Shake House

Address: Lane 96, Wēnzhōu St, Daan District
Telephone: Not listed
Hours: Not listed
Price: $$

If you want to go to Shake House, you're going to have to trust me... at least a little. Almost no information about Shake House exists in English. It's Chinese name is 雪可屋 and if you put these characters into a search engine, you'll get a few results. But if you want an English review, you've come to the right place.

Directly across the street from Cafe Bastille's Wēnzhōu location and down the street from Kitchen 66, Shake House is reminiscent of a 1920s vintage European coffeehouse. The faded chairs, terracotta pot light covers, wooden floors, vinyl records, smell of roasting coffee, and natural sunlight make Shake House a trendy coffeehouse that's quite popular with students from nearby National Taiwan University.

The drink selection consists of espresso coffee, estate-grown coffee, tea, smoothies, and Belgian and Taiwanese beers. I ordered a hot Vienna coffee ($120 NT) and looked over the food menu again in case something caught my eye. The food menu is quite sparse, but there's a lot of variety. Everything from popcorn ($65 NT), French toast ($45 NT), chocolate muffins ($45 NT), and spicy fried tofu ($45 NT) to shrimp fried rice + soup ($80 NT), spaghetti ($70 NT), and chicken curry rice + soup ($90 NT). I decided I'd wait and see if I felt like a Triple Karmaliet beer ($150 NT) and some food later.

As I read, I couldn't help but notice a university boy staring at me. I flashed him a quick smile and he strode over. "Excuse me, are you Pamela?" he asked. "Uhh, no." So eloquent. The American girl a couple tables down jumped up and waved him over. No big deal ... until another university guy asked me if I was Tiffany 20 minutes later. I think it's because of its location to Taida but Shake House is swarming with language exchange partners. 

The Vienna coffee was delicious and just the extra kick of caffeine I needed. I liked the traditional sprinkling of chocolate on top of the whipped cream, and the proportion of whipped cream to espresso was good. Whilst contemplating a Triple Karmaliet, I noticed the noise level in Shake House was a bit too much for my liking, so I paid my tab and left.

 

I would most definitely go back to Shake House. I would get there before noon, snag a window seat, and work on whatever-it-is before the uni students arrive. The menu is in both English and Chinese, there's no service charge, and you can use the Wi-fi from Cafe Bastille across the road. Check out the Shake House website. 

Consulate Cafe

Address: No. 257, Zhōngzhèng Rd, Danshuei District
Telephone: Not listed
Hours: Not listed
Price: $$

Type "Consulate Cafe Taipei" into any major search engine, and you'll get a lot of results. The majority won't even reference a cafe. Sometimes referred to as "The Embassy Cafe", Consulate Cafe is hard to miss on Zhōngzhèng Road and is across the street from the Fort San Domingo entrance.

This conveniently located cafe welcomes a lot of tourists who come to visit the Fort and former British Consulate, students from Aletheia University, and day-trippers visiting from Taipei. The fare is light and moderately priced. You can find cheaper food and drinks at the street stalls; this air-conditioned cafe is not the place to seek a bargain.

Though the menu boasted many drinks (hot/iced green tea, hot/iced black tea, beer, juice, soda, chocolate milk and hot chocolate, "ice cream soda", coffee, lattes, etc.), I decided water would be best, what with the humidity and my state of dehydration. I wanted to eat something light that wouldn't weigh me down, but thought a salad too boring. Dessert sounded good, but cheesecakes and brownies aren't really all that light. A sandwich it was.

The sandwich selection was tuna, ham, smoked salmon, or German sausage with sauerkraut ($140 - $190 NT). Quite the eclectic smorgasbord. I chose the smoked salmon sandwich with herb bread (possible alternatives: croissant, "milk" bread) for $160 NT.

The sandwich was a lot bigger than I had anticipated. The "herb bread" was actually two large pieces of olive and rosemary focaccia bread. The olive and rosemary were married well, though the focaccia seemed a little oily, bizarrely so. There was a good amount of lettuce, some nice ripe slices of tomato, several cucumbers, and (disappointingly) a sliver of salmon. All of this was smothered with some sort of salad dressing (even more disappointing). 

While I suppose it is my fault for not asking them to make the sandwich without dressing, it never stated on the menu that dressing was even a potential component. I think I hear the smallest violin in the world playing just for me.... Anyway, I was a little miffed that I had purchased a smoked salmon sandwich with almost no smoked salmon, but such is life. There was a dollop of the salad dressing and relish on the side, but the sandwich was drowning as is. Unnecessary.

