Travel
Taipei’s Creative Southern European Cuisine: A Plentiful Seafood Fleet & Bread Boat Platter
This time, DaKou wants to share a hidden gem tucked away in Taipei’s alleyways — “Cosy Cote,” a restaurant specializing in Southern European cuisine. “Cosy Cote” means “a comfortable nest,” aiming to make every guest feel at home, relaxed, and at ease. The spot mainly offers specialties from Portugal and Spain.
Korean Air’s Inaugural “Taipei–Busan” Flight Departs at 11 AM, Perfect for Sleep-Lovers
Busan, located in the southeastern part of South Korea, is the country’s second-largest city, boasting beautiful seascapes and mountain views. It is also home to an international film festival and attracts a large number of tourists every year. To meet the travel needs of passengers from Taiwan and South Korea, Korean Air officially launched the “Taipei–Busan” direct flight route on the 25th, operated by a B737-800 aircraft. The flight offers a total of 12 business class seats and 126 economy class seats, providing travelers with a comfortable journey.
Alternative Travel in Turkey: 3D Exploration of Historical Sites Launched
With the opening of Turkish Airlines routes, travelers now have more opportunities to visit Turkey, a country at the crossroads of European and Asian civilizations, and experience many millennia-old sites firsthand. The excavation project of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, located in western Turkey, was completed in 2015. It is one of the world’s largest marble heritage sites and the birthplace of multiple civilizations.
Kick off with a $100,000 giveaway—Eastern Travel’s year-end party turns wild with cosplay and hot dances
Welcoming the Year of the Monkey in 2016, Eastern Travel held its annual year-end dinner party tonight (January 26), where enthusiastic employees showed up in dazzling costumes. The event featured major prizes such as flight tickets and cash rewards worth tens of thousands of dollars, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
First Flight Sale on 27th — Tigerair Taiwan’s Tokyo/Ibaraki Tickets from NT$999
Following the announcement by Ibaraki Airport in Japan about Tigerair Taiwan’s upcoming launch, the airline has officially confirmed that it will commence flights on the Taipei–Tokyo (Haneda) and Taipei–Ibaraki routes starting March 11 and March 15, respectively, making it the first national carrier to operate flights to Ibaraki. To celebrate the launch, inaugural one-way fares start as low as NT$999.
146 vendors gather together for a lively event – Tainan Xinhua Lunar New Year Street Market opens on the 31st!
The 2016 Tainan Xinhua Lunar New Year Street Market kicks off from January 31 to February 6 in Xinhua Old Street. This year, there are a total of 146 stalls. To make it easier for consumers to shop for Lunar New Year goods, the market is divided into four sections by category for the first time – dried goods, festive items, gifts, and snacks. The public can visit Tainan’s Xinhua area for fun and enjoy the experience of purchasing New Year supplies.
They're all super popular in Japan — which do you prefer, Garrett or KuKuRuZa?
Popular popcorn brands from Japan have been making their way to Taiwan one after another. Garrett Popcorn is a renowned popcorn shop from Chicago, USA, famous for its flavors passed down since 1949. After being introduced to Japan, it quickly became a huge hit. In December last year (2015), it opened its first store in Taiwan at Taipei 101. Meanwhile, KuKuRuZa originates from Seattle, with its Omotesando branch also attracting long queues. Its first store in Taiwan is located at the Mitsui Outlet Park in Linkou, opening on January 25. Both are specialty American-style popcorn shops — which one do you like more?
8%ice Ice Cream – 100 NTD All-You-Can-Eat on the 30th, Limited Time Only
Good news for all you office workers out there. To accommodate the 9-day Spring Festival holiday, Saturday, January 30th, will be a make-up workday. It’s always a bit of a downer to have to work on what should be a great holiday. But don’t worry — Italian gelato shop 8%ice is hosting an “All-You-Can-Eat Gelato Night” on the evening of the 30th, where you can enjoy as much ice cream as you want for just 100 NTD.
HowToTrip Launches New Shared Stone Pot Hot Pot and Snow View Hot Pot for Two, Plus an Emperor Crab Reunion Meal
Taiwanese people enjoy hot pot regardless of the season, but to win public favor, businesses spare no effort in introducing a variety of delicious dishes and high-quality ingredients. HowToTrip’s hot pot brand “Ju” (聚) has launched three new dishes designed for two people to share, including the hearty “Hokkaido Ishikari Hot Pot” and the “Hokkaido Yukimi Hot Pot.” The Hokkaido Ishikari Hot Pot is a local fisherman’s dish from Hokkaido, featuring salmon paired with various seafood, while the Hokkaido Yukimi Hot Pot is a Japanese-style hot pot specially developed by the chef, made with plenty of mashed white radish and a rich pork bone and kelp broth.
