il Giardino Romantico

為了省下機票錢，留著更多預算到了當地買東西、吃東西，查了最符合預算以及剛好配合到請假天數及這次前往清邁重要任務的日期，最後選擇周五晚間出發（周五只需請半天假），在曼谷機場過夜，週六一早才抵達清邁。因為到了曼谷已經半夜，隔天又是一大早的飛機，因此我們為了省下這一個晚上的住宿費，就決定犧牲掉這一個晚上的睡眠了。其實天仙也沒睡過機場，常常看人家睡機場，感覺也挺新鮮的。不過真正嘗試過之後，能不要睡機場的話，還是不要睡的好啊... 
To save our budget, we decided to get a cheap flight, and spend all our money on other stuff. We looked online, and found a flight that was most suitable - leaving on a Friday night (only cost us half a day off on the day), spend the night at the airport, then arrive in Chiang Mai ealry next morning. It was midnight when we arrived at Bangkok, and since the connecting flight was early in the morning, we decided to save that one night's hotel fee. I'd never slept at the airport before. Seeing other people having this experience, I thought it was something worth trying... well, once in a life time is enough, really....
*圖為泰國"夜叉"（ยักษ์發音 yak）
**Thai giant king (pronounce 'Yak")
雖然這次隔了十年才能回到清邁，不過之前去英國的時候，有刻意選在曼谷過境的機票。為的就是能在機場吃個一頓道地的泰式料理（我知道比較貴，也知道機上已經把我餵飽飽，但還是很固執的硬要塞進一餐）XDDDDDD
所以老實說對曼谷機場並不陌生。睡在裡面倒是頭一次。
It's been a decade since I was back in Chiang Mai, but I'd intentionally booked flgihts that stopped over at Bangkok when I went to and fro the UK, just so I could rip myself off a meal at the airport! 
It was, however, my first sleep over at the airport!
我們先把落地簽搞定後，選了個安靜比較沒人的長椅，不得已的把飛機上的毛毯帶了下來（因為要在機場過夜咩！不得已啊），蓋在身上倒了就睡（因為真的很累了）。但天仙是個容易緊張的人，因此即使很累，睡沒多久又醒來。隔壁幾個外國阿桑的宏亮談話聲把我嚇醒，以為是要來趕我們走的。醒來之後就睡不著了（雖然還是很睏）。晃了一陣子之後，決定把人家挖起來，陪我一起閒晃 XD
After we got our visa-upon-arrival settled, we found a seemingly comfortable bench and the blanket we snitched from the plane (c'mon! we needed it), and fell a sleep. But I was not able to fall into deep sleep. Although I was completely knackered, a loud conversation still woke me up - I thought some one was about to tell us off... I walked about, and got bored. Then I decided to wake my other half up, so he could walk around with me. Ha!
雖然很想把錢省下來，也明知道機場餐廳又貴又比不上外面的好吃，但此時我已經迫不及待想要嘗到道地泰國味了！就加減點個東西來吃吧！
While walking around, seeing all these pictures of Thai food, I couldn't resist the temptation any more! I knew it was more expensive, and less satisfying than the road side stalls or the market places, but I couldn't resist! 
最後選擇了味道不會太重的清淡魚丸粿條湯麵。這種東西到了清邁市場或路邊小吃只要20~30銖的東西，這裡當然是貴了好幾倍。不過嘴饞啊～
We ordered the lightest meal possible - noodle with fish balls. 
無論點了哪種麵，湯麵乾麵，黃麵粗細粿條，要嘗試道地泰國味道，這餐廳一定會附上的調味料一定都要加（糖可以省略啦，我都省略，但泰國人是真的全部都會加）
At this point, I must mention, that the most authentic way of eating any Thai noodle dish, is to add all of these seasonings! Including sugar (although you really could skip the sugar, because I did!)
除了辣椒粉，魚露跟白醋也都有加上辣椒調味。
Other than the chilli powder, you'll also notice that the fish sauce and the vinegar also contain some chillis in them.
吃飽了之後就滿足了。還是找了個地方休息一到兩小時。一看時間差不多就準備出發登機去了。
因為簽證已經辦好，國內登機就輕鬆許多。不過每次這樣轉機都還是會擔心行李會不會被弄不見。所以check-in的時候還是問了一下行李的下落。確定已經沒問題了，才安心地上飛機去。
So after this meal, we still had time to rest for a couple of hours before boarding.
The task was much easier seeing that we had already got our visa. I was still a bit worried about our luggage, so I had the check-in counter clerk check for me before boarding. 
雖然拍攝技術還有很多進步空間，沒能把清晨的美麗光線捕捉到，但看著剛甦醒的陽光照射在飛機上，真的很美呢。
My photography skill has yet a lot of space for improvement, but I hope you can still see how beautiful the morning twilight is, especially as it sparkles on the aircrafts. 
 
上了飛機後，最期待的就是看著飛機起飛。但此時我的眼皮已經好沉重。等到起飛後，就真的進入夢鄉，直到上餐... 才又醒過來。
The most exciting thing about plane rides, is the take-off and landing. My eyelids were so heavy, but I didn't want to miss take off. Finally, the plane took off, and I could sleep again... until meal is served... 
這架班機，也是之前寫過文的：SMILE 

