Let us eat [vegan] cake – the definitive guide to cake in Taipei

Taipei is a vegan cake cornucopia. Except for a distinct lack of creamy vegan ice cream (which I will keep mentioning every five minutes until someone changes this) Taipei is amazing for vegan desserts. I barely even ate cake before I came here, because when I went vegan it wasn’t that easy to find. Cake left my life. I stopped needing it, and it stopped needing me. Then I came to Taiwan and the wonderful possibilities of vegan desserts reopened their arms to me.

Here, in a slightly particular but not overly representative order, is where to find a dessert in Taipei.

Fresh Bakery and Cafe

As the flagship vegan bakery in Taipei, and the creator of a constant stream of new inventions and old favourites, Fresh can be nowhere other than at the top of this post. If you can think of it, you can get it here. On my first trip here I was reunited with the favourite cake of my fifteen year old self, Black Forest Gateau, which I first ate when visiting the Black Forest area in Germany. I hadn’t had one since then, much less since becoming vegan, but this is everything I remembered and more.

Recently they’ve also developed a line of tarts, mousses, and mousse tarts. They are beautiful, almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. Ravi, the owner, refuses to tell me what they’re made from. They’re that good.

Open Mon-Sat 9:00am-9:00pm, call first to preorder pizzas or to check they have a particular cake as the stock is constantly changing. Near Kunyang MRT station, one-minute walk from exit 4. Leave exit 4, cross the road diagonally, turn left and walk for less than a minute.

Soul R. Vegan

One word: waffles. Chocolate waffles, dark chocolate filled waffles, berry waffles, matcha waffles, walnut waffles… so many waffles. A waffle and drink combo set will set you back around 240nt, and when you see the size of them you’ll realise this is a bargain – and they’re piled high with ‘are you sure that’s vegan?’ vegan cream.

I’ve actually stopped ordering mains there, because the waffles are so filling. I just go and eat the dessert. Other sweet things on their menu are a dense, moist brownie, tiramisu, and creme brûlée.

Mon-Wed 2:30pm-9:00pm, Thu-Sun 11:30am-9:00pm. Close to Zhongxiao Fuxing, exit 1. Leave the exit, turn right then take the first left then follow the road along for about 4 minutes and Soul R is on your right.

Mianto

Michel, the owner of Mianto, is the cupcake queen. She also does slices of cake, but she doesn’t always have it. Favourite cupcake flavours are chocolate, lychee and cranberry and mulberry. Each comes with a generous squirt of whipped cream on top. One cupcake is 65nt.

Tues – Sun 11:00–21:00, Walk out of Dongmen MRT, Exit 7. Walk straight and turn left on Xinsheng Rd. Continue till you reach the YuanTa bank. That is lane 146, turn left. Continue 50m and see Mianto on the right.

Ooh Cha Cha

For a healthier option, go to Ooh Cha Cha for some raw vegan cheesecake. They have loyalty cards, good coffee and healthy but indulgent drinks to go with it. Flavours are banana swirl, lime cashew, matcha cream, orange chocolate cream, strawberry cream and mocha fudge pie.

Mon – Fri: 10:00–21:00 Sat – Sun: 10:00–20:00. Walk out of Guting MRT exit 2, take the first right, and you’ll be there 10 seconds later.

About Animals

About Animals brings their cake in from Vegan Heaven, an all vegan patisserie outside Taipei in Yilan county. They have various cakes like banana chocolate pie, and they also sometimes serve vegan macaroons that are good, but similarly priced to regular fancy macaroons: aka, a lot to pay for something that dissolves in your mouth seconds later.

Mon – Thurs: 14:00–22:30 Fri – Sun: 11:00–22:30. Walk out of Wanlong MRT exit 2, and walk past the 7/11 and out onto the street. Turn right, then left, then right at a decorated white stone at about knee height and you’ll be backtracking along a little lane. It’s on your right.

Miss Green

Another all vegan place with beautiful decor, they also have a selection of raw desserts, including a chocolate pie and a coconut pie. Miss Green’s cakes I find to be a little hit or miss. Some are delicious, some curious and noticeably unsweetened.

