In the towns along Taiwan's northeastern coastline, there sit several garden cafes that not only offer a wide range of food and beverages, but beautiful scenery as well.
The Golden Cafe is one of these, and it stands out by dint of its interior decoration, which integrates local history with modern design.
It is a two-storey building situated beside ample farmland, and you can sit outside in the fields or enjoy the view from indoors through huge windows.
Unlike city restaurants, Garden Cafe can afford to spread itself out, seating 100 people in a 250-square-meter area, and even though the restaurant is often full, Gavin Yeh (
Designed by Hsu Wei-bin (徐偉斌), the building mixes modern and rustic elements, including traditional farm implements and contemporary details on the furniture.
Yeh said that he built the restaurant to commemorate the history of the "fish road," the ancient trail used to carry goods in from the coast to Taipei. His grandfather worked this trail in days gone by, and Yeh named the restaurant the Fish Road Diner in Chinese, to remind people of this piece of history.
Having worked for seven years in five-star hotels around the world, Yeh has brought his experience home to run Golden Cafe. Sourcing the restaurant's seafood from fishing ports nearby, there is no question about its freshness.
The restaurant also provides local specialties like fried yam with syrup and sesame (NT$240). "Jinshan produces the best quality of yam in Taiwan, so we can provide the best flavor for this dish," Yeh said.
"Many monks from Dharma Drum Mountain (法鼓山) like to come here and order this root vegetable." The dish costs NT$100.
The most popular dishes are the hot pot, which Yeh said his staff spends a whole day to prepare. The hot pot comes in several versions, with an average price of NT$300.
If you don't feel like eating, Golden Cafe offers over 70 kinds of beverages, but priced at around NT$160, they are certainly not cheap. At least you are able to enjoy the view, the cozy seats, and the leisurely atmosphere of the countryside.
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