Meet Fresh (鮮芋仙) Part 2

You can read my original review of Meet Fresh here. I wasn't lying when I said I really like this place. While I won't go so far as to say the quality is unmatched (because I have had much better), it is consistently solid, and hasn't failed to please so far. Since I've done a review previously, this post is actually just an excuse to post more food porn.


This isn't really food porn, but I was pretty enamored with their food notification system. I realize shake shack has an equivalent beeping and vibrating notifier, but to be honest, theirs looks kind of bootleg. Meet Fresh actually put forth an effort, and it looks so legit.


Onto the food! No I didn't eat both of those in one sitting (although the fat version of me probably would... and if you know what I'm referring to, you must be a pretty good friend of mine). On one of my return trips, I went for the 紅豆牛奶冰 (adzuki bean milk shaved ice). Coming in at just 50 NT ($1.50), it's a heaping bowl of ice... the bowl itself is a squarish plate 12" on each side... covered first with a boatload of condensed milk... followed by fruit syrup... followed by a generous portion of adzuki beans. I've had better, but for the cost and amount of stuff they give you, it's pretty unbeatable. The second is the 芒果冰 (mango shaved ice) that is so famous in Taiwan. The only reason I got this was because they were doing a promotion where it was buy 1 get one half off. It normally costs 100 NT ($3), which is still a steal, but I probably wouldn't get it from here at that price. Anyway, it's pretty much the same formula, but topped with fruit syrup (which is actually flavored by the mango chunks), chunks of fresh mango, and a scoop of mango ice cream. Both of these are absolutely amazing, and even better given the unbearable heat in Taiwan. They tend to melt pretty quick, but it doesn't really matter, the 'soup' that it becomes is pretty damn good too. In any case, I'd go and try each of these. There are better places (ones that I'll post about soon), but Meet Fresh is pretty decent and convenient too.

Today's run... oh boy. I want to get better at shorter races, namely the 3k and the 5k. I suck at sprinting. So I decided to change my training regimen I guess. Lately I've been doing daily runs that pace out to about a 40-50 mile week, and while it's helped my aerobic base, I realized I'm not getting any faster. So today was dedicated to speed work. Total distance ended up around 4.51 miles, which consisted of 1/3 mile sprints at about a 6 minute pace, followed by jogging for the next 1/3 mile at about an 8 or 9 minute pace. I'll be honest, I'm completely out of shape for short races. Anyway, my legs are pretty dead now... I hope I'm doing this correctly. Any other suggestions for improving speed on shorter races (intervals, cross, and plyo are covered)?

distance for the day: 4.51 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 315.24 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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More sugar... more Meet Fresh

Read more about Meet Fresh (here and here). This is actually going to be an ultra short post, since I have to leave in about 15 minutes. Anyway, I wanted to keep my streak of daily updates going (and my backlog short) so I'm just gonna post a bit of food porn (sized larger per someone's request haha).


On this return trip to Meet Fresh (and no I'm not posting everything I get, since I do plan on trying everything on their menu), I split a 黑糖粉粿冰 (brown sugar jelly shaved ice) with the mom. Cost... 50 NT ($1.50). Taste... pretty damn good. With an ice base made from fresh shaved brown sugar, the mountain is topped with brown sugar caramel, layered with red adzuki beans, tapioca bubbles, gelatin made from brown sugar, and finally yam and taro flavored gelatinous rice balls... mmm that last bit sounds especially unappetizing. Let me just say, you'd be kicking yourself if you pass on this because it sounds gross. It turned out to be one of my favorite things on the menu so far.

I didn't run today... namely because I ran yesterday, hung my shirt up in the closet, and made it rank as hell. I don't know what to do with my clothes if I can't wash them on a daily basis. So... 3 off days. I'll run a nice 10 miler over the weekend to make up for it.
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Meet Fresh (鮮芋仙)

Another thing I love about Taiwan... shaved ice. While the streets of Taipei are littered with places that serve traditional shaved ice, most are pretty lacking in hygiene or shady in general. To explain what I mean by traditional shaved ice... throw out any conception you might have about Italian ice, or snow cones. In Taiwan, the ice is first shredded to a really fine grain, almost like snow, so small in fact, that you will never feel an individual ice crystal in your mouth. Then the patron is usually given the choice of a variety of toppings, consisting of things like mango, condensed milk, red adzuki beans, green beans, conjac jelly, small yam balls, rice balls, tapioca bubbles, er... there's probably a lot of things I'm forgetting, but I'm actually kind of afraid to venture out of this 'security zone.' Anyway, this is pretty much one of favorite things.

