taiwan series: revisiting fantasy story

it's a whole lot colder in brooklyn than it is in taichung. i've been back for about a week now, and am wishing for those sunny 70-degree days, especially now that it's getting dark at 4:30 here. ugh. to comfort myself, i'm revisiting photos from my trip! here are some that i took at fantasy story, which i first checked out last year (although i didn't get around to posting about it until september). 

i spent a bit longer there this time around - it was a weekday and things were slow, but there seemed to be more shops associated with the fantasy story brand. in fact, they were all strangely marked by strings of halloween pumpkin lanterns, which you can see in some of the photos. since my visit was in late november, i'm not sure if it was leftover from some halloween event, or a year-round thing the way christmas decorations tend to be. (i can still remember how my favorite restaurant in middle school had a "merry xmas" banner on its door in the middle of summer. tangentially, it's strange how so many american holidays have migrated to taiwan. my mom mentioned thanksgiving to me and i was like: "why do taiwanese celebrate the survival of pilgrims and squanto's good will?" these holidays were definitely not on any local's radar when i lived there in the 1990s....) but i digress. back to fantasy story: it's definitely very cute. but hey, i like this kind of thing. 

the spaces are available for events and exhibits, and it looked like a crew was scoping out the space for a future event while i was there. there were also more restaurants than last time - a tea shop and a japanese restaurant on the second floor, as well as a large western restaurant called isabella. 

it was so peaceful just wandering around and exploring alone. on the weekends though, it's probably packed with friends and family having tea and brunch and running around the courtyards. 

this is the "bookshop for beginners" - an introductory point to fantasy story. 

a list of the shops and restaurants on zhongxing first lane 「中興一巷」.

the second floor of one of the buildings. love the way they've restored the rooflines and shingles.

the current photo exhibit. 

one of the dining options.

the adorable outdoor seating at one of the second floor restaurants.

a window to the teashop.

this place serves noodles, i think. 

a view down to one of the interior courtyards. 

fantasy story featured blooming bougainvillea too, like everywhere else in taichung. how have i never noticed these flowers before?!

the second story of the complex. i hear it used to be dormitories. 

an enchantingly green corner. 

a shop with curios and plants. 

this shop bears signage for an architect's office, but seems to also sell other goods.

the second complex on zhongxing road. 

isabella's lush courtyard. 

these plants are amazing! i would live here.

a gift shop on the second floor of the second building. 

looking down into isabella's courtyard.

a glimpse into the eating area at isabella.

the entry area to isabella.

each building had two to three small courtyards. this was taken from the street into the last.

more plants! i wished that i could bring them all home. 

a map of the different locations associated with fantasy story. 

ps. check out my last visit here.

things i like (#9)

this honey, because it's sweet and taiwanese.

these soft pajamas from muji, so i'm stylish in my sleep.

these cloth napkins, so we use fewer paper towels.

this napkin from miyahara, because it reminds me of fun times.

taiwan series: taichung cultural and creative industries park

for the longest time, there was a derelict liquor factory across the street from my friend aileen's house in taichung. the facility was a ghost town all through my childhood, but was reanimated as a cultural event space and park a few years back. now they host concerts, exhibits, and other arty happenings there. it's a similar initiative to huashan 1914 in taipei, where long-abandoned spaces like tobacco and liquor factories are being converted into new creative venues. taichung cultural and creative industries park 「台中文化創意產業園區」is much quieter than huashan 1914, it seems, but it makes sense given that taichung is generally a much sleepier place than taipei. (but the weather is waaay better here.) 

i went to the park around noon on a weekday, and aside from a few tour groups, it was pretty empty. the cafes open around 11am, although i think the exhibits open at 10am. mostly though, i like going there just to walk around outside. the old buildings have been restored and the landscaping is lovely, so it's a pretty relaxing environment to enjoy a walk and a cup of coffee away from the city streets. 

if you get hungry, there are a few options, including the ark cafe 「方舟咖啡廚房」and sole cafe. ark has full meals but since i wasn't hungry, i went to sole for some coffee and a valrhona brownie.  

check it out if you're in the area. i love seeing how abandoned spaces are being turned into useful and beautiful new parks, and it's nice to have one so close to my parents' house! 

carroll street kitchen

i promised more photos of the our kitchen, and here they are! although i'm really enjoying taiwan, i also can't wait to get back to cooking in that lovely space. you might notice there aren't actually that many photos here, and that's because the folks over at sweeten (where i found my contractor paul of ulaj interiors) were nice enough to feature the renovation on their site! please head over to the sweeten blog to check out more photos and my thoughts about the process. 

hope you like it as much as i do. i kind of wish i had another kitchen to redo now. and by the way, i've become a pro at the ikea kitchen planning software, so if you need help with your kitchen reno, just let me know. :) 

p.s. for before photos, follow this link.

taiwan series: tea & ice cream @ miyahara

 i've done a lot of walking on this trip. yesterday, i walked about 6 kilometers, first from my parents' house to miyahara near the train station, then onwards to an entirely different part of town. it's been a long time since i've walked that route - probably not since before i got my license! (scooter license that is...but hey, that's a legit motorized vehicle.)

anyway, miyahara has the most amazing ice creams. i can't stop thinking about them. they are light and gelato-like, meaning i ate a huge scoop and felt nothing but refreshed afterwards.  they are divided into three sections: chocolates, fruits, and teas. i tried a couple of the tea flavors and they were all divine.

 i settled on the earl grey tea, topped with toasted buckwheat and purple rice. may seem weird, but it was soooo good. it's also strange (but delightful) to taste traditional taiwanese teas like oriental beauty 「東方美人」in ice cream form. 

the toppings were really interesting too. i want to try more of them! claire, aileen and i are planning to go back on saturday for lunch. stay tuned for a more comprehensive post on the delights of miyahara!