Sun-Thu 11:00am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm. Close to Xinyi Anhe MRT.

Naked Food, Delicious Taipei

An all raw dining experience, Naked Food offers delectable and exquisite raw desserts. My favourite is the strawberry vanilla cheesecake. A slice alone is the price of a meal in most of the places on this list, but when you taste it you’ll know why. Be aware of the 350nt minimum spend, meaning that if you pop in with a friend for a drink each and a piece of cake to share, you’ll be asked to order something else.

Tues:14:00–20:00 Wed – Fri:12:00–21:00 Sat – Sun: 11:00–21:00. Close to Dongmen MRT exit 7.

Green Bakery

A new kid on the block, Green Bakery is another all vegan bakery and cafe. It’s small and friendly, and serves very reasonably priced cupcakes with a free cup of tea or coffee. Its cupcakes use potato and sweet potato as a cream substitute for the toppings. Curious, but it works. The scones are the best thing there.

10:00～20:00, 15 min walking from Nanjing Sanmin MRT on the Green Line.

Loving Hut

Serving chocolate cake, coffee cake, chocolate orange cake and a few cheesecakes, Loving Hut cake is cheap, cheerful and tasty. The coffee that you can order alongside a slice is delicious, and also a very reasonable price.

The best Loving Hut branch in Taipei with the widest selection is close to Sun-Yan-Sat Memorial Hall, and is open for lunch and dinner.

Lamma Island Hong Kong – a vegan paradise

A whirlwind tour of the vegan possibilities on Lamma Island, and a little of Lantau Island, too. It was a pure coincidence that we decided to go to Lamma Island. Actually we were supposed to go to Macau that day – turns out if you’re trying to get a ferry ticket to and from Macau on a National Holiday, you really do need to book in advance. So we were left, at 10am on a Monday morning, with no plans for that day. What to do? Of course we went to Mana Slow Fast Food and ate (everywhere is closed at 10am on a Monday!), but after that we really did need some plans. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the beach seemed like the best idea. Back to the ferry, and on to Lamma Island for some exploring. Don’t be put off by the number of seafood places when you arrive, you’ll soon be onto a lovely walking trail that will take you round the island. The beach was a disappointment – it was small, a bit dirty and very crowded – so we headed off to find some find some vegan food. As we neared the little village Yung Shue Wan, we noticed that the shops were becoming decidedly more Western in look, or hipster, or arty, or whichever phrasing gives you an accurate enough impression. Lantau Island, in comparison, is much more what I would expect a small island in Asia to be like, even though it’s far more touristy. Local shops, local food, not much English. At least the parts we went to.

A disappointing beach

Bookworm Cafe We were advised to visit Bookworm Cafe. This was, personally, my biggest disappointment from the whole trip. Not only that, but they’re really not vegan suitable, despite being advertised as vegan friendly. Of all the cafes that had veggie/vegan options, bookworm looked the best and had the most recommendations. It was totally packed and there was a queue to wait (we were there over the holiday weekend). We talked to the woman a little while waiting there and she was very nice but stressed and busy, as might be expected. She was interested in the vegan Happy Cow HK ice cream which would have been perfect there, I hope they followed up and made the call. Post on ice cream to follow. When we were seated and saw the burger bread on someone else’s plate, it looked like it had an egg glaze. No one could tell us. There were several different stories about whether the egg had bread. The burger on the menu, which used that bun, was labelled vegan. Then we found out the bread does have egg, and ordered it on a different bread. It came out on the burger bun with egg. We got it sent back and finally it appeared on toast, by which time the fries were cold, and they were freezer fries and soft and limp. Not very appetising, and I couldn’t finish them. And I love anything potato. The burgers (tofu and bean, we tried both) were okay but nothing special, and after the mix up about the egg neither of us were sure we trusted the cafe knows what a vegan diet does and doesn’t include.

Bookworm cafe, and a glimpse of the queue.