Like I said, most places are pretty two bit and the sanitary conditions could most likely be improved. It's actually a joke that if you eat a 'dirty' ice dish, you stand a good chance of having massive diarrhea... a.k.a. 'winning the lottery.' Back to the point, one place that I feel pretty safe eating at is called 'Meet Fresh' (鮮芋仙). It's kind of a chain store as it has a few locations throughout the city, and it specializes in these dessert ices, teas, and other 'refreshing' snacks, usually of an icy nature. Everything on the menu clocks in at around 50 NT (about $1.50), with some of the more exotic things, I guess, falling closer to 100 NT (like the mango ice, with ice cream on top). Usually, I end up getting a red bean with condensed milk shaved ice, which for 45 NT, is pretty massive. It literally looks like a small mountain of snow on top of a dinner plate 12" across. This time I felt a little more adventerous and went with one of their summer offerings, it ended up being a green mung bean ice base (this sounds gross, but it's not), covered with yam, taro, and gelatinous rice dumplings, which was then covered with condensed milk, and topped with 2 scoops of ice cream, one red bean and one taro. The different flavors work together rather well, and while you'd probably think the taro would be drowned out with the sweetness of the condensed milk, every one of the ingredients can be individually identified. I ended up finishing the bowl in about 5 minutes, which seems fast, but I wanted to make sure it didn't melt first (it's like 100 degrees here!), and I can't say I was disappointed.

If you somehow find yourself in Taiwan, and want a safe haven to grab a shaved ice from (read: if you don't want to sit on the toilet for hours on end), you can comfortably try any of the 30-40 offerings Meet Fresh has. Its mango ice might not stack up against the famous 'Ice Monster' of 永康街 (Yong Kang Street) or of any of the night markets, but it does a fairly good impression. Oh, plus it's cheap and fast enough where you can go everyday... although I wouldn't... it's deviously fattening lol.

As far as my run today... uh, my internet is retarded, so I'll keep this short... good run.

distance for the day: 6.22 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 272.89 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Meet Fresh (again)

One of the huge reasons why I love Taiwan is shaved ice. Taking random toppings, putting them over ice shred so thin that it has no texture, and dousing them with sugar syrup and condensed milk has to be one of mankind's greatest inventions ever. If you've read my blog for a while, then you're probably aware of the my love affair with the place known as 'Meet Fresh.' For a bit of background, they're a chain that specializes in shaved ice and tea... that just so happened to have a location right behind my house. How incredible is that? Last year, I ate there so often, I paced out to about 5 bowls per week. Well, in any case, I was super excited to go as soon as I got off the plane this year. I walked home, threw my luggage down, and went off to grab dessert and lunch (in that order) only to find that... it had been torn down. WHAT WAS GOING ON?!?

Turns out, they downsized some locations, and that only the larger stores were still open. This would explain my lack of posts talking about shaved ice. Anyhoo, as I was walking around 信義路 (Xin Yi Road) the other day, I found one of the remaining locations and slid on in. Looking at the menu, I ordered their one of their Summer creations for 50 NT ($1.50), a 杏仁紅豆冰 (almond red bean shaved ice), which is that pile of black at the top. Wait, wait... this is just a pile of black jelly, where's the almond!?



Upon mixing you're greeted by white ice. Basically what the dish ends up being is... 仙草 (xian cao), which is really just a minty leaf that Chinese people make into a black jello, covered by sweetened red beans, tapioca pearls with sweet potato gelatin inside, all over thinly shaved almond flavored ice. Hope that explains it clearer. Obviously it was nice to have a good shaved ice for the first time in a long time (compared to anything in NYC at least), but this dessert was a real winner too. The almond flavor, which usually gets overshadowed by other elements, was strong enough to stand out on its own, and the 仙草 made for nice complementary texture against the ice. The red beans added just enough sweetness to remind you that it was dessert, and the tapioca bubbles... well, they're just fun to play with. For 50 NT, you get every pennies worth, and it's totally worth trying if you're in Taiwan.
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Apparently all I eat is dessert 臺一 (Tai Yi Shaved Ice)

