It has been 10 years since our last trip to Taiwan covering destinations such as Tainan, Chiayi, Changhua, Miaoli，Zhunan and Taoyuan. Yup, in our younger days, we’d try to squeeze in as much as we could, trying to see, experience and eat as much as we were able to during our holidays. However, with this trip with the family to Taipei, we were able to see and experience Taipei deeper – stopping to “smell the roses” and not be too rushed to move from one stop to the next.
Scoot Flight from Singapore to Taipei
This morning, thanks to 2nd Uncle, who picked us up at 610, we were able to reach T1 at 630am with Cousin M. Using one of the self check-in machines, we were able to get our boarding passes quickly and strangely enough, there was a verification counter nearby. We handed over our tickets and it was checked in a jiffy.
With the new roll out of immigration system without passport at Changi Airport, we were able to enter the transit area, just with a facial recognition check. Really cool stuff! Reminded us of sci-fi movies like Minority Report / Back to the Future, which is now all a reality – well, of course, with the exception of the hoverboard that is…
Thanks to the complimentary Priority Passes with DBS Vantage Card, all three of us were able to enter SATS for their laksa as well as Plaza Premium Lounge for the chicken rice and draft beer…
After a quick lounge-hopping session and catching up with M, we left Plaza Premium Lounge at 810am, in time for our 845am flight but as it turns out, when we arrived at gate 38, we were shocked (for Kate) / surprised (for Tom) to be told that the gate has closed! We were then told that the gate was closed for another flight and our flight had been changed to gate 42! Phew! Thankfully, we still boarded in time at gate 42 eventually.
However, due to many flights leaving at the same time, we only left the tarmac at 930am. Oh wells. You know what they say – “rush to wait, wait to rush”…😅 The flight was 4.5 hours and we reached at about 2pm. There were some slight turbulence but it was still not too bad on the Scoot flight.
As we booked early, our return flight from Singapore to Taipei on Scoot was originally $305.5 per person – which was not too bad. However, due to our own change of schedule, we had to make some adjustments to our flight to return early, paying a total of $521.5 per person instead. Still, the flight was actually quite comfortable with new seats and as tall people, we could actually stretch out our legs which was a good thing. During the flight, we also bought a travel adaptor for $27, slightly cheaper than Tao Bao.
@2bearbeartravel Taipei Trip 2024 Day 1 Highlights – Scoot flight from Singapore to Taipei – High Speed Rail from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei – Niu Dian Beef Noodles – Fong Da Coffee – Huaxi Street Night Market #taiwan #taipei #trip #travel #day1 #dayone #niudian #beefnoodles #fongdacoffee #huaxistreetnightmarket #nightmarket #highspeedrail #travel #traveler #traveling #traveltiktok #travellife #traveltok #traveltheworld ♬ son original – Spoticlip
First Night at Ti Hwa Hotel Taipei
From Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station, we took the Airport Express Train for 165NT or ~$7. Thereafter, we took the TRA to Wan Hua Station (15 NT or $0.7 SGD). The walk from Wan Hua TRA to Ti Hwa Hotel was just 10 minutes away. Staying at Ti Hwa Hotel on the first night also gave us some cost savings as compared to Caesar Metro Taipei ($60 compared to $125) – also, Ti Hwa was also just a 10 minutes walk away to Caesar Metro Taipei, allowing us to check-in with ease the next day.
We were actually pleasantly surprised by our room at Ti Hwa Hotel. The room was clean and bathroom amenities such as toothbrush, shower gel and towels were all provided. Moreover, our room happened to have an unblocked view to the mountains as ell. The only downside was that the TV was not working but Kate managed to get it up the next morning. Wifi was good.
@2bearbeartravel Taking the High Speed Rail (Airport Express) from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City. Thereafter, changing to the TRA to Wan Hua Station in the direction of Miao Li. For more details, visit 2bearbear.com Today! #travel #highspeedrail #taiwan #taipei #hsr #tra #airportexpress #taoyuan #taoyuaninternationalairport #airport #taipeimainstation #airporttransfer ♬ When I Come Back – Ben Goldstein
Niu Dian Beef Noodles (牛店) with Michelin Bib Gourmand
After a quick wash-up, we headed to our first stop for the day – Niu Dian (牛店), for some Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Beef Noodles…
The walk from Ti Hwa Hotel to Niu Dian Beef Noodles (牛店) was about 10 minutes by foot. That’s where we RVed M for our dinner this evening. As you can see from the exterior of Niu Dian Beef Noodles (牛店) in Taipei, its entrance is actually frosted, leaving a hint of mystery to new visitors like us. There are no waiting staff outside. The only way to gain entry is to get a queue ticket dispensed from the machine at its entrance.
