興蓬萊 Shing Peng Lai Restaurant

Tianmu has never been part of my territory (like I have any territory? 8-O lol).  Yet, within this past week, I found myself landed numerous times in Tianmu because a friend's family was moving back to San Francisco (and has now).  Also, I found myself dinning at this "presidential grade" of restaurant (興蓬萊 Shing Peng Lai Restaurant) featuring Taiwanese cuisine.  Great food and huge portion!

It's "presidential grade" because the former president Li Deng Hui likes the food here.

(Please check the clip from 7 minute 52 seconds.  The embed youtube clip at a specific time function somehow isn't working.  Just realized it.)

What I ordered as per the female owner's suggestion on June 27th...

From 興蓬萊 Shing Peng Lai Restaurant

What my brother-in-law ordered on June 30th...

From 興蓬萊 Shing Peng Lai Restaurant

Two different dining experiences, four days apart, I got to try out 17 of their dishes while... I do have a way of putting things away and no wonder the ever-expanding waistline... 8-X lol

I love this picture I took....  In the back is the sign stating three of the formal president Li Deng Hui's favorite dishes including the crispy ribs (the pix on the left side) and "Buddha jumping over the wall" (the pix on the right side).  Just realized that the gentleman in the picture is the owner 陳進添 of the restaurant.  The laoban niang (female owner) 陳春蘭 was on the side of the camera encouraging the doggie to pose for the picture while pointing to me how cute the doggie's teeth are.  Based on the info I gathered so far through the youtube clip above, I figure they are sister and brother.  Accordingly, laoban niang's family have 6 doggies and 2 cats.

From 興蓬萊 Shing Peng Lai Restaurant

Tapas en el Gusto

Took my cousin whom I haven't hung with for easily 2-3 decades and my mom out for a dinner today... at a Tapas place I discovered during my daily walk...

Ended up, we landed at this Tapas place... and order my favorite dishes... a gigantic stuffed squid and combo grill... on fire-aaaah!

Donno about the guests... the Rum on fire itself makes me feel happy enough... 8-O lol

18大道居酒屋

After my leisure at work at the Cafe at the Pavilion of (Native) Aroma, I went to do my physical therapy and had some maintenance work done on my body by my doctor.

Thereafter, I went for a dinner with a friend and landed at 18大道居酒屋... a new place on the block that will have its grand opening next week.  A private celebration for my having only about 20 pages left till, again, I will be done with DWM!

Might have something to do with the fact that I was taking pictures left and right.  At some point, as we were having some nice conversation with the owner of the bistro, the nice lady asked whether I have a blog and whether I will post the info of their new venture on my blog.

So I responded with lol... "I've got my blogs alright except for no one ever came to visit. lol"

Nice food, friendly services and, according to my friend who knows the dining scene better, excellent in the budgeting department as well at this economic climate!

Murano (莫拉諾) cafe

I have walked past the Murano (莫拉諾) cafe in the neighborhood a million and a time but have never been in there.  However, I have always been marveled by the beautiful stained glass decorations in side.  Finally got to go in when hanging out with this friend today.

Apparently, some of them beautiful stained glass are Tiffany grade!

My Chinese New Year's Eve dinner (2012)

My Chinese New Year's Eve dinner (2012) at the restaurant 豐竹 (Affluent Kitchen) in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, tonight.

All the weights I have been trying to lose for the past few months are back in place these past week or so... especially after this meal. 8-O 8-X lol

The temple & Keelung Miaokou 奠濟宮/基隆廟口

Since I was in Keelung, I had to go to the Miaokou Night Market where one could find all types of nice eats and a whole lot of them are traditional Taiwanese dishes.

I would love to test them all out except for... man... only have 1 stomach and there's only so much one can eat! 

Though it is called night market, many of the venders start to run their business during the day time. 

In my much younger and ignorant years, when I heard the term "Miaokou," which means the entrance of the temple, I thought it referred to the Mazu temple next to my uncle's clinic.   Guess it was because, when I go to the market, my focus has always been on food and most of my blood would be busy rushing to my stomach-- leaving little in the air.