The real appeal to this cafe is the location. Located right on the riverside, there are beautiful sunset views and lovely nighttime views of Bali. Consulate Cafe is located close to Big Tom, in fact, just walk down Zhōngzhèng Road and you'll bump into both of them (about a three minute walk from one another). There's no website for Consulate Cafe, but you can search "Consulate Cafe Taipei" or "The Embassy Cafe Taipei" and sift through the results.

The menu is in English and Chinese, there's a 10% service charge, and the staff speak a limited amount of English. My opinion on Consulate? Just head over to Big Tom. The view is quite similar, there's no service charge, the riverside view is indoors with floor to ceiling windows, the food and drinks are cheaper, the ambiance better, and all the Wi-fi for which you can ask!

Mei's Tea Bar

Address: 16, Lane 37, Yongkang St, Taipei (台北市永康街37巷16號)
Telephone: (02) 2394-2425
Hours: Unsure at present
Price: $$

Yes! Mei's is back! For those of you unaware it even went away in the first place, you now have time to hightail it over there before it shuts down! A brief history: In February, there were some grumblings from neighbors about the noise from Mei's. Some wanted the tea bar closed, but Mei posted a memo outside reminding everyone to be quiet and respectful as a way to bring the noise level down and mollify the neighbors. This worked for a couple weeks. Then Mei's closed for a week, reopened, and closed again. 

So it's official. Mei's is no longer on Yongkang Street. She moved the tea bar to another area of town; but the old Yongkang establishment now serves as an homage to Mei's. Mei still owns the location, the interior is the same, and the menu is practically the same as regards the food dishes, but wine has been taken off the menu completely. Additionally, the Yongkang "Mei's" now operates under a Chinese name that I have since forgotten.

To celebrate (the return of?) one of my (new?) favorite Taipei cafes, I sat down to order my Egyptian spice tea ($180 NT) ... and couldn't find it on the new menu (a menu which was still being drafted and was presented to me on rolled up paper). Not wanting to question the poor server even more than I already had, I settled for the Chai tea latte ($180 NT) and the English scone with butter and jam ($90 NT). 

Whilst waiting, I studied the menu a little more and saw that mulled wine was still listed, but there was no sign of the Egyptian tea. I assume this is because the new menu is still coming together and some items haven't been crossed out or added on. That being said, I'm a little nervous that the menu will change and be, primarily, in Chinese. Here's to hoping some things stay the same.

The chai tea latte was delicious and just what I needed! It came with it's own sugar bowl and I quickly polished off my four cups. Unfortunately, they were sold out of scones (a frequent problem!) and I did without. At the Yongkang tea place there's no service charge and the wait staff friendly as always. I promise to search out the new Mei's in the coming months. I'm sure it'll only be bigger and better! 

Dazzling Cafe

Address: No. 3, Lane 248, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Rd, Daan District
Telephone: (02) 2731-5199
Hours: Sun - Thurs 12pm to 10pm, Fri - Sat 12pm to 11pm
Price: $$

Having heard wonderful things about Dazzling, my friends and I decided to make a Dazzling Sunday brunch date. Since opening in 2010, Dazzling is nothing if not wildly popular! I have had several Taiwanese friends tell me that the "honey toast" is "to die for", so naturally I had to see what all the hype was about. Sans reservations, the four of us walked into the Dazzling Cafe near On Tap around 1pm and were immediately seated. Success!

Food isn't the only thing at Dazzling that's aesthetically pleasing. Serving a wide range of teas, coffees, and hot chocolates (between $100 - $160 NT), Dazzling has decorated many of the drinks after their namesakes. My friend ordered the Iced Pomelo Tea with Peach ($140 NT) and it came garnished with a slice of pomelo, a mint leaf, and pomelo rinds hanging down from the glass. There was also the Iced Fruit Tea ($160 NT), which included pieces of mango, pineapple, and pomelo; and my Rose Latte ($150 NT) not only had shredded rose pedals on top (!) but included a flavorful shot of liqueur.

After ordering the Party in Your Mouth Honey Box Toast ($220 NT) and the Dark Chocolate Honey Box Toast [Danish style] ($290 NT), we chatted under the full power blast of the air-conditioner. After a 15 minute wait, the waitress brought out our two dishes.

