Each trip to Taipei usually involves a stop at Chia Te at Nanjing East Road to buy its mouth-watering pastries for the folks back home. And since a friend introduced me to Sugar & Spice, that’s another stop to make while in Taipei.
Imagine my joy when I took a walk at Level 2 of Taipei Main Station and came across this vending machine (above). The two labels caught my eyes and I quickly made a beeline to check out what’s available.
Chia Te’s pineapple tarts were available for TWD200 for a small box of six. The tarts are among the best I’ve tasted. A friend gave me a box a couple of weeks ago so the taste is still fresh on my tongue.
I tried looking for the Sugar & Spice offering but could not find it in the machine. The poster at the side did show the nougat, which is what I love from this brand. Perhaps, others like them too — that’s why they’re not there.
Anyway, I think it’s a brilliant idea by both brands to make their goodies available in the vending machine. Taipei Main Station is such a busy place with thousands of tourists passing through daily.
It will save many a trip down to the shops. Chia Te’s outlet at 88 Nanjing East Road Section 5 can be packed so this beats having to tussle with fellow consumers, or worst yet, not being able to get in at all (which happened to me once).
Incidentally, the same box of Chia Te pineapple pastry is sold at TWD260 at another shop on the ground floor of the railway station.
Now, my hope is that Yu Jan Shin’s butter pastry will also be loaded onto the vending machine. That would really make my day.
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