Gastro Monkey // 美食家

I just get in these moods where I crave Taiwanese food with a fierceness. Mostly, I blame Facebook. Facebook likes to remind me of my "memories" which is filled primarily with pictures of food. I always take a lot of pictures while I'm there even though I've been so many times, like it will make my stay longer, or like I can keep Taiwan with me while I'm in the States. It's frustrating though, having Taiwanese restaurants in the Bay area that usually just aren't the same. I'm definitely willing to drive to the Bay to get my Taiwanese food fix, but it just really makes me want to buy another ticket home. Luckily, my friend introduced me to Tai Kee. While I might not think that all of the food is as good as it is in Taiwan, the wonton soup is. The flavor of the soup - clean and full, the texture of the wonton wrappers, and the filling. It's almost like i'm in Zuoying at my favorite wonton shop having a bowl. The pricing is pretty good too. B

I follow a fair amount of Japanese people on Instagram, and being a beer lover, when I saw posts of a beer with a frosted top, I had to try it for myself! I thought it was only available in Japan, so I had put it on my list of things to try when I eventually went. While researching locations in Japan, I saw that there was a location in Taichung! That settled, I hopped on the bus and made my way over. There is a bus stop just in front of ChungYo Department store, and from there, Kirin is just a few blocks away. It's a tall skinny building with a few floors. Before coming here, I'd only ever had their regular beer. Seeing that there was an option for a darker beer, I thought I would give it a try. While dark, it was rather flavorless, but the novelty of the frosted top was interesting. The best part of my snack was the squid.  Fun thing to note if you like taking pictures, they have a Kirin wall with hats and other photo booth items you can use. Address: