"I'm not in a cafe, I'm on the way to a cafe." This sentence is a portrayal of the life of Taipei people. No matter what the week is or what time it is every day, the customers of popular cafes are always full of customers, and coffee has been completely integrated into the life of Taipei people.
There are many traces of Lin Huaimin in the cafe. The pictures in this article are taken by Mojito
Celebrity Cafe
Literary young people who come to the cafe probably have a literary dream. I heard that this cafe was in an article on Bai Xianyong . He once wrote: "'Celebrity' is probably the most historical cafe in Taipei... At that time, going to a cafe in Taipei was a little luxury, a bit foreign and a bit salon-like. Fortunately, the price of the coffee of 'celebrity' is not expensive, and occasionally it can be afforded." In addition to Bai Xianyong, Lin Huaimin, Chen Yingzhen , Huang Chunming , and Sanmao were all frequent visitors to the celebrity cafe. The poet Zhou Mengdie sold his poetry collection downstairs for many years, which also added a lot of literary legends to this place.
Last time I went there, I was navigated to Roosevelt Road by a map. I wasted a long time and went around there, and I returned home regretfully. This time I figured it out that the authentic celebrity cafe is on Wuchang Street, opposite the Chenghuang Temple. To avoid queuing, I passed by as soon as I opened the door at 10 o'clock in the morning and became the first customer in the morning.
The celebrity cafe in the early morning is empty
The cafe in the early morning is the quietest. When there are no customers, I feel that the whole cafe is own. I sit at the window. Just as I was about to guess whether Bai Xianyong had sat in the same position, I was invited by the waiter and was told that this cafe has a seating system. Even if there is no one, the seats by the window will be opened at noon. So I was arranged to a small seat in the corner. And because it was too early, the store only provided coffee and other main meals could not be provided, so I could only order a cup of coffee. I couldn’t eat Bai Xianyong’s favorite borscht. It seemed good to order Ms. Jiang Fangliang’s favorite Russian fudge.
The fact is that Russian gummy is not good, but amazing. Compared with macarons, this is the real girl's breasts. Whether it is the feeling of melting in the mouth or the touch of the hand, it is perfect. The walnut kernels mixed in the middle will not feel sweet if you eat too much. No wonder in the first-floor celebrity pastry shop, the signature Russian fudge only has a limited quantity of 100 servings a day, and it is often in short supply.
The signature Russian fudge is not amazing
Star Cafe was founded in 1949, but it experienced a fire in the middle and did not welcome guests again until 2004. The steps upstairs are very narrow. On the wall, you can see photos of Lin Huaimin, Bai Xianyong and others who came to the cafe when they were young, as well as stories related to them. For example, Bai Xianyong is not like other writers who like to write quickly in the cafe or think about manuscripts, but often talks about articles with several college students here. For example, when Lin Huaimin writes in a cafe, his family often calls to the celebrity cafe and asks: "Is the young master of the Ruan family upstairs?" For example, Sanmao's first love boyfriend likes to come to the celebrity cafe to chat with Zhou Mengdie and have coffee. Even though the two broke up later, Sanmao often comes to the cafe to sit there, and meets a painter's boyfriend here, and even makes a marriage contract at the celebrity cafe. Later, he knows that he is already married, so he left Taiwan and goes to Spain sadly.
A cup of coffee has been spent, and I read many stories in books hanging on the wall and placed on the table, as if I had traveled through an era. No wonder Bai Xianyong also wrote in the book: "I have a deep-rooted habit of nostalgia, and I can't stop feeling this persistence in Taipei. Although Taipei has become powerful, there are still some places and things that can make people remember and reminisce. For example, the 'stars' on Wuchang Street, the 'stars' coffee and cakes."
Lobby of Simple Kaffa
On the eve of going to Taipei, I met a coffee shop owner in Hangzhou who is very knowledgeable about fine coffee from all over the world. Speaking of Taipei’s coffee, he said that if you only have enough time to go to a cafe in Taipei, then you must go to this Lobby of Simple Kaffa, because this is Wu Zelin’s store.According to his statement, if divided by baking level, the beans in this restaurant in Taipei are not first-class in Taiwan, but world-class, and the mainland currently does not have a baking level comparable to it.
The founder of this cafe, Wu Zelin, has participated in the Taiwan Barista Competition for five consecutive years, won the 2013 Taiwan Barista Competition, and won the 7th place in the 2014 WCE World Cup Coffee Master. After winning the championship, this cafe became popular. However, because it is located on the first floor of a hotel, the location of the cafe is very hidden. If you didn’t come here, it would be difficult to notice that there is a master cafe underground.
