Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Saturday, December 26, 2015


Am I the only one who thinks the latest Star Wars sequel, The Force Awakens was not as good as I hoped for? Not that I have any expectation nor claim myself to be a Star Wars fan, the start to end of the film seemed so...familiar.



Victor Frankenstein

Sunday, November 29, 2015

November is one of those boring months to catch a movie in the cinema. One glance at the movie listings & all you see is horror & spooks genre, a spillover from October. Perhaps Victor Frankenstein was deemed timely & appropriate to ride along the Halloween theme. With James McAvoy & Daniel Radcliffe heading the movie, I assumed it shouldn't be any worse.




The Porki Society @ Sea Park, PJ

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Tucked in between a row of shops; just a few units after KFC at Sea Park, PJ is a modern cafe-style restaurant called The Porky Society. One glance at the store will leave you to assume as another hipster cafe frequently visited by youngsters nowadays. But take a closer look, the little twist comes in a form of a Thai food eatery.

There are not much to offer in the menu but it does make it easier for us to choose. We ordered a bowl of soup noodles to share before starting our "eating frenzy". The portion turned out to be surprisingly small despite its price at about RM15. And the noodles were nowhere to be seen unless being scooped out.


The broth was good & the rice noodles were silky smooth. It's a pity that the portion is way too small. We called for another appetizer, pork skewers for sharing. Yet again, the size is small & rather expensive. The herbs used to marinate the meat was aromatic & the taste resembled our local satay. Pretty good.


Now the main course is the focus of the entire meal. WL & I ordered different pork dishes - grilled pork with signature sauce & pork omelette rice. My omelette rice didn't turn out as expected. I would've imagine a nice silky. smooth egg omelette covering a bowl of fragrant rice with pork slices as complements. Instead, the omelette was served in strips only, not the full egg. I was disappointed. And those pork slices? They tasted exactly the same as the skewers, which no doubt came from the same source.


WL's grilled pork with signature sauce didn't look too good either. The pork chop was soaked in sauce & the taste was overwhelming. And a tad too spicy I'd must say. Overly sweet, salty & oily, all jumbled in one hot mess. It was all pretty hard to take in.


The entire meal turned out to be over RM50 which sadly, a price not worth a 2nd visit. There were so many misses on all the orders that made me deflated, considering my fondness for Thai food. Indeed, it is not easy to find good & affordable Thai food in my homeland. I'll just have to satisfy my cravings in Bangkok after all.


Address:
No. 10, Jalan 21/19
Sea Park
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-7865 1968

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Tuesdays
12:00pm - 3:00pm
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Thu-Fri
12:00pm - 3:00pm
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sat-Sun
11:00am - 10:00pm

Morganfield's, Sunway Pyramid

Saturday, October 10, 2015

We'd like to call our dinner just now a celebratory occasion with WL's family. To be honest, it is only a regular gathering before his 2nd bother & family flies back to Beijing. Morganfield's at Sunway Pyramid was the preferred choice for a fatty, pork feast. Some of us arrived earlier & took the liberty to order first. Glad that some orders were taken earlier as minutes later, the dinner crowd started streaming in. In half an hour, the restaurant was packed.

The first appetizer came in a form of bacon wrapped meat balls, deep-fried & served with lettuce leaves. No doubt a really wholesome meat ball & rich in spices but the taste was a little too peppery. First bite might seem exciting but the excitement waned off quickly after several bites as the meat ball leaves a hot, burning sensation to the tongue.


Next, onion blossom, an alternative to onion rings, arrived in such large size that I wished we weren't too greedy to order 2 plates of it. The onions were crispy & fried to golden brown perfection. But it is just too large...


Now the moment of truth. The first plate of Hickory BBQ Spare Ribs was placed on our tables. We quickly snapped photos of it before our growling stomach takes over. Boy, it sure did taste juicy. So succulent & heavenly...


One plate of pork ribs sure ain't enough to feed so many of us. We were greedy enough to try out other flavours & called for 2 more pork ribs. Twenty minutes later, the waiter came out from the kitchen carrying 2 freshly grilled ribs to our tables. One of it is no doubt called Garlicky BBQ Spare Ribs for its strong garlicky aroma from the chopped garlic & sauce sprinkled on the top. Though grilled perfectly, the sauce gravitated to a slight spicy aftertaste which didn't fancy me after several bites. But still good, nonetheless. Just personal preference.


