Ok - so back home in Canada I used to be quite sane, very patient and, have been told by many, that I have a good sense of humour when things go wrong… I now wonder if any of this is still the case…
Saturday night - I tried for the third time to find Alleycats. I love good pizza and beer. I took the bus from Lu Chou into Taipei city and went to the corner of Hsin Yi and Jin Shan South Rd. I walked down every alley and street - no Alleycats!! I did find Kynonos but no Alleycats! Am I just losing it or what? Is the sign for Alleycats NOT IN ENGLISH? Argh! :grrr:
Sunday night - I came back into the city to look for the Ploughman’s Inn. I went to corner of Zhongxiao and Dunhua Rd. I went south down every alley/street where it should have been. No Ploughmans. Again - is the sign for Ploughmans in English??!? Arghx2 :grrr: :grrr:
I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to find places in this city by foot to only head back onto the bus in anger and frustration.
No slight intended against either Alleycats or Ploughman’s Inn - many have found these places so I guess I’m the dufas.
It is weekends like this that make me soooo frustrated with my life in this city. I have been here 6 months and really want to enjoy my stay here - but am losing the battle. My ‘I hate Taipei’ days are turning into ‘I hate Taipei weeks’… This morning I feel bitter and wondering if this year has been a wasted year.
So if you walk around the city and see a fat, middle age white guy walking around steamed & muttering to himself - please stop him and buy him a beer!
If you found Mykonos, you should have found Alleycats, it’s a few doors to the right, I could see the sign from Xinyi road. But… I think Alleycat’s was shut on Saturday, so the sign was probably turned off.
Looking at the map he gives out, I’m surprised anyone can find it, it is not on Jinshan road.
Welcome to life in Taipei. These things happen and it does get to you but the longer you are here the more tricks you learn to avoid the hassle. You can try getting addresses in Chinese in the future if you think it may happen again and either take a taxi or when you are in the area ask around. Taking the phone number is a good idea, western-style places usually speak English on the phone and can direct you.
Never been to Ploughman’s Inn but Big Fluffy Matthew is right, as you are facing Mykonos, you can practically spit and hit Alleycat’s on its right. Their sign is a little smallish but in pink neon so should be able to be spotted. However, on their thread here it was stated that they had a family emergency that night so maybe the sign was not on.
These things do happen living in Taipei and it takes getting used to. I’ve been here years and I’m just starting to.
You have to look for the Alleycats sign; a little small compared to others on the road, but visible nonetheless.
The Ploughman does have an English sign, but it’s not exactly on the corner of Chung Hsiao / Dun Hua; it’s in the first lane back from Chung Hsiao right next to the Sogo building with the Tiffany store and another building with a Sino Pac bank; big English sign, very visible.
Don’t fret, you’ll get the hang of it; just be persistent!
[quote=“Interlocutor”]
These things do happen living in Taipei and it takes getting used to. I’ve been here years and I’m just starting to.[/quote]
That’s right; took the wrong on ramp to the highway and ended up driving around lost in Nei-Hu for about half an hour this weekend. This after 8 years in Taipei!
Tricky to find, especially since they converted the first floor into a lounge bar (the Ploughman’s Inn formerly stretched over two floors, 1st floor restaurant and bar in the basement, now both are combined into the basement).
Alleycat’s is on LiShui Jie (Street), close to Mykonos in the direction to XinYi Road.
Alleycat’s was closed on Saturday.
Did you see the small Japanese restaurant close to Mykonos? If you did then you probably just missed the sign as it was turned off. Try again next time. Maybe call before you go to make sure it’s open.
I used to be quite sane, very patient and, have been told by many, that I have a good sense of humour when things go wrong… I now wonder if any of this is still the case… 