We were all in awe of the spectacle before us, none of us ever having seen anything like "honey box toast" before. The waitress let us take our pictures, asked if we wanted a group photo, and then began disassembling our toast boxes. Personally, I appreciated this. The boxes are so daunting in shape and size, I wouldn't know where to begin and how to divvy up the toppings evenly. But I can understand people wanting to disassemble their own food thank-you-very-much.

Starting with the Dark Chocolate box, I poured some of the honey along the top of my portion and helped myself to a spoonful of ice cream. The ice cream was delicious! The dark chocolate flavor was thick and creamy, while the dark chocolate chucks broke up the creamy consistency so the ice cream wasn't too overwhelming. The toast box itself was more of a croissant-type affair, being extremely flaky and tasting faintly of butter. It wasn't dense, as regular toast is, but the lightness of the box was contrasted with the custard filling. One of the main features of this box toast is the custard (those pretty yellow dollops that look like icing), but I found the custard to be disappointing. It was thick, creamy, and didn't really have much of a taste. You felt like you were eating 3,000 calories of some insane dessert (and you were), yet it tasted of nothing. Many times I found myself, fork in hand, eating mouthful after mouthful of custard in an attempt to taste it. 

The Party in Your Mouth box was better, in that you weren't eating tasteless custard the entire time. The toast box is actually made from a loaf of bread, and while there is custard in this dish, it's only a small dollop that you can avoid if you would like. The strawberries were ripe, the ice cream was quite good (not as delicious as the dark chocolate ice cream), and one of my friends ate the macaroon ... but it looks scrumptious, doesn't it? My only complaint was that the "honey toast" didn't taste of honey and the honey brought to the table wasn't enough for four people to share. 

Overall, Dazzling has made a decent attempt at honey box toast. If invited by a friend, I would go back and have the same latte, but completely forgo any of the "Danish Toast Boxes", ignore Party in Your Mouth, and try a new toast box. That being said, these toast boxes are rather pricey ... and I would rather have a pint at On Tap instead.

There are many reviews for Dazzling online, and even some Youtube videos! Dazzling has a Facebook page and lists all of its Taipei locations. As always, menus are in English and Chinese and many members of the staff speak both. There's a 10% service charge, and the Dazzling rule is that each customer must order at least one drink. 

Fong Da Coffee

Address: 42 Chéngdū Road, Wanhua District (臺北市成都路42號)
Telephone: (02) 2371-9577
Hours: Mon - Sun 8am to 10:30pm
Price: $

Touted by many a travel guide as one of Taipei's original coffee shops, Fong Da is located in the midst of the Ximen hustle and bustle. Established in 1956, Fong Da has made a name for itself selling quality coffee beans, coffee grounds, and, of course, coffee beverages. The first to introduce Taipei to the phenomena that is iced coffee, Fong Da likes to push the boundaries of the Taiwanese palate.

In addition to selling coffee, this coffee shop sells small snacks - primarily cookies, biscuits, and cakes. While I've heard several people speak highly of their green bean cakes, I ordered two slices of toast instead (feeling slightly nauseated from the heat and humidity) for $40 NT.

So, the day was hot and muggy, and I wanted to escape the crowds, enjoy the heavenly feeling of air-conditioning, and have a delicious ice coffee. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, one out of three isn't that bad. Because Fong Da is so well-known, there are always people crowded into the small shop, fighting for a spot at a table or the bar. I went on a Tuesday around 11am and was shocked that there were still a plethora of people. 

Fong Da also has an open store front; this means that the owner doesn't put the AC on full blast (or even "medium blast"), and that the hot, humid air and mosquitoes enter as the wind carries them in. When my toast arrived, I had the vain hope it might come with ice cream on top. Or chilled whipped cream. Or ice. Or a Frigidaire. No suck luck. Regardless, the toast wasn't really anything about which one could write home. I mean, ... it's toast. It tasted toast-y. There was a small tin of jam that accompanied it, but I ate the toast dry.

I ordered the Fong Da Special Ice Coffee for $85 NT. The Fong Da Coffee roast is a mixture of several different, complementary types of coffee beans. The Special Ice Coffee was ice cold (thank God!) and tasted not unlike Irish coffee. There was a certain whiskey-esque tinge to the taste. I still can't put my thumb on it. It was almost as though it was a virgin Irish coffee (though that makes no sense), or maybe an Irish coffee with only a splash of whiskey? I'm not sure, but it was delicious and I felt better for having drank it! 

 As I mentioned previously, Fong Da was quite crowded and after taking a couple sips of my drink, I heard a woman whisper in my ear the amount I owed. Turning around and handing her the money, I got the impression that lingering over my drink would probably annoy the wait staff. I quickly downed it and left. 

