nanamoose Musings

屋子裡發現眼鏡的蹤影...

沒有辦法，實在是吃得有點生氣，決定和大家分享這個小祕密。

才剛過了馬路來到屋子的門口，目光就被那熟悉的「營業中」木板吸引。好面熟！在哪裡見過？不可能吧 實在是太像了！好，我決定等到位子進去之後再下定奪。

我們在附近的村子逛了大約十五分鐘後回到屋子咖啡，這時大約已是下午4點，店員說主食已賣完，只剩甜點。沒有辦法，雖然肚子正在咕嚕咕嚕的叫，但我們既然山長水遠的來到這裡，而且要進去探個究竟，只好硬著頭皮吃吧。

屋子抄襲的真的很厲害。眼鏡咖啡是我在台北最愛的咖啡店之一，它的一磚一瓦我都記得很清楚。屋子跟眼鏡，竟然有九成的相似度，實在令人無法相信這一切純屬雷同。

我們來觀察一下：

開放式廚房前台上面的木羮及beaker擺設：

菜單：

木板（字體＋擺放位置）：

燈：

最後，我們來欣賞一下兩者的抹茶拿鐵還有盛載它們的杯子加杯墊：

大家看得出來哪幾張照片是眼鏡，哪些是屋子嗎？答對了，左邊的都是眼鏡，右邊的是屋子。我必須說，屋子咖啡的抹茶拿鐵是我喝過最難喝，最令人傷心的一杯飲料。我相信稍有一點感覺的人都喝得出來這是一杯即沖三合一飲料，充斥者奶精及香料得味道，上面還浮著沒有溶化的白色顆粒。我真的不禁想要問一句，怎麼… 怎麼可以這樣呢？

我沒有機會吃到她的熱食，這方面不能置評（當初聽說她有深夜食堂的菜單，我也非常心動。可是，飯團也是抄襲的吧…)，可是，基本的服務態度就不行了，轉角OK 便利店的店員也比她們親切吧。妹妹說的好，態度跟百佳的收銀員沒差。

我相信屋子的主人出發點是好的。她大概也想把一點點台灣的感覺帶給大家，在香港這個寸土是金的地方，要找到一個像屋子這樣的個性小店實在不容易。可是，個性必須是自己的啊！

最後還是來一些兩者的照片給大家比較比較...

A Beauty Unfulfilled 虛有美麗空殼的目覺三店

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I was absolutely mesmerized when I stepped into Mezamashi Kohi’s “trio” store on Jing Cheng Seventh Street in Taichung. One of the most beautiful cafes I’ve ever seen, Kohi sits nestled in the Jing Cheng Street area, a former US Army Dependants Village, amongst a small cluster of interesting cafes, restaurants, and even B&Bs. These side streets off Jing Cheng Road boasts two storey houses with red gates, green and blue tiles, huge gardens, and many still adorned with traditional details like geometrically shaped window grilles.

Mezamashi Kohi looks like something straight out of Kyoto. Concrete slabs and a mix of dark and light wood panels form the basis of this beautiful compound. Large windows, floor to ceiling glass panels and a slotted wooden screen ensure that plenty of light flows into this airy space. The main seating area is slightly raised by a low wooden platform so that their kitchen looks somewhat depressed. An eye-catching red Kitchenaid sits squarely in the middle of this showcase kitchen while everywhere else is stainless steel, white tiles, or wooden cabinets.

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On the second floor, two huge black pendant lights hang above a long wooden bench from a gabled roof, while on another table a lone green apple sits on top of a pile of neatly folded napkins. And in the backdrop, through an open window, the green tiled roof of a neighbour’s pavilion beckons.

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With a Japanese name but homegrown in Taichung, the original 目覺 (as it is more often called in Chinese) shops serve coffee, tea, simple pastries and Japanese fusion style brunch foods like mentaiko and seaweed or pickled onions and salmon on toasted baguette. Kohi’s third shop on Jing Cheng Seventh Street, still in its soft opening phase when I visited, was serving only drinks and a handful of pastries. I ordered a milk tea and pineapple and early grey ice-cream but to my dismay the milk tea arrived with bits of skin (from the heating of milk that is) floating about and a dabble of cream slopped in. Very unattractive. The ice-cream was also mediocre – we do a much better job at teakha I must say.

Despite the less than satisfactory food, 目覺三店 Mezamashi Kohi’s trio is still worth a visit, if only for its beauty and for the chance to dream upon such amazing space which we will never have in Hong Kong.

