Eating out in Tianmu

 

(See also 'Missing Western Food in Tianmu' and 'Eating like a local' and 'Seven favourite cafes').

For a 'safe bet' for a decent restaurant, head for one of the department stores. They have a food court (average meal $200 NT); plus a range of reassuringly expensive independent restaurants, all under the same roof. Japanese food is well represented: if you like sashimi or Teppanyaki, you will do great. Korean food also present. Noodles and rice dishes abound, as do braised fish. The Hong Kong style of Chinese cuisine, which we are familiar with in much of western europe, is NOT widely available in Taiwan.

1. Chunshuitang 

An excellent mid-price restaurant chain, underneath the cinema box office at Mitsukoshi. Famous for bubble tea and beef noodle soup. Pleasant view from the window tables. Open for lunch and dinner. Reduced food menu outside those times. Reservations taken. 

beef noodle soup at Chunnshuitang

world's smallest font in a menu at Chunnshuitang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Ootoya, reliably good Japanese restaurant downstairs in Takashimaya, which has the benefit of taking orders via an electronic tablet on the table. Mandarin only, alas. You can try guessing which button to press, as I do: it adds to the entertainment value. The staff come to double check with you. 

 

3. Lili Art & Kitchen

Stylish evening with friends or a date, good bar and kitchen, art on the walls, quite classy.

Zhongshan North Road Section 6 no. 760, 111, Taipei City

中山北路六段760號

4. MiaCucina

If you are looking for healthy, vegetarian/vegan friendly, lunch and salads, this is worth trying.

No. 48號, Dexing W Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Din Tai Fung for world famous dumpling chain (also in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc) downstairs in Sogo. Reserve a table in advance or queue for ages at meal times. 

6. Baires ice cream

Voted one of the world's top 50 ice cream places. 

Zhongshan North Road Section 6 no. 760, Taipei City 111, T中山北路六段460號1樓 

 

7. Duomo Japanese restaurant

Cheerful vibe at this cute little Japanese restaurant, opposite Takashimaya. Reasonable prices, gets crowded. The best miso soup!

111, Taipei City, Shilin District, Lane 50, Section 2, Zhongcheng Rd, 2號1樓

8. Beijing-style Chinese restaurant Song Jiang Pie & Porridge 宋江餡餅粥

Try the circular pastry with chive and minced beef; hot & sour soup; spinach; fried rice; mushroom fried noodle; dumplings.  Eat-in or take away. Very popular place, best to arrive early.

 No. 2, Tianmu N Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111

 

 

 

 

 

Places to chill out in Tianmu: introducing 3 Department Stores and cinema

All over Asia, people love department stores, not least for the air-conditioning! Taiwan's department stores are mostly Japanese. In Tianmu you have a choice of three: here are a few suggestions of how to while away a couple of hours while you cool down. 

Sogo

The food court has a good view. Supermarket in the basement carries a decent range of international food and drink brands. Quality and price are both high. Pick up some clothing from Uniqlo upstairs, their range seems to be an unofficial uniform for blending in in Taiwan. If you have come from Europe, the fabric of your cotton clothing is likely much thicker than the local versions, so it's well worth investing in some thinner and cooler staples. Taiwan offers super-fashionable sportswear in very thin fabrics and Sogo is possibly the most stylish of the three stores. 

Mitsukoshi

Two Mitsukoshi stores side by side. The one further from the traffic junction offers a cinema on the top floor, which shows Hollywood and Asian films (alas not Bollywood). Cinemas have THE BEST AIRCON in Taiwan! You may need to take a scarf or socks! If you want to buy a ticket, but don't speak Mandarin, you could show a photo of the movie poster, and the sales person can probably figure it out. They will ask you where you want to sit, the default position in Taiwan is for everyone to sit in a group in the centre of the cinema. You can request a seat at the side or back; usually there are plenty of seats free for seat-hopping. Unless its the first weekend of some Marvel blockbuster when it might be absolutely packed.  

 

The restaurant just underneath the cinema ticket office is famous for bubble tea, and great beef noodle soup. Their menu shows english (in the world's smallest font). Go up to pay first when ordering. On the basement floor is a FNAC selling a few electronics. 

The food court here is small and not impressive.

Takashimaya

Situated beside the baseball stadium. A gigantic aquarium display is popular weekend attraction for kids. The basement food court is probably the best of the three department stores' food courts, and the supermarket is very good.