ANTIQUE METAL LAWN FURNITURE

The first time I tried ??? was at a small shop nearby Ximending. Bought one with Jiu Chai as they don't have any with meat filling. It tasted really bad.:( I was glad that that first bad impression didn't stop me from buying one with meat filling (think I got it from another stall thgh I ended taking a pic of this one). The taste was heavenly & tasted like an authentic Chinese Meat Bun (Da Bao) you can find in Singapore (not those mass-produced in factories, thank you!) , except that it comes with a crispy base.^^

Shihlin Night Market ????:

Take Metro to Jiantan Exit 2 (Danshui Line)

Bus from Taipei Main Station : 61/203/216/218/220/224/250/260/266/277/279/280/285/287/ 290/304/310/508/606/633/634/102/109

(alight Jiantan MRT Stnt or Siao Bei St; between end of Wunlin Rd, Jihe Rd & Jhongshan North Rd)

SHOPPING:
cheaper than stores, special areas for clothing/furniture/photo shops/pet shops/finery shops & cold dessert shops in "lover's lane", - centered on Yangmin Theatre & Tsicheng Temple, many prosperous shops on Wenlin Rd/Datung Rd/Danan Rd etc, huge areas (turning lanes and alleys)

FOOD:
large pancake enfolding small pancake, hot pot on stone, Shihlin sausage, fried squid, assorted chopped ice, oyster noodle, steak, hot stuffed dumplings, sliced noodles, lever soup, squid thick soup, oyster omelets, knife-sliced noodles, pork kidney soup, Kaohsiung meat balls, tomatoes in ginger juice, Dongshan duck heads, frogs-laying-eggs, stir-fried squids, chili-sauce dumplings

Highly recommended by me:

SHIN FA TING DESERT STORE
(‘Snowflake’ shaved milk ice, more than 20 toppings)


Another night market planned for but missed:

HUAXI STREET TOURIST NIGHT MARKET ??????? ( Highlight : SUPPER + SNAKE FIGHT SHOW )

TAke metro ( Bannan (Blue) line) to Longshan Temple stnt & walk to Huasi Street

Bus: 0 West, 24, 25, 38, 49, 62, 65, 231, 233, 245, 263, 264, or 265 to Longshan Temple stop

Address: 1 Huaxi St,Taipei

- between Xiyuan Rd n Huanhe S. Rd, near Longshan Temple, together with other markets on Guangjou Street, Wujou Street and Shichen Street

- most famous tour night market; Chinese traditional lamps at entrance n along street, old, historical shops; food stalls, foot massage clinics, top tourist attractn, about 2 to 3 snake shops that demonstrate snake processing and snake fights at nights (large crowd)

FOOD: regional snacks, meat stew, eel noodles, shrimp in wine, snake dishes & wine, pot-edged pancake soup, salty rice pudding, fresh water turtle meal, seafood

RECOMMENDED: tansi noodle restaurant (traditional, Jap tourists’ fav), meat soup, squid soup, snake shops, dishes w Chinese medi(winter)

SHOPPING: WANHUA CLOTHING AREA (recommedned by locals)

- behind fire stnt across temple. Wkdays,office hours only, clothes – many sizes

Yet another night market (I gave it a pass during the planning stage due to time constraint) :

TONGHUA STREET NITE MKT
- between Xinyi Rd, Sec. 4 & Keelung Rd, Sec. 2;

- cuttlefish stew, red-blossom sausage, beancurd, bowl rice, vermicelli in soup

Mesa Altar / Altar Table
Attributed to the Batangas I Master
Batangas Province, Philippines
ca. 18th Century
Tindalo and Kamagong with Lanite wood inlay
PIERCED CARVED APRON, INLAID DRAWERS, PEGGED CONSTRUCTION,
64"W,28"D, 38"TALL

A five (5) drawer cabinet standing on four cabriolet legs.
The legs terminate in a modified bun feet resting on strechers.
The wide side flanges are carved in a open-work pattern with pierced lattice-work central medallions. The apron is also carved in similar design.
Five key holes are present. Each drawer outlined in polygon made of lighter (Lanite?) woods.
Drawers pulls are not original.
The table top is a mitered frame with a floating central panel.
Water stains, cigarette burns and other disfigurements present on mitered top.
Shrinkage evident throughout. Wormholes suggesting great age also present.

Provenance:
Collection of Murvyn Rodriguez Callo
Sold at the Four Seasons auction on Sept. 19, 2010 for the staggering sum of $650.00
From a prominent military family in the state of Georgia, USA
Purchased from the Philippines in the early 1900s and brought to the US in 1922.