Mezamashi Kohi’s “trio” 目覺三店 is at 1 Jing Cheng Seventh Street, Taichung
台中市精誠七街1號
tel: (886) 04-23292566

Taipei Finds: VVG Something

A couple of months ago, my friend Faye and her team decided to add a café to her bookstore/lifestyle concept store VVG Something in a little alley off Zhongxiao East Road, a decision I welcome with open arms and legs.

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A cute little addition to the VVG empire that occupies one end of Alley 40 on Lane 181, VVG Something sells beautifully bound, imported hardbacks on gastronomy, along with random household knickknacks like old typewriters, ice-shavers, copper teapots from India, enameled brassware from Poland, and handmade stationary from Japan. If this doesn't already send you pacing out the door to go find it, add bright red French doors, white brick walls a big fat lamps with a black shade, and an oh-so-cute coffee counter that reminds you of an old ticketing booth.

The coffee here comes in gargantuan sizes, so pack up a good book, or simply flip through the ones available here, and while away a rainy afternoon in the company of Some Very Very Good Things.

VVG Something is at 13, Alley 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei
台北市忠孝東路四段181巷40弄13號
Tel: (02) 2773 1358

And the Moon Shines a River in Jinguashi

About an hour away from Taipei lies a hill station little known outside the Formosa. This area, a little to the east of the famed Jiufen, has been a mining area used by the Japanese during the Second World War. Today, however, little here remains to suggest its tumultuous past apart from the Mining Museum and scattered Japanese style houses. Most of the mines are now carpeted in lush green vegetation, and its location, hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean, are attracting local holidaymakers and artists seeking to enjoy the slow life.

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Ms. Yang was a Taipeier who like many, came looking for solace years ago and fell in love with the blue skies, lush green hills and distant waters. She first started accepting guests into her own house and named it 月河民宿 Moon River Inn, a two story structure along a small flowing river. Think brick walls, fireplace, wooden windows frames decked in green, a bright red sofa and lots of drapery. There’s even a beautifully designed light court by the dining table to allow light in through the gabled roof.

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真心咖啡 True Heart Café, with additional rooms in the basement, came afterwards, also retaining much of the building’s original wooden structure and decked in warm vibrant colours and fabrics. Books and CDs adorn one wall while another is decorated with postcards sent from satisfied guests from all over the world. I arrived at True Heart Cafe on Jinguashi’s old street one warm, sunny afternoon to find the entrance to the café blocked by a group of serious looking men and women. The only relaxed person there, one Ah Nuo, drenched in sweat and wearing ripped cargo shorts and a simple T-shirt, explained that they were teachers on a study tour stopping for some coffee en route to the Mining Museum. He explained that he was a friend of Ms. Yang’s, and that I should come visit his art gallery later on if I have time. I might also want to tag along with this group to the museum, and he’d be happy to be my guide.

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Being from a city like Hong Kong, my alert signal naturally started wailing. He doesn’t look like someone who owns a gallery… and offering to be my guide upon our first five minutes of meeting? This doesn’t sound right. And so, being a typical city girl, I respectfully declined. That same afternoon, Ms. Yang took me to a beautiful art gallery on the foot on the Jinguashi mountains and facing the vast Pacific Ocean. One signature piece from the gallery was a wooden chime made to resemble the bells worn on the belts of miners so that they could find each other in the dark when trapped. The crafter designed this wooden chime in memory of his father. As a kid, he always remembered the joy of hearing the bells’ muted ring outside the house, because it meant that his father was coming home safe from the mines. The crafter, and owner of that beautiful space, was of course Ah Nuo.

In Taiwan, learn to open up to people. When you do so, you’ll find that you’re making friends fast, at every turn of a corner. Jinguashi happens to be an exceptionally beautiful place to practice this art.

PS: apparently Ms. Yang has acquired an additional two story building next door the café and named it Little White Palace. Perfect for a family of four!

月河民宿 Moon River Hostel
台北縣瑞芳鎮金瓜石銅山里祈堂路130號
tel: +886 938-752202

Taitung Finds: a Secluded Treasure called Private Spot

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The owners of Moonrise Inn in Dulan, Taitung had it all figured out. A secret spot they’ve set their eyes on for seven years, and now finally, it’s theirs, and they’ve marked their territory with a quirky new guesthouse and a friendly little shibu-inu called 白寶 “White Treasure”.

