Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwan. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Seasonal Tastes @ The Westin Singapore - A Taste of Taiwan

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For a limited period of 10 days only (6-10 March and 13-17 March 2016), Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Singapore will bring the taste of Taiwan to Singapore. Playing host to W Taipei's Sous Chef Daniel who will be preparing authentic dishes from his home city on top of the International buffet spread.

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Oyster Vermicelli 4/5

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Oyster Egg Omelette 4/5

Mentioned Taiwan cuisine the first thought would be their popular street food. Bringing the night market snack such as the Oyster Vermicelli and Oyster Egg Omelette to the buffet table, means I need not buy an air ticket to fly to Taiwan to enjoy these well loved snack.

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Braised Beef Noodle Soup 4.2/5

The highlight of the Tasty Taiwan has to be the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. The broth was rich and flavourful with a hint of spiciness. The chewy and stringy noodle, soft beef and most important the salted vegetable made this a delicious bowl of noodle.

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Vegetable, Pork Strip, Crispy Fried Egg Soup 4/5

An interesting dish is the Vegetable, Pork Strip, Crispy Fried Egg Soup. This is a dish that I have not seen before. The thicken soup is hearty and comforting. The starchy soup reminds me of the Taiwanese Geng, soup thicken with starch. A popular street food in Taiwan.

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There are many other Taiwanese cooked dishes among the buffet spread such as the Five Spices Cold Pork Sausage, Taiwanese Run Spring Roll, Popcorn Chicken, Four Assorted String with Herbs. Fried Bee Hoon etc.

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Dragon Phoenix Leg 4/5

A classic Taiwan dish is the Dragon Phoenix Leg or simply Crispy Stuffed Pork Drumstick. Back then chicken was considered expensive, hence the local created the dish using minced pork in lieu of chicken thigh.

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Milk Tea 3.5/5

Besides the well-loved Taiwanese street food, Milk Tea is also globally popular, especially with the youth. Hence it is not surprise to see many milk tea stalls even in Singapore. Therefore it is fitting to have these popular drinks available for diners showcasing the taste of Taiwan.

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Peanut Mochi 3/5

Wrapping up the journey to Taiwan is a selection of the desserts such as The Peanut Mochi and Pineapple Cake. These are iconic Taiwan pastry even holiday makers will bring back as souvenir for friends and family members. Now you can eat to your content at Seasonal Tastes.

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Pineapple Cake 3/5

Tasty Taiwan is available for dinners only from 6-10 March and 13-17 March 2016 from 6pm to 10pm at Seasonal Tastes, Level 32 at $78++ per adult.


Seasonal Tastes
The Westin Singapore
Level 32
12 Marina View
Asia Square Tower 2
Singapore 018961
Tel: +65 69226968
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Downtown (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Downtown MRT station. Take Exit E. Turn left and walk down Marina View. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Friday, May 8, 2015

Lee's Taiwanese @ JEM

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Celebrating its 3rd anniversary, Lee's Taiwanese has refreshed its menu with the returning of old favourites and new delights. On top of that it has also introduced an a la carte buffet with a selection of over 20 dishes. The a la carte buffet is available on weekday only with free dessert and drinks. Do note that the buffet is available at JEM outlet ($16.90) from 1130am to 5pm while Star Vista outlet ($19.90) is from 3pm to 10pm.

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Pig Intestines & Meat Ball Mee Sua 4/5

Probably the very first dish that I am introduce to Taiwanese cuisine is the Pig Intestines & Meat Ball Mee Sua ($10). The version at Lee's Taiwanese is as close as the one I had in Taiwan topped with garlic, chilli and vinegar. The rice vermicelli which comes with a nice silky bite is imported from Taiwan.

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Sweet Potato Fries 3.5/5

Instead of buying an air ticket to fly to Taiwan, Lee's Taiwanese has brought the popular Taiwan street food dishes to their menu. I tried some of the street snacks such as Sweet Potato Fries ($6.90), Salt & Pepper Chicken ($6.90), Pig Intestines with Scallion ($7.50) and Crispy Chicken Chop ($7.80).

The Sweet Potato Fries has a nice thin batter coated around it, giving it a nice crispy bite. The sweet potato itself thickly cut, allowing one to appreciate its sweetness to the fullest.

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Salt & Pepper Chicken 4/5

A very enjoyable snack delight is the Salt & Pepper Chicken ($6.90). These crispy and juicy chunks of chicken meat are popping goodness that is perfect with a a glass of beer.

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Pig Intestines with Scallion 3.5/5

The Pig Intestines with Scallion ($7.50) was fried to a nice crunchy bite. The scallion stuffed into the pig intestines is a clever idea to mask the gamey taste of the innard.

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Crispy Chicken Chop 3/5

Another popular Taiwan street food dish is the Crispy Chicken Chop ($7.80). This is really a huge piece of offering on the plate. While the meat still retained the juiciness, I thought the batter was a pale shadow compare to the other Taiwanese restaurants or stalls.

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Crispy Bean Curd Rolls 3/5

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Golden Tofu with Taiwan Kimchi 3/5

Some other dishes I tried on the menu are the Crispy Bean Curd Rolls ($4.80) and Golden Tofu with Taiwan Kimchi ($4.80). Nothing much to shout about but a nice complement to the meal at Lee's Taiwanese.

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Century Egg Tofu 3/5

I am a big fan for Century Egg Tofu ($4.80) but this at Lee's Taiwanese did not manage to excite me. The whole execution felt very individual. I still miss the authentic century egg cold tofu I had in Taiwan years back.

