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# Three Gorges

This Red Bean City is an old shop selling sweet soup on Aiguo Road. The storefront on Heping Road only started this year. They sell cold noodles in the summer and sweet soup in the winter. This year's sale period for cold noodles is ending soon, so hurry to try them!

I ordered the original sesame sauce cold noodles and miso egg drop soup. Their cold noodles are all non-vegetarian! When served, you can see lots of shredded cucumber. The cucumber is fresh and crunchy. The whole bowl has a rich sesame sauce and garlic flavor. The noodles have a great texture, chewy yet not too hard, making them deliciously flavorful.

The miso egg drop soup has a slightly mild miso flavor. However, the egg drop was cooked quite well and isn’t too fragmented, making it decent to drink. But personally, I prefer a richer miso soup.

The dining area is very simple and looks clean and tidy. There is air conditioning in the summer, making it quite comfortable. It's just a pity that they also use a lot of disposable tableware for dine-in, probably because they are short-staffed and don't have extra time for washing dishes.

Up next, let's wait for the weather to get colder to switch to drinking sweet soup.

# Three Gorges
Nowadays, a basic stinky tofu hot pot generally costs at least $150. This place, at $130, is relatively cheaper. I made a special trip today to try it out.

I ordered a seafood tofu hot pot ($130), which comes with a bowl of rice. Since I was with my child and we were sharing the pot, I also ordered an extra bowl of white rice and a serving of pork. I found the contents of the pot somewhat lacking. There were only a few pieces of napa cabbage as vegetables (no regular cabbage), basic hot pot ingredients like tofu skin and fish cakes, and three to four slices of meat. The amount of vegetables seemed much less than in other stinky tofu hot pots, with the rest being similar. The flavor was decent, with a moderate balance of saltiness, and the texture of the pork and seafood was okay.

The self-service area was simple. The sauce section lacked scallions and garlic, which was a bit disappointing. There weren't many ice cream flavors available either. The dining environment was basic, featuring a traditional alcohol-fueled stove, which made it impossible to control the heat.

Overall, I found it to be average. Although it seems relatively cheaper at first glance, based on the hot pot contents and the self-service options, it didn’t feel particularly cost-effective. It's the kind of place you’re okay just having tried once, but wouldn’t necessarily want to revisit.

🚩 Xindian City Center, A Cute Literary-Style Ice Shop

Love Encounter Red Bean is located in Xindian City Center, with the nearest MRT being Exit 1 of Qizhang Station, about a 2-minute walk away. Newly opened in July 2023, the decor is still very fresh. The storefront features a wooden frame with white walls and an eye-catching red logo (a red bean?), and inside, the seating area has stylish wooden tables. The walls are avocado green, with one wall displaying homemade jerky (brand: A Slice of Jerky). The counter is adorned with small white mosaic tiles. The overall arrangement is thoughtfully done, with a spacious, clean, and comfortable environment.

Ordering is done at the counter with payment accepted in cash and LinePay.

Today, I ordered the customizable ice (choose any 4 toppings) for $70.

The first bowl consisted of: pineapple, barley, condensed milk, and floral beans (this was a mistake).
The ice is not the fluffy kind but rather small crushed ice drizzled with brown sugar and made sweeter with condensed milk. The ice blends nicely. The pineapple is slightly tart native pineapple, the barley is a bit hard but acceptable, and I personally don't like the floral beans.

I originally ordered peanuts, but the staff gave me floral beans instead. They immediately provided a small bowl of peanuts in a cute glass container, which made me happy.

The second bowl: grass jelly, taro balls, taro, pineapple
This was what my family ordered. This heap of jelly and balls isn't my favorite 🤣, but it’s quite chewy and of good quality.

The portion of ice given is quite generous, and the topping flavors are also good. Coupled with the clean and comfortable space, the price is quite reasonable, and the staff's service attitude is excellent. With summer getting longer, there's more time to enjoy ice, so I recommend it to everyone.

Hungry Power Exquisite Noodle Restaurant is a well-known gourmet spot in Hualien City with a history of two generations spanning 36 years. Today, I ordered the wonton noodles. The broth is appropriately seasoned, and the thin-skinned wontons offer a moderate, standard taste. Although there are no major surprises, the noodles, which are soft and springy, elevate the overall flavor and texture to a good standard. While there is seating available, it is more of a local market snack shop, so if you are expecting a very comfortable dining environment, this place might not be for you. The prices also do not reflect typical market prices.

The atmosphere is very comfortable 🥰.

