Pot gardening in Taipei

The 内湖花市 Neihu complex is our favourite destination for shopping for plants. Part of the reason is timing as on Sunday we were at Jiufen with friends and missed the Jianguo bridge flower market. The new complex has two wings, one which sells containers and cut flowers. Second wing sells potted plants, both large and small. Doesn’t really matter where you alight from taxi as both are close by.

As it’s a wholesale market, note that it opens in the wee hours of morning and finishes sales by 1130am.

If your hungry, hop across the street to the complex next door which has a mini food court.

3 succulents for about $10. Each pot has leaves twice the size of that in Ikea. The stalls are manned by young people.

Check the website for when the 内湖花市 complex/ market closes (Sunday plus one week day a month) or its rest day. http://www.tflower.com.taipei/new_web/internet/news_detail.aspx?id=871&news_id=161

It’s not as impressive as the scale in the past but if you’ve nothing to do on a weekend and missed the Jianguo bridge or don’t like the crowd at the weekend flower market.

Address:
地址:台北市內湖區新湖三路28號.36號
電話:02-2790-9729

What to do in Taipei

I go to Taipei to immerse myself in Chinese culture. The Mormons used to send their missionary interns to Taiwan for 2 years learning mandarin. Famous interns include Jon Huntsman, former US Ambassador to China/ Singapore American Presidential candidate. 15 yes ago I would gladly go to Shanghai but now I find the pace too fast and busy for me. The remote part of Lijiang , en route to Shangrila would be the closest alternative. But Taipei presents the best combination of modern and culture.

My favourite things to do

1. Night market – one is sufficient. Raohe night market rather than Shilin. To feel the buzz. This trip as I’d visited those in Tainan and Taitung I skipped the one in Taipei.

2. Eslite store – to browse at Chinese books and lifestyle items. I go to the Hsinyi branch and the Songshan 文创. But the Tsunghsiao branch is 24hr. (Taiwanese streets are named after past leaders or Chinese values eg. Trust, loyalty or Sun Yatsen).

3. Taipei small eats 小吃. Akin to HK dimsum not necessarily night market snacks. Most originate from Tainan in the south and sold in tiny shops where the owner takes pride in cooking with quality local ingredients. Such as bean curd, rougher than the Singapore version, filled with treasures such as red beans and sweet potato balls.

4. Taiwanese restaurants like Beiping roast duck, Ding Tai Feng.

5. Day trips to Yingge for pottery, Beitou for hotspring, Jiufen to admire scenery and drink tea. Tamsui.

6. National Palace Museum
There’s no subway station at the National Palace Museum. Look out for the Jade shaped like Pork and White Cabbage. The Museum is now abuzz with PRC tourists and you’ve to queue up to catch a glimpse of the most famous artefacts. Plus they don’t allow you to take photographs anymore. You’ve to buy the books which Himself gladly did, US $100 lighter.

7. Bread –
En route to National Palace Museum in Shilin, stop by Nogomi Bakery 野上麵包店1台北, one stop after Shilin at Zhisan station (芷山). Wu Paotsun’s award winning lichee and longan bread at the Eslite Taipei Wenchuang. Although they can be purchased very conveniently at Hogan Bakery outlets around the city and at Taoyuan International airport.

8. Pot gardening plants and paraphernalia at the weekend Jianguo Flower market under the Jianguo bridge or weekday in Neihu (beside Costco).

Art of Chinese tea

9. Award winning Kavalan single malt whiskey from the airport.

10. 天厨北平考鸭. Roast

Bread, glorious bread

Man must not live on bread alone.

In Taipei, one must pay great attention to this wise saying. Or you’ll end up ballooning into the size of one.

Forget, the golden delightful pineapple nuggets. My brother said, bring back bread from a shop whose Chinese name we could not pronounce. So he gamely took a photo of the plastic bag which needed some deciphering from several friends.

When we finally walked into the shop, for a moment I thought I walked into LV in Paris. So crowded, and yes, the bread is not cheap. But there are boxes of tiny bits of samples for you to try. Freshly baked and quickly snapped up. Filled with local delights such as lychees, logan, etc.

1. Top Pot Bakery

Top Pot Bakery

 

Longan bread from Top Pot Bakery

There’re several locations, check this website for more photos:

Address:
Dun Nan (敦南)
#140, Section 2, Dun Hua S. Rd. | 台北市敦化南路二段140號1樓
02 2325 6979

2. Hogan Bakery

At Hogan, the Lichee bread as well as the Longan bread is also spectacular. As a trivia, the chef/owner won Master Baker title at the 2010 World Bakery Cup in Paris. Somehow I’m not surprised. The Taiwanese deserved to be recognised internationally for their craftsmanship.

Longan bread from Hogan

Hogan

I’ve failed to pick up the Longan bread from Hogan twice, and so my Taiwanese friend, made advance order for me.

L’s favourite is the savory Squid Ink Baguette with bits of bacon and chewy squid.

Check out this website for other photos and writeup:
Locations:
No. 18, Alley 265, Xinyi Road Section 4, Da’an District of Taipei
No. 11, Songgao Road, B2, Xinyi District of Taipei (Xinyi Eslite store)
No. 7, Xianmin Street Section 2, B1, Banciao
No. 54-10, Kangning Road Section 3, Donghu

Panda Bread at Bread Societe

BREAD SOCIETE
No. 267, XinYi Rd, Sec. 4
(02)2701-1598