Ten Ways to Taste Beitou in Summer
Text / 郭慧
Photography/ 蔡耀徵
Picture provided/ 豆咖啡Beancafe
For people in Taipei over a century ago, taking the train to Beitou to cool off in the summer night was a popular and fashionable trip. But nowadays, what is the right way to kick off a summer day in Beitau? We invited the founder of Beitau Hot Spring Workshop, Chi-Ling Lan, who grew up in Beitau to share ten ways to taste Beitou in Summer!
Bring the Smell of Beitau Home With You: Hot Spring Flower
Soaking in a hot spring is a typical trip for travelers visiting Beitou and an inseparable part of the life in Beitou. However, except for going to the bathhouse, What could be another way to get the same feeling from a hot spring at home? The answer is "hot spring flowers"!
“The puff of sulphur produces sulphur gas, which turns into sulphuric acid when it meets water vapor and dissolves the minerals in the soil. It then creates white crystals like snowflakes in the hot spring water, and the Japanese call it yunohano (hot spring flower)," said Xian-ning Mao, the owner of Hot Spring Flower Workshop, who has been working on the research of yunohana for more than 10 years.
During the Japanese Warring States period, yunohano was a wonderful ingredient for soldiers to use at home to recover from injuries. In Taiwan, yunohano was sold in the form of powder from as early as 1921 (Taisho 10). However, after the war, yunohano was once regarded as waste by the hot spring industry until Mao and the Taipei City Government Industrial Development Bureau explored the possibilities of making yunohano in the form of soap and powder, which has since become a necessity and souvenir in Beitou.
For home use, Mao suggests adding 10 grams of yunohano hot spring powder into 1 liter of hot water to recreate the charm of Beitau hot springs. Hot spring water cannot be taken away, but yunohano can. Next time you are in Beitau, why not visit the Geothermal Valley Sheltered Workshop and buy sustainable and healing souvenir, yunohano, to bring the smell of Beitau home with you!
The owner of Hot Spring Flower Workshop, Xianning Mao, turns hot spring flowers into hot spring soap to extract the healing essence of Beitou Hot Spring.
Every 1 gram of hot spring flower is crystallized from 1 metric ton of warm spring water, allowing the beauty of Beitau hot spring to be recreated at home.
Xianning Mao, the owner of Hot Spring Flower Workshop, has devoted himself to the research of hot spring flower for many years, making It, once regarded as a waste product, the most sustainable souvenir in Beitou.
Info／Geothermal Valley Sheltered Workshop
Add／2F, No. 30-10, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan (inside Geothermal Valley Park)
Rich and Mellow Taste after Soaking in the Hot Spring: Apricot Bliss
As a child, after taking a bath with his grandfather in the public bathhouse in Beitou, Mr. Hsieh, the owner of Apricot Bliss, would sip rich and mellow almond tea while enjoying the cool breeze of the summer night, which is the warmest reminder in his memory. In order to recreate this wonderful time, after his grandfather passed away three years ago, he tried to figure out how to brew the taste in his memory.
For this reason, Mr. Hsieh, who had never set foot in the catering industry, went to Tainan to learn the ropes from an old couple who had operated an almond tea stall for many years. After returning to Beitou, he opened "Apricot Bliss" outside his house, offering aromatic almond tea made from southern almonds, northern almonds, and white rice, which takes two hours to boil. In addition to cold and hot drinks, the tea is also available in two flavors, sugar and sugar-free. The sugared almond tea is coarsely ground, so you can feel the chewiness of the nuts when drinking it; the sugar-free almond tea is finely ground and has a more refreshing flavor. After soaking in the hot spring, you are welcome to enjoy a cool bottle to experience the typical life of the people in Beitou.
Apricot Bliss' almond tea is simmered for a long time with southern almonds, northern almonds and white rice.
The owner of Apricot Bliss, Mr. Hsieh, recreates the warm memories of childhood with a bottle of rich almond tea.
Tasty coffee named after Beitou: Beancafe
When people in Beitou want to have a cup of coffee, they think of Beancafe, which has been deeply rooted here for 13 years and now has three branches in Beitou. The owner, known as "Dou Xiao-Bao", used to serve as a PR professional. However, after working for a couple of years, he got tired of the then living style and decided to "return to the real life" in Beitou, his birthplace.
