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Location: London, UK

Today I visited a scone shop near the British Museum for lunch and afternoon tea. Since I have a restaurant reservation for dinner, I didn’t want to eat too much and thought I’d just enjoy a delightful afternoon tea. I was super worried about having to wait in line, but luckily when I arrived, they said there was a table, so I rushed up to the second floor.

🌟 Signature Scone
They offered two kinds of spreads: one was clotted cream, and the other was strawberry jam. The scones themselves had a wonderful texture, and they paired perfectly with both spreads. I can totally understand why they’re their signature item.

🌟 Ham and Cheese Croissant
This was the only savory item out of the four dishes we ordered. Compared to other croissant places I’ve been to, it wasn’t as hot. However, it was still very soft and delicious. It's perfect for anyone who doesn’t want something sweet and prefers savory dishes.

🌟 Classic Cheesecake
This was much larger than I imagined—super, super, super big! It tasted different from the cheesecakes I usually have in Taiwan. Besides the size, the first bite had a rich cheesy flavor, and the finish had a hint of lemon acidity, which balanced out the richness of the giant cheesecake.

🌟 Apple Pie
Out of the four desserts we ordered, this was my least favorite. It didn’t have my least favorite ingredient, cinnamon, which was good, but overall the texture was rather dense, which is not what I like.

🌟 English Breakfast Tea
This was my favorite tea during my days in England. It was unsweetened and had no astringency. It paired perfectly with milk and was enjoyable no matter how you combined it.

🌟 Hot Chocolate
This was hot chocolate ordered by my family. I personally think it tasted a bit similar to what we have in Taiwan. It’s not the type made with milk, and it’s on the sweeter side. I think it complements savory foods quite well, but it’s less suitable for pairing with sweet afternoon tea.

Overall, it’s an afternoon tea place that makes you want to come back. Besides the good food, the service staff is extremely friendly, making me wonder if all Brits are as kind and willing to chat with foreigners. Moreover, when I miscalculated the cash while paying, one of the staff members said it was fine and that I didn’t need to make up the difference. Although it wasn’t a lot of money, it truly made us very happy. They’re really so friendly 💕💕💕 I highly recommend including this place in your must-dos when you visit England for afternoon tea!

🚩 Banciao Old Community Affordable and Delicious Steakhouse

Today I came to an amazing steakhouse that opened in 2016, located on Yongfeng Street in the Banciao District. This is an old community in Banciao, and the transportation is relatively inconvenient; the nearest MRT station is Xinpu Station, which is about a 15-minute walk away. Due to its geographical location being closer to Taipei City, you can also take a bus from the Wanhua District to get here. There isn’t really a commercial area nearby, as it primarily serves local residents.

Entering through the corridor leads you to the cooking area, and there are quite a few seats in the dining area inside. Essentially, there isn’t much decor—the ceiling is high, and the seat spacing is moderate. It feels a bit old but is still fairly clean and comfortable.

After being seated, you fill out an order on the protective cover menu and pay when done; cash is the only accepted form of payment. After ordering, you can help yourself to drinks, and you also need to get your own knives, forks, and spoons.

Today, I had a family meal and got to try various meats ⬇️
Steak: The meat is tender, and the quality is decent.
Pork Chop: Two slices of loin meat; it’s not very thick but has a good texture.
Chicken Chop: The skin is crispy and fragrant, with a nice bite, and it’s not pre-seasoned.
Fish Fillet: This one was a bit more ordinary; it’s small and very soft, not something I’d want to order again.
(Today, I ordered a chicken and fish combo, but upon looking closely at the menu, the combo wasn’t very cost-effective 😕)
Each meat dish comes with an egg and sizzling noodles, with no other vegetables—it’s quite simple.
There’s also a bowl of corn chowder included, and for an additional $10, you can upgrade to a puff pastry, which is very cost-effective. However, the soup isn’t refillable, so if you want more, you'll have to order again.
Additionally, for the main dish, you can choose from squid, shrimp, spicy chicken wings, and lamb chops, and my family said the spicy chicken wings are also quite good.
Self-service drinks available are black tea and passion fruit juice; both have a relatively mild flavor and aren't too sweet, which is fine.

Although they have adjusted prices a few times since opening, the quality of the meals is still quite good. Overall, it’s a rather decent restaurant, and those living nearby can come and give it a try.

Marugame Seimen at Carrefour Guilin is located on the fourth floor of the famous 24-hour Carrefour in Wanhua, although the food court is not open 24 hours.

The food court on the fourth floor of Carrefour Guilin has quite a few stores to choose from, and Marugame is among the most affordable.

Today I enjoyed the Nanban Fried Chicken Udon, priced at 159 NT dollars.