Booking in advance for a birthday celebration gives you a complimentary 4-inch small cake 🎂 + a printed photo.

The average price is around 500.

At the entrance, there's a big tree 🌳 full of pink flowers that makes it great for photos 📷 (recommended to visit during the day).

The service is excellent! They constantly refill your water, and you can't finish it all 😆.

The accompanying molten cheese bread is great, and you can ask for more after finishing 🤤.

The vegetarian option of herb butter cheese wild mushroom rice can feel a bit too rich towards the end. The stir-fried fresh vegetables with black truffle oil have a very strong truffle flavor!

Of the new drinks, I only remember the peach 🍑 sparkling water being very good, highly recommended 👍🏻. (The ice cream is amazing with chunks in it 🥰).

The "Mermaid's Tear" - fleur de sel flavored ice cream is delicious! (Garnished with pearls).

Because it was my birthday today, I asked the staff to first bring out the small cake, then serve the desserts, and finally bring out the cake we prepared ourselves, perfectly executed thanks to the staff 💁🏻‍♀️.

A 10% service charge is applied.

There is an elevator available, which is convenient for strollers, and the bathroom has a baby changing table.

A cup of coffee before taking off from Haneda Airport! Bringing your own delicious breakfast for an early morning flight.

Sanbon Coffee has branches in many airports across Japan, including six stores in and around Haneda Airport, which is close to its origin.

When you're taking an early morning flight, or flying with low-cost carriers that don't offer meals, you might need to bring some food. There are many souvenir brands that aren't open in the morning, so this was the first time I noticed Sanbon Coffee.

This time, I ordered a hot bacon and egg sandwich, and it was really hot to hold! The yolk was half-cooked and would burst, so you have to be careful not to get it on yourself when eating. There was a slightly spicy yellow mustard, and the overall taste was pretty good.

I ordered a pour-over coffee, which was heavily roasted and a bit bitter.

Especially for takeout, the prices are slightly cheaper than dining in, so you can take it to your boarding gate and enjoy a hearty meal. The trash bins in the airport are quite convenient.

There's no problem bringing it on the plane, but if you're returning home, you'll need to finish the food before going through customs. For coffee, it's recommended to drink half before boarding, as during takeoff, it can only be placed in the seatback pocket in front of you, and if it's too full, it might be a bit risky.

A highly recommended premium Wagyu yakiniku restaurant in the East District, with full table-side service where the Wagyu melts in your mouth, a 5-star must-visit! 🔥

#WagyuYakiniku
#TableSideService
#EastDistrictYakiniku

I saw other foodies on Fooday highly praising this restaurant "Shang Ji Yakiniku," so I made a reservation for a dining day.

Online reservations are difficult to book, so it is recommended to book early. Like us, we could only reserve a spot for 17:00 on Sunday a week in advance. The dining time is 2 hours, which is more than enough for yakiniku.

——

ꕥ Service 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 5/5

As soon as we arrived at the store entrance, staff members came out to ask for reservation information and guided us to our seats. They also proactively helped lock our bags and coats in lockers, making us feel thoughtful service from the moment we entered.

The staff also professionally introduced the menu and meat options, being able to explain each item in detail and recommending meat choices based on the guest's preferences. After dining, they even asked for feedback on the most impressive meat dishes to record and provide more customized suggestions for the next visit.

ꕥ Environment 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 5/5

The restaurant environment is very comfortable. We sat at the bar table, with a dedicated staff member across the bar constantly helping us grill meat and monitor our dining status. There are also Japanese-style private rooms deeper inside the restaurant, where another table-side server is responsible for grilling.

The seating area is generally kept very clean, creating an atmosphere where people would be willing to sit down and chat slowly.

ꕥ Food 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 5/5

There are business lunch sets, which are more affordable. For dinner, only à la carte options are available.

The only restriction in the restaurant is: you must order at least three portions of the Wagyu items on the first page of the menu, while other meats can be freely chosen.

The staff will also use a tablet to introduce their current hidden menu. We tried the fruit corn, which was very fragrant, sweet, and juicy. For this meal, the two of us ordered:

✧ Selected Wagyu Skirt Steak (Two Slices) $360
✧ Selected Wagyu Chuck Flap (Two Slices) $260
✧ Boneless Short Rib (Two Slices) $150
✧ Wagyu Apple Roll (Two Pieces) $480
✧ Raw Wagyu Beef $380
✧ Iberico Pork Ribs $380
✧ Black Pork Belly (with Lettuce) $280
✧ Matsusaka Pork $280
✧ Chicken Neck Meat $280
✧ Hokkaido Scallops (Two Pieces) $180
✧ Zucchini $140
✧ Tsukimi Mixed Rice $140

🌟 My most memorable items were the skirt steak, Wagyu Apple Roll, and Iberico Pork Ribs!

