During this trip to Taipei, I'm happy to stay at two of the AMBA hotels here. If you're looking for a different hotel experience, AMBA is the hotel you're looking for.

Amba Songshan

As some of you might know, Songshan region is emerging as a new tourist spot in Taipei. And when talking about Taipei, it’s hard to not fall in love with the signature architecture, Taipei 101. I've always been obsessed with this tall glomourous building, so I felt very happy to stay with AMBA Songshan as they offer a breathtaking view of it and the whole city as well. Let's experience the creativity of AMBA hotel's designs. Each door of the hotel room are designed with cartoons showing something special about that year according to the room number. I highly recommend you guys to spend some time exploring the floors, it's great fun!

FOOD

Que is the in-house restaurant featured with a woodfired grill. Overlooking the beautiful Keelung River, Que is a contemporary and inviting all-day-dining restaurant for guests from inside and out. Inspired by the most primitive and natural method of cooking - over an open wood fire - Que offers a fresh new dining experience that ignites all your senses. Guests can look over the chefs' great work at the beautiful open kitchen. The steak cuisines here are quite famous, the flavour simply cannot be beaten.

This hearty bowl of Taiwanese Beef Noodle is a typical cuisine with a modern Western twist. Interestingly, the chef had added short ribs. The noodles are really chewy, it had the right amount of firmness. The short rib was tender and flavorful on its own. Cooked over the wood fire, the soup was quite thick and tasted with a hint of Chinese herbs, which is very delicious. I was satisfied with the taste and the size of the portion. It is also recommended to enjoy a pot of Budding Meadow Chamomile was refreshing and soothing, it was very suitable for the current weather. The choices for the breakfast buffet were pretty diversied, from Western to Chinese style - you could satisfy your many wants. I really like the veggies in cream sauce!

ROOM

Standing by that windowsill, I felt like I was watching the heart of Songshan region beating. It is one of the best views you can get in town. The dazzling views of Taipei 101 and the Keelung River are unforgettable. The hotel's understated yet stylish interior simply amazed me so much. Another impressive thing about this hotel is that the rooms are incoporated with high-tech amenities. Forget about the charging troubles as the power outlets are universal along some other USB charging ports. The hotel uses all-natural products for a greener, healthier environment. Even the slippers are of good quality that you can bring them home! And if you feel like working out a little bit? AMBA Songshan's fitness centre has got your back! Either cardio or weight training, the equipment here can suit your needs.

 

Amba Xinmending

Amba Xinmending locates in the heart of Taipei's CBD. The location is unbeatably convenient as you are well connected to plentiful restaurants and shops. At the ground floor you will find a cafe which also owned by AMBA. I fell in love instanty when I arrived at the hotel lobby. It was so spacious and stylish. The glass roof allowed natural sunlight to get in which created a very cozy ambiance. Fancy a drink? Stop by the "Ting Ba" where you can enjoy a tip of nice cocktail and vivid music at night.

FOOD

The dining zone is full of wood elements and it is pretty stylish. It's the kind of place where you just want to sit back and enjoy a nice sip of coffee while soaking up the sun. A good morning begins with a good breakfast! If you want to try something special, don't miss out the custom made onigiri. Feel free to pick your favorite rice type and ingredients!

ROOM

The room reflects a balance of simple, stylish design and functional features. The furniture and decorations are inspired by the area's cinematic and musical heritage. I also want to mention the bath amenities here that are made by all-natural, calming ginger that are exclusively provided by socially responsible Taiwanese brand Two Acres. I fell in love with the scent and quality instantly, and I guess everyone would be as there is a small corner at the lobby where you can actually purchase them.

AMBA is a new accomodating experience in Taipei. The view of the Taipei 101 from my room was unforgettable and I even plan to come back for the New Year Eve's firework. Alright guys, thanks for reading and I'm now working on another article about recommendations to do, to see and to eat in Taipei especially these two regions! Be sure to check it out my loves, ciao!

Information

AMBA Songshan 

Address: 8 Section 7 Civic Boulevard Taipei 11562 Taiwan

Website: https://www.amba-hotels.com/en/songshan

AMBA Xinmending

Address: 77 Section 2 Wuchang Street Taipei 10843 Taiwan

Website: https://www.amba-hotels.com/en/ximending

Disclaimer: I was a guest of the AMBA hotels. However all thoughts, as always, are my own.

So now moving on to my recommendations in this amazing city.. are you ready?

A must-do when you are in Songshan region is to visit the Raohe Street Night Market. Be prepared to be exposed to a range of traditional and innovative Taiwan street snacks that will give you a happy belly. I can't wait to share with you some of my favourite food selections, so here we go!

1) Japanese Egg Roll

It's one of the food stalls that has the longest queue within the region. The egg rolls here are very popular among local people and medias. There are quite a ride range of flavours / styles to select, while the recommended ones are the "Lobster Salad" and "Shrimps with Pipeapple". The egg rolls were made upon orders so it served hot and fresh! The texture of the egg was so soft as marshmellow and it tasted magical. It’s an absolute must-eat. 

2) The "Super Juicy" Chicken Leg Sticks

The chicken legs have been transformed into handy eats! Under the crispy chicken skin is the boneless and super juicy chicken leg meat. It now has successfully become a typical snack to be found in major night markets.