從計畫好要來清邁之前，腦袋裡就已經盤算好要來吃盡道地美食了！所以其實住了這幾晚算下來飯店的早餐我們其實只吃了兩次。那絕對不是因為不好吃，只是行程太多，想吃得太多，胃卻只有小小的一個... （已哭）
Once we made plans to come to Chiang Mai, I already had in mind an entire itinerary for our food adventure. Therefore, we only had breakfast at the hotel twice. But it wasn't because it wasn't good enough. We wished we had more space in our tummies! There were simply way too much to eat! 
由於泰國人很迷足球，有在台灣買過Singha啤酒的應該有看過啤酒罐上的曼聯圖樣（唉！這是我最痛恨的球隊耶）
Thai people are big-time football fans. I'm sure you've seen pictures of Man United players on the Singha beer cans. (Not a fan!!)
用餐區雖然看的出來有點年紀了，不過還是挺愜意的。
Although the chairs and tables looked a bit old, it was still a comfy environment for a laid-back breakfast.
雖然隔壁就是大馬路，不過只要避開尖峰時刻其實清邁的車子算少的了（哪裡不是這樣？）
The road was right by us, but if you take care to avoid rush hour, then the cars wouldn't be a problem. (as with all roads!?)
也可以選擇做室內區
Or you can choose to sit indoors. 
自助早餐一定會有的咖啡跟熱茶。很不爭氣的沒拍好。Iso調的不夠高... Orz
Messed up with this pic of the  hot beverages, but you can still see what's being provided! 
還有各式各樣的果汁
An assortment of juice! 
生菜沙拉區
Salad of choice. 
光是麵包區就有好幾種選擇了
A variety of bread. 
寬闊的取餐區
A spacious buffet setting. 
第一輪是某大胃王拿的。雖然天仙很少在自助餐檯上拿炒飯，不過人家也是想吃吃看泰國米炒出來的炒飯咩。
Normally I wouldn't go for fried rice, but Thai rice makes the perfect type of rice for fried rice. Must try a bit!
 
天仙則是跑去叫了一碗粿條！
I went for a bowl of Thai noodles.
調味料家下去之後，看似簡單的粿條也是人間美味呀！
Seemingly plain, but once you add all the seasonings... magnificent! 
還有天仙最愛的炒蛋～ 如果再滑嫩一點會更好！
Of course, there were also scrambled eggs! 
麵包也是各來一點吃吃看！
We also tried all the bread they had to offer.
這是結合兩次用餐的經驗，其實天仙很喜歡吃炒蛋加美極鮮味露。泰式炒飯若不喜歡魚露其實也可以改用美極來增加風味。
The pictures in this article combines the two different meals we had here. I like my scrambled eggs with a bit of Maggi sauce. It also goes well with fried rice... that is, if fish sauce is not your cup of tea.

雖說每座城市的車站周圍都是最熱鬧的，不過天仙卻鮮少來這附近。這天剛好有事來到這塊區域，雖然已經下午了，但肚子也開始餓了。附近選擇很多，但不想踩雷（這天原本沒有什麼冒險精神）本來想要選一間連鎖店，至少吃的安心些。後來因為第一選擇還須排隊（都下午了），懶得等就另外看看。走著走著想說前頭不是有Burger King嗎？Burger King分店不多，若今天選擇吃Burger King也算是挺新鮮的。後來看到這間平價日式料理，肚子已經餓扁了就把漢堡王拋到腦後了。一進去，才想說：這...就是原本的Burger King吧！？（這樣算有吃到嗎？）
It's always busiest around train stations. It's true for every city. But I rarely come to this neighbourhood around Taipei Main Station. We came here running an errand, and got hungry soon after. There were a lot of choices, but initially, I didn't intend to be adventurous. We initially picked a franchise, but we had to queue up, and I didn't feel like waiting. We remembered a Burger King nearby, then got distracted by this affordable Japanese place. It wasn't until we came in that we realised: this, indeed, used to be Burger King!
以天仙的不專業觀察，我認為這間店雖地段好，但要生存恐怕也有點難度。東西要好吃之外也要有賣點、噱頭。否則就只能一直吸引向我們這樣誤打誤撞的人，或是純粹不想排隊等別間的人客。加上這邊租金應該不算便宜吧？若是一周有幾天生意不理想的，該月恐怕就有點難度過了！
From my very unprofessional observation, despite having the location advantage, it's probably still going to be very difficult for them to survive. In locations like this, you can't just have good food. You have to go the extra mile, and make a really deep impression on people. Or else, the only customers they're ever going to attract, are people like us - those who are too lazy to wait in line to dine at other places. I reckon the rent is probably pretty high as well? If they have a few poor business days... I can hardly imagine how they'll survive the month!
至於天仙一向比較在意的服務？其實我只能說，真的勉強通過而已。店員幫我們帶位，那桌子上本來有擺東西。我不記得我有看到店員擦桌子。這是我認為不okay的地方。即使桌子原本就不髒，但客人不知道你之前擺了什麼東西（只是擺著乾淨的東西？還是別人用過的呢？）
In terms of the service? I'm afraid the service is only satsifactory. The girl who took us to our table cleared the stuff on the table, but I really don't remember seeing her wiping it clean. I don't care what was on the table. All I know is that if you wipe the table, it's a gesture that shows you care about what the customer thinks.
即使有wifi，餐廳的本質 - 餐點以及服務都要到位才行（何況用餐完畢後才被告知wifi還沒開通...那你們是貼好玩的嗎？）
It says there's wifi access. Is it a plus? I don't know. It's a restaurant afterall... and you must pay attention to the food and service! (Afterwards we were told that the wifi was not accessible, yet! So... the note is just for reference?)
餐點的部分，天仙點了生魚片定食。定食附的飯是醋飯。初嘗幾口覺得還不錯。但後來吃到幾塊已經黏在一起的，嚴重影響到口感。
As for the food, I ordered sashimi teishoku. The rice was sushi rice (marinated in vinegar). The first few bites were nice, but then I started tasting lumps... 
好家在生魚片還算新鮮。擺盤也還算到位。但是哇沙米的鮮綠度讓我覺得極有可能是化學合成的（算了，人家是平價料理不要要求太多）。
The raw fish were fresh, alright... and the plate was well displayed. The wasabi, however, didn't seem nor tasted like natural wasabi. 
隨餐附贈的茶碗蒸基本上也是勉強okay。
The chawanmushi was also satisfactory, but nothing special... 
這碗是老蔡點的。我有吃到的那一口魚，還算不錯。但天仙其實不太喜歡這種口感太雜的料理，所以就算他好吃，我也不太可能會點。老蔡雖好養（什麼都吃得下去），但要是連他都說難吃，那恐怕... （不過這還好啦！）
This was what the other half ordered. I did get a bit of the fish, and it tasted fine. But I don't like the taste of soft and solid foods mingled together... So even if it was good, there is little chance I'd ever order this. My other half is not so picky, so if even he says something is bad, then it must be really bad! Fortunately, this was okay. 
雖然打著續飯續湯免費，天仙還是認為這個地段的消費者不太位因為便宜幾十塊就選擇他們。如果他們選擇開在大學附近生存的機率可能會大一些。對於這間實在沒什麼特色的平價日本料理，又選擇開在隔壁幾間號餐餐都要排隊同樣也是日本料理的地方，天仙覺得，不知道他們能夠生存多久。
Despite free top-up of rice and soup, I still think they picked the wrong spot for business. I reckon they have a better chance of surviving around university campus... If their main target customers were students, their business will surely thrive! But to open a shop here, and about three or four shops next to it is another Japanese place that apparently has a larger crowd of patrons? I think they are in real danger... 
即使打出自己的堅持，但餐點實在是說不出有什麼特色。唯一值得一提的就是看似是一群年輕人自己出來打拼。這點要是我沒看錯，倒是還蠻值得鼓勵的。
However, this seems to be a business of a group of young people. That, is something worth mentioning, and worth encouraging. 
但若要生存，還是得加油好嗎？
But if you want to survive, please make the effort!! 
檢視較大的地圖 

