Tantalising Taiwan

All these for less than S$10? #takemymoney

These guys have taken customisation to a whole new level, leaving customers spoiled for choice. Choosing everything from the toppings to ice-cream flavours was a happy dilemma. The wide toppings selection isn't your run-of-the-mill stuff, but solid, handcrafted ones like cheesecakes (comes in original and chocolate), pineapple cake (also available in two types), flower cake, snow pops, and many more. These are also being sold in their retail store within the same building. But the main draw is still the jaw-droppingly extensive ice-cream flavours, classified according to tea, fruit, yoghurt, specials, and chocolate. The chocolate section alone has 17 different flavours, each in varying intensities and origins.

My picks were the 100% original chocolate, 80% smoked Uganda chocolate, as well as the Alishan Oolong Tea. The latter was highly aromatic, like sipping the real deal itself, while the full-bodied chocolaty flavour of the 100% original one was gobbled up in no time.

Can someone bring Miyahara into our sunny shores, pretty please?

Smoothie House has been in SG for awhile now, but I've never gotten around to trying it so far. It happened that they had a branch right outside Shih Lin Night Market; an inviting respite to just chill and hide from the masses.

Described as the "Nostalgic" on the menu, the Peanut combination was a refreshing departure from the norm, with ingredients like Panna Cotta, sweet kidney beans, fragrant taro cubes. The "peanut" here refers to the smattering of chopped peanut candy, instead of the peanut-flavoured shaved ice which I thought to be. While the shaved ice itself wasn't as fine & snowy as Korean bingsus, it does fit the bill when you're in need of a satisfying sweet treat.

Arguably Nantou County's most famous dish of all. Smokingly good, tender, with crackly crisp skin. They even provide you with gloves to tear the chook apart with your hands. Defo a must-try when in #Cingjing.