Nanban Fried Chicken Udon:
It is essentially Marugame's traditional udon topped with Nanban fried chicken. Combining these items into a standardized assembly-line meal isn't difficult.
Marugame's udon is really of high quality; the chewiness is just right, and the texture is very pleasant. The fried chicken is relatively large, with crispy skin and tender meat that is juicy.
As for the specialty sauce mentioned in the introduction... I didn’t really feel it.

The most distinctive part of Marugame is that, aside from the common offerings at the self-service bar, they also have tempura flowers available, which you must try for their crispy texture.

Overall, it's a chain udon restaurant with stable quality. The store is quite spacious, so I believe most of the time, you can dine comfortably without a crowd.

I recommend it to everyone.

Chang Wang Seafood Stir-Fry is located near the Houshanpi MRT station exit and is a very popular budget stir-fry restaurant in the area. Although it claims to offer dishes for 100 NTD, there are actually quite a few items that cost over 100 NTD.

Today, I enjoyed Mapo Tofu, Stir-Fried Bamboo Shoots, and Sesame Oil Chuanqi, along with a serving of white rice, totaling 320 NTD.

Mapo Tofu:
All the selected dishes happened to be 100 NTD items. The spiciness of the Mapo Tofu isn't very high, but its mouth-numbing quality is average. Overall, it's decent and pairs well with rice.

Stir-Fried Bamboo Shoots:
The bamboo shoots were carefully selected, with a tender and fine texture that is quite pleasant. The spiciness remains moderate, and in addition to the bamboo shoots, some shredded meat was stir-fried in as well, making it tasty and nutritious.

Sesame Oil Chuanqi:
This is a relatively rare mountain vegetable. The unique oily texture of Chuanqi goes very well with the aroma of sesame oil. It's really a good deal for just 100 NTD.

Overall, it's a nice budget stir-fry restaurant. It seems that dine-in customers can enjoy unlimited white rice, but the takeout portion of rice is also quite generous.

I would like to try the dishes that cost over 100 NTD in the future. If friends come to visit, dining in might also be a good choice. The interior of the restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating, so it doesn't have the cramped and unpleasant vibe typical of traditional stir-fry places.

I recommend it to everyone!

Many Californians seem to know about this restaurant. This restaurant also has branches in other locations, but I've heard they manage it very well, and each branch is always packed! You can generally imagine that they do control quality effectively!

We made a reservation early, and when we arrived at the entrance, the staff welcomed us very warmly and seated us! After scanning the QR code to view the menu, we could directly place our orders with the staff… and then enjoy watching the chef who specializes in serving you prepare your meal right in front of you! Today we ordered…
❤️set menu - 5 sets
It feels like this is one of the items that everyone who comes to the restaurant would choose because it includes five different flavors! When each sushi roll came out, the professional chef would explain each flavor, reminding you to eat it quickly within 30 seconds to prevent the seaweed from becoming chewy! It was a bit warm 🔥, and paired with their specially blended sauce, it was indeed very delicious! Plus, while I thought five small rolls wouldn’t be enough, it turns out they were very filling!

❤️uni sea urchin
Personally, I really enjoy the taste of sea urchin, so every time I see something related to sea urchin in various types of restaurants, I have to try it! My friend chose the one with added truffle 🍄 flavor, but I found the sea urchin to be even better. The taste of the sea urchin was very fresh! It had a rich aroma and the unique sweetness of sea urchin! All in all, it certainly had a delightful flavor!

Overall, I highly recommend everyone to come and try this restaurant. It seems that anyone who has lived in California for a while will recognize this restaurant's existence!

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Tokyo Giyicawara Ramen Shop Food Review Share～

I never expected that Taiwanese people could also enjoy Giyicawara Ramen. As a fan of Giyicawara myself, when I go to Japan, visiting ramen shops is definitely one of the must-see spots in addition to specialty stores.

Most Taiwanese might think that getting in is a difficult task (for example, some shops require a lottery system that requires a local Japanese phone number, like the Giyicawara restaurant in Ikebukuro, which is basically inaccessible to foreigners). I initially thought it might be hopeless as well, but later I discovered that the ramen shop lottery website allows account verification using Taiwanese phone numbers!

✨ No need for Japanese phone verification, and no need for a lottery ticket. You just need to log in, verify your account, register for the lottery, and wait to be selected.

In this post, I want to write a somewhat instructional visit review, hoping to let more Taiwanese fans of Giyicawara know how they can have a chance to dine at this ramen shop. Therefore, the review will include a lot of restaurant photos and screenshots of the website registration and lottery process. If you want to see the lottery process, you can scroll down below～

———

This time, I visited the Tokyo branch of Giyicawara Ramen, located in B1 of Shibuya Parco, which is very convenient to access.

Now, let’s talk about the overall evaluation of the ramen shop!