Since his father used to engage in the coffee industry, Dou Xiao-bao has been exposed to coffee since he was a child. So he is no stranger to coffee at all. He decided to anchor himself in Beitou by using the coffee shop as his base. In addition to offering more than 50 kinds of fresh coffee beans for customers to choose from, he has also held events such as an open-air movie theater, playing the movie "The Last Train to Beitou" and sharing old local stories. As for coffee, the coffee bean "Rouge Beitou", named after Beitou, is the signature of the store. No matter if you go to the hand-brewed Dao Xiang store or Beitou store, or Nursiphon store featuring siphon coffee, you always have a chance to taste the different flavors of the "Rouge Beitou" under different brewing methods. If you are visiting a hot spring town in summer, a glass of iced brewed Beitou is a great way to start your trip.
Beancafe has settled itself in Beitou for many years and now has three branches, making it a great place for many local people to go when they want to enjoy a cup of coffee. (Picture provided：豆咖啡Beancafe)
Rouge Beitou is the signature of Beancafe and has also won the Taipei Souvenir Award. (Picture provided：豆咖啡Beancafe)
Info／Beancafe
Add／No. 73, Yuren Road, Beitou District, Taipei
Happy memories for children in Beitou: Pawpaw Animal Pancake
When asked about the favorite place for children to go after school in Beitou, many of them would probably answer "Pawpaw Animal Pancake" next to Chang'an Park. Pawpaw Animal Pancake is jointly operated by Beitou couple Hengzhu and Wei Mao. Originally engaged in exhibition design and information management, they left their regular overtime jobs more than three years ago for the sake of spending more time with their children. With a small tricycle and their dog "Ou-Ou", they sell egg pancakes around all corners of Beitou. In 2020, they set up a small store next to Chang'an Park, where they continue to bake the pure and natural flavor under the shady green trees.
Unlike the animal cakes sold elsewhere in the market, which are often made with "hundreds of different ingredients", the couple insists on using natural ingredients such as Japanese-made violet flour, imported French cream, and locally certified animal welfare eggs, and baking them on a daily basis. The filling ingredients are all homemade, except for the cheese, which is outsourced, and the ingredients are mostly organic or farming-friendly. With their insistence on natural ingredients and hard work in R&D, Pawpaw Animal Pancake has launched a number of classic items. In addition to the two signature flavors of "Double Cheese" and "Pawpaw Soufflé", the unique "bean white paste" flavor is also very popular, making it the most anticipated taste of happiness after school among children in Beitou.
Tsutayaki, a Japanese-style izakaya, opened its first bar in Beitou, a town with a rich Japanese culture.
The ingredients used in Pawpaw Animal Pancake are pure and natural, and even the bags are simple and eco-friendly.
Info／Pawpaw Animal Pancake
Add／Lane 104, Yuren Road, Beitou District, Taipei
Summer cuisine filled with charming aromas: Niao Shao Izakaya
On a sunny day when the temperature soars above 30 ℃, it is the perfect summer treat to stay in an air-conditioned izakaya and enjoy the salty and tempting sizzling dishes while gulping down cold beer. For many people in Beitou, Niao Shao is their first choice of izakaya (a type of informal Japanese bar)!
Niao Shao, a Japanese-style izakaya, opened its first bar in Beitou, a town with a rich Japanese culture. The bar prides itself on being "different" from the rest, and has been putting a lot of effort into its cuisine. For example, the salmon fried rice made from a whole salmon grilled into salmon floss is highly recommended by Chi-Ling Lan. It tastes so fresh and salty that you can't help but take one bite after another. In addition to the salmon fried rice, the salt-grilled chicken thighs are also popular here for their natural flavor conjured up by the thin salt. It makes the chicken thighs tender and fresh. The hand-roasted chicken balls, made from a mixture of chicken thighs, chicken breasts and chicken cartilage, come in soft and crispy layers without being greasy. Dipping in the egg yolk on the side adds to the smooth texture. As for the Izakaya's must-have dried fish, there are two types available, namely the noodle fish and the willow fish, which offer a tender, fatty and flavorful bite.
