Taiwan Family Holiday - Gudetama Chef and Lashlab

Taiwan Day 5

Our plans for today were limited because we had to move to a second rental apartment. Quite annoying as our first apartment really felt like home.  Due to the popularity of Taiwan over Easter, we were unable to stay at just one apartment for the duration of our trip.  So please book early if you know you will be in Taiwan during peak holiday times.

In the morning we packed up our bags and had brunch in a nearby cafe before checking out and dropping off our bags early.  The weather was definitely cooler outside and quite a refreshing change from the heat of the days before.  We decided to eat at IM home cafe just around the corner from our place.  The interior of the cafe was really warm and cosy with lots of wooden furniture and comfy cushions.  The waitress was really friendly and we got a high chair and kids serving ware straight away.  And while there is no English menu there are plenty of photos and the staff did their best efforts to help us order.  We ordered two of their all day breakfast sets: the french toast and a grilled chicken steak set as recommended by the waitress. 

The serves were really generous and it was far more fat and carbs than I was would have liked. People who know me know that I just don't like fried food.  I will admit that it was all delicious and I wish we had found this place earlier in the trip but there is only so much thick cut white toast and potato chips one can handle at 10am.  But the kids were so happy with the French toast and sausages.  I was only thinking how we seriously needed to eat more fruit and vegetables. 

After our leisurely meal we went back to collect our bags.  As we walked back a great little shop called Lashlab immediately caught my attention.  One great thing about Taipei is that the lanes and alleys have wonderful little shops that you can walk into and investigate and some of them are real gems (see previous post on day 2 for another gem we found).  In Hong Kong everything tends to be hidden up high-rise buildings and much more difficult to "stumble upon".   

  

When I saw the shop I uttered: "Oh that looks like a great places to get my lashes done!"  The Hubs is always encouraging me to do stuff for myself and told me to "go and book!"  I was so nervous going in because honestly I feel like such a dowdy mum these days but it was to my amazement that one of the technicians greeted me with a smile when I approached (with Mr R in tow mind you) and we had a conversation in broken English that resulted in a booking for that evening.  You know those occasions where you just let things happen and then your brain later realises what you just did and you start to question your actions?  That's what happened because my appointment was at a time that meant the Hubs would need to feed the kids and shower them on his own but he was, as always nonchalant and said it would be easy.  What could I do but hope it would be so. 

We then checked out of our first rental apartment and we proceeded to our second rental apartment which was conveniently just a short walk down the road.  We forgot that due to the limited options for the approaching Easter weekend the apartment was a 4th floor walk up.  A great way to burn off those carbs from brunch though. 

Being within walking distance we thought we would visit Gudetama Chef for sheer novelty value. There was a 15 minute wait for a table and we were happy with that as nobody was hungry after such a big breakfast.  But the boys were very angsty for a play and run around so we found a nearby playground at Liugongzhen Park and let them burn off some energy there.  I tried to wipe some of the rain off the slides but mostly they had to use their butts to dry the slide off and apparently this price was worth paying for a play. 

Energy expended, we made our way back to Gudetama Chef for lunch.  Themed cafes are very popular in Taiwan and this was our first such dining experience.  The decor here was done really well and all the details just delighted the kids and impressed me.  Every square surface is plastered with images of this lazy cartoon egg.  I personally think Gudetama is one of the weirdest Sanrio characters and I don't understand the huge following at all but apparently I am on my own about this.

Now for the food.  There is no English menu but there are plenty of photos of the dishes and as typical of an egg themed cafe, eggs do feature a lot.  Unfortunately The Hubs ordered while I went to the bathroom and he let Mr A take the lead and we were served with my worst nightmare: more fried food.  The first dish was a tasting plate of assorted deep fried snacks including two versions of chicken karaage, chips, a scotch egg and sausages.  Japanese sausages are often presented on a chicken thigh bone which makes for I assume easy handling but totally disturbs me.  I'm pretty sure there isn't much that resembles chicken meat inside the sausage so where does the bone come from?  Questions questions.

Why why why?  Creepy sausages.