Ultimately, Fong Da wasn't a horrible experience and I'm glad I went for the novelty factor, but I'm not sure I'll stop by again. I'm deeply committed to Rufous, though the prices are double those at Fong Da. And I feel obliged to warn you dear reader that, that night, 13 hours after drinking this "Special" coffee, I pulled an all-nighter completely against my will. Now it could be because I spent six hours reading Fight Club from cover to cover and was so energized by the idea of starting my very own Taiwanese fight club I could hardly close my eyes, let alone sleep; or  it could be that the "special" ingredient in the Fong Da coffee is really methamphetamine. I think it's the latter.

The staff at Fong Da don't speak English (or the two elderly women who served me didn't), but the menu is in English and Chinese, so you can always point. Everything on the menu is reasonably priced, with most beverages between $85 NT and $150 NT. The website is in Chinese, but if you click around, you can get a better idea of the prices.

Haricot

Address: Lane 233, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Road, Daan District
Telephone: (02) 2773-7111
Hours: 10am to 10pm, days not listed
Price: $$

On beautiful sunny days, I really just want to find a nice cafe with outdoor seating and read. In Taipei, that's more difficult than one would imagine. Many a Taiwanese eatery lacks outdoor seating; those with outdoor seating have only one or two tables (and nine times out of ten, those tables are already occupied). So, more often than not, I find myself back at Haricot, enjoying their outdoor seating area all to myself.

Settling in to my usual table outdoors, the waitress brings me the menu, but asks if I want my usual (the smoked salmon panini for $240 NT). Sure, why not? Disappearing to get my usual glass of ice water, she leaves the drink menu, in case I deviate from my pattern. Nope.

As the breeze picks up, I can't help but wonder why outdoor dining isn't more of a thing here. There are entire months in Taiwan when the weather is absolutely perfect. Temperature, humidity, wind speed; everything perfect. My smoked salmon panini arrives with a side of french fries and a salad.

The  salad is quite good. A lot of iceberg lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, and some cabbage. There aren't any tomatoes or other assorted fruits and vegetables, but I'm not too picky in this regard. There is a light balsamic dressing drizzled on top which I thoroughly enjoy ... until I see all the oil at the bottom of the plate. Then I feel slightly guilty.

The panini itself is made of toasted wheat bread and consists of iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, salmon, capers, and very light cream cheese (so light as to be almost imperceptible). This sandwich tastes as healthy as it looks. Finally! I can eat something in Taipei and not agonize over the calorie content! I absolutely love this panini (though the bread isn't what I would typically recognize as "panini bread") and it's obvious to me why this is my "usual". 

The french fries are perfectly cooked, as referenced in my last Haricot review, and the ketchup rendered superfluous. Some things never change, and these french fries are reason alone to visit and return to this Dunhua eatery. 

Dining at Haricot previously, I have received several glasses of tea on the house. On this particular occasion, I received a water "upgrade". The staff is so nice here and the owner always makes a point to talk to me and ask me how everything in my life is going. I believe that Haricot is to Taipei what Cheers is to Boston sans alcohol. My bill came to $264 NT with the 10% service charge, and I promise that next time, I'll step out of my comfort zone and eat something else.... Maybe the ham and cheese panini.

Donna Caffe

Address: Lane 170, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Rd

Telephone: not provided

Hours: Mon 10am to 9pm, Tues - Fri 1pm to 11pm, Sat 10am to 12am, Sun 10am to 8pm

Price: $$

UPDATE: Donna Caffe is now closed. The Papa Gio next door bought them out and now Donna is an "overflow" restaurant. Such a shame!

Since it's Chinese New Year and a lot of places remain closed, I went to the Dunhua area (yes, again) to see what was open. Surprisingly, a familiar little cafe/bistro was open ... and packed with people. Donna Caffe is a cute European place right next to the German Town restaurant. There isn't always such a big crowd, but with only a few restaurants open during the holidays, there was a five minute wait for a table. Also, because I've reviewed this cafe before (see 'Ginjer'), I'll include pictures from both visits.

Donna Caffe has relatively simplistic and modern decor. A few paintings, an orange accent wall, and beautiful bouquets everywhere (there's even one in the restroom), make this cafe welcoming and tastefully decorated. I like Donna because it isn't gimmicky like some of the other cafes and restaurants in the area. German Town, for example, is a garish caricature of a "German" restaurant complete with cuckoo clocks, marionettes, nutcrackers, a gingerbread house, paintings of Neuschwanstein Castle, and probably the remains of the Kaiser. Donna isn't trying to sell the European atmosphere; they're just trying to sell good food.