The last plate of ribs sure has an interesting name - The Naughty Spare Ribs. Oh yeah! How naughty can you get after devouring it. XD Well, I'd must say the the ribs certainly lived up to its name. In fact better than Garlicky BBQ in my opinion. The ribs were marinated with a combination of soy sauce, lime, lemongrass, ginger & chilli padi which surely brought up the heat to the next level. Awesome!


Not to forget the last dish of the night that we ordered to share from the steaks & chops section. It was Pork Schnitzel, the name for 2 juicy pork loin chops battered with bread crumbs & fried to golden brown. Served with mashed potatoes, garden veggies & mushroom gravy, it is quite a wholesome & hearty dish to end the meal with a bang.

It was enjoyable porky meal & I bet we'll opt to fast & refrain from consuming pork for at least 1 week. Overwhelming with pork, which is the sole purpose of visiting Morganfield's, but clearly a satisfying one. Obviously I wouldn't recommend indulging yourselves with all of the above too often. Rating 4.5 out of 5.


Address:
OB.K8, Ground Floor
Sunway Pyramid
No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15
Bandar Sunway
47500 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-5612 9028

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Hungry Bunch, Sunway Pyramid

Saturday, August 15, 2015

It was another usual Saturday that WL & I have our weekly dates, whether it is spending quiet time at home or walking hand-in-hand in a bustling mall. This time, we were out for one specific reason. To continue our hunt for a pair of wedding bands. We went to Sunway Pyramid for a change but ended up hungry & exhausted, yet had no clue about what's good to eat. We passed by Hungry Bunch a few rounds & finally walked in.

From the menu, everything looked so gorgeous that we want to try it all. Maybe because we were partially starving. The waitress took our orders & we waited patiently, hoping the food will arrive in a jiffy to feed our growling stomachs. After 15 minutes later, there is no sign of our orders arriving. We motioned for the staff to check our orders & then only the mushroom soup finally came out from the kitchen.


The soup was not warm enough & tasted a lot like Campbell canned soup. Okay, not a good start. WL's sausage breakfast set came but it did look sad & pathetic. The dish could not even pass WL's less picky taste buds. It must have tasted pretty awful.


My eggs benedict was not any better. The eggs was overcooked instead of a runny yolk - the essence of a perfect poached egg. Choosing a slice of white bread to accompany the dish made the plating looks cheap & unappetizing. And unsurprisingly, the dish left much to be desired.


Not feeling any satisfaction, we decided to give their dessert a chance. We picked banana split & it was served in vanilla & chocolate ice cream on each side of the dish with a banana sliced half in the middle. The ice cream tasted okay & obviously supplied by ice cream manufacturers, so it wasn't bad but not great either.


Our overall experience at Hungry Bunch wasn't exciting even though the price is affordable. There are other restaurants which taste much better with the same price point. The only praise I have for Hungry Bunch is the friendly staff waiting at the entrance welcoming the customers. Sadly, the food is not worth returning for. Rating 3.5 out of 5.


Address:
Lot F1.75, F Floor
Sunway Pyramid
No. 3, Jalan PJU 11/15
Bandar Sunway
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-5612 5974

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Sunday, August 09, 2015

Tom Cruise is back with the latest instalment of the Mission Impossible franchise, called Rogue Nation. Familiar casts such as Simon Pegg & Jeremy Renner except Paula Patton, reprised their roles from Ghost Protocol.


In Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) sets out to prove the existence of the Syndicate, an international criminal consortium operating in rogue mode. Faced with IMF disbandment & blamed for Austrian chancellor's death, Ethan is now a fugitive of CIA. Undeterred by the recent incidents, Ethan is determined to shut down the Syndicate once & for all.

I hate to admit that the plot wasn't as engaging as Ghost Protocol but the action scenes definitely deserved much applause. Although exaggerated, Cruise actually did most of his own stunts especially the daredevil scene of him hanging over the plane's door while the it takes off. Rebecca Ferguson took on the role as Ilsa Faust is the new female character in the movie. Sadly, Ferguson & Cruise lacks the on-screen chemistry even though they are supposed to be allies. But I'm glad the screenwriters didn't make them a couple. Else, that would be disastrous!

