春水堂 Chun Shui Tang. What many blogs and trip planners didn't tell me is that there is a branch of Chun Shui Tang on the ground floor of Hall of Opera at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. Ironically, this was my first stop of the day and got to see the change of guards at the main hall then proceeded to hunt for a morning snack. Good thing I turned on my roaming and followed Apple Maps. There are no signs that restaurants and a tea house actually exist at the Opera Hall. I patiently waited for the tea house to open at 11:30 am and was the first customer.

Unlike other boba shops, Chun Shui Tang is an actual tea house serving Taiwanese snacks and entrees. I saw some families grabbing lunch, while my mother and I opted to order snacks so we have more tummy space to eat a late lunch at Modern Toilet.

Food blogger mode. Please don't disturb as I sip through my boba tea.

That's the Opera House on the right. The tea house is on the ground floor.

While waiting for the tea shop to open.

The tea house. Simple yet inviting.

My mum's pick for a morning snack. Healthy lettuce with minced pork.

THE Original Bubble Milk Tea. Perfectly blended.

Iced but not too sweet.

Yummy fish balls paired well with my milk tea.

Small seating at Ten Ren to get you in the mood.

Ten Ren's oolong milk tea.

Another boba tea shop that I didn't get to try - Long Tea Fan at Ximending.

Take your loose leaf tea pick.

So overwhelming to see so much tea!

What I learned from this trip is that an authentic Taiwanese milk tea is really not sweet. In American soil, it is equivalent to 50% sugar.

For more on my Taiwanese misadventures, keep calm and read on.

Food festivals are a feast for the senses, offering a vibrant mix of flavors, aromas, and sights that are a dream for any foodie. From the bustling streets of Asia to the historic squares of Europe, these festivals not only celebrate culinary traditions but also provide unique opportunities to capture stunning images. Here’s a list of the top 6 food festivals around the world that you need to visit.

La Tomatina, held annually in Buñol, Spain, is one of the most colorful and chaotic food festivals in the world. This festival is essentially a massive tomato fight, where participants throw overripe tomatoes at each other in the streets. The vibrant red of the tomatoes against the backdrop of the town’s white walls makes for striking photographs. To capture the action, consider using a waterproof camera like the GoPro HERO11 Black and protect yourself with a waterproof phone pouch.

Oktoberfest in Munich is the world’s largest beer festival, attracting millions of visitors each year. With its vast beer tents, traditional Bavarian outfits, and hearty food like pretzels and sausages, Oktoberfest is a visual delight. To capture the festival’s lively atmosphere, a wide-angle lens like the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is perfect for shooting both the bustling crowds and the intricate details of the food.

Held in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, Pizzafest is a must-visit for any pizza lover. This festival celebrates Italy’s most famous dish, with dozens of pizzerias offering their best slices. The festival’s vibrant colors, from the red of the tomato sauce to the green of the basil, make it a paradise for food photographers. To capture the rich colors and textures, consider using a prime lens like the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 for those mouthwatering close-ups.

Taste of Chicago is one of the largest food festivals in the United States, showcasing the best of the city’s diverse culinary scene. From deep-dish pizza to gourmet burgers, this festival offers a wide array of foods to photograph. To ensure you get the best shots in a crowded setting, a versatile zoom lens like the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED is ideal for capturing both wide-angle crowd scenes and detailed food close-ups.

Salon du Chocolat in Paris is a paradise for chocolate lovers, featuring everything from chocolate sculptures to gourmet tastings. The festival’s rich and luxurious visuals, combined with the intricate details of the chocolate creations, make it a perfect subject for photography. A macro lens like the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM is essential for capturing the fine details of the chocolates up close.

While not strictly a food festival, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan is often accompanied by local food markets offering traditional Taiwanese snacks. The sight of thousands of illuminated lanterns rising into the night sky is breathtaking and offers a unique backdrop for food photography. To capture the lanterns and food stalls, a low-light lens like the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is highly recommended.