The offal meat had no unpleasant beef smell—tender, soft, and sweet. The Japanese Wagyu was melt-in-your-mouth, with highly marbled fat, wrapped in apple shreds to form a delicious and refreshing Wagyu Apple Roll—truly an impressive combination.

Their pork items also had no pig smell, quite tasty and delicious. The main reasons were the high-quality meat and the staff's professional grilling technique, which ensured flavorful yakiniku.

Their “Thick-Cut Beef Tongue” usually sells out quickly. We didn't get to try it this time, so if you want to taste their thick-cut beef tongue, it is advisable to call in advance to reserve it or leave a note when making an online reservation!

——

We also ordered some sours and Sapporo draft beer, which is very suitable to enjoy with yakiniku. Overall, it was a perfect yakiniku dining experience, and I would definitely want to visit again!

Most importantly, the price is very reasonable and not expensive at all! It's an enthusiastically recommended Wagyu yakiniku restaurant in the East District; you must come and try it 🙌

Hsinchu

Conclusion: If you like cool braised dishes, you can give it a try! The portion is just right, and the sauce is delicious!

It was really fast, got it in 3 minutes. This is a dry braised dish, where the ingredients are cooked and then cooled. After slicing the ingredients, they are mixed with the sauce. The marinade tastes slightly sweet, quite unique. I recommend adding garlic and spice.

Thanks to the store for the two pieces of broccoli and three quail eggs. When I got home and opened the food box, I found extra items that I didn't order.

• Secret Sauce Dry Noodles $25
  A must-order, very flavorful

• Red Onion Rice Sausage $25
  A generous portion of rice sausage, delicious

• Braised Intestines $40
  Cool and chewy, not too flavorful, but the intestines are properly cleaned

• Special Duck Blood $20
  Has a unique seasoning taste, quite good

• Radish $10
  Very flavorful!

🍜 Men Sho Asuka Ramen
🍜 Highly-rated ramen shop online

I've always heard great things about this ramen place.
Finally got to try it today.

Ordering is done using a QR code,
Order first and then pay.
There's lemon water, ice, utensils, etc., available for self-service.
For a ramen shop, there are quite a lot of seats.

This time I ordered:
🍜 Fragrant Lemon Yuzu Ramen (with soft-boiled egg) $260
Very, very disappointing!
The lemon and yuzu flavors are very light,
overpowered by the saltiness.
The soup becomes cloying after a while.
There are two slices each of chicken and pork chashu.
The quality of the meat is quite good,
cooked to a suitable tenderness.
The soft-boiled egg is also performed well.
The noodles are moderately soft and firm, with little chewiness.
Overall, compared to other places I've been to,
the broth is really not up to par😭

🍜 Chicken White Soup Ramen (with soft-boiled egg) $250
The soup has a garlic flavor that I can't quite accept...
This is also a dish I wouldn't repurchase.

🍜 Karaage Chicken (1 piece) $35
The fried batter was just right,
and the meat was quite tender and juicy.
The seasoning was decent too.
This might be the only item I'd consider repurchasing.

Had overly high expectations for this place,
and ended up sorely disappointed.
It feels like a place not worth going out of your way for.
There are better options for ramen shops out there.

Brace Review: A standalone sink with a rather small space.

Wei Zhen Xiang is a famous old restaurant located in Sanxing Township, which requires a drive from downtown. I haven't been here to eat for a long time because there's always a wait whenever I come, and thinking about that makes me a bit reluctant to come. However, I got lucky this holiday, as despite the crowd, we were seated in less than ten minutes.

This time, dining with two friends, we ordered a portion of fried pork for 300 NTD, small fried noodles for 80 NTD, hot and sour soup for 90 NTD, boiled A-choy for 60 NTD, jade bamboo shoots for 150 NTD, braised pork rice for 25 NTD, pig liver for 60 NTD, sausage for 60 NTD, hollow dried tofu for 40 NTD, and smoked pig head skin for 50 NTD, totaling 965 NTD.

The overall taste is similar to before, still considered delicious. However, this time I chose not to order the platter because it includes pig intestines, which I don't like. Additionally, the pepper flavor in the hot and sour soup is lighter than it used to be. Overall, although I don't come to this restaurant often, I still occasionally think of coming by for a meal.