I think I do enjoy this movie to some extent, but not the most show-stopping one in the franchise. It wasn't as memorable & I could barely remember the plot. Rogue Nation fell slightly short of my expectation. Anyhow, the only reason that kept me watching is because Cruise still looks so darn good looking in his 50s.


Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Antipodean Cafe, Mid Valley Megamall

Saturday, August 08, 2015

Many people have been raving about how great the food is at Antipodean Cafe at Bangsar that it made me very eager to give it a try. WL was lucky enough to dine there for breakfast, citing that the owner was rather arrogant by disallowing customers to sit & wait at their tables if their family or friends arrived later. Thankfully, the food was pretty good.

When they opened their new branch at Mid Valley Megamall, I was curious to whether it would live up to the expectation. WL & I managed to get a seat before the lunch crowd swarmed in. One thing for sure, dining at this branch may be a less pleasant experience because it is an al fresco style in typical, hot Malaysian weather. Space is rather limited too which means you will need to wait quite some time especially during peak hours.

I ordered my usual favourite brunch - eggs benedict with bacon. When it arrived, I was impressed. Just look at the large, gorgeous poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. Loved it that they served it with wholemeal bread.


WL always fancies Big Breakfast & picked bacon to complement the set. Besides bacon, other meat choices are available as well - chicken, beef & pork sausage. The set comes complete with silky smooth scrambled eggs, toast, hashbrown & mushrooms. I nibbled a few pieces of mushrooms & it tasted fantastic.


Breakfast ain't complete without a cup of good coffee. My mocha was served in a small glass with a mismatched saucer. Although I personally preferred mocha to be served in a ceramic cup, I couldn't resist the coffee art beautifully done by the barista. Coffee was aromatic with the right balance of milk, bittersweet cocoa powder & syrup.


Antipodean Cafe no doubt live up to my expectation of a well rated premise. This might not be the HQ but it stood out well on its own. Staffs were friendly & welcoming, and it's more than enough to pacify my inner frustration with the fact that the location is not ideal. Since their new outlet will be opening soon at Atria Shopping Gallery, I have an alternative location to hopefully indulge in the same quality in a more comfortable environment. Rating 4.5 out of 5.


Address:
G(E)-011A, Ground Floor
Mid Valley Megamall
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:
03-2202 3411

Opening Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays 7:30am - 11:00pm
Fridays & Saturdays 7:30am - 12:00am

Link:

Ant-Man

Sunday, July 26, 2015


I had no expectations when walking into the cinema hall to watch Ant-Man. All I gathered from the synopsis is that protagonist will be shrunk so small to be the self-titled hero. I had to watch this movie as part of completing the MCU journey.

Paul Rudd is Scott Lang, an ex-convict who discovered a suit that shrinks one into the size of an insect but greatly increases his strength. The suit was invented by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) but the technology was intentionally protected from the world for fear of its devastation. Scott eventually became Ant-Man & together with Dr. Hank, they must protect the technology from landing to the wrong hands.

CG is amazing, showing the audience a glimpse of ants' perspective & how it's like living as a size of an insect. It's a blessing that CG has improved tremendously over the years, allowing comics' vision to become reality. It makes watching a superhero demonstrating its power more surreal & a joy to watch.

The good thing is, it's this type of underdog Marvel titles that never fail to surprise me. Ant-Man turned out be pure, good fun without any emotional baggage. Initially, I had qualms about casting Paul Rudd as a superhero. Boy, I'm proven wrong. Rudd's acting shines so well through his comedic skills. After all, I see no harm in having an extra pair of twinkling, charming eyes to stare at throughout the movie even though Rudd is not exactly the most attractive superhero actor.

Marvel Studios has again succeeded in putting up another less popular character, garnering positive reactions from comic & non-comic fans. Great job, Marvel!



Image credits to:

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches @ Sea Park, PJ

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Tucked in a row of shops next to a bank is Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches serving pork ribs & sandwiches. I wouldn't known it existed until our ex-colleagues suggested that we have a mini gathering there. When WL & I arrived, our friends have already helped themselves with some sandwiches & ribs.

