OMG!!! Time flies!!! With only two days left, we had to prioritize our list, again. First thing on the list, and a must, was to pick up some tea...yup, Chinese tea.
UnclePing and MomM took us to Shenkeng District 深坑區, a town in a rural area of New Taipei City 新北市. Formerly a mining town, Shenkeng District 深坑區 is now well-known for its tofu...yup, for tofu...those soft white blocks of soy bean curds...yum!
Since we're here, it made sense for us to try the town's specialty...tofu. MomM and I picked a restaurant that was recently renovated and had air-conditioner (Buddha Boy's only request).
Our main purpose coming to Shenkeng District 深坑區 was to buy tea from UnclePing's friend who owns a large tea farm in central Taiwan (Nantou County 南投縣). We learned a lot about Taiwanese tea art and culture. Many non-Taiwanese tea-drinkers (or self-proclaimed "tea experts") think Dongfang Meiren Tea 東方美人茶 (Oriental Beauty Tea) is considered higher-end tea in Taiwan. This is not true. Dongfang Meiren Tea 東方美人茶 (Oriental Beauty Tea) is only expensive because it's an organic tea, but the tea quality itself is actually not the greatest. In fact, local tea-farmers and tea-experts regard Dongfang Meiren Tea 東方美人茶 (Oriental Beauty Tea) as Bluffing Tea 吹牛茶 (膨風茶) because it can easily fool people.
After tea-shopping, MomM wanted Stinky Tofu Skewer 串燒臭豆腐. We got in line with only two customers before us. Soon after MomM ordered, all of sudden a crowd showed up. According to MomM, this street cart usually has a long lineup...I guess we got lucky!
Octopus and I were couldn't stop laughing when we saw this restaurant's sign showcasing "Presidents Meal 總統餐". All the dishes on this menu were named (with play on words) after Taiwan's past and present presidents or higher government officials. Funny but creative.
One thing I really wanted to try was the Tofu Ice-Cream 豆腐冰淇淋. Three for $100TWD (approximately $3.33CAD)...not cheap for Taiwan standards. Oh well, remember, we're tourists!!!
After tofu town, UnclePing dropped off the four of us at 無極圓善堂 before heading back home to Banqiao District 板橋區. We met up with BigPole and LittleSam for a final trip to "underworld".
This street stall was once Buddha Boy's ATF place for salty crispy chicken 鹽酥雞. Unfortunately, change of ownership means change of quality and change of quantity...
After "underworld", LittleSam took the transit back to company dorm in Taoyuan County 桃園縣 while BigPole drove the four of us to Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 before heading back home to Yilan County 宜蘭縣. As of December 25, 2011, the temporary food market at Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 permanently closed its doors when the new market opened to the public. The new basement air-conditioned food court has ninety-four stalls and features approximately 80% of the merchants from the old temporary building (the other 20% merchants opted to stay on the streets near the new food court entrance).
Since we're in Shilin Night Market 士林夜市, we gotta visit Buddha Boy's favorite stall for Coffin Bread 棺材板. Good as always, crispy bread with sweet and savory fillings...mmm...we should have ordered more!!!
While Buddha Boy and I were munching on coffin bread, MomM and Octopus each picked up an order of Glutinous Rice Sausage with Taiwanese Sausage 大腸包小腸...okay, its direct transaltion would be, literally, "Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage"...OMG...speechless...
This was some kind of roti bread with pork, lettuce and julienne cuts of vegetables. The name, Crispy Skin Rolled Pastry 脆皮捲餅, in Chinese, was the same as the one we had at the military dependents' village 眷村 in Kaohsiung City 高雄市 (see post 2012-07-04 Day 06 @ Taiwan). The two were quite different but both were good in its own ways.
What I was looking for at Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 was something that most of you would go..."Ewww!" Yup, I was looking for the Pig Brain Soup 豬腦湯. With the options of with or without sesame oil, I opted for latter. MomM kept on making faces as I took every bite...hehehehe! :p
The brain soup stall didn't really feature anything catchy for the rest of the group, so we opted to sit and ordered more food at the stall right across from it.
A juice stop for MomM, Buddha Boy and Octopus. I shared with all three of them because I knew one of them wouldn't be able to finish his/her cup. Octopus' Honey & Bitter Melon Juice 蜂蜜苦瓜汁 was surprisingly yummy!
You'd figure after Shilin Night Market 士林夜市, our next stop would be home? Of course not!!! We're leaving tomorrow night and I need to visit as many places as possible!!! Hahahaha! Our next stop was a 24-hour hole-in-the-wall that was featured on Super Taste 食尚玩家.
First of the two features that brought us here to Matsu Noodles 四鄉五島馬祖麵店 was the Black Sesame Dry Noodles 黑麻麵. The was not the prettiest dish but every bite of the al-dente noodles was full with black sesame fragrance. This was good.
The other featured dish was the Black-Hearted Dumplings 黑心水餃. With only pork and black sesame as the filling, these dumplings won our hearts. This was unique, different, and most importantly, delicious!
We got home around 1am and began packing. Okay, properly speaking, I began packing (with some help from Octopus and Buddha Boy, but later both passed out like piggies). I managed to finish all the packing at approximately 6am. Oh, btw, that box of metal rack was not part of our luggage. :p
