Review | What to Do in Taipei: Cooking Class by Ivy from Ivy's Kitchen

I read with much amusement that Chun Cui He 純萃喝,  the Taiwanese brand known for their milk teas, actually flew off the shelves of 7-11 shortly after they landed in Singapore. As I write, many outlets have ran out of stock of this drink. And some guy even tried to sell just the empty bottle alone on Carousell. What?!

I mean, I know we Singaporeans love Taiwan and its food, but this brings it to a new level.

Don't get me wrong - I adore Taiwanese food, but there's certainly more to Taiwan than milk tea. Its people, in my mind, are what makes the place equally appealing as a travel destination. Their sales staff are generally not pesky, and those passers-by are mostly warm and helpful. You get the idea. But if there's one person you have to meet, it's Ivy from Ivy's Kitchen, who runs cooking classes from her home. 

I was initially apprehensive about attending a solo cooking class, but eventually decided to go ahead with it after coming across positive reviews on the internet. I was so glad I made the trip. Ivy sat me down for a quick chat over tea the moment I reached, before we proceeded to her kitchen to prepare the dishes that I had pre-indicated in my emails.

I was really looking forward to a hearty meal!

And together, we made:

Bamboo Skewers with Shrimp

Lychee Pork

Hot and Sour Soup

The food turned out absolutely delicious and I had a memorable night. Ivy came across as someone deeply passionate about local produce - just ask her where to get the freshest Taiwan produce and she'll point you to the right direction. I was very much stoked by her kitchen as well! Though it wasn't big by any standard, I loved its semi-open concept to bits!

All in all, this is a fun activity for families and solo travellers alike to add to your TW itinerary, if you haven't already planned one :) Just make sure you book her calendar in advance, because her schedule is very hectic!