Their signature dish is the BBQ pork ribs with house-made Ticklish sauce. One bite is more than enough to tell how well it was cooked. Marinated & grilled perfection, the meat is absolutely tender & delicious. Served in a metal bucket, it is best enjoyed with a bottle of beer with friends.


With an array of sandwich options, I settled for You Braise Me Up - a slight fatty loin simmered in sauce.Totally sinful & heavenly~


One of our ex-colleagues bought Once You Go Black for his son to try out. The little boy was kind enough to share half of the sandwich with me because he was already stuffed from gobbling up the first batch of pork ribs. The meat slices were taken from the leaner part of the pork, grilled to a darker tone with sauce that gave sweet & salty flavours. Due its lean texture, the meat is slightly rough hence not really my cup of tea. It's still delicious, nonetheless.


Asked for a cup of mocha to satisfy my sudden caffeine craving but was left disappointed. Coffee is definitely Ticklish' forte. Served in a glass jar instead of a cuppa, the coffee was mild & less aromatic. Now I know what to stay away from whenever I'm in Ticklish.


Ticklish is a nice, decent haunt for PJ residence to gather, snack/drink & chat the night away. Not family friendly if you plan to bring a group of young children for peaceful dinner. It's loud, lively & "strictly for adults". Rating: 4 out of 5.


Address:
No. 5, Ground Floor
Jalan 21/11A, Sea Park
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-7865 9126

Opening Hours:
Tuesdays to Sundays
Lunch 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Dinner 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Jurassic World

Sunday, June 28, 2015


We all know Hollywood is running out creative juice when there are so many announcements made to reboot movie classics of yesteryears. My worst nightmare began when the Jurassic Park franchise is not spared. I was adamant about watching the new dinosaur-themed movie in the cinema but decided to give it a try anyway.

Titled Jurassic World, also the name of the new theme park, continues 22 years later after the incident in Jurassic Park III. Pressured with the demand for new attraction to keep visitors excited, the research team at the Jurassic World lab has created a genetically modified dinosaur carrying genes from various predatory dinosaurs & modern-day animals.

Little did they realised that the creature turned out to be exceptionally intelligent & managed to break loose from its captivity, causing havoc at the theme park. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a Velociraptor trainer is called in to save the day. I must say, though the plot is predictable, watching the movie brings back many good childhood memories. The dinosaur CG is so impressive that it provides a breath of fresh air to the new & old audience alike.

Jurassic World is definitely not award-winning material but it does the job well to keep audiences entertained. There are some scenes that pay homage to the old Jurassic Park movies which is great & goes to show the production team acknowledge the fans who supported the earlier films. I'm a little miffed that the female lead, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) was not given enough credits for her outstanding performance. Go watch the movie & you'll know why she deserves more mention & praise.

I'm pretty sure you don't want to miss out on Chris Pratt striking THE pose that has been garnering viral attention on social media. I know you wouldn't...



Image credits:

Ichiban The Izakaya, 1 Utama

If it wasn't for Groupon, WL & I wouldn't have discovered a hidden gem in 1 Utama. Ichiban The Izakaya is the hidden gem - a Japanese restaurant & bar tucked at the corner near the Rainforest. With a Groupon voucher worth RM200 in hand, we didn't hesitate to order as much as we could. After all, it was my little sister's birthday & she deserved a big treat from us.

WL ordered his usual chicken katsu don that came with a striking balance of meat & vegetables. One spoonful said it all - the dish truly didn't disappoint.


I called for a bowl of garlic rice rather than a main course just so I can reserve some "room" for other treats in the menu. Nom nom...did I mention the rice was incredibly appetizing that I was tempted for another bowl? Guilty pleasures...


Ichiban has a few selection of pork skewers that sound pretty tempting. And we couldn't resist ordering 2 of them to try - asparagus wrapped with pork bacon slices & grilled pork. The juicy pork slice with crunchy asparagus wrapped in between was simply irresistible.


And of course, we wouldn't miss out on tender, no-nonsense pork skewers to satisfy our big appetite.


The restaurant has a wide selection of maki but we picked those that we believe wouldn't go wrong. Not a bad choice, indeed. The ingredients were fresh & seasoned well, even though the sushi rice was slightly mushy.


