Well, congratulations to Ping for the correct location: I was in Taipei to drop off a board for a demo at Computex and make sure that it all worked correctly.
Apart from Computex, which was both huge in terms of the number of exhibitors, and packed (to the point that it was difficult to move around), I also went to a few other places.
Food & Drink
- China Pa – a restaurant/bar place that served the most amazing spicy food and any kind of drink you could imagine. All in an environment that included carved wooden furnishings, comfy chairs and live music.
- Naomi – a underground lounge bar with unusual decor, good snacks and OK cocktails (the Long Island Iced Tea was good, but I have had better – and worse). There was a fairly trendy crowd in and the video being projected onto the walls from overhead projectors was decidedly odd in places. Also, a little expensive – there’s even a cover charge.
- Champagne – just a few doors down the street from Naomi, but this one is at street level. Very impressive wine and champagne collection (with prices to match), but also a very good selection of every other kind of drink you can imagine. Well worth a visit.
- The Hyatt does a buffet that I’m told is amazing, but I missed it. Instead, I ate in the little lounge/bar area on the second floor, overlooking the lobby. They had a dim sum type thing going on, but extended to include bite-sized servings of foods from all over the world – for example, cucumber sandwiches made on a slices of bread about two inches square – with crusts, so not just larger slices cut down to size.
- The Brasserie at the Landis Hotel – this one was not so good, at least for me. The Singapore-style noodles I had were totally devoid of any spices, and the chilli sauce I requested was equally mild. That said, the pain au chocolat and croissants they served with breakfast are among the best I’ve had anywhere in the world, including France. The rest of the breakfast was excellent too – anything from Chinese style to full English cooked to cereals & fresh fruit.
Attractions
I only really saw one attraction in my limited time there (I don’t count Computex). That was the National Palace Museum, and it is well worth checking out, though it is somewhat large and perhaps a little overwhelming.