In search of trendy cafes and local food, from Ningxia, northwest of Taipei Station, to the heritage arcade of Dihua Street
I wanted to eat local Lu Rou Fan, so I went to the area around Huayin Street, northwest of the station. Huayin Street is a clothing wholesale district with pink lanterns hanging, which is rare in Taiwan where red is the mainstream, and there were many clothes for less than 2,000 yen in Japanese yen, but as a Tokyo woman in her 20s or 30s, I felt that I didn't need them. 😅 If anything, the street one block north has more restaurants that are like a cross between a shopping street and a food stall, and I liked it because it had a Showa retro x Hong Kong feel.
For Lu Rou Fan, I went to Dadaocheng Lu Rou Fan (No. 17, Lane 220, Chang'an W Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103). It was within a 12-minute walk from Taipei Station. I was given a paper with a QR code, which I read on my smartphone to jump to the menu and order from there. There were prices for each size, and I could choose English, so the bill was clear and convenient! The photo shows a small bowl of Lu Rou Fan (NT50) and a duck egg (NT20), totaling 350 yen! Cheap! By the way, when you press the order button, it says "pay now" and you have to take that screen to the register to pay, otherwise the food will never come (lol) I ended up just sitting there for about 10 minutes without knowing lol By the way, in Taiwan, it's normal to share a table when it's crowded, but it seemed like they were being considerate and separating people based on age and gender ^_^
From here, we walked another 12 minutes northwest to Tofer's famous local restaurant, Douhua Zhuang (No. 49, Ningxia Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103), to have dessert. If you go west and reach the main road, it's a simple route that just goes north, and on the way, you will pass an intersection that becomes Ningxia Market at night. On the right side of the road, there is a discount store with a 100 yen feel, called No. 11, Ningxia Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103. I was able to buy a Taiwanese classic striped basket bag for NT55, which is cheaper than the market price!
The douhua here is the one with taro balls. It was NT55. The ice-like thing is molasses ice, and the flavor is different from Japanese ones, so it's worth trying. However, in my case, I was hit with a severe stomachache after 2 hours. lol
Dihua Street, famous for its old brick and stone arched buildings, is a photogenic spot. It is full of stylish renovated cafes. I went to Nanjie Zhui (103 Taipei City, Datong District, Section 1, Dihua St, 67號2樓), a renovated Heritage Building that was once a tea utensil shop with a tea house on the second floor! It is a quaint wooden building with a modern Taisho era style. The tea utensils are quite expensive, and the one in the photo costs about 10,000 yen per utensil. At the tea house, you can choose one of about 14 types of Taiwanese tea and black tea, and it costs NT280 (1,400 yen) with tea and sweets as shown in the photo. The photo is for one person. I was able to enjoy a leisurely tea time in the Heritage Building, and it was a #very good and elegant time.
When it comes out, it comes with a teapot, and the hot water for the second brew comes in a stainless steel pot. The tea leaves were strong enough that I even went for a third brew! lol
When you leave and head south, you will see a place of worship on your left where local people are praying. We were given free tea here, but it had a lot of sugar in it, so some people like it and others don't lol
By the way, we were suddenly drawn to music here, and when we followed it, we found a parade like a festival! With costumes, drums, and music, it was a very valuable experience ^_^
The last photo is of Mori Takasago Coffee House | Dadaocheng Branch (No. 1, Section 2, Yanping N Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103), a famous Taiwanese coffee shop that is so famous that it seems that everyone in Taiwan knows it, with its elegant interior and lighting. At my mother's request, I purchased 20 pieces of filter coffee (there are about 12 types in stock at all times) for NT1320, which included 4 types x 5 pieces. It was a bit expensive, but my mother was very satisfied ^_^ Each one was very elaborate, with fruit and chocolate flavors, so coffee lovers will enjoy it!
By the way, it's quite a walk to get to MRT Beimen Station after going down the stairs (about the same as going from Yurakucho to Hibiya lol), so I recommend using the bus, which is surprisingly easy! It costs NT15 for any section, which is about half the price of the MRT. However, you only have to put your money in a box like an offering box next to the driver the moment you get on, so you won't get any change unless you keep NT5 on hand. You board from the front, but it's fine to get off from the front or back. If you're not used to it, open the public transport route on Google Maps and then get on, and you'll see where you are in real time!
The names of the spots in this article and the addresses in () are all copied and pasted from Google Maps, so you can check them out by copying and pasting them into Google Maps ^_^
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