[Kaohsiung 高雄] 描Cafe X 屋Brunch (描X屋)－Lynda's Taiwan-logue

< Visited in Jan 2018 >

Though the cafe's FB appears as 描Cafe X 屋Brunch, it is probably more accurate to call it 描X屋 - loosely translated as "sketch house", and 描 (sketch) playing on the same sound as 'meow' - CafeXBrunch.

Found it by chance near (the now-closed) The Icon Hotel 艾卡设计旅店, approximately five minutes away on foot, when searching for leisurely brunch in the company of furkids before a return flight. Or walk from exit 3 of the nearest Central Park MRT 中央公园站.

Quite unlike cuddly animal cafes commonly found in Japan and South Korea, what I see more in Taiwan are cafes where a couple or handful of the owners' furkids become "outlet managers", roaming free among diners. I am personally not against the former, having experienced a few, as long as the animals are well taken care of and patrons are guided to handle them with care. In this era where human actions cause often-irreversible damage to earth and harm to our co-inhabitants, there are perhaps less opportunities for city dwellers to interact with animals, other than at such commercial places.

I also observe Taiwan has broader regulations for permitted pets (vs where I come from) even in the city, thus you can still find some pretty cool cafes with novel "outlet managers". 描X屋 CafeXBrunch "only" has a handful of resident felines, just in case you are wondering. There was a canine resident which retired (and subsequently passed away in Oct 2019).

A rather simple shopfront with a subtle signboard, perhaps not designed to be the most Instagrammable, but still cosy and inviting.

Arriving early on a Thursday morning, there was no crowd (yet), though customers streamed in soon after us. The cafe also has a good following and pretty good food reviews on their FB.

▼ Still in time for Christmas decor.

▼ The cafe boasts a very decent and palatable whole-day brunch menu, which was what we were here for, besides the cats. Check out their menu on FB here.

▼ A small selection of dessert and coffee beans at the counter, where you need to place and pay for your order.

▼ The approachable residents "on duty", keeping us engaged while we anticipated our food. The cats do roam freely within the cafe, so if you are not quite into having them jump up onto your table or chair when you are dining, you may want to reconsider your visit.

▼ Some toys if you need help to catch their attention.

▲ I like black cats, finding them intriguing and attractive, though they may be commonly perceived as being not so "lucky"?

▲ I have a white-orange cat (and a mackerel-striped one) at home, so I'll always have a soft spot for this colour combi.

▼ Is it true nine out of ten orange tabbies are fat??

▼ Quite likely the most chatty and approachable one of the lot.

▼ There is a cat haven at the back of the cafe, with a beautiful grey-striped short-hair which stayed inroom. Didn't linger long here, as I felt intrusive (cats need their space and privacy).

After the feline photo bomb, giving our delectable brunch its deserved attention.

▼ Hazelnut latte (top) and my selected coffee served two ways.

▼ (Left) NTD200 | Rosemary chicken thigh on bagel 迷迭香鸡腿, 配柚香贝果 (you can also opt for your choice of filling on cheese baguette). Comes with fries, scrambled egg and a refreshing salad.
(Right) NTD230 | California smoked chicken with "rose-shaped" egg 加州熏鸡蔷薇蛋. Comes with toast, yogurt and salad.

For the price, the portion was generous, food was scrumptious and the combi well-placed for a balanced meal - quite the high standard for similar menus in Taiwanese cafes.