I ordered a side dish to try - cold tofu in sweet sauce but it wasn't as good as the earlier dishes.


My sister went home with a happy tummy, so did WL & I. Groupon is certainly the right place to discover good restaurants that might have missed our radar. Izakaya is one of those places...Rating: 4 out of 5.


Address:
G362, Ground Floor
Rainforest Zone
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama
47800 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Contact:
03-7732 1686

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Pho Vietz, Atria Shopping Gallery

Sunday, June 21, 2015

The newly renovated Atria Shopping Gallery has finally open its doors to the public & it's now back, bigger than before. I could barely recognize the exterior when our car approached closer to the building. Atria seemed so vast next to the old shops that stood longer than the mall itself.

Just barely months after its soft opening, Atria is already 80% occupied with majority food & beverages tenants. It's a pity that it didn't have a cinema but on 2nd thoughts, it wouldn't have worked anyhow because there are already malls nearby with cineplexes ie Tropicana City Mall & 1 Utama. At least Atria has assures its shoppers will not go hungry after a long day of shopping.

Most of the restaurants are situated on the lowest floor but there are a select few taking space on the upper floors. Pho Vietz occupies a spacious lot on the 3rd floor & what's surprising to see that the restaurant already has a good crowd. Without further ado, WL & I quickly settled to order some food.

I picked their house specialty - pho, loosely translated as beef noodles.


The pho came in a generous bowl of beef slices & rice noodles. Broth was flavourful, well seasoned with herbs & spices to bring out the Vietnamese taste. Slurping in the rice noodles was a joy as the it was thin & smooth in texture. The beef slices have a pungent taste which makes every bite a little difficult to take in. Otherwise, the pho would have been excellent.

WL ordered claypot pork belly stew that came with a bowl of rice, soup & an appetizer.


I took a sip of the gravy for tasting & it turned out a little salty for me but WL seemed to take a liking for stronger flavours. It was tasty, nonetheless. Plus the fat from the pork belly helps elevate the aroma & in the gravy. Another plus point for Pho Vietz!

For the price averaging around RM18, the food is quite worth every cent you pay for. Portion is good, in fact, quite generous to some extent. Taste wise, it fits the generally picky Malaysian palate who is pampered with a plethora of food choices. Definitely a place to worth several visits each time you happen to make a trip to Atria. Rating: 4.2 out of 5.


Address:
T08 & T09, 3rd Floor
Atria Shopping Gallery
Jalan SS22/23
Damansara Jaya
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

San Andreas

It's been a while since we last saw natural disaster or end-of-the-world related movie themes since 2012. I could clearly recall during my schooling days those movies were common because the themes were trending at that time. Seeing the trailer of San Andreas brings back familiar feelings of nostalgia.


Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the plot follows a fomulaic script - a man with a decent job possibly going through a separation/divorce, disaster strikes & the man reunites with his family to brace through tough times. The movie is very predictable & corny, it's no surprise that you'll roll eyes more than you can count. Or barf at the sudden outburst of the cheesiest statement.

CG is amazing, a no surprise these days considering the vast improvement in technology. The old disaster movies were obviously no match for San Andreas. Albeit impressive CG, the depiction of a tsunami hitting San Francisco in that scale does seem unrealistic.


And to ride a boat over the rising tsunami is even more exaggerated. How can this be possible? Only in the movies.


Whatever it is, San Andreas is quite an enjoyable movie if you put aside all the illogical stuff in the movie. Just don't expect too much out of it. Somehow, Dwayne Johnson does kick ass in this kind of movie, which is a plus point.


Image credits:

Manmaru Udon, Mid Valley

Sunday, May 24, 2015

WL & I had made plans to visit the KLPJ Wedding Fair held at Mid Valley Convention Centre over the weekend. Psst...psst...wedding bells are ringing. Anyways, I'll reveal when the time is right. It was close to lunch time & we were not even half way done with visiting all the booths. So we decided to take a break & grab a quick bite.

We were at lost of where to eat because there are so many varieties, yet none of it tickled our fancy. Then, we saw Manmaru Udon tucked at the corner next to Amarin Heavenly Thai restaurant. Without further delay, we walked in & took our seat. I called for tempura udon while WL picked teriyaki chicken udon.

