Traveling with the Jones

In January, I had a three night stay at the Hilton Taipei Sinban Hotel located in the Banqiao district of New Taipei City, Taiwan.

The new, 31-story modern hotel is conveniently situated just opposite the Banqiao Station for easy access to central Taipei.

Hotel Arrival and Check-In

Upon arriving into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, I was quickly through the immigration and customs. Since I had pre-arranged a car transfer through the hotel, I found the greeter just outside customs. He called for the car, and within five minutes I was on my way to the hotel in a Wi-Fi enabled Mercedes. (The private transfer through the hotel costs about double the taxi fare.)

My flight landed at 8:00 pm, and I was a checking into the hotel by 9:00 pm. The driver had called ahead so the staff all greeted me by name and check-in was fast.

This was a Hilton Honors “Points and Money” stay so I was pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to a King Deluxe Suite.

The front desk staff reviewed the Hilton Honors Diamond welcome letter pictured above.

A Look Inside Room 2312

My King Deluxe Suite — room 2312 — had a nice view and automated blackout blinds that were terrific for dealing with jet lag.

Room 2312 was 538 sq. ft. with a partial divider that separated the living area.

The King Deluxe Suite had two large screen TV’s, a mini bar and — my favorite amenity — a Nespresso espresso machine. .

The King Bed was comfortable, with adequate charging plugs and good lighting on both sides.

The Diamond Welcome Gift of fruit, wine and sweets was a nice touch.

The large bathroom featured dual sinks and a full tub.

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The bathroom also had a separate shower with a powerful and relaxing rain head. The Toto toilet was in a separate enclosed area of the bathroom.

The bath amenities were Crabtree & Evelyn brand, and included a shaving kit, comb, tooth brush, sewing kit, etc.

Executive Lounge

While my room came with access to the 27th floor Executive Lounge, I chose to have breakfast in the hotel’s main restaurant. I did pop into the Executive Lounge for a coffee once. The lounge seemed compact but there was a nice outdoor section. When I visited one morning around 9 am, there was only one other guest in the lounge.

Hotel Common Areas

The lobby of the Hilton Taipei Sinbad was nicely decorated; Chinese New year decorations were going up during my stay.

Sociability is a small lobby bar with a connected lounge area.

The bartenders were friendly and the lounge had live music (at least on Friday’s.)

Breakfast at Market Flavor

I chose to have breakfast each day at the hotel’s main restaurant rather than in the Executive Lounge. The Market Flavor restaurant offered a wide variety of both Asian and Western foods. There was a large selection of meats, cheeses, and fruit. There were also stations for cooked-to-order eggs, pancakes and noodles.

The Neighborhood

The Hilton Taipei Sinbad hotel is about a 5 minute walk from Taipei’s Banqiao Station, providing easy access to trains, high speed rail, and the MRT subway Bannon Line.

The Mega Mall is next door to the hotel has an extensive food and a variety of shopping. There’s also many small local restaurants nearby.

My stay at the Hilton Taipei Sinbad hotel was terrific; I found the staff to be exemplary.

Have you visited Taipei? Where did you stay?

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Other posts on Taipei:

• A Ferris Wheel on Top of a Shopping Center in Taipei, Taiwan
• Exploring Local Foods of Taiwan With Taipei Eats
• Visiting the Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei
• Riding the Maokong Gondola in Taipei, Taiwan
• 18 Fun Facts About Taipei 101
• A Peek Inside Suite 829 at the Taipei Marriott Hotel

When we sailed on the 14-Day Premiere Voyage of Holland America’s newest cruise ship last December, there were many new features to check out as we sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale.

Nami Sushi, a new dining concept within the Tamarind Asian restaurant, was on our list of things to try on the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship.

Nami Sushi is a dedicated sushi bar within in the Tamarind Asian restaurant located on Deck 10 aft of the Nieuw Statendam.

Previously the Tamarind, one of our favorite restaurants at sea, had sushi on its menu as an appetizer or as a main course. As a specialty restaurant, the Tamarind has a flat $25 per person charge for dinner.

The new Nami Sushi venue is a la carte pricing, where you pay for each item you order. Guests dining in the Tamarind can still order sushi, if they are willing to pay for the sushi at the a la carte prices on top of the $25 per person flat rate. Loyal four and five star Mariners (who have sailed at least 200 days on Holland America Line) get a 50 percent discount on specialty dining at both the Tamarind and Nami Sushi, as well as at other dining venues with an extra charge on the Nieuw Statendam.

We chose to try the Tamarind new menu and the Nami Sushi experience on different nights.

After eating and walking our way through the port of Cartagena, Spain, a light, casual dinner was in order. We decided that was the perfect night to try Nami Sushi.