Besides its unique cuisine, Niao Shao also offers a wide selection of sake to go with its dishes. You can enjoy Echigo red ale, which is fruity and refreshing, with a slightly bitter aftertaste, and a variety of Japanese beers, including Echigo white ale, which is refreshing and light, to pair with your meal. To celebrate Niao Shao's fourth anniversary, the bar also offers a special commemorative sake called Tsuta Sake, which has a fruity aroma and a sweet finish. It is a perfect match for sashimi, sushi, salads, and other refreshing summer dishes, making it a must-try for those who want to enjoy a cool drink.
Niao Shao, a Japanese-style izakaya, opened its first bar in Beitou, a town with a rich Japanese culture.
Aside from the meticulous cooking, Niao Shao's selection of sake is also very attentive. The bar has even launched an exclusive commemorative sake, Tsuta Sake.
Niao Shao Izakaya is a Japanese-inspired bar that is perfect for a summer meal with good friends to pig out on.
Info／Niao Shao Izakaya
Add／(Beitou Branch) No. 24, Lane 30, Hot Spring Road, Beitou District, Taipei
Wonderful Salvation on a Hot Summer Day: KEN BAKERY
Located near the Beitou MRT station, KEN BAKERY is a small store that does not look impressive at first glance. However, with its handmade bread made with wild yeast, it has conquered the discerning taste buds of gourmets in Beitou.
Interestingly, Ken, the owner, did not actually come from a baking background. Growing up in New Zealand, he inherited his family's textile factory after graduation, and was later driven by his interest in printmaking. Ken's bread baking business was his second "departure" after printmaking. "I think bread and printmaking are similar in that they both tap into different sensibilities. That's why I came back to Taiwan to learn about bakery, and then went to Sydney, Australia to learn how to make sourdough, and finally returned to Beitou to open Ken Ken Bakery," said Ken.
Although Ken learned the art of making sourdough in a foreign country, the flavor that Ken Bakery creates remains rooted in Taiwan. For example, his proudly home-grown yeast is cultivated from tropical fruits in Taiwan, with air introduced into the barrels on the Yangming Mountain. To cater to Taiwanese tastes, Ken has also thinned the outer crust of the bread, increased the interior moistness, and enhanced the wheat aroma. Ken hopes that sourdough bread would not just be a fashionable trend, but would actually become regular food on the tables of Taiwanese. In the steamy days when people lose their appetite, why not have a slice of Ken Bakery's European-style bread with wild fermented figs, which combines two types of stone-ground rye and wheat, as well as the refreshing flavors of dried figs and raisins. It will be a wonderful salvation on a hot summer day.
Ken, the owner of Ken Bakery, learned to bake sourdough bread in Australia.Since returning to Taiwan, he has been dedicated to bringing out the local flavor of Taiwan in his bread.
Located near the Beitou MRT station, KEN BAKERY is famous for its sourdough bread popular with local people.
Ken Bakery's European-style bread with wild fermented figs has a refreshing flavor perfect for the hot summer days.
Japanese Style Coffee Shop by Hot Spring Street: Little Goldfish Café
Located along the Hot Spring Road in Beitau, Little Goldfish Café's white-colored, Japanese-inspired décor adds a touch of coolness to the summer landscape. Opened in 2017, Little Goldfish is actually the sister stall of the local Black Goldfish Café in Beitau. Little Goldfish was jointly opened by the owner of Black Goldfish Café and her friend Jin Ling, and is also a popular street café in Beitau. The signature milk tea is based on tea leaves from Lin Hua Tai Tea House with fresh milk and home-boiled winter melon syrup with golden sugars, giving it a unique flavor. Lime coffee, which is suitable for summer, has long enjoyed its popularity at Little Goldfish Café before the introduction of Sicilian coffee in supermarkets. A sip of lime coffee in the summer helps refresh your brain with its bright acidity.
Little Goldfish Café adopts white as the main color tone, adding a touch of coolness to the summer vision.
When passing by Little Goldfish Café, taking a cup of coffee home is a daily routine for local people.
Info／Little Goldfish Café
Add／No. 6, Hot Spring Road, Beitou District, Taipei
Dessert mecca in hidden old warehouse:Sheme House
In recent years, there have been many new talents in the dessert industry in Taiwan, but Sheme House, hidden in the old barn in Beitou, continues to occupy a corner in the hearts of dessert fans with its sensational flavors, regardless of market changes.
