上海老街 SHANGHAI OLD STREET

上海老街 Shànghǎi lǎo jiē, also known as Shanghai Old Street is a 825 meter long shopping village with architecture dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties. Besides 田子坊 Tian Zi Fang, Shanghai Old Street is also a great place for souvenirs. Great is an understatement. It’s literally eye-boggling. Where in Shanghai are…

新华红星国际广场 Xin Hua Red star International Plaza

新华 xin1 hua3 name of an official Chinese news agency 红星 hong2 xing1 red star 国际 guo2 ji4 international 广场 shi4 chang3 marketplace One of the most extravagant malls I’ve been to in Shanghai was 新华红星国际市场. My friends who are locals in the city wanted to show me a cool bookstore that was hidden somewhere…

南京夫子庙秦淮风光带 Nanjing Confucian Temple & Qin Huai Scenic Spot

夫子庙 Fu Zi Miao, also known as the Confucius temple is located in Nanjing’s Qinhuai District. The surrounding area is called 江南公园 Jiangnan Gongyuan, these streets are bustling with businesses such as snack bars, restaurants, tourist shops, museums, and tea cafes. Here are some goodies I bought: 1. Clear noodles with shredded carrots & cucumber,…

西贝莜面村 Xī Bèi Restaurant

西贝莜面村 (武林银泰店) (Xī bèi yóu miàn cūn) is a Chinese restaurant that opened in the eastern suburbs of 临河 Linhe city that specializes in Mongolian cow meat fresh off the bone. After arriving in Hangzhou, my friend and I decided to try this place out besides most of the other restaurants were closed. We were…

回民街 Muslim Quarters in Xi’an

回民街 Muslim Quarters in Xi’an is one of the first night markets I have seen during my stay in mainland China. Similarly to any night market, there are plenty of food vendors and souvenir stores set up alongside the streets. In addition, this place is crowded, so be prepared to wait in line for your…

Biang Biang Noodles in Xi’an!

Biang Biang Noodles remind me of a bigger version of wide, flat noodles that are only single stranded. Yes, Biang Biang as a name for a dish seems a bit odd, some might even say unauthentic. Actually, the term “Biang biang” has been theorized to originate from various sources. From being invented in the Qing…

菜豚屋 Vege Teji Ya

菜 Cài dish (type of food), vegetable, cuisine 豚 tún suckling pig 屋 wū house, room My Taiwanese friends treated me to this place 菜豚屋 Vege Teji Ya during my last few days in Taiwan. Honestly one of the best Korean barbecue spots in Taipei. The staff are super friendly and the portions this restaurant…

Takoyaki 蛸焼 たこ焼き

Takoyaki 蛸焼 is a very popular street food delicacy among the night markets in Taiwan. Cooked with wheat-flour based batter, topped off with octopus flakes, tempura, pickled ginger, and green onions. Originally from Japan, ‘Yaki is derived from “yaku“ (焼く) which is one of the cooking methods in Japanese cuisine, meaning “to fry or grill”, and can be…

TAJ 泰姬印度餐廳 Indian Restaurant in 台北

As much as I love Taiwanese food, I miss all the other multicultural delicacies in my life. Food gives chefs an opportunity to show off their culture through the different spices, ingredients, and flavors. I appreciate diversity in food over bland American food on any given day. Indian food for example. So. Many. Spices. Indian…

Longmen Restaurant L in Taipei Zoo | 龍門客棧

When my Taiwanese friend and I were exploring the Taipei zoo, we rode the sky tram / gondola (貓空). After 5-10 minutes of scenic beauty, we got off and walked to the Wenshan District (文山區). It’s a cute part of Southern Taipei secluded from all the busy city life. Since my friend is a local,…