We paid a small fortune… for this. Left half is bean, right half is tofu. Tiny patties.

The staff were far from apologetic, rather they seemed annoyed and the initial friendliness disappeared fast. The whole experience left me pining for the Western service industry, where if this had happened they would have at least omitted the service charge from the bill. I felt very unwilling to pay what the bill came to.The one redeeming feature was the soy latte, which was really good. We heard other people complain about the vegan cake, so we didn’t try that. The mix up would have been more forgivable in an omni restaurant, but not one which labelled its food as vegan. Please take note: if you’re going to say you serve vegan food, you need to know what’s in it, know that it’s vegan, and make sure at least one member of staff knows! Very disappointed and concerned other vegans may visit and not know. What we absolutely loved though was… The health food shop next door Also known as ‘their sign is too bright to see in the pictures and I can’t remember the name’. But it’s right next door to Bookworm Cafe. This is like a blend of a UK health food shop and an American one. There were so many vegan options I haven’t seen since I moved to Asia, or simply haven’t seen at all like Tofurky. There were just so many things I don’t even know where to start, but needless to say we skipped around the shop like children in a candy store, squealing at each other in excitement. Doesn’t all of that look amazing? And back on the mainland of Hong Kong, here’s what you can find in City Super: Just look at all of that Silk and Field Roast glory! Actually I’ve never seen Field Roast before, I’m just told it’s good. If we were staying there longer I would have tried some. Lantau Island Just a little note to say that, because it’s the island with the big Buddha, most of the places surrounding it are veg friendly. Be careful of the food, though, because again like in Bookworm, the people serving it will give you a different answer to ‘does this contain milk and egg?’ depending on who you ask and how they’re feeling. And we were asking in Cantonese, so it wasn’t a language barrier thing. It’s just safer not to trust them: if it looks like it might have egg, don’t eat it. Lantau island is really pretty, though, and has cows freely roaming around that are wild, so it’s worth a visit. Left to right, top to bottom: misc. buffet food, a big buddha, and Josette making new friends. Lantau island is possible to see in about 5 or 6 hours, unless you want to do a hike, so we caught a bus and went there the morning of our flight. The bus was also cheaper, albeit less pretty, than the gondolas. Our flight was late evening and we were left with several hours skulking round an overpriced outlet mall. To get to Lamma island, take a ferry from the Central Harbour area. It’s quick, easy, and reasonably cheap. Then please buy a load of vegan stuff from the shop there, and post it to me. Taiwan vs. Hong Kong, Vegan-off I’m pretty impressed with both places for being vegan in. Hong Kong wins for Western Vegan food and produce, Taiwan for local vegan food and availability. Hong Kong wins for main meals if you want to eat out, Taiwan definitely wins for desserts (have you seen my Instagram yet?) Cost wise, Hong Kong is EXPENSIVE to eat like a Western Vegan. If I lived there, my savings would be gone within the month. Final conclusion though, is that it’s like almost everywhere I’ve been. You’ll hear that it’s bad for vegans, and then you go, and you look, and you ask around, and you find delicious food. Go travel, now.

Eating vegan in Taipei: Taipei’s top 5

If you’re vegan, you’ve been there. Watching with baited breath as your omni dining companion takes their first bite of vegan food at the restaurant you suggested. Will it create a good impression of vegan food, or drive them straight back into the arms of bacon?

Here, in no particular order, are my personal top 5 restaurants in Taipei to veganize your friends with.

Ooh Cha Cha

Left to right: Garlic hummus sandwich, mocha and banana chocolate ‘cheesecakes’ and the green juices – GoGo Goji and Very Berry.

I love this place, and I’ve just started on my third loyalty card (yes, they do loyalty cards! Although only after I’d already spent a fortune there). Run by Spencer and Mai, who are hopefully expanding at some stage (not sure if this is fact or my wishful thinking) it’s quite a small and often noisy and crowded cafe.

They do healthy green smoothie/juice mixes, sandwiches, macrobiotic bowls, and raw vegan cheesecakes that are utterly amazing. They also do some pretty tasty hot drinks that often get forgotten about.