Speaking of the features of Sheme House's desserts, let's start with the owner, Yi-Fan Su’s raduate school days. While studying at the Graduate School of Architecture and Urbanism at National Taiwan University, Su met many farming-friendly workers through chance. Later on, she worked and practiced in an artisan chocolate store and a German cake store. In 2012, with the dessert skills she had acquired and her passion for local ingredients, Su made fluffy and moist rice chiffon and other charming desserts in an old barn. Since then, she has been recognized by the ICA World Chocolate Competition for her fine chocolates combining tea and wine, such as "Jasmine, Red Oolong, and Peach Wine" and "Lizeti Oriental Beauty and Whiskey". Recently, she has been visiting various production areas in Beitou, hoping to make chocolates with local ingredients, such as green bamboo shoots and tankan, to interpret the local terroir with the sweetness of chocolate.
Apart from chiffon cakes and chocolates, those who come to Sheme House on a hot day may want to try UGLY HALF BEER's "Chocolate Chiffon Porter Beer" instead of espresso. The advanced version of Affogato is made with chocolate ice cream to cool off the sultry heat with a light and refreshing taste!
Hidden in the old barn in Beitou, Sheme House is a famous local dessert store.
In 2012, Yi-Fan Su settled in Beitou and continued to make sweet and delicious desserts in the old barn.
Sheme House's Chocolate Chiffon Porter is paired with chocolate ice cream for an extra refreshing taste!
A must-visit food selection for gourmets: SheMe TO GO
If Sheme House is a mecca for dessert fans, then SheMe TO GO, jointly operated by GaoFei Coffee, Miss Rice Flower, 55th Street Craft Brewery and Shangqing Cuisine, is a delightful encounter for travelers after stepping out of the New Beitou MRT station.
Walking into SheMe TO GO is just like walking into a culinary restaurant curated by the island's local culture. In terms of coffee, GaoFei Coffee's owner, Zhaoren Zhan, has gone into coffee since high school and has worked for a raw bean importer and studied coffee roasting for many years. As for the beers, there are both draft beers and bottled craft beers from different countries, each of which has been carefully tested and selected by the partners in the store. In terms of food, the restaurant uses high quality ingredients in a generous way. The white rice that looks ordinary at first glance is made from Hualien Milo Yinchuan organic long white rice, which tastes lightly fragrant and not greasy. The poached eggs used in the uniquely prepared curry are from the free range eggs of Changhua Chuangyou Farm. The roasted herb pork in the double rice dish features a higher standard of pork belly from Family Pork. Even the bread for the brunch comes with the famous Nogami Boulangerie and WuMai brick oven bakery. It's a "good" choice to satisfy your appetite on a sunny day while enjoying a refreshing meal without the burden.
SheMe TO GO is jointly operated by GaoFei Coffee, Miss Rice Flower, 55th Street Craft Brewery and Shangqing Cuisine. The picture shows Mr. Zhaoren Zhan, the owner of GaoFei Coffee.
SheMe TO GO features a selection of island goodies on the plate.
SheMe TO GO also sells drip bags made by GaoFei Coffee, which is a great choice for home use or as a gift.
In addition to the above-mentioned good stores in Beitou, the two ice stores and the three strong black tea stalls in Beitou are the top choices for summer vacationers. In terms of ice stores, "The Chens’ Shaved Ice" and "Qiaoliang Ancient Flavor Ice and Hot Dessert" in Beitou Market have their own loyal followers and are must-try summertime nostalgic flavors. As for the black tea stalls, Beitou Local Flavor Mingquan Black Tea is widely popular for its black tea and grass jelly. Gao Ji Tea House's signature black teas along with the "Carefree Tea", a blend of oolong and green teas, are also popular drinks. In addition to the main black tea, Cai Yuan Yi Black Tea also offers a variety of fresh fruit teas. No matter which flavor you prefer, the two major ice stores and three major black teas all provide the most local summer flavors in Beitou.
Beitou Local Flavor Mingquan Black Tea is one of the three major black teas in Beitou.
Gao Ji Tea House is one of the three major black teas in Beitou.
Cai Yuan Yi Black Tea is one of the three major black teas in Beitou.
Qiaoliang Ancient Flavor Ice and Hot Dessert is one of the two largest ice stores featuring its ancient flavors in Beitou.
The Chens' Shaved Ice is one of the two largest ice stores featuring its ancient flavors in Beitou.