The only main thing planned this day was for my mom to get her eyebrows microbladed. We first stopped by a chain cafe in Taiwan, 85°C. They have pretty good coffee and lots of different cakes sold by slices and whole. It is all fresh and more of an asian style which means they are lighter than western cakes. The cost is pretty average. There are other cafe chains around like Starbucks, but I do think the coffee here is better. Only thing I didn’t see are all those cute cups, mugs, and plates to buy like Starbucks has.
I ordered a mocha. It was a very nice balance of chocolate and coffee and not overly sweet. My mother got a latte and the coffee bean used was very fragrant. We decided to share a slice of boston taro cake. I’m not sure what boston cake is, but this piece was a light fluffy and airy sponge that wasn’t sweet. The cream on the outside gave it the sweetness it needed and the taro cream/paste on the inside gave this slice a nice flavor. Great way to start the day.
It was then time for my mom’s appointment.
The artist is the same one my mom had last time we came to Taiwan. She was really happy with his work then, so we went back to him. He started out by marking and shaping what the final brows will look like.
He explained the whole process and reason for everything he did and will do. He explained how since faces are often not symmetrical, the two eyebrows cannot be done exactly the same as they would then look different when together on the face. He kept asking for our opinion and to check and would adjust it when needed.
Once everyone was happy with the shape, size, and fit, he started microblading. This whole process took 3 hours as it is all done by hand. He used a fine needle/knife dipped in the ink and make lots of small dot like cuts.
Final result:
Right after it is done, they will look thicker and darker than wanted. This is because as the wound heals, a layer of skin will peel causing the microblading to look more natural.
I was unsure if I wanted to get it done as I was a bit scared. But after watching my mom go through the whole process and seeing how professional and easy going the artist was, I decided to make a booking with him. On the spot he said he had time now, so we agreed to let him have a break and to have some lunch.
My mother and I went to a vietnamese restaurant recommended by one of my mother’s highschool friend. It was a really good recommendation.
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left: beef and seafood pho ; This was amazing. The broth was rich and flavorful. They were also definitely not skimping on the extras as there was a large variety and quantity. As you can see there was shrimp, intestine, beef slices, lettuce, bean sprouts, fried garlic, herbs and daikon. Lime is a must for this. 9/10
right: starting from the top left column is stew pork rice. This was well seasoned and flavorful. 7/10 Under it is deep fried spring rolls. These were very good. The inside was some blend of what I think is pork, and some spices and veg. Pairs well with the typical vinegar fish sauce dipping sauce. 8/10 Top right column is papaya salad. This is made from unripe papayas, but is not tough. Also with the same sauce and some peanuts. Very refreshing. 8/10 Under it is the more familiar spring roll (I think some people call it a summer roll too). These are often made with fresh crunchy veg and shrimp wrapped in rice paper. You have to be careful as the rice paper sticks and tears easily, but when dipped in the sauce, it is super good. I’d even say it’s healthy. 8.5/10 Last at the bottom is bitter melon. I’m not sure how this was prepared, but I’m guessing it was sliced, blanched, then marinated. As the name says, this is bitter. I’ve had it before where it wasn’t too bitter and was actually tasty, but this one was a bit to bitter for me. 4/10
This restaurant was also surprisingly cheap. I believe we spent less than 10£ for everything and it was a lot for two people.
After lunch, it was my turn to get my eyebrows microbladed!
You can tell where I have eyebrow hair, and where I have none lol
before
after peeling
This took another three hours so we headed home after. But we stopped to buy lottery tickets ( unlucky this time 🙁 ) and some snacks before catching a train back to Taipei.
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