Is it any wonder myinnerfatty became myouterfatty in the past few months? I stopped rowing competitively, I did a lot more blogging, and somehow... my once meticulous diet consisting of carefully constructed macro ratios devolved into an all day dessertfest. That said, I can't complain... you win some, you lose some right? Some of the greatest things I've gotten to try in the past few months would make any doctor cringe, but I think it's worth it (we'll see if I feel this way when I have a heart attack at 35). Anyway, another day, another shaved ice hole in the wall. Another gem I found as a result of me visiting my Aunt K. This one is located across from the main door of 台灣大學 (NTU) on 新生南路 (Xin Sheng South Street). Apparently, the store has been there for the past 40 or 50 years, I know this because there's a picture inside of when it still looked craptastic (they've recently renovated). The store front here doesn't qualify as dive status anymore. It actually looks pretty commercial, and to say the store looks dingy isn't quite right either. Ever since more and more students started pouring in, they've done their best to make it look... chain store like? That's usually a real turn off for me, but I can overlook that... since people are willing to stand on line for 15 minutes for a table here.


They have a couple of trademark dishes, namely ones using their oats (which aren't the traditional style Quaker oats, but rolled whole oats), ones with those rice dumplings known as 湯圓 (Tang Yuan), and ones with red adzuki beans. First trip was with my Aunt and my cousin. We ended up getting the 紅豆麥片牛奶冰 (Red bean oatmeal milk shaved ice) and the 紅豆湯圓牛奶冰 (Red bean rice dumpling milk shaved ice). Both cost a sleek 60 NT ($2) and both were hefty helpings of ice, topped with red beans, condensed milk, and either oats or dumplings (I told you right? Cardiologist's dream). I won't try to describe how good either one was, but if I can use a Taiwanese term... 'QQ' is completely appropriate here. Let's just put it as... this is a notch in quality above Meet Fresh (see here and here), and I love Meet Fresh.


My cousin got something 酒釀 (Jiu Niang). Literal translation, using wine to pull out flavor. I have no clue if it's good or not, nor do I know the price. I just know that it's supposed 'good for women' (um... it's supposed to enhance 'femine attributes'). I also have no clue if that's true... one of life's great mysteries I suppose haha.


I ended up going another time, this time I got the 綠豆麥片牛奶冰 (Mung bean oat milk shaved ice), since, in the summer, you're traditionally supposed to eat mung beans. Something about them being more refreshing or whatnot. Anyway, same cost at 60 NT ($2), so it's really a personal preference, whether you like adzuki or mung beans. In my opinion I can't really taste much of a difference, since the condensed milk should cover up most of the flavor until only a subtle aftertaste is left. Which brings me to my last little side point on this place. If you're ordering, make sure you're a college aged girl... or bring one with you. The people who make the shaved ices are all college aged guys, and when I ordered on my second trip... he poured on what was a pittance of condensed milk, and ladled a partially full spoon of beans and oats. Comparing this with when my cousin ordered, she ended up with toppings overflowing from the plate, and mind numbing amount of milk. I thought it was a one time thing, but when I asked my Aunt, apparently it has always been like this. Terrific. Still... would I recommend it? For sure... an fyi, I walked 2 miles in the rain, during a typhoon warning to go eat there (and it was still packed). That's how good this place is.

Crappy run today. I went to a night market yesterday, filled up good. I think that explains everything. Didn't get to finish the 10k (just short at 6.21 miles), but what's frustrating is that I ran at my half marathon pace. Will make up for this with a true hm tomorrow morning, prior to leaving for TTT orientation. Ugh, 5 days without running... believe or not, it's pretty frustrating to me.

distance for the day: 6.21 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 348.69 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Assorted sweets at 羅東 (Luo Dong)

Chalk it up to laziness (yeah, I'll admit it), or to shorten my backlog of random eats, or because my sister has been calling for more food pics, or perhaps because I'm just a tad bit bitter I won't be able to have any of these crazy amazing desserts again for what seems like an eternity, but I'm condensing my remaining dessert posts from 羅東夜市 (Luo Dong Night Market) into one mega post with tons of food porn. Prepare to be amazed.