About 10 minutes later, the waitress came to serve our orders. I was a little hungry & started slurping over my bowl of noodles, totally forgetting to snap a photo of it. Here is how the udon looks like. I'd must say the udon is springy & of premium quality. It's only a pity that the broth didn't turn out as delicious as I hoped. Or could it be the fact that I wasn't that hungry & affected my judgement? *shrugs*


On the other hand, WL's dish seemed to look more appetizing with the juicy teriyaki chicken slices arranged nicely over the dry udon with onsen egg. The noodles were seasoned with the same sauce from the teriyaki chicken. I took a strands of udon to try & it was more tasty than my dish. But, I wouldn't conclude it as being very scrumptious but at least better than mine.


The price is average; typical of a mid-price restaurant food. With such superb quality noodles, it was a pity that the seasoning was a disappointing. Not that the food was exceptionally bad as some improvement will help the restaurant to a long way. I'm giving a rating 3.5 out of 5.


Address:
S-045A, The Boulevard
Lingkaran Syed Putra
Mid Valley City
59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:
03-2201 1663

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

TVC Shoot in Taipei

Saturday, May 16, 2015

On Tuesday morning, I was called in to my boss' room as soon as I came in for work. The next thing he said took me aback. I was asked to fly to Taipei the next day for a TVC shoot, a trip that he was supposed to go for but has now become my responsibility. I was stunned for a moment & wasn't sure whether to feel ecstatic or angry about the news.

Not surprisingly, I flipped at the thought of the last minute trip & made a huge fuss to my boss. "Do I look like a backup who can stand in at any time just because you couldn't?" I thought to myself angrily. In the end, I made a sacrifice & took the earliest flight to Taipei.

The trip was made more interesting with the people that I was bound to work with. Plus, Taipei is a great city despite my limited proficiency in Mandarin. The city is clean & well-planned while I'm all praised for their people's politeness. Since I'm already there, I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to visit Taipei 101. Seeing the skyscraper looming in the background got me excited.


Work wasn't exactly smooth sailing but at least, it was completed. For the rest of the short trip, the experience was nothing short of great fun. We stopped by at Taipei 101 first before it closed for the night. The admission ticket cost NT$500, more costly than entering our Petronas Twin Towers. To be able to take the world's fastest elevator up to the top floors, why not?


The world's fastest elevator truly didn't disappoint, rising from 5th floor to 89th floor in 37 seconds! The ceiling of the elevator lit up with bright LED lights, reminiscing the starry night sky as the elevator rose to the upper floors. The sound effect & music made us felt like shooting up the stars. Awesome!


In order to reach the observatory deck, we had to climb 4 flight of stairs to arrive at 93rd floor. I'd have to admit the view was not the most stunning night view as one part of is pitch black (I believe that's the hill horizon). Nevertheless, it was still nice to witness Taipei's bustling night life at such high altitude.


Next, we descended back to the lower floors. The rest are mostly souvenir & snack shops; theatre rooms to view video recordings of the skyscraper's construction & its pyrotechnic fireworks on New Year's Eve. Here is the mass tuned damper that keeps the Taipei 101 at bay during typhoons & earthquakes.


Our tour did not end just yet. Not wanting to miss Taipei's famous pasar malam, we took the cabs to Shihlin Night Market. It's considered the cleanest night market I've ever seen in my life. Although I ended up with empty hands, I got to try out their pricey cut fruits. Their pineapples are the best - so juicy & sweet, not acidic at all. Taking a stroll at the night market felt quite safe because I didn't feel like I was being followed & pickpocketed. That's not to say there's no risk at all, but the people are generally nice people.

On our last day, we had lunch at this artistically designed restaurant right next to our hotel. You wouldn't believe that it's a restaurant because it resembled an art museum. The food was a little pricey but tasted pretty good.


When we packed our bags & headed to the airport, we left with heavy hearts. The city is so clean & the toilets are fantastic - squeaky clean & futuristic XD. Did I mention that almost any building you set foot on has free high-speed WiFi, with no password? I'm coming back for you, Taipei. That's for sure. I guess I should rest my case for being angered by the last minute trip. Anything to have great travel companions to fill in the bitterness.
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