My regular order: Balsamic Mushroom or Garlic Hummus sandwich; GoGo Goji drink; Mocha Fudge Pie.

Directions: walk out of Guting MRT exit 2, take the first right, and you’ll be there 10 seconds later. If you go around lunch (12-2) or dinner (5-7) expect to wait. They get busy! They’ll take your number and call when there’s a seat available.

Facebook; Phone – 02 2367 7133; Website

About Animals

About Animals Wasabi Burger

This one’s a little more out of the way than the others, but it’s close to iVegan so you can pick up some groceries afterwards. It’s also that last to close, as they serve food till 10 most nights. About Animals is my no.1 burger place of Taipei. Actually, their wasabi burger is so good, I’ve never ordered anything else when I’ve been there… it will satisfy vegans and omnis alike, just make sure you order a side with it if you’re a big eater. They serve burgers, hotpots, rice dishes, and various deserts. They also have beer in the fridge, and animal rights/gay rights/everything rights postcards and labels on the walls. They have good music and a good atmosphere to chill out with friends and enjoy a burger.

My regular order: the wasabi burger; fried yams; banana chocolate pie.

Directions: walk out of Wanlong MRT exit 2, and walk past the 7/11 and out onto the street. Turn right, then left, then right at a decorated white stone at about knee height and you’ll be backtracking along a little lane. It’s on your right. They’re open later than most places, so they’re good if you get hungry after 8.

Happy Cow; Phone – +886-983683024

Herban Kitchen and Bar

Vegan brunch – tofu scramble and the only vanilla cashew nut milk latte in Taipei!

This is the only vegetarian place to feature on this list, but it’s also the only place that does a good vegan brunch and nut milk lattes. If and when Naked food does a nut milk option then their latte will take the vegan latte in Taipei prize, until then it’s held by Herban. They will also add syrups, which also not many places have as an option.

They’re a little pricey (around 230-250nt for a main, plus 10% service charge) but the decor is amazing and they have outdoor seating. They’re also working on a vegan dessert – if you go in, ask them about it and spread the word that it would be popular.

My regular order: the tofu scramble and a cashew vanilla latte for brunch, the raw pad thai for dinner. They provide unlimited rosemary and lime water on the tables that’s delicious, so I don’t ever buy a drink apart from the latte.

Directions: walk out of Zhongxiao Dunhua exit 8 and walk straight on till you reach the crossing, then cross to the other side of the street. Walk straight on and take the first right at the family mart, then it’s right again almost straight after. It’s very easy to miss so look for a small sign on the wall and then walk down the tiny alley and you’ll see it on your right at the end.

It’s very popular, so if you’re there for dinner try and book a table a few days in advance or be prepared to wait, especially on the weekend.

Facebook; Phone – +886287737033

Vege Creek

Vege Creek with Vermicelli Noodles

I’ve had a love affair with vege creek since I moved to Taipei. It’s cheaper and more convenient than the other places on this list (although still pricey for what it is). You walk in, take a basket, and select vegetables, mock meats and leafy greens from where they’re around the walls, suspended in bowls. Then you select a noodle card, hand them your basket, and they boil it up for you in about 5 minutes in a medicinal broth. You can add spice and condiments to your own taste.

The best thing about Vege Creek is that it’s so fresh. You see everything that goes in and 5 minutes later you have a hot meal. A filling bowl will cost you between 190 and 230nt, depending on how hungry you are.

Directions: there are 2 branches, one by S.Y.S Memorial Hall, and one in the 24 hour Zhongxiao Dunhua Eslite on B1. To get to the S.Y.S one, leave exit one and walk on, then follow the street as it curves round. Take the fourth right and it’s on your left. To get to Eslite, walk out of Zhongxiao Dunhua exit 5 and walk straight on. Cross the large crossing and you’ll see it on the other side.

Facebook; Phone – +886227781967

Mianto

Left to right: Chana Masala, chocolate cupcake and Miantochino, tomato and mushroom pasta.