First up was a 豆花 (Dou Hua) stand. How do explain dou hua... it's the silkiest of silky tofu varieties. Essentially the center cut of silken tofu, which gets sliced by a large ladle into thin slices, traditionally placed in a bowl of boiled sugar water. Often flavored with ginger sugar, brown sugar, peanuts, regardless of style, it always has a strong almond scent that always takes me to my happy place haha. Served hot or cold, dou hua is traditional night market food, and you can find it x10 at every one. Luo Dong's standout in this genre of food is a place called 包心粉圓專賣店 (Bao Xing Fen Yuan Specialty Store). How am I supposed to translate that?! If I was forced to, I guess it means 'filled heart dumpling specialty store,' but I'm pretty sure it sounds way more elegant if I leave it Chinese. Anyway, 粉圓 (Fen Yuan) are something that almost every ice store makes (Meet Fresh is famous for theirs...). They're gelatinous rice that is molded into really 'QQ' balls that aren't too off from mochi. Soft and yielding, yet surprisingly resilient, they offer the perfect complement of texture to the thin shaved ice, or in this case... silky smooth tofu.


I got the 綜合牛奶豆花 (mixed milk dou hua), which was 50 NT ($1.50... don't quote me on this, it was a while back!). Ridiculously thin curd tofu is topped in a cup with a generous serving of shaved ice made with milk, then topped with more condensed milk, plus a heaping serving of peanuts and tapioca balls, finally drizzled with almond milk. Yum. Oh I forgot to mention the hot ginger flavored sugar syrup (sounds gross to those who hate ginger, me included, but it's not what you think) that's given alongside in another cup. It's something that I would eat in the summer or winter. Would I recommend it? Uh, no time to respond, too busy wiping the drool off my keyboard. If you find yourself at this night market, it's really easy to find... it's a circle... just keep walking, and look for the absurd line.

Next up on the docket was mango ice! I know that Ice Monster is all the rage in Taipei (and in the Philippines too apparently), but I'm weary of them since 1. their prices are absurd... almost 2 times the price of most places and 2. I've gone 3 times and gotten sick 3 times. That's exactly what I'm not looking for when I want shaved ice... and empty wallet and an upset stomach hours later to remind me about how stupid that decision was. Anyway, I found this gem called 'Summer Snow 巧味冰庫' (Summer Snow... er something unknown... fridge :D). As you can see, my translation skills are top notch lol. The store was pretty packed, and had a nice store front, so I got suckered in. Their specialty is 雪花冰 (snow flower ice as a literal translation), which to summarize is usually when you take a flavored milk... common flavors are mango, vanilla, milk, matcha green tea, and then you shred the ice from that. The result is really thin crystals which have a creamy texture as opposed to the graininess of normal shaved ice. It's more akin to a sorbet in that it melts on your tongue with a smooth context rather than just... crunch.


Anyway, I got their 芒果雪花冰 (mango snow ice) which I'm pretty sure was 100 NT ($3). Half a plate of freshly shaved mango dipped in mango juice syrup, half a plate of thinly layered ice made from the aforementioned condensed milk/mango ice, topped with a scoop of mango sorbet, and drizzled with more mango syrup, this can probably induce a sugar coma if eaten too quickly. In any case, it was absolutely delicious, the ice was smooth, and closer to ice cream than shaved ice, and the mango was ripe enough to have the delicate sweetness (even without syrup), but still raw enough to have ample resistance when bitten into. Did I mention it was only $3? Again, I don' think I need to explicitly say this, but it's definitely recommended, and I would eat a bowl here everyday if I could. Well... I'd rotate with Meet Fresh and Tai Yi, but you get the point.

