< Visited in Aug 2018 & May 2017 >
Cafe Chamber 秘氏咖啡 has been quietly gaining a following among locals and gradually, travellers. With three locations in Taiwan - Taipei, Chiayi and Tainan - I had visited Taipei's Cafe Chamber in March 2017 and was smitten with its decor and coffee. It was only a matter of time I experience Tainan's outlet with its old-Hongkong theme and own style of brewing coffee.
Related read:
[Taipei 台北] Cafe Chamber 秘氏咖啡
Prior to the trip, I had been messaging the host on FB and understood that it would be ideal to call them the day prior to confirm their operating hours (such is the flexibility and spontaneity in Tainan, which I totally respect and admire). That I did, and was told that I would be most welcomed the next day. Unfortunately, the resident cat Mai Mai 麦麦 fell ill and for a few (surely worrying to the owners) hours, I waited anxiously for news of Mai Mai's condition and confirmation that I would still be able to make a trip down. Thank god Mai Mai's condition stabilised, and I was still able to fulfil my visit, before leaving Tainan the next day.
From my Zheng Xing Street accommodation, it was a mere ten minutes stroll to Yong Le Market 永乐市场 where Cafe Chamber is. By the time I set off in the late afternoon, most of the market stalls were closed for the day.
Related read:
[Tainan 台南] Yong Le Market ♦ 永乐市场
▲ When you see 修安扁担豆花 (Xiu An Soya Beancurd On Poles), turn left into the alley.
Take the stairs diagonally opposite the soya beancurd shop (sure felt like I was tailing some unsuspecting resident...) to the second floor.
The place looks as rundown as it could be, housing small residential units, occupied by many elderly. Overheard the cafe owner telling a guest that this is public housing retained for the elderly, with common toilets outside the units. I can only imagine what each residential unit looks like. Speaking of which, the surroundings here remind me of what older housing estates in Hong Kong look like - small, cramped, but with their own distinctive ambience. Probably why Cafe Chamber chose this location for their old-Hong Kong style outlet.
And this... is Tainan's Cafe Chamber 南秘氏. What felt like a deliberately cramped space, with every nook and corner intricately done up. It is no wonder the cafe has won a faithful following from people all over Taiwan and even overseas, who lose themselves in this time-forgotten dimension.
The attic upstairs is opened only on weekends / when there are many guests. The afternoon I went, there was only a handful of guests, seated around the coffee counter and by the window.
The guy in white is the cafe owner, deep in concentration brewing his coffee - he must have been photographed endless times by bloggers.
The menu here is not extensive, just like Taipei's Cafe Chamber, the focus being their coffee selection.
There is also a small variety of desserts, each finely complementing your choice of coffee or tea. As I had some local street food prior to visiting and had a dinner reservation after, I decided to skip dessert.
My choice of medium-deep roasted beans - 秘氏综合豆 (中深焙), which came in a really lovely pearly-white cup and saucer. Biscuits on the house to go with my coffee, a small but touching gesture no doubt!
After an hour of relaxing over my good brew, I decided to go for their floral tea (which mesmerised many visitors, going by other blogs I read). A pot of 茉莉情人花茶 gave me a good excuse to hang around the mesmerizing dimension for yet another hour.
By the time i had to leave for dinner, it was dark. Leaving Cafe Chamber (RELUCTANTLY), I walked around the floor to soak in the atmosphere for a few last moments.
Revisiting in Aug 2018 (yes, after checking that Mai Mai was "on duty"), it was still a splendid place to spend a couple of hours sipping coffee, reading, playing with the resident cat, and basically not doing anything too stressful.
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Cafe Chamber, Tainan | 台南-秘氏咖啡
Address --- Guohua Street, Section 3, no. 123-160, Yong Le Market 2F 国华街三段123之160号，台南永乐市场2楼
秘氏系列
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