   
我的雙魚座外婆與天蠍座外公，攜手走過五十餘年頭。直到我外公離開人世好一陣子後，我才知道為何小時候住阿公家時，看到我起床後都會很開心地問我要不要吃饅頭。因為外婆不愛吃麵食，因此家裡面絕對不會有麵食類食品出現。而我外公其實是不喜歡吃稀飯的。偏偏我外婆每天早餐都會準備稀飯。我外婆的脾氣可是出了名的！但我外公的好脾氣也絕對不輸我阿嬤。對他們倆的印象常常停留在阿嬤唸不停，阿公也不回嘴，就一直讓她唸到滿意為止。我不知道雙魚座的是不是都這麼任性。但我常常發完脾氣後想到他怎麼跟我阿公一樣都坐在那邊一動也不動的等著被唸，就想到同樣也是雙魚天蠍組合的我們，到了阿公阿嬤的年紀時，也會這樣嗎？
在這追求男女平等的社會中，我學習到如何在異性中凸顯自己的能力，但同時也要知道自己的極限，不要盲目的追求男女平等反而成了另類的不平等。這些是大學時代的女性文學老師透過作品教會我的事。雖然留學期間沒能夠安排與退休回到英國的他碰面，第二次走訪英國時卻很榮幸的接受了他的招待。這幾天下來我觀察老師的一舉一動，以及與師母的互動，我印象很深刻，當時正在忙著準備晚餐，而在客廳與師母聊天喝雪莉酒的我瞄著廚房心想：這就是我想嫁的老公！
電影「葉問」中當葉問被笑怕老婆時，他回答：不是怕，是尊重。
前一陣子回頭看看二十幾歲寫的文章，才發現當時會對婚姻反感，其實不外乎是怕本來溫柔體貼的男友升級為老公後個性也變了。這也算了，怕就怕婆家也不好惹。這夫君沒選好，後半輩子就等著自個兒吃苦吧！
雙魚座的天性終究還是希望愛情存在著。戲劇化的生活過累了，轉頭回來過過平淡的日子才發現原來這才叫真正的幸福啊！
認識了十餘年，決定交往後沒多久便彼此同意成為終身的伴侶。在每一個認識你的人眼中，你就是一個好人來著，因此我也不用多想便知道無論今後日子如何，我都會是你的第一考量。甜言蜜語你不會說，但你的行動卻告訴了我一切。知道我不吃豬牛羊，所以每次點餐都盡量點我愛吃的，你好分幾口給我吃。除非我主動提議，否則你絕對不說你想你愛吃的牛排。辛苦掙錢自己捨不得吃好穿好，因此在你生日想要犒賞你吃點好的，你卻再用餐後幫我買了東西送我。（到底是誰過生日）。過了好一陣子我才發現原來不是小虎早上不亂叫了，而是你都早就幫我餵好他了。這種冷颼颼的天氣，我不用去外面吹風曬衣服收衣服，因為你都會幫我做好。（但衣服明明大部分都是我的）。無論我再怎麼無理取鬧，冷靜下來後你還是會跟我道歉（即使明明錯的是我）。面對每一家都有難念的經時，你總是能夠讓我放寬心的接受，也教導著我下次可以選擇何種更適合的方式面對。更重要的是，夏天我回家晚了你還會想到要買好啤酒等我回家喝！
長輩曾經告訴我，結婚是很實際的事情。很多現實層面要考量，不是相愛就好。我不敢否認從頭到尾完全沒疑慮過。但在這段當實習夫妻的日子裡，我更加肯定我的選擇是對的。雖然你不是金城武，老爸也不是王永慶。我只知道凡事你都讓著我、護著我。擔心我會冷、擔心我會餓。或許我們的優點在別人眼裡是最大的缺陷，但當我們牽起彼此的手，面向同一條通往未來的幸福之路時，這些極大的缺陷卻成了我們在彼此眼裡最大的優點。
我們很早就進入彼此的人生，卻兜了個一大圈才發現原來我們就在身邊。不過我堅信這些我們沒有陪伴彼此走的路，也讓我們更能夠攜手面對未來的挑戰。
這個週末，是我翻了好久的對話紀錄才判斷出大概是我們交往的一週年。都還來不及以男女朋友的身分慶祝週年，就升格為實習夫妻了。在這段期間我學習到很多夫妻應有的相處之道。原來另一半真的不用高不用帥也不用很有錢，但他真的要是一個能讓你一輩子都做你自己的人。