Each of these festivals offers a unique blend of culture, tradition, and culinary delights that are a treat to photograph. Whether you're capturing the chaotic energy of La Tomatina or the refined elegance of Salon du Chocolat, having the right equipment is essential. Be sure to pack your gear, prepare for the unexpected, and most importantly, immerse yourself in the experience to capture the essence of these incredible food festivals.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Total time: 27 mins.

The next day, I heated one donut for 10 seconds in the microwave and paired it with my favorite matcha latte with almond milk.

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Back in the food-obsessed city of Taipei but this time around only for 15 hours. In order to save time, I took the new MRT from the airport to the central Taipei station, and unsurprisingly, the ride was highly efficient and the interiors are squeaky clean with free wifi that actually works! Got to love Taipei compared to other Asian capitals.

Let's all make love. Not war.

My first visit to Taipei last year was filled with memorable bubble tea and temple runs. With the clock ticking though, my main objective for the next few hours is discovering another side of the city that I haven't seen before.

I started off with a typical Taiwanese breakfast, a fried donut and soya milk, at a 24-hour, mom-and-pop shop called Yong He Soy Milk King then headed back to central Taipei station to meet a Taiwanese friend. She recommended that we jet off to the northern part of the city in Danshui where seafood abounds. (insert smiley with stars on the eyes here!)

Nothing can go wrong with deep fried donuts and soya milk for breakfast at this 24 hour joint!

At Danshui's Old Street. Not too busy for a weekday.

After strolling the Old Street, the best part of the day came with our lunch at a seafood restaurant that specializes in mussels. Our clam, mussels and vegetable meal, which had a dose of chopped garlic, was delightful and, of course, I couldn't leave Taipei without the crispy, deep fried oysters.  I also learned about the Three Cups style of cooking, which is a traditional Taiwanese recipe for meat and seafood combining a cup each of sesame oil, rice wine, and vinegar or soy sauce. It sounds like a Filipino adobo recipe but with sesame oil and rice wine. I must try this at home!

Nom, nom, nom. My favorite here is the fried oysters.

Happiness is staring straight at me with the right amount of saltiness and crispiness.

The chopped garlic came in a bit bigger than expected so just imagine that I had garlic breath to fend off the vampires until I got back to the airport and brushed my teeth.

Hello there! Danshui has these characters everywhere.

Knowing how Taiwan is addicted to anything matcha much like I am, we were able to squeeze in a visit to a matcha cafe, Myowa Japanese Sweet Cafe, in Da'an District. Even though we were running out of time before I needed to head back to the airport, we quickly dashed (thanks to speedy MRT) to Myowa and had our fair share of matcha latte, sundae, lava cake and ice cream - all devoured in under 30 minutes. Everything, of course, came in that healthy green glow that made me giggle like a little girl in a candy shop. I instantly went to matcha heaven!

Must try the matcha lava cake. So fun to see the matcha oozing out.

Not as good as Tsujiri but passable.

Time does really pass by fast when you're having fun. My foodie adventures ended, and I'm truly grateful for friends who take the time to tour me around their hometown. Thanks, Lucy!

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I visited The Tea Room in the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) at an opportunistic time late in the year. I met up with my mum at the Sydney airport two days after Christmas after our separate long flights and then made our way to our hotel in Surry Hills.

All that time while the bushfires were ongoing, the weather in the CBD (Central Business District aka downtown) of Sydney was spared from the smoke and that didn't deter many tourists from enjoying the Christmas holidays in the city.

I started off with dessert first, of course!

Christmas at the QVB

In order to reach The Tea Room QVB in time for our 1 pm reservation, we walked for 30 minutes from our hotel under the summer weather of Sydney, which was not as hot or humid as I thought. After a couple of short pitstops for photo opportunities, we finally rested our tiring feet at the top of the QVB. Finding the The Tea Room in the historic QVB building that is a joy to in itself since we first aimlessly gawked at a grandiose Christmas tree adorned with Swarovski crystals, glorious glass stained windows, uniquely crafted clock tower hanging on the roof of the building, and we then climbed an antique Romanesque staircase to get to the establishment.

A historic clock tower in QVB's shopping mall.

