taiwan series: another look at eslite spectrum

on this, the first day of the great blizzard of 2015*, i'm going to go back to sunny taiwan. want to come?

when i was in taipei a few months ago, i had to go back to eslite spectrum for a second look, since it was such a good time when i went in 2013. (it's since been featured on afar's taiwan travel guide.) again, i failed to stay at the eslite hotel, but it is looking amazing. there is so much to see and do and eat in that complex! there is, of course, a big bookstore (eslite's original source of fame), locally- and regionally-made clothing, and enough kitchen goods to stock ten downton abbey kitchens. (although i guess the style of the kitchen goods would be slightly out of place in edwardian england. there is a lot of enamelware though..but i think that is more downstairs than upstairs. anyway, i digress.) this time, i also noticed a custom leather shop called hsu & daughters. it looks like they make wallets, bags, and belts on the spot. and if you get thirsty or hungry, there are a whole row of fancy tea shops to choose from, as well as a decent food court in the basement. there is also a large section featuring taiwanese specialty snacks, like 100 kinds of dried fruit - my favorite are the wild mangos (these are different from regular old domesticated mangos, i suppose) - and jerky and pork floss and edamame.  yum.

anyway, check it out: 

the entrance to the home goods section.

one of the independent clothing and textile vendors on the first level.

a glimpse of some hasami porcelain from above. definitely on my wish list.

some of those kitchen goods i was talking about. very japanese-brooklyn, if you know what i mean.

i love these two-toned pieces!

the leather-maker's shop.

a selection of the dried taiwanese goods.

more yummy things. 

all of those photos have successfully distracted me from the fact that everything is gusty and swirling outside, and that we're in for some thundersnow tonight. now i'm going to have some lemon-ginger tea with the last of those dried wild mangos i brought home, while rejoicing at the fact that the first day of the semester has just been canceled. (does that make me a bad teacher?)  

anyway. stay cozy, folks. xoxo

*mayor di blasio says that "this will mostly likely be one of the largest blizzards in the history of new york city." all the reporters on msnbc are positively gleeful about all the terrible weather that is to come. i bet dante is glad he isn't responsible for shoveling the snow this year.

taiwan series: miyahara

miyahara! i'd already stopped in for some ice cream but had to go back again before leaving taiwan. on the saturday before i left, claire and aileen met me there for some taiwanese snacks and iced milk teas in the cafe on the second floor. it's been a few weeks since i left, and looking at these photos made me want to go right back! i've said it before but miyahara should be one of your must-see spots on your visit to taichung. and there are actually two of them now, just minutes from each other on the same street, so there shouldn't be a problem getting in. (it does get very crowded on weekends!) try the taiwanese snack platter and one of their house tea concoctions...you'll be happy you did. 

the exterior of the original miyahara store, which serves both savory and sweet snacks in its cafe. 

a close-up of the front door of miyahara I. 

right inside, there are beautiful displays of interesting chocolates. 

the emporium, all decked out for christmas. 

one of the many tea displays. the boxes are really creative and would make gorgeous gifts.

some of the more traditional but still lovely packaging. i got a rose tea and a long-yan tea in this style. 

a view of the shop floor, from the second-story cafe. 

the cookie counter!

a side area with more tea, cookies, and biscuits arranged on bookshelf displays. 

a trio of taiwanese honey. 

some close-ups of the biscuit gift boxes. 

more bookstore-like displays. 

on the second floor, there is plenty of seating for you to enjoy a meal, afternoon tea, or a light snack. the space is cavernous - i love the exposed beams.

a taiwanese snack platter with tasty sauces handily labeled for your eating pleasure.

a "poutine" - looks more like chili fries, actually.

the logo, which incorporates the building's past as an eye clinic during the japanese colonial era. the building was abandoned for years, and its current iteration as a sweets emporium recalls this history in small details like this. love it! 

inside the second-story cafe, near the bar area. 

the second miyahara, another converted building that retains its original signage as a taiwanese cooperative bank. this location is just up the street from the first, and also serves ice cream, tea and other sweets. 

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.