We enjoyed sitting at the Nami bar, watching the sushi chefs work their magic. If you are curious about the Nami menu and a la carte prices, check out the photos below.

Nami Sushi Menu

The Nami menu begins with non-sushi starters.

Next up are the Andy Matsuda Signature Dishes and Sushi Rolls.

Mr. Matsuda, a Japanese born chef and the founder of a “Sushi Chef Institute” in Los Angles, as well as a member of Holland America’s Culinary Council, creates many of the sushi offerings on the Nieuw Statendam and throughout the Holland America fleet.

We enjoyed the Hamachi Usuzukuri and the Spicy Scallop.

Mr. Jones enjoys sashimi while I prefer classic rolls such as the spicy tuna. Both of us were happy with our choices.

The Nami Sushi menu also includes some non-sushi entrees. While we did not try it, the Pan Nang Red Curry Coconut Chicken has been a favorite dish of ours on the Tamarind menu.

The dessert menu for Nami Sushi seems to be a shortened version of the Tamarind dessert menu.

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The Mango Posset and the Yuzu Cheesecake are pictured above. Note, we ate them during a dinner in the Tamarind, rather than when we dined at Nami Sushi.

Will you try Nami Sushi on the Nieuw Statendam? What items on the menu do you want to order?

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More posts on the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship:

• Views From Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam Cruise Ship
• Explorations Central at the Crow’s Nest on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam
• Dining on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam Cruise Ship

The Asian-inspired Tamarind Restaurant on Holland America’s Signature and Pinnacle class ships has been one of our favorite specialty restaurants at sea. Since the Tamarind was first introduced on the Eurodam, the restaurant has been known for terrific food and fantastic service.

When we sailed on the 14-Day Premiere Voyage of the Nieuw Statendam in December, we were surprised at a number of changes to the Tamarind menu.

One of the biggest changes is the addition of a new a la carte dining venue — Nami Sushi — within in the Tamarind restaurant space on Deck 10. With this change, sushi is no longer included as an appetizer or an entree in the Tamarind menu.

Guests dining at the Tamarind restaurant pay a flat $25 per person charge. With the new menu, they can still order sushi with their Tamarind meal, as long as they are willing to pay the a la carte prices for the sushi in addition to the $25 Tamarind dining charge.

A Look at the New Tamarind Menu

The new Tamarind menu starts with the appetizers. While some items have the same name as the previous menu — such as the Satay Sampler and the Shrimp Tempura — all dishes on the new menu have been updated in preparation and / or presentation.

There’s a number of new appetizers on the menu. The Lobster and Shrimp Gyoza app is pictured above.

The Thai Citrus Scallops, served lightly seared with shallots and cilantro, is our favorite new appetizer at the Tamarind.

Missing from the new Tamarind appetizer menu: the fried soft shell crab appetizer. Interestingly, it is on the Nami Sushi menu for a cost of $6.50.

New Tamarind Entrees

Pictured above is the list of entrees on the new Tamarind menu. We tried the Wok-Seared Lobster and Shrimp. It was served stir-fried in a sticky sweet chili sauce, with the pieces of lobster still in their shell. This dish was messy and difficult to eat. (We’ve heard that this dish has been updated to eliminate the shells, but we have not tried it again.)

There are several outstanding new entrees on the Tamarind menu. The Cashew Barramundi in Red Thai Curry is my favorite — light fish with a flavorful curry that’s packed with fresh vegetables.

A friend of ours raved about the Crispy Duck with a Ginger-Chili Glaze.

The Fire Prawns with Thai Chili Jam, served with asparagus and shishito peppers is shown at the bottom of the photo above. Also shown above are three different side dishes: the Dungeness Crab Fried Rice, the Sake-Braised Oyster and Shiitake Mushrooms, and steamed brown rice.

New Tamarind Dessert Menu

The new Tamarind Dessert Menu is missing our long-time favorite: the Tamarind Chocolate. We did try the new Matcha Cake with chocolate-ginger mousse, finding the matcha green tea taste overpowering the chocolate.

Pictured above is the Mango Posset, which is mango sorbet on top of a coconut macaroon. It’s light and tasty.

The Yuzu Cheesecake with white chocolate, pictured above, has an artful presentation.

What Hasn’t Changed in the Tamarind

One of the things that make the Tamarind a special dining experience is the restaurant staff. Manager Panka and Hostess Dee are exceptional, gracious hosts. The female waiters are terrific. And the restaurant location on Deck 10 overlooking the Seaview Pool (and the ocean when the Nieuw Statendam is at sea) is stunning.

Have you tried the new Tamarind menu on the Nieuw Statendam? What are your favorites?

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More posts on the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship:

• Views From Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam Cruise Ship
• Explorations Central at the Crow’s Nest on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam
• Dining on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam Cruise Ship