Of course, The Tea Room greeted us with the same grandeur with its muted light, beige walls, large, soaring ornate ceilings and, to top it off, Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Superbly refurbished and decorated, this historic establishment has become an icon in Sydney and is famous for its sumptuous morning and traditional afternoon tea service. The clientele is a mix of locals and tourists - from families to even a group of teenagers.

The Tea Room's glorious chandelier adorns the ballroom.

Albeit a more simple 2-course affair than other high tea places I've been to, The Tea Room offers dozens of tea selection from seasonal tea to infusions. I do wish that the wait staff offered to explain what would suit best for my mood-- I just came out of a 12 hour flight so I was looking for something highly caffeinated and ended up with a more familiar masala chai with almond milk.

I did learn from reading up online that The Tea Room uses the highest quality single estate loose leaf teas and tisanes sourced from China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Africa. This is important, especially for tea connoisseurs, because single estate teas guarantee the purest expression of flavor, place and quality.

The finger food and desserts, plated on colorful china accentuated in gold with red and yellow flowers, were both a hit and a miss. The savory starters that consisted of spinach puff pastry, potatoes, and avocado toast with shrimp were the best in the lot. While the mixed sandwiches - each filled with egg salad, salmon, turkey and cucumber - stuffed us to the brim, the scones lacked creaminess and warmth. Among the desserts, the tiramisu was the runaway winner.

The spinach puff pastry was my fave.

Which one should I pick first?

Thanks to the wait staff who were attentive in refilling our pot of tea with more hot water. I am so delighted that I was able to kick off our short trip to Sydney with a high tea since this has been sort of a tradition when both my mum and I travel together.


Disclaimer: The Tea Room provided my dining party a complimentary experience in exchange for an honest review. 

New York is at its hottest during the summer months. Fret not, though. There are many spots to cool down whether on top of a rooftop or in a secret speakeasy bar.

Hello NYC!

Chocolate ice cream at Big Gay Ice Cream

Tea Dance from Besfren. Apologies for the melting ice cream since I got too busy taking pictures first.

My matcha roll with berries. Not the best in terms of taste but fun to look at how they made my roll.

My eating buddies for the day busy chatting about something.

Their wall states, "Shut up and eat ice cream." #QOTD

4. Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream: This is a cross between San Franciscan staples Bi-Rite for its long lines and The Ice Cream Bar for its 60s ice cream parlor theme. Morgenstern's specializes in unique flavors so we got a dose of labneh and sweet potato, which is a runaway winner in my book.

Sweet potato on top. Labneh on bottom.

Beautiful wall art across the street.

Long line but moves fast. Only location at the Lower East Village.

The eating trio.

Iced, Iced Baby
5. Cha Cha Matcha: My jet lag was creeping up on me when I realized that Cha Cha Matcha, a cafe that I found via my Instagram feed, was only a few blocks away. Since I'm a matcha lover and not a coffee drinker, I ordered a pick-me-up hot matcha. I burnt my tongue on my first sip though and asked for a cup of ice instead. Sad to say, I was disappointed with what became an iced matcha compared to the matcha I've had from Tsujiri, an authentic matcha cafe.

I give this cafe extra beanie points for their great branding and highly Instagrammable interior decor.

Hi there, Cha Cha Matcha.

Nice wall you have there!

My hot matcha became iced matcha.

6. Momofuku Milk Bar: Your dear blogger is lactose intolerant, but I've always been intrigued of how Momofuku built its empire with cereal milk. When I chanced upon a Momofuku Milk Bar while walking around Brooklyn, I opted for the cold cereal milk instead of the soft serve. It tasted like regular milk with blended corn flakes. I used to do the same thing as a teenager, but the only difference is that I don't filter out the cereal bits so it becomes a smoothie. FYI, this milk didn't give me tummy issues :)

Felt like a baby sipping this milk.

Sample taste test on the shot glass.

Before the downpour.

8. Beauty and Essex: Be prepared to feast your eyes once you enter this secret restaurant through a pawn shop. Besides from the blinding chandeliers, the upscale cocktails, particularly the honey whiskey with slushie, take the spotlight.

Pour the whiskey in the slushie or drink it up on its own.

Bloody Mary paired with a healthy brunch meal.

My other favorite spot at the Highline.