這次來到高雄有兩個任務：喝喜酒＋探望外婆。兩個任務都完成了之後，原本舅舅提議可以搭公車去夢時代看看。但高雄的公車實在太不可靠。要去夢時代走走，不是不行。而是公車一定得準時。否則我們將會錯過回程的車。因此我倆決定捨棄這次去夢時代的行程。但當我們在考慮回到車站附近後中午要吃什麼的時候，難題又來了！雖然食記天仙也是看了不少，但一時要我想到火車站附近那兒有好吃的還真是有點困難。因此天仙這次又用強大的搜尋功能來找出值得一訪的店家了！
There were two missions to accomplish during this trip to Kaohsiung: one was to attend the wedding reception of a friend, and the other was to visit my granny. When we'd accomplished both, my uncle suggested that we take a short trip to Dream Mall, but seeing that the buses in Kaohsiung were not that reliable, we ditched the idea. When we returned to the Kaohsiung station neighbourhood, it was a difficult decision to decide what to eat. I've seen my share of food blogs, but it was still difficult to come up with something at the time. That's why I decided to leave it to Google again!
找到這間鴨肉店評價還不錯。只是實際從車站走過去才發現其實這路程也不算太近。還好我們從旅館check out後有先將行李放置在車站的寄物櫃。因此半個小時內的路程都還算走的了。從車站走到這，差不多15分鐘的路程吧。對走習慣的我們來說，根本不算什麼。順便消耗一點熱量，好多吃一點。回程再走走，順便消化消化。
I saw that the review for this duck place was not so bad. Seemingly, it was just aroudn the corner. Fortunately we had left our luggage at the station lockers earlier, so we could easily walk around. It was about a 15 minute walk from the station. Good distance. Enough to empty your tummy for the meal, and also help digest some afterwards. 
天仙看到的實際把這間店形容得非常好吃。但其實並沒有抱著太大的期望。只是不想吃到雷。沒想到一找到看到人潮還蠻多的，心想這決定應該是對的吧！
The blog entry I found was very favourable to this place. But I didn't put my hopes up too high. All I wanted was something decent. When I saw the crowd, I knew that I had made the right decision coming here!
我覺得一間生意好的店，除了餐點本身要好吃之外，服務當然也不能太差。而店員們頭腦思緒也要很清楚，否則人一多，誰點了什麼根本就記不清楚了！
The keys to keeping the business going, to me, it seems that other than having good food, the service can't be bad either. The people serving must also keep their heads clear, or else they won't be able to remember who ordered what!
鴨肉飯 Duck rice
天仙吃了一口就覺得：天啊！這也太好吃了吧！
I thought this was really good! 
鴨肉很鮮甜。不用沾醬就很好吃了。還有筍絲可以去去油膩。白飯也淋上了鴨肉汁，這樣的份量剛剛好。不會說一兩口鴨肉就沒了，令人吃得很不過癮。
It was nice and juicy. The bamboo shoots went quite well with the meaty rice. They poured some of the juice from cooking the duck into the rice, making the rice very savoury as well. 
每個店員都有自己負責的項目。所以在多人潮也不怕。老闆認真地切鴨肉ing。
Each of the workers had their own duties in the shop. This is (presummably) the owner, chopping up duck meat.
除了這碗鴨肉飯，當然還點了其他餐點。一篇食記要豐富，當然不能只有鴨肉飯。
Other than duck rice, there were also other dishes that we ordered. 
當歸鴨血。天仙原本以為是純鴨血，點了之後才知道原來是米血啊。不過很好喝喔！
The black thing in the soup is similar to the English delicacy - black pudding. I didn't know at the time (I thought it was just duck blood). After the soup arrive, I realised that there were too many of these blood puddings! (Although the soup was really nice!)
只不過因為小小的誤會，讓我們這餐實在很多鴨米血啊！對原本不愛吃米血的天仙來說，量實在有點多哩！
Well, now you can see that there were too many of these blood puddings! Normally, not my cup of tea. But I did have quite a lot that day! 
餐餐都要有青菜。青菜下肚後，才能減輕自己多吃的罪惡感。 XD
Veggies should go with every meal. After the veggies, you'll feel less guilty about the fatty duck meat you've eaten!
不過話說這當歸湯雖然有了重複的米血，但也是唯一天仙想嘗試的。其他好像有內臟，天仙並不愛。
I know there were too many blood puddings, but it was the only kind of soup I wanted to try. The other ones had insides, which I didn't really fancy.
當然，最終還是要有一盤實實在在的鴨肉，這篇食記才算完整！
Of course, last, but certainly not least... a plate full of this juicy duck meat!
 
雖然有骨頭，但不至於影響享用過程。帶點骨頭的鴨肉其實比較甘甜、鮮嫩。這些可都是鴨腿肉來著。
There were bones, but the meat around the bones were the best. These pieces were all from the thigh. 
天仙認為這張特寫沒有拍得很好啦。不過卻是可以清楚看到的確是鴨腿肉喔！
I've ruined this picture, but it's still evident that the plate of duck meat was, indeed, from the thigh!
 