Hrm... last dessert item I had was another thing that originated from Luo Dong. It's found pretty much at every stand along the street that sells ice cream, so there's no point in telling you a specific store name (uh, to be honest, I don't really remember the name of the cart I got it from... I just picked the one with the longest line of people). In any case, it is pretty much peanut candy and ice cream, which sounds really plain... but it's really not. Let's see, for 35 NT ($1), you start with a lumpia skin (the Vietnamese rice roll wrappers), and then you start off with a spattering of peanut flour, the guy then takes a giant chunk of peanut brittle candy and starts shaving off layers of it into a small collector and dumps that on top, then a generous serving of cilantro is cut onto that layer of peanut candy, and finally 3 scoops of different flavors (vanilla, banana, and strawberry were mine) are put in the middle of the roll. He expertly rolls up the wrap and bags it in one swift movement, and voila... a peanut flavored ice cream burrito thing. Sounds terrible I'm sure, but if I've come to learn anything from my summers in Taiwan, it's that things that usually sound gross are usually okay, if not exceptional.


Look at that burrito like goodness, to the unknowing, you'd probably thought I just bought a simple vegetable roll. Upon biting, look at the cross sectional goodness. It makes me happy that the salty flavors of cilantro and the peanut shavings can coexist with ice cream. Refreshing and somewhat different... I really had no complaints. Yeah... brb, still wiping saliva off my keyboard, but definitely recommended.

I went for a nice long distance run today. As soon as I left my apartment, I still had that lingering stinging pain in my right hip, but I decided I could probably run through it. After about half a mile it either went away, or I stopped feeling it. In any case, I ran to the street where 饒河夜市 (Rao He Night Market) is located, then I doubled back to Da An Park, over to CKS Memorial Hall, and back home. Without realizing it, I did a 9.51 mile circuit (I had planned on 7 or so). All in all, a rather good run I'd say.

Oh, the following series of posts all take place outside of Taipei, where I didn't pay for food or housing, so it'll be less reviews, and more so... just pictures.

distance for the day: 9.51 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 399.65 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Sai Men Tian Bu La (賽門甜不辣)

I used to be a really picky eater. True story. I realize that's a crappy story, but it does lead to this review... kinda. Anyway, in the past, there's no way I would've stepped into a place like this. Partially because I hated fish of any variety, and wouldn't eat anything that had been remotely close the ocean (and Taiwanese styled tempura is exactly that... essentially fried fish paste). Anyway, my mom somehow convinced me that one of her childhood favorite restaurants would be decent, and that I shouldn't dismiss it just because it has fish in it. I am so relieved that I didn't pass on this place, because since then, it has become on of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Taiwan. It's essentially the savory version of Meet Fresh for me... since I'll pretty much go in anytime I pass by.

The store itself has now become franchised, with locations all over Taipei, but really, if you want the original experience (and in my opinion the only one that stays true to the original taste), you'll want to go to the 西門 branch (West Gate). It also works out pretty conveniently that it's a rather active area, with plenty of shops and other things to eat. Just more excuses to go I guess. The storefront isn't all too attractive, and looks kinda crappy to be honest. If no one told me about it, I'd assume it was just another roadside shack kind of store, but it apparently has a long history. The entrance doubles as the cooking area, with various kinds of tempura and fish balls just floating in a constantly cooking broth. The back area has maybe 6 or 7 tables, again with the cheap metal stools you'd come to expect Asian establishments to have. No air conditioning, so you'll have to tough it out... but honestly there are few things better than having a piping hot bowl of tempura when it's over 100 degrees 0utside. Yum. For 50 NT ($1.50) you get what you see to the right. A mixed bowl of fried dumplings filled with fish paste, some fried fish paste patties, some fried fish paste sticks, fried tofu, and daikon radish. I know, I know... the names sound like crap, but how else can I translate what they are... it'd be pointless to say you get a bowl of tempura, that says nothing! The entire bowl is doused with a brown sauce consisting of chili paste, miso, sugar, and soy sauce (and probably other things), and imho, is superior to the white sauce of the halal carts. Yeah I said it. Side note... I think if anyone ever started a food truck selling this, they'd make an absolute killing, anyone want to finance me? As far as the delicious factor, they taste about the same as most Taiwanese tempura, which is to say mildly sweet and very light on the fishy taste. What sets 'Simon's' apart is that they texture is entirely smooth, with no odd chunks ruining the consistency, but at the same time there remains a certain elasticity which you look for in the skin (not unlike the snap of a hotdog skin). I guess what I'm trying to say is... the taste is spot on, and the texture sets it on a whole 'nother level. Obviously recommended by me. I go several times a week myself haha. Uh, as far as address... it's right outside of 西門盯's shopping area, but even I'd be hard pressed for a street name (check their website...? Sorry I'm lazy).