The other thing that you may wish to note is that they are opened at 2 timings daily (closed on Mondays):
11:30am to 2pm
5pm to 7pm
This means that the “first seating” would be at 11:30am and 5pm respectively. We arrived at about 5:10pm and everyone were in for the “first seating”. Hence, after getting our queue tickets, we were still only able to enter when people from the “first seating” exited from about 5:35pm onwards. So if you arrive at the opening hour, get your queue tickets and go do shopping in the vicinity and your table should be ready about 30 minutes from the opening timeslot. (i.e. ~12pm and 5:30pm respectively).
The rendition of Beef Noodles at Niu Dian has 2 unique factors. Firstly, there are 2 versions of the soup offered here – the Traditional Clear Soup (清燉) and the Braised Soup (红焼). However, do not be fooled by the “clear” version which has been sweetened and enriched by the combination of Australian short ribs as well as the local cow bones. Secondly, they also drizzle on their signature spicy bone marrow oil, extracted by cooking the bones for many hours over. Together, you’ll get a familiar yet elevated version of this Taiwanese local dish.
This time, we had the Combination Specialty Beef Noodles (Beef Shank + Tendon + Tripe – 300NT) as well as the Spicy Pepper Beef Noodles (220NT) to try out both the soup and dry noodles as well as the different cuts of beef offered here. As for the soup, we went with the Braised Soup – the version that we’ve been longing for since we arrived in Taiwan. At Niu Dian, their homemade chili and tea/water are complimentary.
While the soup was definitely tasty, we found the dry version to be particularly tasty. Perhaps it was the magic of the spicy bone marrow oil that permeated the additional fragrance along with the peppery taste in the dry version. As for the beef, all 3 cuts were excellent. Well braised and tender – even the tripe with its beautiful honeycomb shape, was tender and not rubbery as well. We found the portion of beef for the dry version to be very generous as well. Great tasting beef overall! 😋
@2bearbeartravel Niu Dian Beef Noodles at Wan Hua District – Michelin Bib Gourmand. Delicious and tender beef! 😋 Enjoyed both the braised soup and dry peppery / spicy versions! #niudian #niudianbeefnoodles #beefnoodles #taiwan #taiwanbeefnoodles #taipei #michelin #bibgourmand #牛店 ♬ nhạc nền – Đức Bin ( chill music )
Traditional Coffee at Fong Da Coffee Taipei (蜂大咖啡)
Nearby, M took us to Fong Da Coffee where we noticed a few cool things about this coffee joint. Firstly, it looked REALLY traditional. It seemed as though the venue was frozen in time, giving you a really authentic feel to the coffee scene in Taiwan. Secondly, it roasts its own coffee and blends. If you’re walking past the shop when the staff is topping up its coffee beans in the drawers, you can smell the enticing coffee bean aromas. Thirdly, you’ll be able to find snacks at the front of its store. These include favourites like peanut cakes, mung bean cake, egg rolls and more! This time, we had the F.D. Iced Coffee for 100NT while M had the syphon coffee – both were delectable!
@2bearbeartravel Love the traditional vibes at Fong Da Coffee. You’ll be able to try out different roasted coffee beans, brewed in different styles including syphon coffee, paired with traditional cookies! Shiok! For more details, visit 2bearbear.com today! #coffee #brewedcoffee #fongdacoffee #蜂大咖啡 #icedcoffee #icecoffee #taipei #taiwan #travel #traveltiktok #travellife #traveltok #traveling #traveler #traveltheworld ♬ yes or no_kpp – 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓴𝔂ᡣ𐭩
Huaxi Street Night Market (華西街觀光夜市)
To burn off some calories, we did what most people would do before, during or after dinners in Taiwan – that is to shop at one of Taipei’s many night markets! This evening, we headed to stroll down the streets at Huaxi Street Night Market (華西街觀光夜市) which had covered areas with shops and restaurants. There were massage joints and nail spa salons as well. We then continued our walk to Mengjia Night Market (艋舺夜市)…
At Mengjia Night Market (艋舺夜市), you’ll be able to find rows of street food! You’ll be able to find Taiwan night market street foods like sweet potato balls, Taiwanese fried chicken, spring onion pancakes and more! This time, we went for the mountain pig sausage (40NT) which was individually grilled and it was so fragrant and delicious! Salivating as we write this post! Washed down with a freshly blended papaya milkshake at 60NT.
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@2bearbeartravel Visited Huaxi Street Night Market and there’s so much to do and eat! You’ll be able to find a couple of bib gourmands here, do up your nails, enjoy a massage and of course, try out the many street foods on offer here! For more details, visit 2bearbear.com Today! #nightmarket #taipeinightmarket #huaxinightmarket #huaxistreetnightmarket #华西街夜市 #streetfood #bibgourmand #michelin #food #foodie #sgfoodie #travelfood #foodtravel #singaporefoodblog #singaporetravelblog #foodblog #foodblogger #travel #traveltiktok #travellife #traveltok #traveling #traveler ♬ Good Time – Platinum Party
We hope you have enjoyed our day 1 of travels in Taipei, coupled with some rather specific video instructions on getting from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei. Stay tuned as we continue to check out the sights, sounds and FOOD in Taipei in the next few days!
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