So what’s so “private” about this location? Well, only it’s tucked so high up in the mountains and guarantees such breathtaking views that, well honestly, I’d rather not share it with anyone if it were mine. Owners 翠娟 Cui Juan and 淑雲 Shu Yun obviously have a much bigger heart than I do because not only does their private spot boast individual villas to rent, they also have a huge lounge area (with a peculiar stonework design) where their renowned coffee is cooked and shared amongst friends, and a pebbled front yard where guests sit, lie, or splay out in whatever position comfortable to watch the plethora of stars above (PS: this is a nightly event. Thus is life in Dulan).

Do me a favour will you? Please keep this a “secret” between you and me. Otherwise, if it’s secluded location is not enough to fend off the crowds, perhaps its slightly expensive price tag (NT$4,800 for a two person villa) might do the trick.

私房景點
959台東縣東河村都蘭村郡界82號
訂房專線：089-531065 行動電話 0933-519860

Taitung Finds: Best Fresh Fish

When next in Taitung, don't forget to pig out on local fresh fish, often a red-throated coris or tilefish, served pan-fried with lime and peppered salt, and accompanied by a simple stir-fried mountain vegetable dish. By far some of the freshest and best fish I have had.

At East Harbour 東港 in Taitung City, these wonderful fresh foods are served roadside under a huge banyan tree, and most importantly with the benefit of eat-till-you-drop complimentary braised pork rice!

Another great option is Special Pick 特選 in Fu Gang Harbour, about a fifteen-minute drive south of Taitung City. Pick your seafood at the door and have them cooked to your preference onsite, fresh. Make sure you order the white cut chicken 白斬雞 too.

East Harbour 東港生魚片
台東縣台東市新社三街1號
tel: (886) 933383207

Special Pick 特選海產餐廳
台東市富岡街37號　
tel: (886) 89 281447 / 281917

Taitung Finds: Paw Paw Drums

Most of the literature surrounding 三仙台 San Xian Tai (“the Stage of the There Immortals”), three huge pieces of rock jutting out from the middle of the Pacific Ocean in between Taidong and Hualian, says that it is so named when 呂洞賓 Lv Dong Bin, 李鐵拐 Li Tie Guai and 何仙姑 He Xian Gu, from ancient Chinese folklore the Eight Immortals, decided to board the island from here. However, to the Amis, the three immortals mean nothing to them. For the tribe nearest to San Xian Tai, these rock formations have always been called PiSiLiAng, meaning a land for herding sheep. Since the little island is landlocked in the midst of the lapping waves the sheep have nowhere to go but to stay put, and hence PiSiLiAng have become a favourite spot for herders.

As is the case with most aboriginal areas in Taiwan, the biggest challenge faced by the community these days is the lack of local career opportunities, forcing the majority of the working population to big cities and leaving the old and the young behind. Most children are being taken care of grandparents too old to be able to discipline them, and hence social problems like drug abuse starts to present themselves.

Seeing this, community development director Chen Chun-mei teamed up with music teacher Zhi-ming to develop a drumming group for teenagers. The group turned out to be a huge success. Soon, every kid and teenager wanted to join. The children make their own drums from abandoned buoys from the ocean, and the drumhead from dried sheepskin. Their name, Paw Paw, literally means buoy. Today, proud to be part of the Amis tribe and part of the group, the children start to cherish their culture and the traditional Amis language.

We came to watch the performance on a hot summers afternoon. When we reached the music hall, it seemed as if every grandparent and child from the tribe had gathered around the building to watch these kids perform, for the nth time perhaps. Grandmas were chatting amongst themselves, and little kids roamed free, clambering in and out of the thick, wood-framed windows as if it was tree. There was an air of festivity, and when the drums rolled, I was awestruck.

 

To see where Paw Paw Drums are performing next, follow them on facebook.

Taitung Finds: the Aboriginal Three Star Experience

When I first visited 耀宗 Yao Zong’s “Urn Lily Spring” Restaurant near Shitiping in Hualian, the place resembled more of a derelict factory of some sort. With its plastic chairs and Yao Zong’s topless Amis muscular physique, we wouldn’t even have guessed that it was a restaurant, let alone a fantastic one. However, that meal left me mesmerized, and I was not able to stop thinking about it for the next two years.

So finally, when I stepped once again into Yao Zong’s restaurant last week, you could imagine the anticipation and excitement. This was the aboriginal world’s El Bulli, and Yao Zong their Ferran Adria. And with the publicity surrounding Yao Zong’s culinary mastery in the past two years, Urn Lily Spring had grown from that nondescript roadside shack into a seaside gallery of sorts resembling a high-ceilinged banquet hall and with a capacity of near hundred. Not that Yao Zong would entertain such large number of guests with his laid back Amis attitude, but the complete shift in atmosphere did take me by surprise.

