石坊 Bell Tower at the top.


Back at 国华街三段, 永乐市场, Went to queue 金得春捲 highly recommended by many.
The street was less crowded by this time but the queue was still there. The queue moved quite fast.


金得春捲 NT30 for one.


Tasted ok.

Took lunch at 富勝號 碗粿 but need to queue for a while before we were seated.


Fish starch soup - not to our taste and definitely overrated. Was not tasty. The fish paste is hard. The soup was really like starch.

碗粿 - so so only - also overrated.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Day 3 - Travel to Tainan -> Breakfast at 王氏鱼皮店 -> 台南周氏蝦卷 -> 陈家蚵卷 -> 安平老街 -> 同記安平豆花

This morning's itinerary was a day trip to Tainan. We opted for HSR because the journey is only 12min with confirmed seats.
The normal TRA train does not guarantee a seat and the journey is 45 mins though Tainan TRA station is nearer to town.
From the HSR Tainan station, we took the free shuttle to town and then transferred to a cab to 王氏鱼皮店. The cab journey costed NT155.

Shop front of 王氏鱼皮店 and the meal was our breakfast. The shop was full of people, all tucking in to their fish soup.

Minced Pork(or pork lard) Rice - NT20

Ordered 1 plain rice, 1 pork rice, 1 fish soup and 1 fish skin (fish with skin on, not entirely just skin) soup. Hubby loved the fish soup. It was very sweet and fresh. Total cost was ~150NT, Although it was crowded, we got our orders after a short wait.

Order Area

The shop was situated near the river withChengtian bridge across it.

Anping Harbour National Historial Park with display of sword lions.



Next, we walked down Anping Road and bought prawn crackers from 东东虾饼。 The crackers is full of prawn flavour and will not go soft (probably due to chemical). This cracker tastes better than the no-oil machine made ones.

Next sampling stop was 台南周氏蝦卷- it was a modern shop that also sold many other items beside the signature prawn roll. NT60.

Menu - Almost every shop sells a wide range of food besides their specialty.

Sampled 1 plate of prawn rolls NT60 - so so only

Order Counter

Interior

安平老街

Further down was 陈家蚵卷

Counter

Looked similiar to prawn roll except the fillings were oysters NT55 - over rated!

安平老街 - Both sides are lined with many eateries and shops.




Old couple Statue


We did not visit the Fort - just took a picture from outside

Enroute to 同記安平豆花

Final Stop was 同記安平豆花 - they do not serve 豆花 with peanuts.


Shop Interior

Bean curb with red beans NT30 - hubby loved it,

Original plain one Nt30 - nothing spectular.

Menu