雖然之前並沒有聽高雄的朋友提起過這間，但實際吃過一次之後覺得真的很棒！大推！
I'd highly recommend this place, although I'd not heard any of my Kaohsiung friend mention this place. 
檢視較大的地圖 

清邁雖不大，但也算是個旅遊觀光聖地。因此住宿選擇也很多。物價雖然不比十幾年前天仙還居住於此的時候，但要跟台灣（或甚至曼谷）比起來，還是可以輕鬆享受高級待遇的。不過隔了這麼多年沒回去，又是第一次沒有老爸可以安排交通，住宿的問題我倒是思考了好久：到底是要選擇豪華一點的（享受一下），還是交通便利為主的呢？位於Huaykaew路上的飯店選擇就很多了。Sri-Tokyo，Kadsuankaew，和這間Chiang Mai Orchid都是天仙居住在此時就已經打響名聲的幾座旅館（Kadsuankaew當時算是新的，但內部裝潢實在很詭異，因此就不考慮）。Chiang Mai Orchid 在天仙還在那時就已經算是老飯店了，現在都已經可以算是祖父級的了。
Chiang Mai is not a big city. But it is a very popular tourist city. Because of that, there are many choices from which you can choose your lodging - from economic guesthouses, all the way to five-star luxurious hotels. Although prices have gone up since I had been living here, it's still pretty low compared to the price ranges in Taiwan (or even Bangkok!). So you can still easily enjoy posh experiences while you're here. This was the first time I was in Chiang Mai without back up. Without my Dad around, I had to figure out transportation on my own. Therefore, I had to choose a lodging that wouldn't be that much of a burden on transportation. On Huay Kaew Road, there were already three places to pick from - Sri-Tokyo, Kadsuankaew, and Chiang Mai Orchid. Kadsuankaew was the newer of the three, but the interior design seemed a bit odd, so that was out of the question. Chiang Mai Orchid was probably the oldest of the three. But it was larger scale hotel than Sri-Tokyo, and was a thriving five-star hotel while I was living there.
除這間以外，還有鄰近清邁夜市的幾間例如：Imperial Mae Ping、The Empress。雖然逛夜市很方便，步行就可以到，但想一想逛夜市頂多去個一兩趟，這兩天飯店的交通不見得是最便利的。天仙爸說，他可以請以前的同事以優惠的價格訂到旅館，就讓我們從Imperial Mae Ping、The Empress和Chiang Mai Orchid做選擇。上網查查有那些比較新的旅館，卻每每都看到頭昏。也不知道到底哪一間值得入住，不如就從絕對會心安的幾間挑選吧！最後選擇隔壁就是購物中心，一出旅館就可輕鬆搭乘tuk-tuk或雙條車的Chiang Mai Orchid。
Other than these, there were a few that I also considered. These were near the night bazaar: the Imperial Mae Ping and the Empress Hotel. Although it was within walking distance to the night bazaar, that would only take up at most two nights of our stay. Wasn't worth the trouble. My Dad said he could get his former colleagues to get us rooms at a discounted price, so we had to pick from Imperial Mae Ping, The Empress, and Chiang Mai Orchid. The verdict went to Chiang Mai Orchid, because it made me feel safe. Cental Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall was right next to it, and tuk-tuk and songteaws were accessible right in front of the hotel. 
之前老爸工作常常來這裡舉辦活動，當時算是個規模很大的四～五星級旅館。雖然老舊了，但天仙知道，服務上是絕對不會出問題的。因此就安心地決定這幾天都住這裡了。（老爸有問我要不要選兩間，但我懶得搬來搬去，所以選定了就當這幾天的家吧！）
In the old days, many of my dad's events at work were held here. At the time, Chiang Mai Orchid was still quite a large scale four-five star hotel. Although it's quite old now, I knew that the service would still be satisfactory. Therefore, we decided to stay here for the entire duration of our days in Chiang Mai. (My dad did ask me if I wanted to book two different hotels. But seeing that moving around would be such a hassle, I declined the offer).
  
這裡的環境算是天仙比較熟悉，可以輕鬆當作這幾天的家是沒問題的。Huaykaew路可是以前天仙上學每天必經之路。隔壁的Central Kad Suan Kaew也是天仙當時在周末常常與朋友相約殺時間的地點。
I was quite familiar with this neighbourhood. I used to pass by Huaykaew road every day to go to school. The shopping mall right by it - Central Kad Suan Kaew, was also a place where I'd hang out during weekends. 
看到熟悉的泰皇圖像，就知道：我回來啦！
It was nice to see His Majesty. Sort of a homecoming feeling. 
大廳部分跟天仙記憶中一模一樣。還真是有點回到家的感覺 XD
The foyer was also exactly the same as I remembered. Probably not a good thing, but for me, it created a comforting feel. 
非常泰式的裝飾到處都有。
Thai decors can be found all around.
倫敦熊也來亮相一下。
Time for London Paddy to show his face.
既然取名為orchid，當然要來點蘭花來點綴囉！
Of course, some orchids would serve the place right, seeing it's called 'Chiang Mai Orchid'!
房間部分裝潢簡單。雖然老舊，但基本上選了這間就已經不期待會有多新了。
The room was simple. Although old, we knew what we were expecting, so that was okay.
  