Thus our courses arrived:

roasted cherry tomatoes on a bed of shitake mushrooms and chayote shoots (龍鬚菜) with a yuzu tinged sesame sauce - refreshing;

freshly caught sea urchin;

baby mountain bitter gourd stuffed with ikura and black beans – one of Yao Zong’s greatest inventions and an explosion of interesting flavours;

an aboriginal glutinous rice ball covered in deep-fried taro flakes, dipped in sea salt and paired with grilled aboriginal herb sausage, a seemingly simple dish, yet so full of basic, robust, and contrasting flavours and textures;

a simple poached lobster, fresh to brim;

and Yao Zong’s famous sea-salt encrusted fish.

Two years can do wonders to a chef’s culinary journey. Yao Zong has developed a masterchef poise that was just short of the arrogance carried by many today’s so called celebrity chefs. He greeted us with the usual charm and warmth of an Amis and told us to drink up and enjoy the ocean breeze while he prepared the food. He has also earned a fleet of about five servers and a charismatic pet piglet called Da Bao, or Big Treasure. Each and every dish was good, but I found myself reminiscing Yao Zong’s good old shack on that hot summer’s day, Urn and Lily playing tag by our table while I ate, sweat on my brow and the sea breeze blowing salt-encrusted kisses on my cheeks.

So what is it about a meal that makes it unforgettable? Is it ultimately down to the food? Or do you need to build a story around it in your mind, a story crocheted from the people making the food, their background, the environment, the smell, the sounds, and your own projections and prejudices? My favourite Yao Zong moment, built from the perfect constellation of all these elements, had gone, but I would keep coming back. After all, reminiscing the past, especially in the company of such good food, can sometimes be a joy.

Urn Lily Spring is now at Pakelang Boat House B&B, No. 15 Dafengfeng, Changbin Township, Taitung
陶甕百合春天 台東縣長濱鄉樟原村大峰峰15號
TEL: +886 921633406 or +886 89-881400

Taitung Finds: A Singing Dog in Changbin

Somewhere tucked in the hills of Changbin 長濱 between Hualian and Taitung there lies a little stone house with the strangest dog ever. And I’m using the word strange here in as endearing a way as possible, because, as you will see, there really is no other word to describe this peculiar scene.

Every morning at about 10am, Max starts to whimper impatiently, trying to attract the attention of his owner Nian Yang. It’s time for his morning snack. However, while most dogs perform a little trick of “sit” or “roll over”, Max here, a full-grown husky with one blue and one hazel eye, starts to sing. And it’s not any ordinary singing. It’s an operatic duet of the highest quality, a man vs dog interpretation of Schubert’s Ave Maria, and man, it’s good.

 

Back to the household that houses this peculiar animal. The couple, Nian Yang and his wife Ci Bu, opened Sunny Buhouse about two years ago, not as a guesthouse but a place “to share with you our way of life”. They chose to base this new home in Changbin after falling in love with this mountainside location; the Pacific Ocean lapping quietly in the distance while the green precipice of the Hai-An mountain range hang precariously, yet majestically, at their backs. At night, the rooftop, still fresh with warmth from the morning sun, invites you to lie down and stargaze; a blanket of closely-knit stars fighting to embrace you with their radiance, and a shooting star rocketing past your eyes every other minute.

These are but two of the many reasons I fell in love with Sunny Buhouse at first sight- Max and beautiful Changbin. Yet there is so much more to this. There is the décor - clean, simple, yet dotted with touches of ethnicity – an African miniature totem, Indian furniture, aboriginal wall hangings and the smell of burning mugwort leaves to welcome you upon your arrival – a product of Ci Bu’s artistic and spiritual imagination. In the mornings, Ci Bu whips up a healthy buffet breakfast made with her heart and soul – homemade goji berry bread paired with plum jam made by a friend who’s left the rat race in the city to be a jam connoisseur, herbal tea concocted by a Chinese doctor neighbour, and a rosemary tea brewed from fresh herbs in the garden. Ci Bu explains all of this to you patiently in her soft, calming voice, itself a source of healing energy, while her husband, Nian Yang chatters excitedly on about his views on modern Taiwanese education.

