WOOLLOOMOOLOO Cafe : Cafehopping in Taipei!

Cafehopping can be twice as fun when you are in a foreign country.

Especially the navigating part, but most of them were done by le mister, so lucky me.

This cafe was introduced by a fellow friend who highly recommended the place for brunch!

Once you step into the cafe, you will be welcomed by the strong aroma of coffee!

Cute idea.

It was a weekend when we arrived. 

The main area was already full house (mostly families)!

Desserts are served here too!

Like many cafes, Woolloomooloo also goes for the simple yet chic industrial interior with mainly wooden furniture pieces that are placed all over the cafe. 

Yes! The wooden horse is for kids!

We were seated at a long table shown in the photo above.

It was quite awkward because the brunch crowd came pouring in and soon after, our table was fully occupied.

Anyway, the cafe has a second level but I was too shy to venture off snapping photos like a mad woman. 

I can totally feel how civilized Taiwanese people are, so I shall not disrupt the nature.

 I then decided it's best to take my seat and order my meal. Ha!

Menu!

After a distance of travelling, we decided on cold beverages.

Iced Latte (TWD 180~S$7.50) & Iced Mocha (TWD 180 ~S$7.50).

My latte tasted abit funny so I preferred Mister's Mocha more.

Woolloomooloo Brunch Plate (TWD 350~S$15).

How can we not try the brunch plate when we are here for that meal of the day right?

And what's there not to love, when you can find everything - scrambled eggs (which were really awesome), fried tomato, roasted potato wedges (would prefer more slices!), baked beans (can I exchange this for more wedges?), avocado, onion, sauteed mushrooms, pork sausage and home-made sourdough!

Top up TWD 40 ~S$2 to change your eggs for an omelette!

Mister chose the Pizza For The Carnivore (TWD 550~S$23) which totally sounds like the right dish for him. 

The amount of meat lying there was amazingly incredible.

I only had two slices and was really really full after that. 

You should never follow the photo above.

Use your hands to deal with the pizza not the utensils!

Classic Pancakes (TWD 280 ~S$12) which is only available on weekends.

Sad to say we were quite disappointed by this one.

The portion wasn't really generous and the pancakes weren't that fluffy. 

I guess we kinda expected more since it stated this is only available on weekends.

You can't miss out a hipster cafe like this in Taipei, you just can't!

Overall, we love the environment (just not the seating arrangement) and the food faired decent!

Will re-visit if we have the chance to try the coffee again!

Woolloomooloo is around a 10-minutes walk away from the highest building 

- Taipei 101!

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>Woolloomooloo Facebook Page<
No.379, Section 4, Xinyi Road,
Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
信義路4段379號

鼎泰豐 (Din Tai Fung)'s Xiao Long Bao for you?

This could just be one of the top ten places to go when you are visiting Taiwan!

(Especially if you are a hardcore fan of XLB or going for the brand)

I've noticed that Din Tai Fung is almost a popular choice for any meal of the day here in Singapore.

Be it breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, most of the outlets will always be crowded with people.

 Alright, well here in this case, I guess it's the same for Taiwan.

There are roughly eighteen outlets here in Singapore, as compared to Taiwan, which has only nine! 

Imagine the crowd.

 Therefore, when we arrived on a weekday at the most celebrated branch at Xinyi Road (nearest station : Dongmen Station, Exit 5), we were really amazed at the crowd.

It was CHAOTIC.

Ya, I know you will be questioning, where is the crowd?

This photo was taken hours after our meal in which we waited roughly half an hour for our turn (and I find the waiting time acceptable,guess we were really lucky).

At that point of time, there were really too many people crowding around, and for safety reasons, I didn't risk bringing my camera out to take a snap of the exterior.

Most of the people were pushing around to make their way out/in to the store.

Hence, here is a tip for you guys. (I am sure you will be as lost as I am)

Just push your way through the crowd (too,be barbaric LOL) and head straight to the counter to get your queue number.

You will then receive your queue number as well as a food order list (just like in Singapore).

Fortunately, the staff were really friendly and helpful too.

Look at this adorable mascot!

When it was finally our turn, we were famished.

Saw the hectic kitchen at level one where every chef was busily at work.

We climbed up till the fourth level before we were comfortably seated at a four-seater table. 

Vinegar is a must for these little precious dumplings.

Translations shown on the menu for tourists who frequented the place.

And we also overheard a female waitress who could speak fluent Japanese to groups beside us.

Pork Xiao Long Bao (小笼包), 10 pieces at (TWD 200 ~S$8).

The favourite part has got to be the soup on the inside where it complements the skin of the dumpling as well as the pork meat wrapped altogether.

You can see why this bite-sized delicacy threw all the fans into frenzy mode.

There are also alternative fillings available for those who don't consume pork too.

And here is the Pork Ribs Noodle Soup (排骨面), in which the fried rice version won the hearts of many and one of them is me!

But I wasn't in the mood for rice at that moment, so I opted for something soupy.

Dayummm, those thick fat slices of juiciness are truly unforgettable and unbeatable.

I could just have ordered another set of meat just like that.

It's really really good.

Seemingly prawn-filled dumplings (虾肉蒸饺) which faired average.

Chinese Steamed Cake (千层油糕) which tasted pretty much like the Huat Kueh (hokkien).

Nothing much to shout about.

This has got to be my favourite version of the XLB.

The dessert version, Red Bean Xiao Long Bao (豆沙小笼包)!

We ordered a set of five just to try it, and I instantly fell in love at first bite.