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Signature Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup 4/5

Not to miss is the Signature Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup ($13.80) which comes with a hint of spiciness in the soup base. Severed with tender beef, salted vegetables and handmade noodles, this is a good slurping bowl of springy noodles dish.

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Braised Minced Pork Rice 4/5

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Shredded Chicken Rice 3/5

For those that needs their daily intake of rice, there are the Braised Minced Pork Rice ($9.80) and Shredded Chicken Rice ($7.80). The braised minced pork rice is really flavoured which I don't mind polishing it off. The shredded chicken rice which is so called the Taiwanese version of hainanese chicken rice will find it hard to win the palate of the local who are already used to their own authentic version in locally. However I must applauded the shallot oil that perfumed the bowl of plain looking rice which surprisingly is very fragrant and aromatic.

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Mala Spicy Stir Fry 4.2/5

It seems like Mala Guo is the latest trend and craze in Singapore. Despite the fiery spiciness of the dish, Singaporean seems to enjoy it. With that, Lee's Taiwanese has also come up with its own Taiwanese style Mala Spicy Fry (from $12.80). It also has a Mala Guo Set ($28) with appetizers and drinks that is good for 2 pax. With three different spicy levels to choose from, this is one of the most memorable new dishes that I tried.

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Signature Red Bean Ice with Yam Balls 3/5

Last but not least, the Signature Red Bean Ice with Yam Balls ($5.80) to cool off that fiery tongue after the Mala Spicy Fry. The portion is quite huge. It is perfect for sharing.

Lee's Taiwanese is one of the few Taiwan restaurant I would go to if I am looking for some authentic Taiwanese food. The quality has been pretty consistent. The new dishes look promising and the a la carte buffet is very value for money.


Lee's Taiwanese
JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#03-05/06
Singapore 608549
Tel: +65 66941588
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leestaiwanese
Website: http://www.leestaiwanese.com/
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Drirection:
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Friday, November 23, 2012

Taiwan Trip September 2012 - iTaipei Service Apartment (京站國際酒店式公寓)

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After our stay at Hualian, Taiwan, I travelled back to Taipei and stay at iTaipei Service Apartment (京站國際酒店式公寓) for a couple of days before returning to Singapore. iTaipei which is actually a residential apartment which some rooms are rented out to holiday makers like me. This is a new trend in Taiwan. The service apartment is conveniently located just opposite Taipei Main Station and on top of QSquare Shopping Mall.

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At iTaipei Service Apartment, there are several theme rooms such as French Sentiment, Purple Charm, Japanese Zen style, Amercian Neoclassicism, Paris Vogue, Grander Chinese style, Modern Bvlgari and Armani Style. We got the Modern Bvlagri room and I simply fell in love with the interior design.

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The TV can be rotated 360 degree to face either the sitting area or the bed.

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A small kitchen area if you want to prepare your own meals.

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The toilet is quite small but I am not complaining. It comes with rain shower too.

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The standard amenities are provided at the service apartment. If you need to wash your clothes, there is washing machine too.

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(photo from iTaipei website)

With its strategic location that is near to basically all the transportation, I would recommend hotel makers to consider iTaipei service apartment. In addition, it is just located above the QSquare Shopping Mall. The only inconvenient is locating the check in area for the service apartment. It is actually located outside the shopping mall near exit Y1/Y3 (beside the carpark entrance). Just overcome this obstacle and you will find that iTaipei service apartment is a nice place to stay in Taiwan and reasonable priced too.


iTaipei Service Apartment (京站國際酒店式公寓)
Website:http://www.myresort.com.tw/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/taipei.apartment
E-mail:itaipei@mail.jsl.com.tw

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Taiwan Trip September 2012 - Bayview Hotel (七星潭渡假飯店)

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Back in September 2012, I went for a 5 days trip to Taipei seizing on a 1 for 1 Jetstar air ticket promotion. Since I have been to Taipei a couple times, I decided to take a train ride down to Hualien to stay at Bayview Hotel (七星潭渡假飯店) after seeing all the beautiful photos on my friend's facebook page.

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Upon our arrival at Hualien train station, the hotel staff picked us up together with another Singaporean couple. The journey from the train station to the hotel took about 10 minutes.

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As we were still early for our check in, we went to the hotel's cafe next door to rest and wait for our check in time. We did not explore the area as we were tired after a long journey travelling on plane, train and car to the hotel.

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Stepping into the cafe, it felt as if I am in Greece. Helping ourselves to the free beverage and local snacks while we waited for our check in time.

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This is our Deluxe Family room for 4 with balcony overlooking the pacific ocean. As the Deluxe Double Room is fully booked, the hotel was very kind to offer me the Deluxe Family Room with the same rate for the Deluxe Double Room. Simply love the white and tiffany blue combination.

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This was the view of the Pacific Ocean that greeted me everyday. In the background, that's the fishing boat that will bring in freshly live catch everyday.

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The view of the popular beach, Chi Sing Tan (七星潭) was just stuning isn't it?

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Next morning after our breakfast, we rented the free bicycle from the hotel and went biking along the coastal area.

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We cycled up a hill top to catch the beautiful bird's eye view of the beach.

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Along the cycling track, we also saw lots of pineapple plant growing alongside the track.

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Moving in shore, there are many interesting buidings spotted too.

I really enjoyed my stay at Bayview Hotel at Hualien. The staffs were very friendly and helpful. The room was clean too. If you want to go to Hualien town, the staff can help you arrange a taxi for a fixed fee inclusive of return trip. Upon reaching your destination, tell the taxi driver the time and place to pick you up. You only need to pay the driver after returning back to the hotel.


Bayview Hotel (七星潭渡假飯店)
Website: http://www.hotelbayview.com.tw/english/index.html