One last tidbit, there's a giant mural on the right side of the wall as you get in. If you read it, it teaches you the proper way of eating the bowl of tempura. They actually manage to make it sound like an art, but really, it's just... eat the tempura, notice that the bowl is still full of the sweet ass brown sauce (wow, that sounds like crap... but one of my friends Wayne did say "Everything that tastes awesome looks like dog shit," before he proceeded to list foods), go back up to the counter where you order, take ladle that is provided and fill your bowl with the soup broth that the tempura, tofu, and fish balls are cooked in. Sit back down and enjoy. Honestly, the soup is probably the best part. It tastes just like the tempura, since it's absorbed the flavors of all the components, and it's just oily enough to leave the taste in your mouth for hours after you eat it. Another case of... too much win for me to handle. Another side note... I'm tagging this as cart, since... well... I think this kind of food can mostly be found in night market carts (and like I said, would make for sick business venture in Manhattan).

It was wet outside today, and my shoes were still wet from yesterday. So kudos to me for even going out running! Hehe, no seriously though, it was a pretty good run all things considered. I finished with 6.33 miles on the day (though more if you count walking), and I found a second person who can outrun me here, therefore, I have a new target... and he is a middle aged man.

distance for the day: 6.33 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 303.62 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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Random food from 逢甲夜市 (Feng Jia Night Market)

So as a continuation of my orientation trip theme, I'll condense all of 逢甲夜市 (Feng Jia Night Market) into one giant post. Since we stayed in the 台中 (Taichung) area for most of the days, it's only appropriate that we visited Feng Jia at least once. Claimed to be one of the largest in Taiwan, it actually didn't disappoint in terms of size or variety of food, in fact, my only gripe was that the people who planned out the itinerary made it so we only had about an hour to see the entire thing. That is... we had an hour to check out half a kilometer of stores, plus all the branch streets that encompass the night market. Something about that didn't make much sense, especially given the fact that we were allotted something close to 2 or 3 hours for dinner on the first night. Anyway, I really shouldn't complain, I guess getting to go in the first place is something I should be grateful for... I wouldn't have any other reason to go to Taichung in the first place. Completely unrelated side tangent, before we got off the bus, they told us not to eat strange or unclean foods, or anything that might make us sick (bump that... if I'm in a night market I'll never get to return to, I'm eating anything I damn well want to).

Uh, if you know me at all, you realize that I'm a shaved ice addict. There... I said it. I will walk much further than anyone else you know just to have ice and syrup. As stupid as that sounds, it's true. In any case, I made my group members eat shaved ice before splitting up and eating 'normal' food (sorry guys!). Naturally, since I couldn't wait, we stopped at the first shaved ice place we came to that wasn't called Meet Fresh. Called 頂好 or literally translated as 'the top,' it was a small shack of a store, which was run by a singular old lady. You have no clue how happy it made me to see a giant neon sign that said they had shaved ice + 5 toppings for 35 NT ($1). Anyway, inside it was pretty cramped. Only 4 tables, half filled, we actually had to stand around for a while before we could all sit down (there were 10 of us after all). To the left was the counter with an awesome array of toppings, from solid taro, to red bean, to flaked ginger, to tapioca balls, and maybe 10 or so other bins I can't remember. If you had to characterize it as something, it's a standard mom and pop shaved ice place that you don't see as often anymore in Taipei (that is... if you include the requirement of a general level of cleanliness).


I got the 抹茶紅豆冰 (matcha red bean shaved ice) for uh... maybe it was 50 NT ($1.50). Honestly I wasn't really counting, since I was more focused on eating. I was originally going to get the 5 topping thing, but then I realized that I haven't been able to find this in Taipei for that cheap before (it's also a relatively rare flavor combination). Anyway, it's not a traditional shaved ice plate... instead, they take what basically works out to green milk tea and freeze it, proceed to shred it into 雪花冰 (xue hua ice) which is much thinner and sorbet like, then top it with the requisite red beans and condensed milk. The resulting concoction works amazingly well. The slightly sweet yet bitter green tea ice has a really smooth texture, and the flavor contrasts and mellows the overly sweet condensed milk on top. The red beans add a subtle earthy tone, and just a bit of textural difference to the melting ice and creamy milk. The only question is... how can I recommend something that I can't ever have again?! Ha, seriously, go find this store... it's near the entrance of main street.