📍Zhonghe District, New Taipei City (near Biyang Plaza)

🐷Golden Fried Pork Cutlet Bento $150
The side dishes of the bento include cauliflower and a soft-boiled egg, along with stir-fried cabbage, chilled kelp salad, and homemade pickled radish. The golden pork cutlet, while not thick, is tender and not dry; the dipping sauce is slightly sweet and salty, making it an overall decent and tasty bento.
Drinks (black tea, water) and soup (bonito kelp soup) are available for unlimited refills. After finishing, you need to return the utensils to the serving cart.

You can order online via Line, and takeout services are also available. It's not a destination restaurant, but if you're passing by and unsure of what to eat, this place is a good choice.

Here, they offer brunch and afternoon tea, and in the evening it transforms into a gastropub, which only accepts reservations. The dishes look fantastic!

Everything we ordered this time was great, truly a hidden gem.
The flavor layers of the cinnamon chiffon cake provided an unexpectedly delightful surprise.
There aren't many seats available for dining in, so it's advisable to make a reservation online or by phone before coming.

The minimum order is one drink per person.
♡︎ Peach Caramel Pudding 140
♡︎ Apple Cinnamon Chiffon Cake 160
♡︎ Americano 110
♡︎ South African National Treasure Tea 120
♡︎ Red Crisp Milk Tea 130

▪️ Please check Instagram for business hours
▪️ No children under six years old are allowed.

Fengshan Hong Kong-style Tea Drink - Yuen Sum Fang Wenheng Store, this is a very authentic Hong Kong cuisine restaurant. Whether it’s the roasted meats, steamed dim sum, or the taste of Cantonese stir-fries, everything is perfectly presented with great authenticity.

Just the chefs' backgrounds are impressive: the Cantonese cuisine chef, dim sum chef, and Hong Kong chef have such precise specializations, with a minimum of over 30 years of experience from major restaurants. You can imagine how authentic and delicious this place can be.

Cantonese Three Roasts Platter 💰650 (Crispy Roasted Duck, Crispy Roast Pork, and Hanging Roast Chicken) is definitely a classic. The duck skin is super crispy and absorbs the rich, sweet sauce, making it incredibly flavorful. The meat is extremely tender and falls apart with just one bite, making it irresistible.

Golden Sand Mixed Fried Rice 💰160 features long-grain rice that is perfectly stir-fried and distinct, with every bite rich in salted egg yolk flavor.

Taro Sago Dessert 💰120 is loaded with ingredients, with plenty of soft and tender taro that's not overly sweet.

If you want to see more video introductions, feel free to search on IG: ooo.eat

【Foodholic Neko @ Taipei】

This restaurant is my favorite and the one I most want to recommend for Taiwanese cuisine recently! Delicious and affordable! It’s quite suitable to gather with family and friends for a meal～

“Have Have 1969” is located in the Liaoning Night Market, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Nanjing Fuxing Station. There are two outlets, and it's just a short walk between them.

The minimum spending in the private room is super friendly, only $3000, which is actually quite easy to achieve.

Today, we dined with 8 people, ordered 14 dishes, 1 soup, 1 dessert, 5 bowls of braised pork rice, and 7 drinks, with a total of about $3300. Everyone was full and happy, costing less than $450 per person, super great value!

Almost every dish was delicious, truly a restaurant without a single wrong choice, quite impressive👏

Champion Braised Pork Rice $30
It really lives up to its name; I suggest adding chili. Everyone said it was delicious. A friend who usually avoids fatty meat ended up enjoying it so much that he ordered a second bowl.

My favorite dishes include:

• Old Skin Tender Meat (that tofu is incredibly soft! It melts in your mouth)
• Pineapple Shrimp Balls (I'm just a huge fan of pineapple shrimp balls, can't help it)
• Stuffed Fried Dough Sticks (dealt with using sweet and sour techniques, the sauce is fantastic, which made me eat a few more bites of rice)
• Tender Pan-Fried Pork Liver (very fragrant, completely free of any strange fishy taste)
• Stir-Fried Water Lily with Shredded Meat (perfectly stir-fried! Super fragrant! Makes you want to keep eating)

A few slightly less impressive dishes:

• Golden Sand Tofu (the salted egg flavor was a bit lacking, more like regular fried tofu)
• Clam and Chicken Soup (the broth is amazing! The clams are very plump! But the chicken is quite tough)

Overall, it's definitely a restaurant I would think of for Taiwanese cuisine and gatherings next time. Today, every friend said this restaurant was very tasty～

P.S. If you’re with a larger group, be sure to make a reservation, preferably with a private room. This restaurant only has one private room; the other seating areas are more suitable for smaller gatherings. If there are more than 4 people, it can feel a bit crowded.