Day 3 - 10 July

I woke up pretty late but J assured me it was ok since we were on a holiday! *love*
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When we left hotel at 10.40am, he told me we were going to Hello Kitty Cafe!!!!!!!!!!! Let me repeat : HELLO KITTY CAFE!!!!!!!!!! *rejoice*
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I was so excited we did not even grab a bite near hotel and went straight to the station. We alight at 忠孝复兴. I was excited looking for the Kitty sign! We walked a distance and made a turn to 大安路一段... VIOLA!

It was a alittle pink house sprung up in the midst of some insignificant low buildings! Can't you tell? It's a happy place!
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We walked to the entrance, there were 3 person in the store pointing at cakes but the signage at the front said "CLOSED". *Aarrgh* It was 11am and they only open at 11.30am. J suggested to walk around BUT i wanted to stay there... *boo*
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We went to a stationery shop nearby to buy some 'HELLO KITTY' stationery! What a great excuse!!!! *satisfied* I got a calculator, pens and more....
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11.30am we walked back and .. there was a queue-madness!

Women, children, girls, families.. everything and everyone! They were all locals and everyone armed with a camie and started shooting the minute the glass door slide opened. I was anxious as I was not No. 1. I kept hearing the host asking those in front of us if they'd made a reservation. My heart sank as we did not and was worried we wouldn't be able to dine here today!
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When it was our turn... with no reservation, thank goodness, we'd a seat on Level 2 but I was alittle sad as Level 2 did not look as pretty as Level 1!!!!!!!!!!

These pictures were taken at Level 1.

How cute!

At Level 2 next to where we were seated, there was a small party for a little girl at this corner you see here. It was a cosy little corner but can you imagine I had to put up with their commotion while I enjoy my pretty meal? *sigh*

This was how how seating looked like. We'd got an ordinary table.. boohoo.. no booth seat or pretty Kitty seats!

If you'd want to dine here, you'd have to spend a minimum of NT$300 (SGD13.70). I guessed they did not want anyone to just come here and take lots of photographs. But that was easy!.. Our set meals cost us a total of NT$1045 which amount to SGD 48 for the entire meal. NOt too bad! They'd inform you that you'd have 2 hours for your meal and the table has to be given up by 1.30pm.. surprising.

Here's our salad; my caesar and his vinegratte...

The lovely menu which you CAN NOT take away! *lol*

Kitty Buns.... whoa... :)

The set meal actually came with a Salad, a Soup, an Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert! Pretty good deal!
J chose escargots and I took Foie Gras for appetizer - Yummy.

My juicy Chicken Thigh and his savory Spaghetti Bolognese.

The man who did not quite understand the excitement... and he called it the 'Hello Kitty Pandemonium'!!!

So whatever happened to kitty carrot?

It was chowed down quick into Mr Goh's stomach! *lol*

Dessert was pretty.. but I would have loved getting one of those prettier cakes from the dessert menu! I was just too full to top up anything.. *boo*

Here I am trying to compose... trying to be cool about it.

How was Kitty Cafe?
It was 200% exciting and pretty and happy!

How was the food?
They were 100% ordinary! *lol*

I asked J, 'Can you survive if we have done up our room in Kitty Theme?'
He answered, 'NO!'
I thought.... I do love Kitty.. I'd just like to see them, own them... but to live in them?????? NO WAY TOO!
Well, my room is already so pretty in pink.. *satisfied* I don't think I need to kitty-fied it.

After the happening brunch, we walked around the area because we were waiting for one night market nearby to open. First, we went to the 东区地下街，which stretches 725M, linking 7 malls and houses 35 shops in the tunnel. There are cafes, books stores, fashion and other retailers....... which is similar to our City Link. While we were in this 'tunnel', I also bought a few Kitty items... *yeay! Achievements!* WE only managed to walk in the tunnel from 忠孝复兴 to 忠孝敦化.
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There are many commercial buildings the area with huge departmental stores like the Pacific Sogo, in fact I thought I saw 2 of the Sogo buildings! There are also some really cute little boutiques by local designers. Pretty but Pretty Expensive.
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Then there is the Breeze Centre - a luxurious brand shopping mall, somewhat similar to our Paragon, includes 6 floors of shopping, a fine food plaza, a supermarket and dining street as well as an international-class movie complex with six theaters. We bought a huge tub of freshly popped caramelized popcorn at the basement for only NT$120 (SGD5.40). *greedy*
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We took a break at the KFC at 南京东东二段 after covering almost the entire 东区时尚商圈, while the man could continued to plan the rest of the day's activities.

Me playing with his new sunglasses he bought in the 'tunnel' for NT$290 (SGD13).

We know 中正區遼寧街, 遼寧街夜市 supposedly opens at 4pm. That was why we took the break and started walking over at 4pm. In Taipei, we did alot of walking.. to me, it was fantastic.. burning off what we consumed. *lol*

When we found the street, we were alittle disappointed. IT was a short stretch of food stalls, that was it. But we were pretty glad we went and saw it rather than waited until all stores open.
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The man has quick thinking... he led me to the train station and we went towards 龍山寺station. When we got out of the station.. we saw a majestic temple.

This is the famous 龍山寺.
The reason why J took me here was because there is a night market right beside it.

We crossed the road beside the temple and there was a stretch of food stores. We stopped by to have our dinner. *eat again?*

My 排骨脆面 and his Oyster Egg...

The dinner with a drink we bought from another stall only cost us NT$140 (SGD6.4). I did not like the Oyster Egg as there was gravy and I don't like soggy stuff...

After the dinner, we made a short walk to the actual night market - 華西街觀光夜市.


This night market was pretty eerie to me. It is mainly a foodstreet and has a history of more than 50 years of selling mostly tonic food, Chinese herbal food, crafts, commodities and gourmet snacks. Seafood cuisine is also popular here. Other special features that attract large crowds are the Chinese herbal cuisine cooked with snake, foot massage shops, healthoriented spa. They really have live snakes and turtles and they'd show you how the skinning is done and all.

I did not like this night market.
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It was time to rest. We took a NT$75 (SGD3.40) taxi back to the hotel to freshen up for, yet another, round 2.

We walked over to 西門町 again at 8.30pm. Never ending walking, Never-tiring hubby!

J finally decided to have 阿宗面线! Madness! It was madness!! The queue was long, there weren't tables or seats.. everybody was eating it on foot!!!!!!!


As you can see.. they were all just standing around the street and enjoying their 阿宗面线. I didn't like it. J is also not a noodle or 面线 person but he'd just wanted to eat where the queue was and it was only NT$45 (SGD2.05)! *well done*

And me, not a fan of eating on foot.

So it was my turn for ICE again just a turn from the 面线 store.

Whoa!! My Mango Ice with Mango Ice Cream and his Chocolate Ice.. all for BT$130(SGD5.90).
The table next to us was sharing a bucket full of ICE!! A bunch of youngsters; about 8-9 of them digging their spoons into the bucket! HUGE BUCKET! Don't they ever get tummyaches?????

And of course before we make our way back after the 面线 and after my ice, we walked around and J got his 香香鸡 again and this time I'd managed the shot! *lol*


We were back in the hotel by 10.30pm. I was flat out cold again.