We did want something salty to eat, so after the dessert, the we (the guys) split up with the rest of the group since we just wanted food. On one of the side streets we found fried mushrooms... of course since we're in Taiwan, they were 木耳 or 'Jew's Ear.' I forget how much they were, but definitely no more than 50 NT ($1.50) for a single serving. They consisted of a cup of the Jew's Ear mushrooms which were breaded and deep fried, topped with two sticks with a different variety of mushroom. I didn't buy these, but my friend Paul did... and he seemed to like them. I did however sample them, since they had people walking around with single mushrooms on toothpicks, and I could see what's so appealing. A crunchy exterior hides a juicy, soft, yet chewy interior. In addition to that, they had a nice mild taste that you could smell after the first bite. So if you find fried mushrooms, you should give that a try. I'm pretty sure where you get it from shouldn't matter too much.


I also ended up getting some takoyaki, or fried octopus balls. I realize that these are really commonplace in Japanese izakayas, but they do them differently in Taiwan. First off, they tend to be more of a street food, and not something associated with alcohol (well... actually, those two aren't mutually exclusive, since public drunkenness is pretty normal at night markets. Anyway, I had been lusting for some octopus balls for the longest time (you know you want them too...), so I went and got them from the only stall I saw selling them. For 50 NT ($1.50... I think everyone agreed on a price here lol), you get 6 balls topped with your choice of 2 flavors. The flavors range from original (soy sauce based), to pork floss, peanut flour, curry, and a few others I can't remember either (I'm sorry! It was a long time ago). I chose original, because you have to have a basis of comparison, and also peanut flour, since I needs mah proteinz! Seriously though, more of the same... which is to say... culinary excellence. Soft, yet still crunchy exterior yields to a soft interior where a layer of fish paste exists. Within that is a mixture of octopus chunks and Chinese style vegetables (cabbage, carrots, radish) which melds into a slightly fishy, but still curiously different taste. It was after I finished that I realized that 'flavor' just meant what condiment they put on. So... the original was salty, and the peanut was slightly sweet, with a hint of peanut. If I make that sound like a bad thing, I don't mean to... these were really good. Even if you can't find this specific stall (I probably couldn't find it again), just try Taiwanese takoyaki, it is vastly different (not superior... just different) from Japanese style takoyaki.


Last thing I bought, is supposedly something that Feng Jia is famous for. Super tall swirl ice cream! I had found this small stall in one of the alleys and ordered up a swirl chocolate/vanilla cone. See the picture next to the machine? It's supposed to have a perfect peak, and be about a foot long. When my vendor person did it, she screwed up the first time... it broke at about 8" and she had to scrap that. Second time, she got it up to the 10" mark, but the tip wasn't straight. Third time's the charm right? Nope, she managed to mess it up again... full 12" without tip... but it still fell at the end. At this point I was kind of getting impatient, so I just told her it was fine... paid my 30 NT ($1... actually less than a dollar) and bailed. You read that correctly, it's a dollar... for something that's more than a foot long of ice cream. Way to rip us off Ben & Jerry. So I left, content with my monstrosity of ice cream, eating as quickly as possible since Taiwan is still about 80 degrees at night. When we turned the corner, I found a more legit place selling the same thing. About 10 different flavors including matcha green tea/chocolate swirl, and for 25 NT (75 cents or so) to boot. I bet they don't screw up the peak either! OTL, life's not always fair is it... so if you go looking for really tall swirl ice cream, go to the 25 NT one on the big main street!

I have to race one of my bosses on the erg for a 2k today, so I meant to keep my run short. Final distance ended up being 6.56 miles... oops! Ha, no I probably subconsciously ran further so I'd have an excuse if I lost horribly. Let's hope I don't shame C150 too badly (he did say he hasn't erged for about 10 years).

distance for the day: 6.56 miles
distance biked for the day: 0.00 miles

distance on the year: 409.40 miles
distance biked on the year: 142.68 miles
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