Mianto is my favorite lazy Saturday/Sunday place if I want to go somewhere and work for a few hours. They have plenty of space so I don’t feel like I’m taking up valuable customer room, they’re really friendly, and their food is good and filling. They do pasta, curries and cupcakes/cakes. The pasta servings are more generous than the curries, so if you’re hungry go for that. They also have a pizza. Prices are around 250nt.

See my complete review here.

My regular order: the mushroom and tomato pasta, a cupcake and a Miantochino. If I’m feeling cheeky I ask for some of the vegan ham to be added to my pasta. Mmm…

Directions: Walk out of Dongmen MRT, Exit 7. Walk straight and turn left on Xinsheng Rd. Continue till you reach the YuanTa bank. That is lane 146, turn left. Continue 50m and see Mianto on the right

Facebook; Phone – +886223219749

Honorable Mentions:

Miss Green

Miss Green is by Xinyi, and does burgers and raw desserts among other things. The interior design is worth a trip for, but the portions are too small for the price and you’ll leave hungry. Both omnivores I’ve been there with commented that they could do it better and one went away and ate fried chicken afterwards because he was still hungry – not a good recommendation at all! The desserts are okay but lack flavour, same as the burgers.

Taste – 3/5

Value – 3/5

Atmosphere – 5/5

Fresh Bakery and Cafe

Left to right: Black forest gateau and chocolate banana cake; breads fresh from the oven; mousse bomb pie.

I love Fresh, and I go there a lot. You should definitely visit if you’re in Taipei. The only reason they didn’t make the top 5 is that they’re a bakery, not a sit down and eat place, although you can have a seat and they’ll make you feel welcome. I recommend the banana chocolate cake and the bacon and cheese bread. They’re also very reasonably priced.

Taste – 5/5

Value – 5/5

Atmosphere – 3/5 (but 5/5 for friendliness)

Naked Food Taipei

Left to right: ChimChurri pizza, cauliflower, tomato, marinated onion, tree nut cheese; Chocolate and oat berry squares.

Another one that just missed out on the top 5. This is Taipei’s first raw food vegan place, but their prices are high and their portions are small. You’re going for the experience, more than the food. My omni friend asked me the other day if I’d been there, just to complain to me about the size of the portions for the price! Probably not somewhere I’d take a non-vegan if I was looking to introduce them to vegan food. Find my full review here.

Taste – 5/5

Value – 3/5

Atmosphere – 5/5

Loving Hut

The S.Y.S Memorial Hall Loving Hut has been unanimously voted the best in Taipei – it has hotpots, cakes, and bibimbaps amongst other things. The food is good but not exceptional, and the decor is like every other Loving Hut I’ve been to here – slightly clinical, with a strong overtone of Grand Supreme Master. It’s a place to take other vegans, unless you reassure the omnivore you’re taking there that you’re not trying to induct them into a cult.

Taste – 4/5

Value – 4/5

Atmosphere – 2.5/5

Delicious Addiction

Chinese knotgrass noodle soup

Cheap and easy, Delicious Addiction serves traditonal Taiwanese food like noodles and soups. Their daily meal set will cost you 70ntd and leave you full up and satisfied. Their noodle soups are like Veggie Creek, but half the price. Two of my friends here swear it’s their favorite place in Taipei, but it’s not somewhere I personally would take someone for a meal. The decor is basic and it’s a quick meal place, not a fine dining experience. It’s also a little out of the way, as it’s near Dingxi MRT.

Taste – 4.5/5

Value – 5/5

Atmosphere – 3/5 (again, 5/5 for friendliness)

I could keep going, but these are just my personal choices. There’s so much choice in Taipei for vegans! If you live in or have visited Taipei and have your own opinion on which should make the top 5, let me know in the comments below. Happy eating!

Plant-Powered Nomad

A vegan without roots

Tagged with veganrestaurant

Let us eat [vegan] cake – the definitive guide to cake in Taipei

Lamma Island Hong Kong – a vegan paradise

Eating vegan in Taipei: Taipei’s top 5