This was a super long day for bB! I shall start with my hot spring adventure at Villa32!
So, after doing a tonne of research, bB had decided to make her way to Villa32 at Xinbeitou by the Metro. However, the morning itself was cold and wet, and the hotel staff actually advised me to take a cab straight there, which wouldn’t cost very much anyway. Thankfully, bB took up the suggestion. Traveling by Metro would have taken an hour. Getting there by cab was half an hour. What’s more, it wasn’t easy to locate! If bB had been alone, walking from the Metro station, it would have been a total disaster.
There was no signage at the door, only the number 32. In the rain, it was very difficult to spot. Cabbie and I went round and round before we found it.
This was my private hot spring room. Gorgeous! <3 I was in love once I stepped in. It was huge and luxurious, lots of natural and rich textures.
L’occitane products are used here! And Evian. One must rehydrate when in a hot spring.
Slight disappointment was the view outside the windows. There wasn’t much of a view at all. I was hoping to have the windows wide open to a valley or something. But there was only a wall and some plants. Still, I kept it open and could see a little sliver of sky over the wall.
90 minutes passed too quickly. I could have stayed in there all day!
And then, it was time for my gourmet lunch (reservation required, no walk-ins).
Unfortunately, it was a rainy day so no outdoor dining was available. I was really looking forward to having lunch on the lawn. Maybe this means I have to revisit them. :)
Amuse bouche… I had no idea what it was. The waiter did inform me but I promptly forgot. LOL! There was apple in it though. It was an interesting and pleasant taste.
Grilled quail with stewed sweet potatoes flavoured with anise. This was awesome. Maybe a little heavy as an appetiser, but the quail was tender and flavourful, and the sweet potatoes were amazing. That brown sauce came from cooking the quail. It was divine.
Oxtail broth. Thankfully this was kept light, though in other circumstances, I would have preferred a hearty broth.
My main was wagyu with duck liver. I loved the presentation, but the duck liver was undercooked. When the waiter came to ask if everything was okay, I gave my honest feedback and he offered to take it inside to be grilled further. It came back exactly the same. LOL! The beef was excellent though. And those little balls were Chinese yam, broccoli, sweet potato and zucchini, on a bed of mash potato.
Creme brulee dessert was good. A nice way to end the meal.
I must say, the service was excellent except when it came to dealing with the duck liver. No one came to verify that it was okay the second time, until much later at the end of the meal. Other than being exactly the same, the liver was also way too veiny. It was basically impossible to eat. When I informed them of this, the waiter was apologetic, but could not offer any explanation.
Despite the duck liver incident, it was a lovely experience in general. The whole place was beautiful. bB will definitely be back again when visiting Taipei the next time! Maybe will try the public pools the next time, apparently has much better views!
x o x o
bB