清邁天氣並不潮溼，因此這種老舊飯店其實也很難有那種台灣老舊旅館會有的霉味。基本上，可以接受！但泡澡...我想還是免了。
The dry weather in Chiang Mai means that even old hotels like this wouldn't smell like mold. The bathroom was acceptable, but I think I'll skip the bubble bath!
當時有發現浴缸排水並不好。Check-in、行李放好後出去吃飯時告知飯店人員，回來後就已經處理好了。這種效率在泰國人身上是很少見的啊！
We did discover that there was a small problem with the draining. But the hotel fixed the problem right away. This efficiency is difficult to find in Thai people! So that was pretty impressive.
基本的毛巾、盥洗用具。原則上不用期待太多囉！（還好我們還是有自己帶一些）就算漏了什麼，隔壁就有商場啦免驚！
Very basic stuff. We did bring most of our own things, so it was okay. I mean, even if we were missing something, we can just pop by the mall next door! 
四方形的櫃子其實是冰箱。
The square cabinet is actually the fridge.
裏頭的飲料是要錢的。水別喝冰箱裡的，梳妝台上有放兩瓶。兩瓶是每日的quota。喝完了再要免錢的。蘇打水是泰國必備！很好用～連喝whiskey他們都會加入蘇打水～
Of course, these were not free. Don't drink the mineral water in the fridge. They provide two drinking water bottles per day by the dressing table. Drink those bottles instead (they're free!). Also, you'll see that there are two bottles of soda water. Very Thai, indeed! 
這衣架的設計倒是挺奇怪的。用的不太習慣。
Quite a strange design of hangers, I must say! 
基本上Chiang Mai Orchid現在已經淪陷成老舊旅館。但天仙會選擇這裡主要是求交通便利以及住的安心、舒適，有點家的感覺。這其實是太新太豪華的旅館反而做不到的。至於如果想要體驗五星級飯店的享受，其實最近天仙觀察到很夯的旅館就是Shangri-la（天仙看到很多二代台商子女喜宴都是辦在這裡）。另外也有這幾年新建的Le Meridian相信都是不錯的高級住宿選擇。
Basically, Chiang Mai Orchid is now an old hotel that is in desperate need of renovation. But I still chose this place, because I was looking for familiarity and convenience. These are points that new and posh hotels can't meet. In terms of posh experiences, I do recommend Shangri-la (many of our Taiwanese friends held their wedding receptions there) and the pretty new Le Meridian. These are pretty good choices for four-five star experiences. 
檢視較大的地圖 

這天有機會來常常正牌米糕其實是一個很好笑的意外。話說我們這天從台北出發，我報錯路，誤以為目的地在清水，因此就將行程規畫在清水吃午餐後直接抵達目的地。沒想到後來重新看了地圖才發現根本就不在清水啊。不過這樣誤打誤撞還算是有收穫啦！畢竟這間也是有名氣的米糕店（雖然米糕有我不吃的豬肉）。
It was an accident that we got to try out this rice-cake place. I thought our destination was around the neighbourhood. It turned out that it was no where near here. Oops! But anyhow, it was a nice accident after all, since this experience was not bad at all. This place is apparently quite famous.
既然天仙不吃米糕，那來到正牌米糕要吃啥？好家在他是有別的東西。
But since I don't eat pork, what was it that I ate? 
這盤蚵仔就讓天仙挺滿意的。
This plate of oysters was pretty straight forward. I enjoyed it very much.
雖然就是這樣一小盤，但是料很實在。也沒有刻意裝得很大盤讓你誤以為蚵仔很多。
It seemed like a small plate, but all the oysters are there. Some places like to put things underneath to create the illusion that there are more than there is. I much prefer it this way.
筍絲也是很好吃。雖然印象中好像也是沒吃過難吃的筍絲啦，不過味道是很不錯。這天天仙沒點主食，光是這樣吃也不會覺得太鹹。
These bamboo shoots were also quite tasty. Since I didn't order any rice, it was easy to taste the original taste. It wasn't too salty. 
再來就是重頭戲：米糕。
This is what the place is famous for! 
這天我們剛從泰北回來沒多久。泰北的主食又是糯米。有人連吃了那麼多天糯米，本來還在叫說不要再吃糯米了。結果回台後，還是繼續吃糯米 XD
We just got back from Northern Thailand not long before this. The main staple of Northern Thailand is sticky rice. After so many days of sticky rice meals, someone got sick and tired of it. But then after we got back, we still couldn't get rid of sticky rice meals! 
這天我忘了為什麼胃口不是挺好。所以光是蚵仔、筍絲跟一個湯就打發了。湯的味道很清淡，不會太鹹。丸子也是挺Q的。肚子裡有食物就滿足了，這天沒有期待要吃飽（因為沒啥胃口）。
I can't remember why I didn't have an appetite that day. But the oysters and the bamboo shoots were enough to fill me up. Of course, this soup was also quite good. The squid balls in it had a good texture. 
大致上味道都還不錯。米糕的品嘗者原本胃口就不挑，好吃難吃他都可以吃（但如果他說難吃那就是真的很難吃了）。問他好不好吃大概也不太準。我只能說，如果吃飯時間剛好到了清水附近，的確是可以來嘗嘗看。
Overall, the dishes were great. I'm not sure if I could give an accurate discription of the rice-cake, seeing the taster was not a picky eater to start with. But if he says something is bad, then rest assured that it must be really bad. All I can say, is that if you happen to be in the neighbourhood during lunch hour, it would be worth a try.
店家在店裡投不忘為自己到處打廣告。其實這點有令天仙稍微反感（都已經來到店裡了，有必要這樣嗎？）桌上都是店裡的傳單我可以接受（畢竟有些可能是季節限定或什麼的）。但電視也不讓客人看看新聞（或乾脆就關掉），只是一直重播有來拜訪的電視節目片段。如果用餐時間拉長，我想許多客人應該都會覺得小煩吧。
The only thing I have to complain about is the advertisement for itself all over the shop. Is that really necessary? People who come here already know what it's famous for! The TV kept on playing variety shows that were shot at the shop. I'm guessing it would make regular customers a bit sick and tired. 
最後，看看自己花在這餐上的錢還算不多，就加點了這盤燙花枝。這道反倒讓我到現在都還記得，很鮮甜的口感。
Finally, seeing that we haven't spent very much on this meal, we decided to order another dish. This was a very good dish of boiled squid. The squid was very fresh, indeed.
檢視較大的地圖 