 Bright and cheery, Donna is a good place to come for a cup of tea or coffee. Also, there's isn't a rule about outside food or drink. ... Or maybe there is and I just haven't been reprimanded yet?

 The menu is relatively light in comparison to other cafes in the area and offers sandwiches, "royal Austrian pancakes", "salty fried cakes", and desserts. Everything on the menu is reasonably priced for the area with the Buckwheat sandwich at $95 NT and the Bomb sandwich at $85 NT.

While the menu isn't really in English (there's no English explanation as to what a "Bomb" or a "Buckwheat" sandwich consists), there are some photos. Since there are only three or four different variations on an item (four types of sandwiches, three types of "salty fried cakes", seven types of Austrian pancakes), you can discern (to a certain extent), what you'll be ordering. On this occasion, I ordered lavender tea ($160 NT). And when reviewing the Ginjer cupcakes, I ordered rose tea ($160 NT).

Rose tea

Lavender tea

Firstly, the rose tea was one of the best I've ever had. The taste was light, delicate, (and dare I say?) flowery, and the rosebuds in the sachet were pretty to look at and smelled wonderfully. The lavender tea was a darker, more crisp tea with a mint aftertaste. It too, smelled powerfully of its namesake though a sachet full of lavender isn't as wonderful to behold as a sachet of roses ... just my opinion. For my meal, I chose the "Coffee Cream Brulee Royal Austrian Pancake" ($180 NT). To those of you who think I mean "creme brulee", I probably do, however that's not what the menu had printed.

While there are several variations to this dish (vanilla caramel, dark chocolate, seasonal fruits, assorted nuts) it isn't quite apparent to those either unfamiliar with Austrian pancakes or to those who cannot read Chinese what's really going on here. The title names of the dish (vanilla caramel, coffee cream brulee) refer to the thin, inner layer of the pancake (read: these are stuffed pancakes). On a plate with ice cream, some fruits, chocolate syrup, and a disconcertingly tasteless cube thing, the Austrian pancakes are actually quite delightful. Lightly dusted with powdered sugar, these pancakes are fluffy yet satisfying. At first I was a little concerned at the absence of butter or maple syrup, but quickly came to the conclusion that butter, syrup, and creme brulee filling would probably be overkill. 

The fruit portion was extremely sparse; there was only one not-really-ripe strawberry and a slice of cantaloupe. A little disappointment there. The scoop of chocolate ice cream that accompanied the pancakes was actually filled with pistachios! It was a good addition to the dish as it broke up the sweetness. Sweet, stuffed pancakes + chocolate syrup + ice cream = too much sweetness! When the ice cream melted, the pancake became this chocolate, creme brulee mash of deliciousness. The next item on the plate remains a mystery. As you can see in the photo above, the coffee colored cube looks innocuous enough. And it was. That's the weird part. It didn't really taste of anything, though perhaps there was a slight coffee flavor? Whatever it was, it was frozen prior to being served as it suffered from freezer burn. Also, it was gelatinous. Nothing wrong with that, but a tasteless, vaguely gelatinous, colorless cube concerns me. Not quite sure why.

As previously mentioned, there are bouquets of white lilies, carnations, roses, and azaleas throughout the cafe. It is especially pleasant when you walk around to the dessert case, the restroom, the wine cabinet and suddenly catch a whiff of a well-placed bouquet. 

The desserts are modestly priced. The passion fruit mousse, strawberry mousse, chocolate cake, Boston cream pie, tiramisu, and mango belige cake are all $80 NT, while the handmade cookies are around $25 or $55 NT. I can't review any of the desserts unfortunately, but since there's a dessert set menu, I may go back with this in mind. In addition, I've never had the wine, nor do I know how much it costs. Such a useless reviewer!

Donna Caffe has a wonderful staff, fluent in several languages. Pick one, four at most. And though there's a 10% service charge, somehow my bill doesn't add up. I ordered the coffee cream brulee pancake ($180 NT) and the lavender tea ($160 NT) which should come to $340 NT without the 10%. I was charged $290, then $29 was added for the service fee and I owed $319 NT. I'm not complaining but I am a little perplexed. Maybe the pancakes come with a pot of tea? 

Though Donna Caffe does not currently have a website, you can visit their Facebook page for better directions.