The second dish that The Hubs ordered was an Alfredo spaghetti dish that had bitter gourd, a breaded crab croquette and prawn tempura.  The sauce was made even more creamy by smashed hard boiled egg which as Mr A described made the taste "furry".  While it of course tasted delicious it was again so rich.  Actually our whole order was making me feel nauseous.  So I ordered a salad just to try and neutralise the sheer amount of fat and protein before me.  The rainbow salad was very pretty.  The kids ate that rainbow (which was created by thinly sliced fruit) and then The Hubs and I were left to consume a huge amount of chopped lettuce and sprouts with an odd artificial orange juice dressing.  Truly this was not the finest meal I have consumed.  I am sure there are better things on the menu we could have chosen or perhaps if we had eaten it on a different day which wasn't already calorie laden. I would still recommend the place just for novelty value especially if you are Gudetama fan but once is enough for me. 

The Hubs and I announced defeat at the end of this meal and he decided that he and the kids had better stay home and eat cereal for dinner while I was out for my eyelash appointment that night.  I couldn't think of a better idea.  So we dropped by a supermarket on the way back to the apartment for milk, fruit and yoghurt first.  And I snuck a large jar of preserved bean curd for back in Hong Kong since I had missed my opportunity to buy a jar at the Strawberry cultural centre.  Admittedly why would you buy preserved bean curd at a strawberry cultural centre?

My delicious jar of "Tau Lu" or fermented beancurd.

We burned a few more calories walking the four floors back up to our apartment and immediately got to work napping the boys.  They were still napping when I ventured out on my own to my Lashlab appointment.

Everyone passed out from excess fat and protein consumption

It was a lovely 15 minute walk back to Lashlab and the same technician was expecting me when I walked in quite nervously.  She had me fill out a questionnaire in English and then she sat beside me and placed her phone on the table in front of us.  She had her friend on speakerphone to translate our consultation into English!  I really appreciated the effort she made and this immediately put me at ease and feel confident about their attention to detail.

As an FYI, this type of eyelash extension involves gluing individual synthetic eyelashes onto your native eyelashes one by one.  A painstaking task but with great results.  The extensions immediately make you look more awake and give the appearance of eyeliner and mascara with zero effort.  This was my 5th experience with eyelash extensions.  I have had them done twice in Australia and twice again in Hong Kong.  Both locations have produced mixed results so it really feels very dependent on the skill of the technician.  Bad experiences have previously left me with a tearing and painful eye from an ill-placed lash.  So trying a new venue will always carry a risk.

At the end of the consultation I decided to choose the most popular and natural type of lashes with 70 individual lashes on each eye.  I was happy to take the technician's opinions on the best curl type and length to achieve a natural look and she even took into consideration that I do occasionally wear glasses.  My package cost just over USD50.  I was then ushered into a private treatment room and seated on a huge, soft recliner chair and made to feel very comfy.  In fact I am happy to share that my Lashlab experience was certainly the most private and comfortable I have had.  From this point on you are more than allowed to fall asleep.  But thats virtually impossible for me to do so I will report the rest of the experience.  She began by washing my lashes with a soft foam soap and rinsing them clean which felt strangely very soothing.  Then paper tape was placed over my lower lashes and the placement of each lash began.  There was a tiny amount of sting from the glue but this disappeared quickly and honestly she worked so quickly.  She had informed me it would take 1.5-2 hours but the whole process was done in an hour.  And I was really happy with results (you can see future posts for the overall effect).  They didn't feel uncomfortable and I didn't notice their weight or placement.  Two thumbs up!  For the pricing and the results, I cannot recommend them enough and just wish this service was available in Hong Kong.  If I should visit Taiwan again, I would make a booking through their Facebook page first.

With the right amount of TLC the lashes can last between 3-4 weeks.  I was told not to wash my face until the next morning to allow the glue to set.  I was given a facial sponge to wipe around my eyes and to avoid washing my lashes directly.  I was also given a small mascara wand to brush my new lashes daily and avoid them becoming tangled up.  It is also a good idea to avoid sleeping on your tummy or rubbing you eyes excessively.

On my way home I messaged the Hubs and was told the boys had only just woken up and were now watching Sing while eating cereal.  A successful night out for everyone and The Hubs even complimented the lashes (winning)!