3) Baked Seafood in a Shell
Imagine you can have a taste of different kinds of seafood in a shell, yummmm ... Although frozen seafood was used here, the taste was not disappointing at all. It was such an explosion of flavours in my mouth. 

After getting happily stuff, don't forget to have fun at the game stalls where you can win as many gifts as you can if you're a gaming expert. Mahjong Bingo, Balloons Shooting and many other games can be found everywhere in the night market. It's a really special way to experience the local culture.

Ximending

One cannot leave Taipei without visiting Ximending. Shopping can be tiring, but definitely not boring here in this region. Here are some best eats in the region!

Ya Rou Bian 鴨肉扁

Since 1950,  Ya Rou Bian has started their family business at Xinmending. People nowadays are often confused by the name of the restaurant. 

Although the name contains the characters of "duck", what the restaurant is truly offering is goose. YES - there is no duck you can find here! The reason for such confusion is that the restaurant did sell both duck and goose at the beginning, but they changed to only serve goose once they found out it was more popular among customers without changing the shop's name. What's more, the restaurant does not have any menu - you can choose from two kinds of noodles (TWD60) and the amount of goose meat (from TWD30 -1400).

1/4 goose (TWD700) 

Rice noodles (TWD60)

 A nice bowl of rice noodles is a perfect way to stay warm during this cold weather. The rice noodles absorb the essence of the soup and the texture is refreshing. The plate of goose meat was so much bigger than I expect! Each piece of goose meat contained some uniquely delicious fat and the taste is very rich. There were two sauces, a savory one and a spicy one, both made a good match to the goose meat.

Addiction Aquatic Development 

I will be forever dreaming of sushi thanks to Addiction Aquatic Development. It is a complex with restaurants of different themes, a fish market with daily flown in seafood, and a supermarket with food, wine and daily life products. Be prepared if you want to visit the sushi restaurant as you have to stand while you eat, which is a common dining custom in Japan. I've heard from locals that there are other more inexpensive choices but most of them locate outside the city center. Given the limited time, and I'm also attracted by the fact that it's an outlet by the Japanese group 三井. For me it's some kinds of guarantee of the food quality, which is rather important regarding the ingredients are raw. It is a great place with fresh and tasty seafood. The whole sushi session is not big, so be prepared to wait in lines during rush hour or come earlier. After all, sushi for breakfast, why not?

Personal favourite:The Supreme Tuna Set was heavenly! It is definitely a must-order set that you won't ever regret. The price was unbeatable and the sushi was really fresh and mouthwatering, especially the toro pieces! 

Tam Sui

Tamsui Old Street is a boardwalk-like area full of shops and eateries. The waterfront area is also a popular place to see the beautiful Tamsui River. I really like how tranquil this place is, not to mention all the delicious street snacks I've had here.

1) Fried Squid

 Among all the similar stores here, I highly recommend this one as the fried squid here is the crispest and tastest. We had to share because it was a very decent serving size. If you like crunchy street snacks, be sure to order this!

2) Traditional Fish Balls

Looking for some traditional flavours? Over 45 years of history, "Tam Sui Fishballs" is a place where you can have a genuine taste of this Taiwanese cuisine. The fishballs had a bouncy and fluffy texture and the filling is flavourous.

3) Meet Fresh

The brand is started by Sister and Brother Fu. They grew up in Taichung and were good at making chewy taro balls and delicious herbal jelly desserts. The taro balls were really special here as there was taro filling inside. The taro balls were made from sweet potates and purple potatoes, it was so colourful and appealing as a dessert.

Personal favourite: The taro balls with milk balls and herbal jelly - you get to try both signature items here!

 

 3) Elixir Health Pot

From the ambiance, food quality, price to service, everything is impeccable and just so on point. The menu offers a range of hotpot items, from thinly sliced sirloin steak to seafood, and various kinds of fresh and unique vegetables. You can't miss out the ice cream tofu, it was absolutely amazing!

Warm reminder: This restaurant is very hard to get a reservation - be sure to make a booking as early as you can. The soup was so smooth as milk, I really liked it. The sauce here was not normal soy sauce, it is a special sauce that tastes like vinegar and it complements the meat very well.

  4）Shilin Night Market 

Zhong Cheng Hao (忠誠號)

I guarantee you guys that you can try the best Taiwanese Oyster Omelette here at Zhong Cheng Hao (忠誠號). The texture, flavour and price are unbeatable here and you simply can't stop eating it. It's not surprising to see the ever-existing queue at the front door of the restaurant, but it's totally worth the wait!

Right at the exit of the night market it's not hard to spot a SUPER long queue at this particular Taiwanese fried chicken store. The approximate waiting time for me last time was about 30 minutes, so be prepared guys. What's special about the fried chicken here is their unique way of cooking. The chicken fillets are first grilled before deep-frying. In such way, it keeps the chicken meat juicy and tender. The spices used were just so addictive, I was really amazed by how flavourful it was. Please don't leave before you try it for once!

Of course, night market isn't just about great food. Enjoy yourself at the local game stores is another awesome thing to do here. Whether you are an expert in shooting balloons or simply want to try your luck with the Mahjong Bingo, there are plenty of fun game stores for you to visit.

Taipei is a city which is loved by Hong Kong people, it never runs out of new restaurants and great places to visit. Thanks for reading to this very end and I hope you enjoy your visit in Taipei!