Exclusive weekly Tuesday offer at 1Bite2Go Xinyi Branch in February: Buy one steak, get one free
To welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year, 1Bite2Go Café & Deli, the American-style à la carte restaurant under Ambassador Hotel, is launching a “Buy One Get One Free on Premium U.S. Grade Steaks” promotion every Tuesday in February at 1Bite2Go Xinyi Branch. Customers who order either the Char-Grilled Ribeye Steak or the Char-Grilled New York Strip Steak will receive a complimentary voucher for a Char-Grilled New York Strip Steak (valid for next visit only, redeemable until 2016/4/30).
Authentic Hakka cuisine in Miaoli – super savory red-braised q" meat and perilla stir-fried duck
Previously, while chatting with Boss Xu after a meal at Shanshihuan Vegetarian Restaurant, I mentioned that I wanted to try authentic Hakka food in Miaoli. Being from Sanyi, he recommended this place called Xiangyuan. He wasn’t just saying it – he had actually planned to take me there on this trip to Miaoli. The storefront looked renovated, and we got lucky that day. When we arrived during mealtime, it seemed like there were plenty of empty tables, but upon entering, we saw they were all marked with reservation signs. Just as one table was about to finish, we waited about 10 minutes and finally got a seat.
Turns out travel is amazing!
“Travel not only makes you happy but also healthier”—this is definitely not just a line from tourism promoters, but the result of scientific research. According to a report compiled by the UK’s Daily Mail based on the Pan American Retirement Study, this study shows that taking holidays can reduce the risk of heart attacks and depression, as well as activate the brain.
Fish, fried chicken, beef—all piled in for a jaw-dropping jumbo burger!
[Taichung Zhongzheng First Street Zhongyou Department Store Brunch Burger] ALL-IN BAO Ku: A vibrant and youthful casino-style vibe!! Delicious hot burgers and super hearty brunch with unbeatable value—highly recommended~ One weekend evening, we came back for another satisfying feast!! We ordered two "jaw-dropping" super-filled burgers and a cheese spicy sausage burger, leaving us full and happy once again~ XD
See Japan’s Three Great Gardens and Three Major Waterfalls in One Trip – Vanilla Air Launches Flights to Ibaraki in March
There’s a new Japanese route from a low-cost carrier. Vanilla Air is set to officially launch flights between Taipei and Ibaraki starting March 15, becoming Taiwan’s first low-cost airline to operate this route.
Mitsui Outlet Park’s food street packed on opening day; KANEKO HANNOSUKE extremely popular
Mitsui Outlet Park MITSUI OUTLET PARK officially opened today (27th). While a few stores are still under construction, most brands have started operations, drawing even larger crowds than during the previous trial days. The food street, in particular, was bustling, with KANEKO HANNOSUKE and Udon Miyamoto Gifu Udon being the most sought-after. Long queues formed as early as opening until 3 PM, so those wanting to try these two must be prepared.
The best ones have become popular from central and southern Taiwan all the way to Taipei! Top 10 popular bubble tea shops handpicked for you
Bubble tea has a charm that makes people want to take a sip no matter the time. Some netizens even say that the birthplace of bubble tea is in the "south." Many of the popular bubble tea shops in Taipei actually originated in the south, where they first gained fame before expanding to Taipei. Even after moving north, they remain hugely popular. ETtoday EVA Air Travel Cloud has selected 10 bubble tea shops that started in central and southern Taiwan—so much so that you might exclaim, What?! So they’re all from central and southern Taiwan?
Reach the summit 20 minutes faster！ New cable car on the Jungfrau Railway to be completed in 2018
The Swiss Jungfrau Railway is introducing new facilities. In the future, travelers heading to the Jungfraujoch will have the option of taking a brand-new cable car on certain routes, in addition to the existing railway. This will reduce total travel time by 20 minutes and offer stunning views of the continuous mountain peaks before reaching the Jungfraujoch.
Dozens of sky lanterns will rise for love!“The 2016 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” kicks off during the Lunar New Year
The “2016 New Taipei City Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival” will take place on February 11, 14, and 22. In addition to announcing traffic control and shuttle bus information for those three days, the New Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau has also unveiled the brand-new giant “Heart to Heart” main lantern, standing at 20TN in height, which will be launched on Valentine’s Day, February 14.
Pan Cake You Can Make at Home: Chocolate & Baumkuchen Made Easy
Are people without an oven doomed to never enjoy cakes or desserts? With just a common frying pan, you can easily make 80 kinds of cakes and sweets. Not only common treats found in recipe books, but also many popular baked goods on the market—like honey cake, Boston pie, Swiss roll, baumkuchen, cheesecake, half-baked concave cake, thick pancakes… and more. Even without an oven, you can start your baking journey now!