I'm back to continue my travel blog about my trip to Kaohsiung.

I last updated my travel post in Sept, thanks for staying with me. :)

So, some of you have asked why I choose Kaohsiung for this trip.

Well, one of the main reasons for my choice was to experience life in a smaller city and find relaxation, as big cities tend to feel somewhat stressful to me.

Additionally, I also found out that Kaohsiung is conveniently close to Tainan, just less than one-hour ride on a high-speed train, this allowed me to explore two places in one trip, which sounded like a great idea. #hehe

Besides, Kaohsiung is also Taiwan's second largest city, boasts a rich history as a port city, influenced by various foreign cultures such as the Dutch, Japanese and Chinese, which have a lasting impact on its culture and development over the years.

Hey guys! How's everyone doing?

We're almost at the end of September, and it's hard to believe that we only have 3 months left before we say goodbye to 2023.

Looking back on this year, I feel really lucky because I got to travel to few different countries and see the world with my own eyes.

If you follow me on Instagram @mizhippo, you probably noticed that I just came back from Taiwan.

This time, I decided to explore Kaohsiung and Tainan instead of Taipei, as I've been to Taipei before, and I wanted to see a different side of Taiwan.

I remember my first trip to Taiwan was approximately 13 years ago when I went there to attend some short courses, and then my most recent visit was 5 years ago when I traveled my university friends.

Taiwan is convenient for me to explore on my own because we speak the same language, the transportation system also makes it easy to get around, and I've always loved of Taiwanese cuisine, which is another plus for me. :)

Also, the people in Taiwan are indeed very friendly and helpful; I remember one instance when we were storing our luggage at the Kaohsiung MRT station, and a Taiwanese girl approached us and asked if there was anything she could do to help.

Honestly, it was really such a friendly and heartwarming gesture for us!

Speaking of the weather during our visit to Kaohsiung, we were lucky to have arrived a few days after the typhoon season in Taiwan had passed.

However, the weather during this trip was rather unpredictable, where we experienced 3 days of continuous rain and 2 extremely hot and sunny days, indeed it wasn't the most ideal weather for traveling. 

This time, I had the pleasure of traveling with my good friend, Venny, and it marked our very first adventure together during the 6-days 5-nights trip to Kaohsiung and Tainan.

Well, despite the unpredictable weather, we had a blast; enjoying each other's company, sharing hearty laughs, capturing numerous photos and videos to remember our adventures, and savoring the mouthwatering local food.

I love Yilan City in Taiwan.
This is my first time being there, and I will definitely want to come back again.
I think Lik and my parents would enjoy Yilan City like I do. :)

Yilan is such a peaceful gateaway place to visit, especially after the busy itineraries and big crowds in Taipei city.

It's more like a small vital town, where you can get a feel of countryside with natural landscape and greenish picturesque. 

I think this city is best to sit back to relax, take a good time to walk around beautiful places, and also enjoy the local delights that only available in Yilan.
Some of my friends have seen the pictures I posted on my social medias, and they all got impatient sending me messages and asking me about this place.
So, my travel diary in Yilan City is finally here! :)

After dragging for almost a month, I'm finally back with another post in Taipei.
Writing travel posts is not easy, not to mention how much time I spent on editing the photos, also writing the travel content can be challenging too.
It's really energy draining! #refreshingmemories
Anyway, welcome back to today's topic of visiting the Ximending in Taipei.

We were lucky to have met Tao Zi 桃子 while we shopped.
She is a very passionate and patient girl who can talk and share which bags best suit to your needs and styles.
Also, she has very good taste in picking the right bag to match your characteristics and outfit styles.
Each of us purchases at least 5 different types of handbags from her.
If you happen to stumble upon Vi Lage and met Tao Zi, try to get special discount by mentioning my name or my blog.
You probably can get some discounts from the pretty Tao Zi. :)





Before I went to Taipei, my mum mentioned about the made in Taiwan shoes.
She said her friends told her about the good quality shoes in Taiwan, and also the prices are not very pricey.
We went to the same shop that Stella visited a few months ago.
Stella said I must bring at least 1 - 2 pairs home because she said I won't be able to get those comfortable shoes at such prices in KL.
I bought total 4 pairs and have been wearing them for a few months.
They are so comfortable to walk in, even a day full of running errands.
I spent average TWD390, about RM55 (due to our current poor exchange rate) on a pair of shoes..



