We decided to spend our first morning in Taipei exploring the historic Wanhua District, which includes the Ximending Pedestrian area.
We walked past Taipei Main Station, then took a left at the North Gate (Cheng'en Gate).
One of five city gates in the city, it is the only one of the gates that still maintains its Qing-era appearance.
As we walked down Yanping Road we quickly noticed that many shops, including coffee houses don't open until at least 11am in the area. It was interesting to see folks doing prep and cleaning work along the way.
We then headed to the Ximending area, called the Ximending Youth Shopping District, and often described as the Harajuku of Taipei. There's some interesting funkiness and fashion in the area. We passed an street that was totally given to tattoo and body piercing shops.
Though it wasn't very crowded; we believed that 9am was too early for the young and hip to be about; especially on a weekday (this was a Friday). Though we did see quite a few "influencers" along the way. 
They were easy to identify; Taiwan seemed quite casual in dress and these folks dressed up quite a bit. They also seemed to have a small entourage with them and acted like they "owned" whatever area they were in. It really seemed that it was "all about them". We'd try to avoid them at all costs during our trip.
We decided to head on over to Longshan Temple and passed quite a few red brick buildings. These are said to be Qing-era structures.
We saw a sign that said "Bopilao Historical Block", so we decided to follow the sign, which lead us to a street lined with red brick and wooden buildings that have obviously been restored.
This is Bopilao Historical Block.
You can read more about it here.
We enjoyed checking out these historical buildings. The street was amazingly quiet.
Most of the buildings were closed, but we found one that was open and had some interesting history and photos of businesses that used to occupy the street.
The quiet was soon interrupted by the sound of chatter outside the building. We found Taiwan to be pretty quiet, at least in terms of folks talking. It was definitely more like Japan/France than China on that note.
Well, guess what? A group of influencers and their entourage had taken over the street.
There were actually eight of them in total. It was time to head on out.
Longshan Temple was only about a block away.
We hadn't really read up on religion in Taiwan and were surprised to see how religious people were here!
There's an interesting combination of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism called Chinese Folk Religion that is the most practiced in Taiwan.
The most popular hall seemed to be for the deity of Love and Marriage.
There's a park across from the temple, but it seemed occupied by homeless folk, which seemed, at least to us, quite a rarity in the city. I later found out that the area near here used to be the "red light district" of the city.
From here, we decided to head to our lunch destination. It was still a bit early so we stopped at a couple of other temples along the way.
This is Qingshan Temple.
Qingshui Temple. You can read about the "Nose Dropping Divine Progenitor".
Our last stop before lunch was at a square with this red brick building.
This is Nishi Honganji Square, once the site of the largest Japanese Buddhist Temple in Taiwan. A fire in 1975 destroyed the temple, leaving the Shuxin Hall and the Bell Tower.
We had decided to get some Niu Rou Mian for lunch. I looked at my "list" of places close by and we chose one. Of course finding it; even with Google Maps was interesting. By now, the Missus came to realize that folks in Taiwan were quite helpful and She asked a gentleman at one of the businesses close to where Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodles was located. He quickly pointed into the doorway of the large building we were standing at and told the Missus it was downstairs in the basement. Apparently, the Wan Nian Building is a popular shopping mall and in the basement is a maze of eating establishments. We just did a circle until we found our destination.
Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodles.
It was just about 1045, the place opens at 1030 and there was just one other party in the place when we arrived.
A table was pointed out and we sat. From our dinner the previous night, we knew to check off what we wanted from the ordering pad. Another wrinkle here was that there were side dishes in the fridge; you just head on over and pick out what you want.
This is what we chose.
Each one of these dishes is 40 NT$ ($1.30/US).
Man, this stuff was so good.
The cabbage was crunchy, yet nicely sour. We had quickly noticed that what we were eating here in Taiwan wasn't overly salty and this meal was no exception!
The Jellied Pork had a nice crunch and toothsomeness.
The young man whisked away the tofu and pidan and soon returned it to the table with a thick soy sauce drizzled on it.