Look at how much red bean filling it has!!!

Just pop these little darlings into your mouth and let them explode within your tastebuds.

If you are a red bean lover, this has got to be your addiction.

Thumbs up!

And here is a fun fact!

Do bring along a small notebook when you are in Taiwan.

There are always chops around lying somewhere in a corner and you can get to collect them all!

Like me! (these are only some I've collected)

YES, there is one hidden at Din Tai Fung too!

Look around! (;

Of course I should take a photo with the adorable one.

I know there are many distractions in the photo but I don't care. Heh.

If you have some empty space in your tummy, do consider to have some mango snowflake ice here at Yong Kang street.

You can't miss this huge shop when you walk along the streets.

We were both too full to have this, which was quite a pity because I heard this was quite good too!

Alrighties, that's all for now, folks!

Stay foodie!

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>鼎泰豐 (Din Tai Fung)<

N.194, Section 2,Xinyi Road, 

Da'an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106

(Nearest station : Dongmen Station, Exit 5)

Mon - Fri : 10am - 9pm

Weekends & Holidays : 9am - 9pm

Brewing Passion Ever Since the Fifties :蜂大咖啡 (Fong Da Coffee)

It had been a whole 4 years since I last visited Taiwan (and imagine how noob was I then, because I followed the tour group with my parents).

And now, I realised being on a Free & Easy trip would be so much more interesting and exciting.

You can get to visit places you want to go! (just plan ahead well)

Alrighties, folks, do expect the next few posts to be on Taiwan ya?

Just to share some foodie scenes I've seen there that are different from the ones here in Singapore. ^^

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Located at the heart of the populous Ximending area (alight at Ximen Station,Exit 6), Fong Da Coffee is definitely a must go if you are looking for a place to settle breakfast. 

It is established in 1956 and yes I've made the calculation for you guys. (Fong Da is currently 58 years old!)

It was also one of the original coffee shops that could be found here in Taipei.

Hence, imagine the amount of passion brewing over the years!

Don't miss out this signboard!

And waaalaa~ here we are!

 At first, I thought it was a Chinese pharmacy/herb type of store like those you see here in Singapore.

It looks exactly so right?

It was until I stepped one bit further that I found the hidden gem.

Tons of coffee related equipment/apparatus, coffee beans and pots/containers could be found even at the side of the store.

If you are keen on traditional pastries, you may also consider purchasing these to accompany your cuppa while you are at the cafe area/take-away.

I am making a guess that this is their signature Fong Da drip coffee equipment(?)

It looks really ancient and it is still operating by the way.

Sooo, am I right?

Hmmm...

A little retail area where the coffee lovers could choose one of these babies and bring one home to start brewing right away!

Coffee Beans for sale!

There are many more options available!

The aroma of coffee beans could just literally fill the whole street.(ha! exaggerating once again)

But undeniably the fragrance of coffee really enhanced my desire to get my caffeine fix.

We were seated at a two-seater table where the waitress DIDN'T show us to.

So I thought I could choose any table to sit at. LOL

Well, that's not the case.

Do take note that the service here wasn't as friendly as I expected it to be.

I didn't make a huge fuss as my soul was already 95% dragged along in the air with the aroma.

Restrooms provided as well!

Sorry guys, being wayyy too excited I only took part of the menu (although most of the beverages are here).

Breakfast items are very limited, only ham, eggs and toast are served.

Ham & Egg Toast (120TWD ~S$5)

A well-done egg and ham sandwiched between slices of crispy toast, a perfect combination for breakfast, don't you think so?

Sunny Side Ups & Ham (80TWD ~S$3.50)

How about a smiley face to start your day?

Hazelnut Cappuccino (120TWD ~S$5).

I simply love anything that has hazelnut in it. 

This also meant that I have slightly higher expectations when it comes to the flavour.

Well, I must say I am really impressed by this cup.

The hazelnut is not only dense but it still keeps the cappuccino at its balance, which means I can have the best of both worlds without one overpowering the other.

Mister ordered his daily fix of Mocha Coffee (TWD 85~S$3.70), the one beside my Hazelnut Cappuccino.

It was super awesome!

Even though I love my cuppa, I couldn't resist but taking a few (okay,maybe a little bit more) sips to satisfy my cravings that built up almost instantly. 

Mister's Mocha Frappe (TWD120 ~S$5).

Fret not, we didn't have two cups of coffee a day.

We paid two separate visits and therefore explains the consumption. Hee.

Chocolate rice sprinkled on top for visuals, the frappe was super shiok just like how Mister loves it.

However, due to the fact that the weather in Taipei was around 20 degrees in the morning, and we had the iced coffee, we froze after every sip we took.

I went ahead for the signature F.D Iced Coffee (TWD85 ~S$3.70).

Ohmygoodness, if you love black coffee alot, then you would definitely fall in love with this thick brew they had.

I couldn't quite handle the aftertaste, so I added almost 5 teaspoons of sugar and 2 milk capsules while I waited for the ice to melt a little.

Overall, I guess the coffee here are undoubtedly one of the best coffee spots in Taipei.

I had also noticed that there were an equal amount of foreigners and locals at the tables around us.

Fyi, weekends can be quite packed, so do head down earlier because as the saying goes - The early bird catches the worm.

Till the next post, folks!

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>蜂大咖啡 (Fong Da Coffee)<

N.42, Chengdu Road

Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

(Nearest station : Ximen Station, Exit 6)

Breakfast : 8am - 11am