Mr Chow is the owner of the shop.
A very friendly guy who recommended us which shoes are worth to buy and gave us the best price of it.
Shoe lovers! You will not want to miss this out from your trip!





Well, if you asked me about the clothing stores in Taipei,
I find the clothes in Taiwan are quite expensive, and also the choices are not as fun as in Korea and Hong Kong.
Both Korea and Hong Kong are always my favourite shopping places.
However, I stumble upon a shop named, Sassy which seems like a franchise shop in Taipei.
There are at least 2 outlets in Ximending, and 1 outlet in Shilin Market (this picture is taken in Shilin Market).
This boutique has quite a lot of nice clothing and most of them are in affordable prices.
For example, I purchased one set of outfit includes one top and one bottom at TWD350, about RM50 with great quality and design.
I think it's pretty worth it. :)





Now, let's move on to the food hunting in Ximending.





Stella wanted to try the braised foodstuff from Lao Tien Lu, Lu Wei 老天禄卤味 since her last trip in Taipei.
She couldn't get it at that time because she said there was always long queue and so many people were in the shop all time.
So, no matter how, she must give a go this time. #lol



I can't remember what we got from the shop, but all of them are seriously good!
Go taste it if you are in Ximending, then you will understand how satisfying we are on this picture. #haha


Lao Tien Lu, Lu Wei 老天禄卤味
Add: 55, Section 2, Wuchang St, Wanhua District Taiwan Wanhua, Ximending
台北市武昌街二段55号
Tel: +886 2 23615588
Opening hours: 930 - 11pm





We didn't plan for what to eat in Ximending.
Mei Guan Yuan 美观园 is one of the recommendations from the locals we met at the accessories shop.
It's an old fashion Taiwanese style Japanese restaurant which started business since 1946.
The food wise are not super fancy, but the quality and taste were surprisingly great, and also they are very reasonably priced.





I can't remember the exact name of the dishes.
This is a set of Teriyaki bacon, which comes with some vegetables, Chawanmushi (egg custard) and a scallop salads.
Each slice of bacon are really super satisfying!





Kay had her all time favourite, Japanese cold soba.
Happy girl is happy with her meal. :)



The fresh and thick salmon sashimi that we had.



The crispy fried pork chops at here.
 



I believe there must be a reason why Mei Guan Yuan has survived for over 70 years.
We enjoyed our food here, and definitely not come as a surprise to us why Mei Guan Yuan has thrived for so long.
Apparently, there are 2 Mei Guan Yuan on the same street.
So, make sure you go to the right one, otherwise you might feel utterly disappointing.


Mei Guan Yuan 美观园 
Add: 36, Emei St, Wanhua Dist, Taipei City 10844, Taiwan (same street as Ah Zhong Mee Sua)
台北市万华区峨嵋街36號
Tel: +886 2 23317000
Opening hours: 11am - 9pm daily (close on the 2nd & 4th week of each month)







Recently, Taiwanese-style Castella Cake becomes so popular in KL.
Since it is originated from Taiwan, we gave it a try.
The queue was so long in the middle of the Ximending shopping area, we waited like 10-15 minutes for that.
Sadly, we don't really like it; maybe I'm not a big fans of sponge cake, so you may get your own prejudices and have a taste of it while you are here.





I remembered the first Taiwanese Mee Sua I had was at the Ah Zhong Mee Sua 阿宗面线.
The stall remains the same like in 10 years back; with a long line of people queuing up, no tables, no chairs, only people standing by holding a big bowl of mee sua.
I've heard a lot about Ah Zhong Mee Sua in recent years; saying the place is overrated tourist attraction and the taste is not as good as before.
Since I was there, I just gave a try no matter how full I was. :)
I find the taste is just as good as I expected it to be, and I still think this is one of the best mee sua that I had so far.
Oh btw, I love my mee sua with some vinegar, chili oil and garlic. #真的有好吃到啦！
Next time, I will go again when I'm in Ximending.


Ah Zhong Mee Sua 阿宗面线
Add: No 8-1, Emei Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
台北市万华区峨嵋街8-1号
Tel: +886 2 2388 8808Opening hours: 9am - 1030pm (Mon - Thurs), 9am - 11pm (Fri - Sun)



Thanks for all the good memories in Ximending. #hugs



That's all I want to share for this post.
I hope you enjoyed this post, because I spent my whole afternoon on writing it. #hehe
Also, hope that you will find some useful information that you can tag along on your Taipei trip.
I will see you on my next post soon. :)