Table of Contents
Day 10 – Exploring Ximending
Breakfast
We decided to not to try the food at the breakfast truck (chargeable) at Roaders Plus, opting instead to order from Uber Eats, which offered a many choices. However, I made a blunder and mistakenly sent the food to our hotel in Taichung! Unable to cancel the order, I decided to gift it to the rider, and judging by her voice, i am glad i brightened her day. No choice but I have reordered to the correct hotel this time. We enjoyed our breakfast in the lobby on level 4 while the kids played in the playground. It seems the hotel in Taipei is an attraction in itself, given the amount of time we spent there!
Lunch at Ding Tai Fung
Once the boys were satisfied with their finds, we decided to head to Ding Tai Fung for lunch. Arriving around 2pm, we patiently waited for our turn, which took another 30 minutes. Fortunately, there’s an app available for download where you can check your queue number, allowing you to shop around while waiting. The prices were definitely more budget-friendly than in Singapore, and we indulged in our usual favorites, the fried rice and chicken soup, which was exceptionally delicious. Perhaps it was the joy of being overseas, but everything seemed to taste even better than usual.
Din Tai Fung Mitsukoshi Nanxi Restaurant Taipei
Address – 104, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongshan District, Nanjing W Rd, 12號B2
Opening Hours – Monday to Thursday – 11am to 8.30pm, Friday – 11am to 9pm, Saturday – 10.50am to 9pm, Sunday – 10.50am to 8.30pm
Afternoon Tea at Miacucina Fuxing
After that while the boys napped, we walked around the mall and then stumbled upon this cafe called Miacucina Fuxing Restaurant which serves contemporary Italian cuisine to recharge and even though i was full, i couldn’t resist ordering a ice cream waffles! .When we left at 6pm, the restaurant was packed with dinner crowd and a queue was forming outside, waiting for a table.
Miacucina Fuxing Restaurant
Address: No. 11, Lane 107, Section 1, Fuxing S Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, Sunday – 11am to 9.30pm, Friday and Sunday – 11am to 10pm
Shopping at Ximending
Today is shopping day so we planned to just spend the day around ximending area which was walkable from our hotel. We walked along the underground mall and was stucked there for a long time because the whole mall was lined with gacha machines.
After the boys woke up from their nap, we walked over to ximending. This pedestrian-friendly area is filled with trendy shops, boutiques, and street food stalls. We bought most of our snacks from cherry grandfather which was recommended by my sister. It made a good gift to bring back to share with your colleagues because its halal! We bought so much that the store gave us a carton box for us to pack and check in at the airport. We basically snack around ximemding and was too full for a proper dinner. We ended up at 7-11 and bought ready made meals which was so delicious ! I am so going to miss Taiwan 7-11 when i get back! 😋 oh yes and did I mention that mister donut was so much cheaper at Taiwan that the kids literally ate it everyday! 6 donuts for like NT100 which was like sgd4?
Day 11 – Shopping Day (again)
Today we planned to go Dan shui but after getting stuck in the hotel again because of the playground, we decided to shelves the plans because the whole journey will take around 2 hours. We decided to just walk around the hotel vicinity again and landed at this toy shop.
101 Toy Kingdom
No. 143號, Chang’an W Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11am to 8.30pm
We decided that we need a coffee fix and was attracted by the coffee smell floating out from Cama Cafe.
Shopping and Dinner at Q Square Mall
We then had macdonald for lunch before proceeding to Q square mall which was a decent sized shopping center with many retail and dining shops and even a cinema ! Of course we didn’t have time for a show! While the boys napped, we went shopping and ended up spending most of our time at the supermarket.
When the boys awoke, it was time for dinner. We went Eatogether at the same mall, which was a buffet spot we found on Klook, which turned out to be quite a hit with locals as well! The buffet runs from 5:30 to 9:30 pm, and at SGD$40 per person, it’s a steal considering its vast array of international cuisine. Plus, it includes free-flowing non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, easily worth more than SGD$100 per person elsewhere. My only gripe was the crowds, as the restaurant’s big seating capacity led to long queues at popular stations. After a quick last-minute shopping spree in Ximending, we returned to the hotel where the boys insisted on some bathtub fun before winding down for the night, while we, the tired parents, begrudgingly started packing our luggage.
Qsquare Mall Eatogether
Address: 103, Taiwan, Taipei City, Datong District, Section 1, Chengde Rd, 1號, Q Square Mall, 4樓
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11.30am to 2pm, 2.30pm to 4.30pm, 5.30pm to 9.30pm
Day 12 – Home Sweet Home
It’s hard to believe that our time here has flown by so quickly, and today we’re flying back home. While waiting for our Uber Eats order, we packed our suitcases in preparation for departure. After completing our check-out, we followed our usual routine of enjoying a meal while the kids had fun in the playground.
Our airport transfer, booked through Klook, arrived promptly at 11 am, and we reached the airport around 11:45 am. Check-in was smooth, and we proceeded to the airport lounge to await boarding. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food offered compared to other Priority Pass lounges we’ve visited in different countries. I particularly enjoyed the braised pork rice (卤肉饭). The boys also indulged in some finger foods and their favorite fruit juices.
We lingered too long in the lounge, resulting in a frantic rush to catch the final boarding call. Thankfully, the flight was uneventful, and we were relieved when the boys napped after their meal. Contrary to our first flight with Hengboi2 at 4 months old to Penang, where he cried non-stop during takeoff and landing, he was much easier to handle now at 2 years old, especially since he had his own seat (ouch, my pocket). I’m already eagerly anticipating our next adventure!