Miramar — Local services in Taipei

Past its prime but still pulsing, Miramar Mall sits beneath a Ferris wheel that nobody rides anymore—except maybe for couples on their third date who’ve run out of things to say. The wheel casts a shadow over the food court like a relic from a more optimistic urban planning era. And yet, I return.

朱記 (Juji) remains my go-to for vegetarian steamer basket dumplings—think Din Tai Fung, but with fewer tourists and more existential dread. It’s a clever brand, really: tucked into all the would-be derelict malls.

This particular mall is always buzzing, but let’s be honest: compared to Breeze, Sogo, or Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, it’s the mall equivalent of a neighborhood cat—scrappy, familiar, and slightly aloof. It serves the residential elite of Zhongshan, where condos go for over $2 million per ping. Cray cray, as the kids used to say.

But I digress.

My latest disappointment: Juji has swapped out its vinegar and soy sauce bottles for plastic packets, McDonald’s-style. It kills the vibe. There’s something about tearing into a sachet of soy sauce that makes you question your life choices. Still, we eat well here—better than NYC or Connecticut, and at a fraction of the price. That alone keeps me loyal.

Miramar retains a certain allure. Maybe it’s the name—evocative of California, and yes, it means “look at the ocean” in Spanish. Thank you, high school Spanish class. No ocean in sight, of course, but the AC is strong, the dumplings are hot, and sometimes that’s enough.

Check it out if you’re in the area....

Nice air conditioned mall with cinema, ferris wheel, food court. There are many different dining options here. The first floor is spacious and fancy, an information desk is located in front of the elevators. On the upper floors there are many different shops and restaurants too. The basement has a large food court and a Jamba Juice. Clean up is easy with tray returns conveniently located around the food court. No visit to Miramar is complete without a visit to the Miramar ferris wheel. The mall is easy to reach with bus service and metro service from the Wenhu line. The mall also features water features like an indoor pond. The decorations do a great job of combining modern and oriental influences. The mall is one of the cleanest places in Taipei. This place is a little pricey so watch your spending. I would highly recommend visiting Miramar if you...

The shopping mall is pretty well connected by train, but I made the unfortunate decision of deciding to take a bus back, which I subsequently missed and had to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next one... The mall is very large and I suppose the main attraction is the giant ferris wheel. Some of the cabins even have glass floors - you can ask the person managing to ferris wheel to allow you to take those cabins. The view is pretty good and on clearer days it is also possible to catch sight of Taipei 101 from the top. Other than the ferris wheel, the cinema is also very large and there are toy stores and arcade for kids on the higher floors. There is a lot of gourmet food and restaurants in the top floor, many clothing stores on the lower floors. Furthermore, there is a large supermarket (Carrefour) just...