Loved the beany tofu, the soy sauce had a nice umami, with a light sweetness. The Missus loved the pidan.
Based on the previous night's dinner, we also ordered some jiaozi, this time the pork and chive version.
My goodness! This was one of the best versions we've ever had. The wrappers were so tender, with a perfect "chew" to them. The filling had a nice, balanced pungent porkiness to it and was so tender and juicy. This resets the bar for what we now expect in restaurants.
And then it was the Niu Rou Mian.
So, first the good. The knife cut noodles are probably some of the best I've had, al dente, but tender, a wonderful texture. I now have a reference point for what the Taiwanese call "QQ". The beef is wonderfully tender and deeply flavored. Were this fell short for us was the broth. While it wasn't overly salty and the richness and tongue feel was excellent, it was kind of weak in the beefiness.
And since this place is a Michelin Bib Gourmet restaurant, we expected more.
Still, we loved the jiaozi and side dishes and the price for our lunch came out at 430 NT$, think $14/US…… Geez, it's really hard to complain, right?
Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles (in the Wan Nian Building)
108 Xining Rd.
Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Man, the beef was so tender and beefy! The knife cut noodles were a bit thick for my taste, but the texture was very nice, good pull, not doughy or overly chewy. The broth was light on the beefiness and edged on being too sweet. We would have liked a bit more tangy-tomato flavor as well. Still this was quite enjoyable.
The Mister and I returned the other day and were going to order from the regular menu, but the All Day Special Menu, which was All You Can Eat for $27 per person would cost about the same. We decided it would be fun to cook our own and eat all we could. 
The complimentary banchan (pickled 'sides)were brought out along with the sauces (and salad and rice we ordered from the menu). Everything is replenished when you ask.
First up-thin brisket, beef bulgogi and chicken BBQ.
You are given tongs and scissors to help cook and cut your meats. The bulgogi and BBQ sauces carmelized on the grill and gave some flavor to the brisket.
The 'corn cheese' is an excellent side to share. 
For our second round, we chose thin beef belly and thin pork belly…so we could compare. 
A clean grill had been brought out, so there was no flavor imparted from the bulgogi and BBQ sauces and we instead ate the meat with the pickled sides (the kim chee is excellent) and rice on top of salad: a completely different second meal.
Greek sounded good for lunch, too.
There's a menu above the cash register and on the wall to the right. Order and pay and your food is brought out in disposable/"To Go" containers.
The walls from the former restaurant are still here; the furniture is new.
Lentil soup with pita ($4.50) was an excellent Mediterranean version. Cumin and turmeric flavors were primary and the broth not too thick with lentils or potato or carrot as other versions, but very deep with flavor. I did not taste onion and salt/pepper were not needed. 
A side of four pieces of falafel ($2.50) was a good choice. The thin, crisp edges were perfect, leaving the inside fluffy. The side of tzatziki sauce was refreshing with its yogurt and garlic base.
Greek Mix Plate ($14.99). 1/2 chicken shawarma, 1/2 lamb gyro on top of yellow rice and pita along with a good sized side salad (served with a herb-infused vinegar dressing) was quite a lot of food to share. The shawarma was not shaved, but instead chopped and grilled. It had great flavor. Indeed, it was lamb gyro and shaved, leaving each piece with a crisp side. The rice, pita and salad made this a good size meal, enough to share. 
Lemon and mint lemonade ($2.99) was excellent- fresh lemon juice, not too much sugar and dried mint gave this beverage two 'thumbs up' from us. We'll be back to try more of the menu.
The stamped floor with animal footprints remains.
It was basically standard breakfast fare when we arrived, so we just had some coffee, tea, and water.
The well-established (since 1955) pizza parlor, serving Italian food as well as cocktails is open for lunch in nearby Lemon Grove. 
A bowl of the house made 
A large (for two) antipasto salad ($9.95) was shared for an appetizer. Plenty of mortadella, salami and provolone along with pickled vegetables and parmesan.
The Italian Salad Bowl ($7.95) is always a good shareable 'appetizer' for us. Don't be fooled by the camera angle- that is a very large, deep bowl (it's the same bowl used for the 'double bowl soup'). Lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, olives, pepperocinis and all of that pepperoni could make a nice low carb meal. But we've been ordering large pizzas lately.
