Mooi Trouve

This cafe and curiosity shop is one of many of the ShiDa area's hidden gems. It a charmingly refurbished space, savouring the rustic character of the building's shell and pitched country cottage-like roof and beams, but adding contemporary and retro elements for style and comfort.

There is a generously sized courtyard with a large timber deck, and the side of the cafe facing the courtyard has been glazed with floor to ceiling windows to afford light and a view onto the courtyard.

I was disappointed to discover a lack of op-shopping opportunities in Taiwan. I was expecting a treasure trove of asian curiosities to rummage through, but alas, not so. Either Taiwanese people don't value recycling furniture and clothes and throw them out, or they hoard them away never to see the light of day. Who knows? So it was of some delight, that I shuffled around this little magpie's nest, adjoining the cafe at the front of the building. It's only small, but the curiosity shop is full of fab knick knacks, gifts, homewares, and the odd pieces of furniture, both retro and contemporary.

The courtyard deck.

Retro bits and pieces.

Fun window display.

The cafe. Exposed beams, clever refurb.

Peaking through the shelves of the curiosity shop into the cafe.

http://www.facebook.com/mooitrouve

Treasure Hill Arts Village

You would never expect this quaint little neighbourhood to be tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Gongguan. Treasure Hill was formerly a settlement for KMT veterans in the 1940's. It has since been rejuvenated as an environmentally sustainable arts village.

It almost has a Mediterranean feel, as you wander through the jumble of lanes, stairways and rooftops arbitrarily connecting the buildings stacked like building blocks. The hill overlooks the Xindian River and there are many vantage points to appreciate it from.

It remains a residential community, with a few of the homes still inhabited. Other buildings have taken on a new lease of life, some are galleries, studios, cafes and there is even a youth hostel. It is a very welcoming environment, I felt at ease to wander around and experience some of the interactive elements.

(left) View of the village from the base of the hill. (right) Interior of one of the cafes.

(left to right) Wandering up the hill through one of the lanes. Another cute cafe. Making origami

rabbits and eating PB&J sandwiches in the cafe.

(left) Designing an evening lighting display for the village skyline. (right) A painting class

painting landscapes of the village.

(left) Detail of a humourous art installation. (right) Getting interactive and tryingto be

humourous with another installation.

VVG

On the Saturday morning after Fred's surprise birthday t-shirt party, we went for a birthday brunch at VVG Bistro in DunHua.

I would describe the interior as stylish kooky/comfort. It is furnished with the usual mish mash of op-shop treasures that always do their part in making any venue halfway charming. The stand out features though, would be; the huge floor to ceiling windows at the front of the venue looking out into the patio garden, the open modern kitchen in the centre where the on-view food preparation adds to the lively bustle of the venue, and the use of unusual objects as wall decoration like, marbles, elastic bands, pasta, vacuum cleaner tubes, grappling hooks.

We ordered one of the famous set menus each. They were served on huge ceramic trays and consisted of a collection of dishes. Each dish is served in its own unique way, in small portions but together it all adds up to a very generous meal.

VVG encompasses a few venues; the VVG bistro, a restaurant VVG Table next door, a VVG B&B upstairs and an art and design bookstore VVG Something across the road. Their combined presence makes this patch of Taipei real estate ooze with style.

Chefs busy in the kitchen and a full house of dining punters makes for a lively atmosphere.

Huge windows looking onto the garden patio make for a conservatory feel.

Overwhelmed by the size and presentation of our lunch sets.

VVG Something, the art and design book store across the road.

T.Loafer

Inspiring Venues IV

This little cafe/bar was a lovely surprise. Unassumingly tucked away on one of Da'An's many lanes. T.Loafer is an incey wincey place that is big on coziness and charm. It is owned by a group of young friends who share the responsibilities of running this sweet little venue.

Primarily it's a hang out, a place to have a cup of tea, coffee, a beer or a bite to eat. They also sell the wares of local creative types like, jewelery, zines, potted plants, postcards, etc.

The main design feature of both the exterior and interior is the mosaic mish mash of windows. There's something about the ramshackleness and the cosy glow from inside that feels fairy tale-ish. Like you've discovered Red Riding Hood's house in the middle of Taipei.

You can find T.Loafer here: No.20, lane 141, sec. 2, Jinshan S Rd, Taipei.

The Bamboo Curtain

Fred started a new job a few months back, he is the Marketing/Communications Manager of an Arts Centre called The Bamboo Curtain. The site used to be a chicken farm until it fell into the hands of Margaret Shiu. She has transformed it into a friendly and peaceful venue for artists to create and share their work.

The goal of the venue is to promote cross-cultural exchanges in the Arts by providing artists with spaces and tools to pursue their work. Not only can artists use the studio spaces, but they can also set up a temporary home in one of the artists' residences for short stays.

It sits beside the mangroves of the Danshui river and the Danshui line of the MRT runs along the other side. The Danshui River bicycle path runs right by it. From the venue you can admire the profile of the the Goddess' face in the outline of Taiwan's holiest mountain, GuanYin Mountain, which sits across the river in Bali.

Secretly, I am rather jealous. I would love to work at a venue like this.

Bamboo Curtain is home to permanent residents Sunson Theatre, a percussion performance and workshop group.

A sweet little herbal tea stand set up in 'The Lab', one of the studios available to artists for residency.

Permanent resident, Chen Cheng-Hsun's ceramics studio.

Birthday Treat

I had a fantastic birthday this year. We had people over in the evening for our T-Shirt party (previous post), but that was merely icing on the cake. For lunch, Fred took me to a beautiful gourmet Tonkatsu restaurant. Possibly the most delicious Japanese meal I've had.

After, we wandered over to DunHua, to Undercover. It's a trendy fashion retail store with a sexy bar/cafe attached. The most striking element of the design is the use of recycled timber doors as cladding on the walls. Throw in some classical French furniture revamped in shiny black, a few well chosen retro treasures and a touch of kookiness here and there, and the whole effect gives the place the feel of a modern-day Alice In Wonderland.

Fred reposes in a Jacobsen-esque retro armchair.

The window behind is made up of a mish mash of recycled window

frames.

My favourite Taiwanese dessert, DoHua. A soft tofu, sugar syrup and peanuts.

This recycled timber table is the standout piece of the establishment.

The wall-cladding doors in the retail area have been left their original colour. Whereas, as you move into the cafe/bar they're painted black.

Black glass chandaliers juxtaposed with a kooky neon teddy bear.

Sleek black surfaces of the repro Louis furniture reflect a violet glow from the neon teddy bear.

Behind, the punch of colour from the fruit and the natural tones and texture of the huge, chunky timber countertop of the bar offer a contrast to an otherwise sombre palette.

You have to duck your head as you enter the bathroom. Inside, you find a mosaic collage of disproportionate checkerboards on the floor. Another well-used recycled timber door for the bench top. And a couple of quirky characters to keep you on your toes.

Inspiring Rooms III

In a city of endless blocks of buildings whose architecture is devoid of anything distinguishing, this place stood out like a diamond in a coal mine. Upon closer inspection we discovered it is a restaurant. Because it was mid afternoon it was empty, so the staff allowed us to check out the interior. The inside was even more impressive and other-worldly than the outside. The prices were expensive, but if the food is anywhere near as good as the decor it will be worth it.