千萬別被照片騙了。還好這天白平衡沒調好，看起來也沒多好吃。話說這天剛好是前一天晚上吃了蘇杭的隔天。不要說我們早就在國外多年寵壞的味蕾，前一天的美味也把這間完全比下去了。
這天來到中友想說選擇比較多。剛好這天行李少，吃完可以直接去坐車回台北。來到這間看還有位子，就進去了。起初以為這麼多人應該不差吧。誰知道完全不是我們的菜。
在我繼續寫下去之前，先說一下我們的嘴為什麼會這麼挑吧！以前在清邁，對當地人來說我們已經算是小康家庭。以當地當時的物價來說，的確是輕鬆可以享受到頂級的美味。高級餐廳的飲茶，所有的廚師真的都是大陸聘請過來的。因此回台後就很容易嫌棄大部分餐廳既貴又不好吃。
Don't be fooled by the pictures. Thankfully, I messed up a bit with the white balance, so the food doesn't look that tasty anyway. We'd just had a wonderful meal the night before, so this meal became a really big disappointment. Another reason for the disappointment, is because we had been spoiled by the wonderful meals we'd had when we were living abroad. 
We came to this mall thinking there would be more choices to pick from. Since I had very little luggage, I could also leave straight after lunch from here. We saw that there were still seats available here, so without much hesitation, we decided to give it a try. Little did we realise that a huge disappointment awaits! 
Before I continue, I feel obliged to explain why we've been spoiled. When we were living in Chiang Mai, at the time, my dad's salary gave us a very comfortable life there. We could easily enjoy top restaurants without pressure. The dimsum chefs there were all from Mainland China, thus very authentic in taste! So when we came back to Taiwan, it was difficult to accept the fact that all these dimsum restaurants were expensive and not even close to delicious! 
餐餐都要有青菜。這算是最普通的一道菜。是涼的，基本上沒什麼好評論的。青菜就是青菜啊。
Pak choi was the veggie of the meal. It was cold, and basically, nothing special can be said about it. It's just a plate of veggie!
這道苦瓜也是還好而已。
Nothing special about this bitter gourd either.
唯一值得一提的就是這道蝦吧。但這種蝦要好吃也不難，只要食材新鮮，隨便煮一煮都嘛好吃。並無什麼真功夫可言。
This was the only dish worth mentioning. But you know, as long as the shrimps are fresh, there's basically nothing much you need to do to make it delicious! 
這道油雞倒是意外地令人失望。我這麼愛吃雞的人，很少會吃到被我嫌棄的油雞。
This was the most disappointing dish of all. Can you believe it? I'm a lover of chicken meat, and this simple plate of chicken couldn't even satisfy me! 
雖然照片看起來很美味，但入口後，卻不是這麼一回事。
Yes, the picture looks great. But it sure didn't taste that great!
習慣不吃豬肉的我，這道當然也沒有吸引我要為他破例。
Another unimpressive dish. I didn't eat pork most of the time, and I wasn't ready to make an exception for this dish. 
這也是看似一道很好吃的蝦料理，但也是依樣沒什麼特色可言。吃到這裡，天仙爸媽已經判斷出這些菜可能都是外包，並非自家廚師做的。（純粹猜測）
After this tasty-looking shrimp-ball with mushroom, we had to assume that the restaurant's chef did not make the dishes themselves. This was probably why most of the dishes were so disappointing!
既然已經猜測是外包的，剩下的菜色也就沒什好談的了。
Of course, if they didn't make these dishes on their own, there's not much else I can say... 
這倒是我覺得當天最恐怖的一道。
This was the most horrendous dish of all!
既不好吃，又這麼大塊一個。點了之後，吃完也不是，不吃完也不是。整個尷尬。
It wasn't good at all. Plus, it was huge! I didn't know whether I should finish it, or leave it! 
後來又點了份腸粉來吃吃看。我的媽呀，平價的腸粉都做得比你們好。皮都破了耶... 
This rice noodle roll was also quite an embarrassment. Come on! I know smaller places that can do better! 
雖然腸粉我不常吃，但台北杭州南路上有一間我倒是蠻喜歡吃的。你們要加油啊！那間小館的腸粉都做得比你們好耶... 
Although I wouldn't say I've had too many rice noodle rolls, but I do know one small place that makes wonderful rice noodle rolls. It can't be that hard! You're a proper restaurant! At least you can make sure the roll doesn't break?
最後這盤蘿蔔糕也是挺失敗的。總之，除了毫無功夫可言的蝦子值得一提之外，其他真的... 另我們好失望啊。
The last plate - turnip cake - was... SURPRISE! Another disappointment... I can't think of any other adjectives to describe this meal, other than 'disappointing'! 

