A Flavorful First Day in Taiwan: Exploring Ximending, Taipei 101, and Vibrant Night Markets

#newyearnewtrip #travelanywhere Our exciting adventure began with an early morning flight from Singapore via Scoot Airline, landing at Taoyuan International Airport. We hopped onto the Airport Express and metro, heading straight to the grand Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, where we took in the beauty and history of this iconic landmark. After checking into our hotel in Ximending, we couldn’t resist trying the famous Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, which was just as flavorful as promised. We complemented this with our very first bubble tea in Taiwan from Oolong Tea Project—it was a refreshing start to our culinary journey. Next, we ventured to Yongkang Street, joining the long line for Tian Jin Onion Pancake. Its chewy texture and irresistible flavor left us craving more. We then made our way to Hao Kung Tao Chin Chi Yuan (Da'an), where we savored shrimp dumplings, juicy xiaolongbao, and crispy fried chicken with noodles—each bite was a burst of flavor. For a sweet treat, we stopped by Private House Strawberry (私房草莓) for an indulgent strawberry smoothie ice cream that was smooth, creamy, and packed with fresh fruit flavor. We then took the metro to Taipei 101, admiring the towering skyscraper from ground level. While we didn’t go up to the observatory due to the long queue, we grabbed another bubble tea from Tao Tao Tea and marveled at the iconic structure. Our exploration continued at the Sisinan Village Museum, where we experienced the charming contrast of old village sights with Taipei 101 in the backdrop. At Huian Park, we found a peaceful spot with stunning views of Taipei 101, and Takemura Izakaya provided an excellent photo opportunity, capturing the beauty of the tower. As night fell, we visited Linjiang and Tonghua Night Markets. At Old Shop Tainan Yi Mian (老店頭台南意麺), we tasted their unique black sesame noodles and dumpling noodles, which were bursting with flavor. For dessert, we had chewy homemade tangyuan from Yu Pin Yuan, served on shaved ice—refreshing and perfectly sweet. To cap off our day, we returned to Ximending and enjoyed an early supper at King Pork Wan Nian Store. The specialty fried pork chop and luroufan were simply outstanding, marking a perfect end to our first day in Taiwan. #taiwan #myitinerary #travel #couplestrip