Then, one day, I realized that there was another temple there.

奠濟宮

It was not until yesterday did I pay the temple a visit for the first time--- and came out with this question in my mind-- whose temple is it?  8-O

After some research, I realize that 奠濟宮 is a temple dedicated to general 陳元光 (Chen Yuangguang).  General Chen was from the Tang dynasty.  He had led the Han people to settle in 漳州 (Zhang-zhou), a region in the Fujian province and contributed greatly to the development of the region.  After his passing, people in Zhangzhou call him "開漳聖王" or the "Sacred Prince, Developer of Zhangzhou."

Because a lot of early immigrants in Keelung were from 漳州, the 奠濟宮 temple was built in 1873 so that the people could continue to worship and seek spiritual support from "開漳聖王" or the "Sacred Prince, Developer of Zhangzhou."  And, because there were so many worshipers visiting the temple, street venders started to gather around the entrance of the temple (Miaokou) and eventually formed the market as we know today.

Gotta say sorry to the Sacred Prince for not knowing who he was until today.... and... especially when my ancestors also came from 漳州 (Zhang-zhou).

At least, now I know.... better late than never... I guess.

I also saw for first time how the night market is set up.  I have been going to night markets alike my entire life but it never occurred to me, sort of, how venders set up their stands and form the night market...

Joe's Shanghai

I took my mom to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown the other day... ordered our favorite juicy buns/soup dumpings and the Shredded Eel with Yellow Chives.

Some people who shared the same table with us seemed to have some problems with the juicy buns... the way I was taught is to bite and suck... 8-O

Biting the top of the bun off and suck the juice or soup out...

Caffè Taci

I tried to get some old friends together to go to Caffè Taci last Saturday.

It was a nice night out since it's been a long while since I went to the opera night... almost a year or so.

Took my mom as well although she was not too familiar with opera at all.

Following is the clip I tried to take when Marc and Scott sang the nice duet "Au fond du temple saint" from Les pêcheurs de perles by Bizet, and, of course, with Iya on the piano.

Ouest

My friends took my mom and I out for a dinner at Ouest the other day.

I must have walked by this restaurant a million and a time but had never stepped in there.

In addition, for all these years, I had thought that this is a small bar-- not knowing that it actually is really huge on the inside.

Nice decor, great atmosphere and family-friendly, too!

I had the Roasted Rabbit while my mom had the Pan Roasted Sturgeon....

When everyone tried out my rabbit, they all seemed to like it!

Roasted Rabbit with Garlic Capellini, Mushrooms, Pearl Onions and Natural Jus

Hope the day will come soon when I am back to the money making business-- so that I will be able to take my friends out to nice places, too! Or, pick up cooking some fine food other than noodles at least! 8-O lol

And, come to think about it... haven't taken my mom out too much this round...  If it were not my friends, my mom would have been stuck eating my 5 for 1 bananas plus vegis and meat purchased only on discount during her stay in New York... 8-O lol oops...

肥前屋

肥前屋 is supposed to be a Japanese restaurant that is really famous for its "eel rice" or  鰻魚飯.

So, one day, my sister decided to treat my parents for some Japanese and I went along... lol

Because this restaurant is so very packed most of the times, we got there really early... right at the opening time for the dinner hour.  After we arrived, in no time, the line was forming at the front with people trying to get in.

Personally, I like the food there... though... well... I love food in general... lol

Would recommend you to try it out shall you be in Taipei...


Sept. 15th, 2010


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104 Taiwan Taipei City Jhongshan District Lane 121, Section 1, ZhōngShān North Road 13之2號
台北市中山區中山北路1段121巷13號之2一樓

盆菜 at 博多新記

My sister and brother-in-law took us out for a dinner ordering only 1 dish plus soup... during the Chinese lunar new year.

Gotta be really bad economy... One dish only?  Except for... not your ordinary dish... a dish that fed multiple families many more days afterwards... lol



Feb. 5th, 2011