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Friday, December 21, 2018

Where to Stay in Taichung (台中) - Mini Hotel (Taichung Station Branch)

When I was planning for our year end family trip to Taiwan, it was not an easy feat to draft out the itinerary. Choosing a comfortable accommodation at a convenient location that fits our budget is another challenging task. Thankfully, we get to return to cosy rooms and have plenty of restful nights throughout our travel.


Mini Hotel (Taichung Train Station,台中火车站馆)
Date of Stay : 1 - 2 December 2018

Mini Hotel (Taichung Station Branch) was booked via Agoda and we paid NT,$5716.50 (~SGD260) for a Family room for 2 nights. Strategically located near Taichung Train Station (~500m away), it is  walking distance to Taroko Mall, Taichung 3rd Market, Miyahara (宮原眼科) and Zhong Xiao Night Market (忠孝夜市)

Upon arrival at Taichung Train Station, we took a little longer than usual to reach Mini Hotel (~25 minutes) as we were not sure of our walking route after alighting at the bus terminal (From Taoyuan Airport) and we took a break to take photo and stopped to buy train bento box (火车便当). Thanks to Google Map, we reached Mini Hotel!

Mini Hotel (Taichung Station Branch) - DAY


Mini Hotel (Taichung Station Branch) - NIGHT

Lobby area is spacious and welcoming with many Elk logo and ornaments everywhere!

Cosy interiors and I love the design of the chairs for guests which are also wonderful photography spots.


View of the back car seat

Front view of the car

Drink bar where guests can enjoy free flow of drinks anytime of the day and night

Lovely resting area beside the drink bar where we will sit down to enjoy a cup of hot drink and eat the food that we packet back from the night market.

Two computer stations for guests who needs to get online

Lift lobby with more Elk design

Every floor has a different wallpaper theme. We stayed at level 3, which in my opinion is the prettiest among all levels - Polar Bear theme.


 Let's check out our Family Room > Room 309


Maybe as the name of the hotel indicates, Mini Hotel's Family room is not the most spacious room that we have been in. There isn't much walking space between the beds to the TV area but we are able to place 3 big luggage within and stay comfortable in the room. Wifi signal is relatively acceptable though not the strongest.

Basic amenities and toiletries are provided and there is a mini fridge tucked nicely at the corner. I love the coloured wooden flooring and design of the room.



Sitting corner (beside the toilet)

Toilet/shower room is bright, spacious and clean!


Breakfast is at Level 2 which starts at 7am. Mini Hotel offers a basic spread of food like toast, porridge, braised pork rice, salad and assorted cooked dishes.





One of the important criteria when choosing a hotel is the availability of washer and dryer. To avoid packing too many clothes for our 2 weeks trip, we need to wash our dirty laundry every 2 days. Mini has 2 washers and dryers in the laundry room on the 8th floor which opens from 10am to 11pm. The machines are coin-operated which cost NT$30 per usage of dryer or washer.


Relaxation zone at the rooftop if you feel like chilling out during the day or night

I really adore the Elk rocking chair placed at the entrance of the hotel, which is a picture perfect spot against the snowy background. We took a family photo prior to check-out.



We had a wonderful stay at Mini Hotel (Taichung Station Branch). Till we meet again!

Summary Notes:
Room
- Free Wifi
- Air-condition
- Window view - depends on room type
- Flooring - Wooden
- Water Flask - available
- Safety Box - not available
- Hair Dryer - available
- Phone - available
- Mini Fridge - available

Toilet/Shower
- Bath towels are provided
- Combined Toilet and Shower room
- Hot shower available.
- Disposable toothbrush/toothpaste/comb provided

Mini Hotel (台中火车站馆)
Address: NO.69, Dayong St, East Dist, Taichung, Taiwan, East District, Taichung, Taiwan, 40144 

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Kamii Sushi Restaurant (上井壽司懷石) Our favourite Japanese Restaurant @ Taman Sutera Utama [JB]

We have been blogging about the various good food in Johor Bahru and yet I realised I did not share about our favourite Japanese restaurant! For the past 3-4 years, we have become die-hard fans of Kamii Sushi Restaurant (上井壽司懷石) - one of the best Japanese restaurant in Johor Bahru (in my opinion). Located at Taman Sutera Utama, Kamii is tucked quietly around the corner along the shophouses. It is not along the popular streets and hence many may have missed this gem!


Kamii Sushi Restaurant, tag as JB only Kaiseki Ryori, it offers diners a cozy and relax environment to have their meals. Kaiseki cuisine originated in Kyoto and it was a dish that monks enjoyed before tea ceremony to avoid tea drunk (茶醉). As the tea ceremony gradually penetrated into the aristocratic class, Kaiseki cuisine became richer. From a small cuisine to 'one soup and three dishes' - a Japanese soup, a sashimi, a cooked dish, and a grilled or fried dish.


Over the years, we made friends with the friendly staff and feel at home on each of our visit. Though we love to try out new food/restaurant in JB, Kamii always draws our family back for a meal at least twice a year.


Hot towel , warm or cold green tea served before you start your meal. 


Kaiseki cuisine emphasizes on elegance, hence we always find Kamii making the effort to present the dishes to their customers beautifully. Apart from the lovely display, the freshness of their sashimi and quality of food have been the main reasons why we keep coming back. 

Fresh sashimi and sushi on each of our visit for 3 years at different period of time











Kamii offers a lot of selection on their menu and their side dishes are equally as good!
 


For our family, we love to go for Kamii's set meals. Apart from the standard set meal pricing on their menu, Kamii often offers special set meal at 50% discount price everyday!! Pricing can range from RM12 to RM28 (~SGD4 - SGD10) for a hearty, good authentic Japanese meal.

Re-looking at how many set meals we have repeatedly taken at Kamii, simply shows how much we love the food there. :) In fact, we love it so much that we even brought our friends there to try.




Tempura Maki Set





Denver's favourite set meal!





Apart from the standard sets, Kamii Sushi continues to introduce seasonal dish on their menu. We will definitely be back again very soon!

Kamii Sushi Restaurant (上井壽司懷石)
Address: 7,Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/2,Taman Sutera Utama,81300 Skudai,Johor. Johor Bahru
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kamiisushi/
Visit Date : 2016 - Current

Want to find out more where you can dine in Johor Bahru?
Check out our blog post collection on
Where To Eat in JB