Taiwan Day 1 - Eslite Bookstore

Nightfall came early to Taipei. The sky turned dark around 5pm.

My plan was to take a stroll to Eslite Bookstore (誠品書店) Xin Yi, near the City Hall station and to get some dinner. It's nice to be alone among books. Eslite is known to have one of largest bookstore in Taiwan. You think Kinokuniya or Borders is huge? Think again. Being the bookworm I am, I was curious about the books there.

I was informed that the City Hall Eslite Bookstore is one of the bigger branches so I thought it wouldn't be that hard to get to. What I didn't count on is that the Taiwanese don't know what "Eslite" is. You have to tell them that you want to get to "Chéng pǐn shū diàn". So I was lead down a wild goose chase around the City Hall area. No matter who I asked the answer was always, "Walk down the road and you will see it." After 45 minutes of looking around multiple roads and alleys without seeing it,  I decided to head back to the station and ask the information counter at the adjoining shopping mall instead. 

Sights as I wondered looking for Eslite

Turned out that Eslite is right behind the City Hall Station. Grr.... You can't see it from the main road as the frontage faces the City Hall bus station, and the bus station is sort of hidden behind the Muji store.

Finally!

I quickly went over and the first thing that struck me was that it was like a library. Different floors carrying books, stationary, home deco, a children discovery centre and cafes/restaurants. Eslite was reputed to carry the largest collection of English language publications but I did not see many. Probably hidden away on one of their many floors. 

The number of Chinese books there were astounding. I recognized some French titles that had been translated into Mandarin. After getting deliciously lost amongst the rows of books, I went to get dinner at the Eslite Cafe on 2F. There is a restaurant there called "The Tea Room" but it looked a little too pricey for me. 

Inside Eslite

At the Eslite Cafe, I was shown to a quiet corner and they proceeded to hand me a menu. Luckily it was partially in English. The service at the cafe was really good. They asked if I wanted cold or warm water even before I ordered anything. Not like Singapore or Malaysia where they charge for water. Here is a tip to know whether a restaurant knows how to serve guests. When water is poured from a pitcher, there is a tendency for a little splash when it first hits the bottom of the glass. If the waiter uses a napkin to shield you from the water by holding the napkin near to the edge that is facing you, that means they know what they are doing. 

Chicken Ham Sandwich with Salad. The Ham was thick and succulent!

Iced Latte

At the end of the meal, my bill came along with a request for me to fill out their service feedback form. It was all in Chinese! They apologized when I informed that I am not a local nor can I read Chinese, and took the form away. They even wished me to have a pleasant stay in Taiwan! Little gestures like this makes a guest return.

After dinner, the winds picked up as I hurried back to the hotel to wait for the arrival of the 4 lost sheep.

Eslite Bookstore (誠品書店)(Xin Yi)
Address: 11號, SongGao Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Tel: (02) 8789 - 3388
Opening Hours: 10 am - 2am (2F/3F/4F)

Eslite Cafe
Address: 2F, 11號, SongGao Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110

Walking Directions:
Taipei Main Station  ► Blue Line to Houshanpi/ Kunyang ► Taipei City Hall Station ► exit to main road ► turn left, walk past Muji ► enter bus depot ► walk past information counter until you come out on the other side of the building ► Eslite Bookstore