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In the end, no matter what reasons there are to love a place, it always comes down to the heart. Nothing beats the power of human energy and affection. At Sunny Buhouse, I felt the positive powers of yin and yang work in perfect harmony, creating a space that is both soothing and uplifting. I believed, the first moment I stepped foot on this piece of land, that I would be back here often. I believe I was right.

Sunny Buhouse is at 85 Zhongyong Village, Changbin Township, Taitung County
陽光佈居 台東縣長濱鄉忠勇村85號
tel: 0933-990233 0933-664642
email: [email protected]
NOTE: Best to call and ask for directions from Taitung or Hualian, or visit their website

Taipei Finds: The Best Late Night Binge

Published in HK Magazine, March 10, 2011

Sure, we might have our Tsui Wahs and our Ebeneezers, but if you are looking for some real round-the-clock dining action, head to Taipei. Don’t be fooled by Taipei’s laid-back and relaxed vibe. Here you can find night markets, cafes, bookstores and even optical shops open ‘til midnight and beyond. First off, head to Cashbox 錢櫃(Branches citywide, including Section 4, 22 Zhongxiao East Rd., 886 (2) 2771-5000, open 24 hours) the city’s best-known KTV (karaoke) empire. After a few tunes, commence your late-night snacking binge, because believe it or not, Cashbox is known to whip up some of the best beef noodles in town.

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If you are looking for a more authentic beef noodle experience, however, head to Bade Road for another local favorite, Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodles 林東芳牛肉麵 (Section 2, 274 Bade Rd, open 11am-6:30am). Here you will find a queue of varying sizes at any time of day outside its rundown shack, a testimony to its exceptional food—beef soup with a dash of Chinese herbs, noodles cooked to perfection. Don’t forget to add the chili-satay-butter for an added umami kick.

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Another local after-party destination is Chen’s Cold Noodles 陳家涼麵 (Lane 123, Section 5, 29 Nanjing East Rd., 886 (2) 2766-0171, open 24 hours). On a Friday night, this section of Nanjing Road is jam-packed with cars fighting to squeeze inside this small alley for food. “Unlike most other noodle shops, which simply rinse the noodles with cold water, we air it with a fan, which is much more time-consuming but produces noodles with much better texture. This is why our customers keep coming back!” says proud proprietor Ms. Chen. Indeed, the 30-year-old establishment’s noodles are exceptionally chewy, and its perfectly mixed sauce of vinegar, garlic, chili and sesame paste is so fragrant it can certainly wake up a few drunken souls.

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On a night when you feel like stretching your feet in the comfort of a clean, serviced restaurant, Ding Wang Hotpot 鼎王 (89 Guangfu North Rd., 886 (2) 2742-1166, open 11am-3am) is your best option. Here the traditional Taiwanese “mala” (numbingly hot) hotpot is given a modern twist with smaller, more delicate portions, fresh quality food, swanky décor and waitresses who bow down to you at a 90-degree angle every time they leave your table. The only catch is that the wait can be long, so reserve in advance and expect an allocated eating time of 90 minutes—they will unceremoniously kick you out after your allotted time.

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For something lighter on the palate, Fuxing South Road offers a vast selection of “light congee small dishes” restaurants and even a shaobing youtiao (fried dough and flatcakes) shop for you to choose from. At Xiao Li Zi 小李子 (Section 2, Fuxing West Road [between Xinyi Road and Heping East Road], 886 (2) 2709-2849, open 5pm-6am), for example, row upon row of little dishes are stacked across the length of the dining area and are served at lightning speed by the ever-efficient waitresses—it is almost lethal to stall and be indecisive.

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When you are hungry (but not drunk), Taipei night markets are the best places to venture into, with their wild array of food snacks, little knickknacks, fortune-tellers and even beauty parlors. There are numerous street markets in Taipei, but Raohe 饒河街夜市 (Section 4, between Bade Road and Fuyuan Street, open 5pm-midnight) is a good starting point with its smaller and more navigable streets. Xia Gang Peng’s 下港彭 stinky tofu, Jin Lin’s 金林 medicinal braised pork ribs and lamb, and Orange Elephant’s 橘象 Thai-style fried pancakes are all must-eats here.

AND…. If all fails, even if you are dressed in pajamas at home at 4am in the morning, there is always 7-11 downstairs. 7-11?! You say? Yes, but the 7-11 in Taiwan is unlike any other. You can do most anything here, including sending and collecting deliveries of all imaginable sorts. But that is beside the point. The point is, at 4am in the morning you will find at 7-11 fresh coffee, oden, steamed buns, and even half-boiled tea-smoked eggs.