*This article contains Chinese (Traditional) only.
**本篇僅有繁體中文
自小接受西方教育一直到大學念了間基督教學校，至今出社會...這麼多年來我都堅持著聖誕節這天一定要放假。原本我的特休早就因為出了一趟國用光了。沒想到得到了個假日加班的機會，讓我聖誕節這天又能夠輕鬆休息一天。其實做什麼我都不在意。只要不工作就好。即使什麼都沒做，只是在家睡覺我也開心。哈哈哈！
不過前一天才得知乾弟回國了！擇日不如狀日我就把這天休假的午餐獻給了他。一大清早，枕邊人在我還半夢半醒的情況下上班去了（苦命人），我醒來還嚇一跳說他怎麼不見了！後來電話響了，被吵醒我才想到：喔對喔！人家要上班 XD 
跟我乾弟通完電話後，我開始緊張了耶！到底要跟乾弟去吃啥啊！！那天天氣還算冷，窩在棉被裡還沒起床梳洗就一直用手機猛找食記。人家乾弟不愛西式餐點，又一直住在泰國所以西式跟泰式的就免談啦。中式或台菜要人多才好吃，那也就只剩日式料理最安全啦。最後找到這間覺得應該會還不錯，就決定約在這啦。
看到店家門口就覺得今天這決定應該會是對的。感覺很日本（最好是你去過日本啊胡扯）
不過我們坐下來點餐的同時我發現我犯了一個致命的錯誤：相機我是帶了！但我忘了前一天晚上我把記憶卡拔了出來，沒裝回去啊啊啊啊啊啊啊～～～
但直覺告訴我，這間食記不能不寫。因此就請各位客官將就點看這用手機拍攝的食記囉！
因為當天並非假日，所以不到高朋滿座的現象。但以上班日來說，還有蠻多組客人的耶！
雖然酷愛啤酒，但今天實在太冷。即使有十八天，我們還是點了清酒。
綜合生魚片拼盤
新鮮的沒話說。而且還不惜成本的用檸檬切片擺盤。讓生魚片都有淡淡的檸檬香呢！
漂亮的生魚片，用手機拍都很好看～
鯖魚定食
我想吃鯖魚，乾弟想吃飯。小姐一聽到這樣的需求，就建議我們點個定食。連沙拉都有了。順便也跟我們介紹了一道必點的招牌！
起司鮭魚握壽司
一般來說，我是非常不喜歡被這樣亂推薦的，因為我的味蕾很奇怪，別人愛的我不一定愛（有時候反而還討厭）。不過這天心情好，所幸就聽了小姐推薦的。過了一會兒，老闆凱爸帶了個裝了兩個鮭魚握壽司的烤盤來到我們面前。一邊與我們聊天，一邊現場製作這道料理。他告訴我們，我們坐著的桌椅是他堅持保留著的。店裡的幾張同樣尺寸的桌椅，是他們從路邊攤起家就有的桌椅。為了要提醒自己創業的過程以及初衷，因此特地保留起來。另一方面，這道握壽司的料理所使用的米跟剛才定食裡白飯的米也是不一樣的。凱爸說，不同的料理方式才能展現出各種米的特色。
做好了！此時我心想：噱頭吧！
不料我一口進去... 整個握壽司在我嘴裡融化了！我差點尖叫：這也太好吃了吧！！！！！
松阪豬
平日不食豬牛羊的我，為了嘗鮮特地破例嚐了一口。結果我後悔了... 因為接下來我又偷吃了好幾片！！（而且我乾弟還加點了一盤）
建議大家可以點定食，然後在單點起司鮭魚握壽司（真的是必點！）。後來看到帳單我不敢說這裡是平價，但我敢用倫敦熊來保證，CP值絕對是超高的！
 
其實當天我們還點了酒蒸蛤蠣。而且催了好幾次都還沒上桌。我們的心情卻沒有因此被影響，因為其他道也太好吃了！其實我們是很期待酒蒸蛤蠣的驚艷。而小姐最後來告訴我們為何遲遲沒上菜的原因時，我們竟然沒辦法對他們生氣... 因為小姐說，其實早就弄好了，只是上桌前發現吐沙沒吐乾淨，只好取消了。
沒有為了應付客人就把未吐沙乾淨的蛤蠣上桌給客人食用，加上凱爸熱情的服務（用餐到一半還出來跟大家閒聊），我覺得沒什麼好抱怨的。
結帳前我乾弟還很high的要跟凱爸合照。凱爸也很high的請小姐也拿了相機跟我們合照。
不過今天的壓軸好戲，其實是我乾弟他很大手筆地給了凱爸很慷慨的小費！
三本味Facebook粉絲團：https://www.facebook.com/japanmma?fref=ts
檢視較大的地圖 

冬至這天來到了每年這個時候都要來還願的艋舺龍山寺。前些年，天仙因為種種因素開始吃素（主要是為了健康並非宗教因素）。那段時間在台北生活覺得素食店雖然不算少，但好吃的就真的很少了！當時絕大多數都是宗教素的餐廳為主，因此許多油膩並且加工的素肉占大多數素食類餐點。偏偏天仙就是不愛吃這種味道。不過在吃素的那段期間無意間發現了這間美味的素食。雖說當歸湯裡還是有加工素料，但吃起來卻沒有加工味。因為當歸夠味，麵線也很好吃。
I found this place during the time when I was still a vegetarian. I was not a veggie for religious reasons, so I found it difficult to find quality veggie places to dine. Most of the veggie places served manufactured 'mock meat', which I didn't fancy very much. So when I found this place, I was overjoyed. 
菜單一覽。（我終於記得要拍菜單了）
Chinese only menu... 
價位普普，想當點心或是正餐其實都可以。
We ordered two noodles and two differnt kinds of soup. 
但已經比以前貴五塊了。尊重店家，別帶肉食進來喔！
The price was NT$5 more than before. This is a veggie place, so please don't bring in any meat! 
店面不算大，但也不擁擠。人潮可是沒停過的！
It's not a big place, but it's not too crowded either.
當歸湯！喜歡中藥味的應當會喜歡。還有畫龍點睛的九層塔。
Angelica root soup. The basil really enhnaces the taste! 
這是什錦湯，很清淡。不愛中藥的可以改點這個。
Mixed soup. For those who do not fancy Chinese herbal tastes.
兩碗湯排排坐。
Our two bowls of soup.
湯裡的料。其實就是豆類的。他會吸飽湯汁，吃進去汁會噴在嘴哩，很有趣的口感。
This is manufactured tofu. This is acceptable. It sucks up the soup and so when you put it in your mouth, the angelica root taste will surprise your taste buds! 
他們的麻油麵線也很優。
This sesame oil noodles is also highly recommended.
手機的廣角真好用 XD
Wide angle of the cellphone camera! 
  
吃完這麼一味也暖和了！
A heart-warming meal! 
檢視較大的地圖