A large sausage-pepperoni pizza ($20.45) is one choice. Neither of us wants too many ingredients to take away from the beautifully flavored dough.
The large sausage-mushroom pizza ($19.25). More of a favorite. You can see the thin crust.
The 'Bar' area is a bit closed off from the rest of the dining area.
It's located West of the I-15 at Auto Park Way.
This is the breakfast portion of the menu; lunch will be a separate post. Know that the entire menu is served all day.
There are tables and booths available. If you can see the mechanics in this photo, the separating wall at the left booth can be lifted up, making a large booth-seating area for a group.
The Mississippi Skillet ($16.59) is made with ham, sausage, crisp bacon, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms and topped with Monterey Jack cheese and added avocado (99¢). Excellent flavors and there were leftovers. The choice of a scratch made biscuit was a good one-a light, crisp crust with a fluffy crumb. It didn't even need the butter. 
Huck's Combo ($11.99) with ham (a nice, thick ham steak which was juicy/almost sweet and not at all too salty), two (perfect) over easy eggs, add country reds ($2.59)(sliced and fried red skinned potatoes with bell peppers and onion) along with a half of a butter-crisp waffle (choice of that or a sweet cream flapjack or a slice of French toast). Each item was excellent in portion size (again, leftovers) and flavor-the waffle didn't need much of any toppings and was indeed crisp yet had a fluffy interior. 
About two weeks later, I made it a point to return with The Mister since I hadn't tried anything 'huckleberry' on that first visit. A Benedict Scramble ($14.99)was my order, because I was craving the ham. The slice in the Benedict was not as thick as on the Combo I had last time, but was still flavorful on the toasted English muffin topped with plenty of scrambled eggs and a slightly lemony creamy hollandaise. The potatoes (75¢) are so nicely crisp.
The Mister ordered a Monte Cristo ($14.99) Sourdough stuffed with ham, turkey and Monterey Jack, dipped in egg batter, crisp fried and topped with powdered sugar. He chose the optional sweet potato fries (99¢) and the platter arrived with syrup for the sandwich and 'Huck's Sauce' for dipping. He also added on a biscuit and gravy ($3.99) because he really liked that half biscuit leftover I brought home. The sausage gravy here is excellent. 
Yes, blueberries are the first ingredient for the jam. 
In the midst of an office park you will find the nicest little place which serves "Old School Mexican" from this modern building near the Border. It's family owned, been here for seven years with a location downtown on 6th Avenue and another one set to open soon in Liberty Station.
Step inside and you can scan the QR code next to the door if you want to see prices, otherwise, walk toward the cash register and place your order, after passing the multiple examples of possible choices.
We decided on a cafe de olla, which was kept refilled (there is liquid piloncillo on the table if you would like some of that brown sugar flavor in the cinnamon coffee) and a "La Verde" Aqua Fresca (each $4.95).
Soon, our orders were brought to the table. The Mister had ordered "El Patron" ($18.75, with carnitas ($4.75)). Crispy cajeta toast (a French toast topped with cajeta (Carmel-like sauce made with goats milk and sugar), two eggs (over easy requested and perfectly made), beans (not refried, but more liquid and meaty flavor) and chilaquiles with rojo sauce and topped with a light very flavorful (not fatty) carnitas. The chilaquiles were tossed in the salsa, not merely covered, so that each piece of crispy tortilla was coated. Wow-each item was quite perfect and flavorful and so very good.
I ordered the Enfrijoladas ($14.75)-Four corn quesadillas topped with frijoles, puercos cream, sour cream, cheese, onion, cilantro, two eggs (over easy), beef chorizo and avocado. This satisfied all of my cravings. I wanted to try the chorizo (IYKYK) as well as corn quesadillas, which are just something I enjoy. The bean sauce/topping had bits of pork, adding to the flavor and everything came together in each bite. 
Noticing this poster when leaving, I'm sure we will be back for lunch. 