New Year's Eve: Birding and Dinner in Taipei

New Year's Eve was again chilly and rainy. I woke up early and sat down at a small local restaurant near my hotel for breakfast. The shop was tiny, just a counter and a kitchen with a handful of folding tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk out front.

I ordered a cup of strong, sweet, iced coffee and a scallion pancake, a simple local breakfast favorite that was served stuffed with an egg and chopped into strips with a side of savory duck sauce.

I had wanted to go birding during my visit to Taiwan, but the weather hadn't ever really allowed for it. Nevertheless, it was my final morning in Taipei, so I set out via MRT to walk around Da'an Park despite the rain.

Da'an Forest Park is sort of like Taipei's Central Park. It's a huge, beautiful green space bordered by some of the city's priciest real estate. I had read online that it was also one of the best spots in the city for birdwatching, and though I did see a few new species that I could add to my life list (namely the Eurasian Moorhen, Malayan Night Heron, Black Bulbul, Oriental Magpie, and Javan Myna), the weather was pretty unpleasant, and I think most birds were keeping out of the cold rain.

I, too, was feeling a bit bedraggled, so after walking around for a while, I decided to return to my hotel to warm up, dry off, and start packing to head back home.

I decided to treat myself to New Year's Eve dinner, even though I was alone in Taipei. I decided to eat at Sinchao Rice Shoppe, a swanky Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant serving upscale "New Taiwanese Cuisine".

I ordered the scallop fried rice to start. The rice was stir-fried with mullet roe, giving it a unique pink color, and was topped with three large juicy seared scallops.

I also ordered the softshell crab. I can never pass up the chance to have soft shell crab! It's one of my all-time favorite foods. The deep-fried crab was perfectly cooked, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, and was drizzled with a sweet roselle syrup and a savory and creamy salted egg dip.

This was my most expensive meal in Taipei, and the only time I ate something that wasn't exactly classified as "street food", but it was a nice treat and a good way to end out the year.

I considered staying around Taipei 101 to see its iconic New Year's fireworks display but thought better of it. I had no idea how I would get back to my hotel at midnight with thousands of others all vying for taxis.

Instead, I headed back to my hotel as night fell for a good night's sleep.

I was surprised at how much I loved Taipei! The city was clean, modern, and easy to get around. It reminded me a lot of traveling in Japan, but prices were similar to those in Bangkok. I also appreciated getting to experience a bit of cold weather, even if it was rainy and I wasn't exactly well-prepared for it. I'll definitely be visiting Taiwan again. Since we just stayed in Taipei, we've only barely scratched the surface of the island!