The entrance of the cafe is inconspicuous
The mainland mentioned this cafe more than just calling its transliteration "Xingbo Coffee". When I went there, I didn't see Wu Zelin himself. Several female baristas were sitting in the cafe with a very handsome look. The tables and chairs in the store are crowded and the gaps are very close. Unlike those Internet celebrity coffee shops with sofas or long tables and fancy lighting arrangements, the tables and chairs here are as narrow as fast food restaurants like KFC. They are mainly two tables and no large tables. Perhaps it is to let more people sit down to drink coffee at the same time. Even so, the store is still crowded. When ordering
, the barista will patiently introduce it according to your taste, and when I come here, I still have to taste the world champion Doudou hand-brewed coffee, so I asked for a cup of geisha hand-brewed from Deborah Manor. According to the introduction, this coffee will have the flavor of jasmine, Earl Grey, and Acacia nectar. I don’t know what the flavor of acacia nectar is. If you drink it in one sip, the sweet jasmine taste will be real, and the sour taste will also become very pleasant.
The cup in his house also interests me. The walls of the cup are very thick, and I won’t feel the hotness of the coffee when I pick it up, and the heat preservation is also very good. The barista said that this Japanese custom-made cup can also allow the flavor of coffee to slowly penetrate into the slits of the cup. After you put it for a while, you can feel the whole cup full of the aroma of coffee.
is a champion store after all, and the price of this champion bean coffee is a bit like a luxury in the coffee industry in Taipei. A cup of NT$500 is equivalent to more than 100 yuan. Even in mainland China, this price is expensive. But after all, it is the champion bean in the championship store, and it is still worth a luxury. But when I finally wanted to buy this bean, I was told that it was out of stock, which was a little regretful.
The desserts here are not inferior to coffee at all. The signature matcha roll and wrinkled two styles I ordered are delicious. Wrinkled is a half-cooked honey cake. The sweet taste of the pulp matcha roll is suitable with hand-made coffee. Another signature dessert is said to be made of tiramisu made from four wines for seasoning, but my appetite is too small and I can't eat it this time.
Traveling through nine thousand kilometers and giving you
Many years ago, I read Jiubadao's novel " Waiting for a Coffee ". There is a passage about Atuo taking the heroine to a laundry for dinner in an alley. Next to it is the stereo sound of the washing machine, accompanied by the legendary fragrant chef beauty Aunt Jindao made delicious food. It is a very special experience no matter how you look at it. Later, I was eagerly looking forward to the release of the movie, and I especially wanted to see what the laundry shop that could eat in the movie looked like, but this part was not available in the movie.
I heard that this cafe is a laundry shop. You can drink coffee and desserts next to you while waiting to wash your clothes. I remembered this novel. It was not for the store name with the same name as Wong Kar-wai movie, but for a store similar to the Jiubadao novel. I was probably the only one.
Coffee House is in Section 3 of Minquan East Road, , Songshan District, . In an alley, the store door is a yellow mobile door with Wash Coffee written on it. Only after entering the door did I find the red font "Traveling nine thousand kilometers to you" in the crossbar. There is a row of washing machines in a compartment next to it, which has good sound insulation. If you drink coffee next to you, you won’t hear the rumbling sound of the washing machine running. Because it was a weekend and the business was very good, I could only sit in a small seat at the bar. Maybe everyone came to wash clothes, each washing machine was running, and there were children chasing the big dogs in the store to play. The industrial style decoration did not bring a cold style. The home move of washing clothes made customers feel like they were drinking coffee at home.
"Traveling nine thousand kilometers to you" entrance, very industrial style
This time I didn't order coffee because I was completely attracted by Shu Lizhen's introduction on the menu: "You are climbing a slope that you can't finish, but you still want to start everything from scratch." How good would it be if the problem of life can be solved with a cup of ginger-flavored soda with lychee wine and coffee.
Before coming, I read the introduction of the owner of this cafe. Because my mother is a vegetable, he understands the hard work and desires of disabled people. From the wide lane of the store, he has thought about whether it is enough to allow the rehabilitation bus to pass, park, and the services before and after entering the store. From the space that is enough to park a car in front of the entrance to the gentle slope of only 15 degrees of the courtyard, it can be seen that the boss's intention is extended to the barrier-free toilet in the store.
The legendary boss is very busy and keeps making various drinks and coffees behind him. He didn't take time to talk to me, ask me where I came from, and tell me to take a sip as soon as possible, otherwise the bubbles in the soda water will be more and more, and it will be full. After saying a few words, he immediately went to the back and continued to work hard. I took a sip and stirred the coffee in the middle. Sure enough, the bubbles became more and more overflowing. I quickly took another sip. It seemed that I was full of it. I was in a hurry to drink. It really felt like I could not finish climbing the slope. It really made me think that I might as well order a new cup of coffee.
The busy counter and the boss
The super wide bathroom is right next to the bar. The wall above says: "What kind of person am I waiting for to appear in my life, and I will never regret it?" As soon as I opened the door, the colorful sensing lights inside instantly opened, like the dazzling lights in the karaoke hall, which made people stunned. In life, I don’t know what kind of people I will wait for, nor do I know what kind of bathroom I will encounter. The spacious bathroom also offers a shower that can be enjoyed for only NT$50. After taking a shower, wash all the clothes here and drink a glass of iced coffee. It is a good weekend getaway in the hot summer.
Poetic short sentences appear in every corner of the store
If there is still a chance to visit next time, I must catch the boss and ask, are these seductive words written by him? How many stories have he experienced to have so many sighs of life.
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