< Visited in Jul 2019 >
The district comprising Dadaocheng 大稻埕 and Dihua Street 迪化街 holds many surprises, luring me back time after time. Cafe wooo 窝窝 was an accidental but absolutely welcomed find, when revisiting Dihua Street was deemed necessary for inBlooom 印花乐's newest (and largest) store in Taipei.
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[Taipei 台北] Da Dao Cheng / Dihua Street 大稻埕 / 迪化街 (4/5) : inBlooom Together 印花作夥 + COFE bar 喫咖啡吧
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[Taipei 台北] Da Dao Cheng / Dihua Street 大稻埕 / 迪化街 (1/5)
Setting itself apart by offering authentic Hong Kong cafe cuisine (think along the lines of stocking milk tea, iced lemon tea, thick toast and macaroni or instant noodles with luncheon meat), the beautiful shopfront of traditional patterned grilles conceals a retro decor, painstakingly put together by the cafe owner hailing from Hong Kong, and befitting of Dihua Street's nostalgic charm.
↓ An oldtime perming machine makes an eyecatching fixture outside the cafe.
↓ I can stand here admiring the window grille patterns for a long time...
Entering the cafe that hot summer afternoon, I was the only customer in sight - secretly gleeful as it meant I had the whole cafe to myself to go shutter-crazy. A young man behind the counter looked happy (I hope) to see me, asking with a broad smile if I happened to pass by. Nope, I came specially for this cafe, after seeing all the blogs with beautiful photos; which can only do this much to convey its almost magical ambience, now that I was here. I expressed my surprise about the quietness, even on a weekday, partly because I had expected it to be crowded like other IG-worthy places; and also because a cafe of this calibre makes a great hideout for a terribly stuffy afternoon.
Choosing a table at the back, with a table lamp I love so much, iced water was served in a nostalgic glass, while I pored through the menu. The cafe owner has crafted a menu of Hong Kong favourites, a cuisine I am sure is well loved by many (including myself).
As I had planned a day of constant feeding, I decided to give filling items a miss this time, and went for a toast with condensed milk and peanut butter 奶酱多士 ('多士' being a play on the word 'toast') and iced Hong Kong style lemon tea to cool down from the walk over. (Kudos to the cafe for not using plastic straws.)
While my orders were being prepared, and before my sense of exclusivity was terminated, I put my camera to work.
↓ An extensive beer collection at the back of the cafe, and also on the menu, which I reckon will be a great heat buster for alcohol drinkers
Picked up a Japanese travel guide featuring wooo 窝窝 on its cover to my seat. It was impossible not to lose oneself in time here. I couldn't resist getting comfortable in a (fortunately for me) quiet cafe, browsing, writing my notes and enjoying the authentic flavours of a Hong Kong style afternoon tea. (Side note: the Japanese travel guides must be pretty good in introducing off-the-beaten-track local establishments, judging by how many guidebook-armed Japanese travellers I have seen at less-than-touristy places.)
↓ I was intrigued by this secret door on the floor, beside my table, when the young man suddenly disappeared below ground level. Piqued by curiosity, I asked him about the secret underground, to which he said it's a bomb shelter, converted to storage space now. Guess it's not something I see much where I come from, and definitely not in this form for its purpose.
Getting way too comfy but not wishing to out-stay my welcome with an emptied lemon tea glass, I ordered a Hong Kong style milk tea. By then, there were other patrons sharing this lovely space, including who I believed were Japanese.
Taking my leave to accomplish my next planned destination, I hope I can be back soon to try the other Hong Kong favourites on their menu.
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wooo 窝窝
Address --- No. 404 Minsheng West Road, Datong District, Taipei 台北市, 大同区, 民生西路404号
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