Back in the day when reasonably priced Western restaurants were few and far between, Grandma Nitti’s was already providing comfort food for forlorn Westerners who had had enough of beef noodle soup and potstickers. Nitti’s location off Shida Road has become a well-known gathering place, and while the food on offer has drawn reviews ranging from the wildly enthusiastic to the derisive, the restaurant’s appeal has never faded for expats longing for a taste of home.
My Sweetie Pie Bakery & Cafe, located almost directly opposite, looks like it might have been transplanted from Taipei’s up-market East District (東區), but is in fact an extension of the Grandma Nitti operation. Clean lines, whitewashed walls and abundant natural light generate an air of casual sophistication.
My Sweetie shares some elements of Grandma Nitti’s menu, but according to Rainbow Lin (林虹惠), the driving force behind both operations, her new project is restricted to smaller brunch and snack dishes. The reason for this is to highlight the cake selection, which is displayed in a way that seems to wink alluringly at passersby.
Priced at around NT$90 a slice, the large portions of American-style cakes fill a niche in a market dominated by elaborately decorated production-line sweets or chichi concoctions of French or Japanese-inspired patisseries. Offerings such as carrot cake (NT$90) and warm chocolate cake (NT$80) make an appealing pairing with a large mug of coffee (hot NT$100; iced NT$110), and the banana chocolate cake (NT$90) is recommended for its robust textures and fresh banana flavor. This is comfort food, but there is an admirable restraint in the use of sugar and fat, and the cakes are nicely presented without being drowned in whipped cream.
For more savory palates, there are a number of brunch variations on offer, such as poached eggs with pesto sauce, ham and toast (NT$180), or light lunch meals that include homemade beef lasagna (with homemade pasta, NT$270). The prices include regular coffee or tea. A slice of cake or pie can be added to all orders for an additional NT$60, making for a very reasonably priced meal.
Apart from the restaurant service, My Sweetie Pie also sells cakes to order. Four-inch (10cm), 6-inch (15cm) and 8-inch (20cm) sizes are available, with prices for an 8-inch cake around NT$800.
The usual range of coffees, slushies, smoothies and milk shakes are available. My Sweetie serves also Mighty Leaf specialty teas as an added attraction.
The large airy space, open kitchen with gleaming surfaces, comfortable sofas and side tables with individual table lamps make this a location equally suited to work or relaxation. The friendly service and free Wi-Fi are icing on the cake.
— IAN BARTHOLOMEW
Cheng Ching-hsiang (鄭青祥) turned a small triangle of concrete jammed between two old shops into a cool little bar called 9dimension. In front of the shop, a steampunk-like structure was welded by himself to serve as a booth where he prepares cocktails. “Yancheng used to be just old people,” he says, “but now young people are coming and creating the New Yancheng.” Around the corner, Yu Hsiu-jao (饒毓琇), opened Tiny Cafe. True to its name, it is the size of a cupboard and serves cold-brewed coffee. “Small shops are so special and have personality,” she says, “people come to Yancheng to find such treasures.” She
Late last month Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro told the Philippine Senate that the nation has sufficient funds to evacuate the nearly 170,000 Filipino residents in Taiwan, 84 percent of whom are migrant workers, in the event of war. Agencies have been exploring evacuation scenarios since early this year, she said. She also observed that since the Philippines has only limited ships, the government is consulting security agencies for alternatives. Filipinos are a distant third in overall migrant worker population. Indonesia has over 248,000 workers, followed by roughly 240,000 Vietnamese. It should be noted that there are another 170,000
Hannah Liao (廖宸萱) recalls the harassment she experienced on dating apps, an experience that left her frightened and disgusted. “I’ve tried some voice-based dating apps,” the 30-year-old says. “Right away, some guys would say things like, ‘Wanna talk dirty?’ or ‘Wanna suck my d**k?’” she says. Liao’s story is not unique. Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics show a more than 50 percent rise in sexual assault cases related to online encounters over the past five years. In 2023 alone, women comprised 7,698 of the 9,413 reported victims. Faced with a dating landscape that can feel more predatory than promising, many in
“This is one of those rare bits of TikTok fitness advice with a lot of truth behind it,” says Bethan Crouse, performance nutritionist at Loughborough University. “Sometimes it’s taken a bit too literally, though! You see people chugging protein drinks as they’re scanning out of their gym.” Crouse recommends the athletes she works with consume 20-30g of protein within 30-60 minutes of finishing a resistance training session. “The act of exercising our muscles increases the breakdown of muscle proteins,” she says. “In order to restore, or hopefully improve them — and get gains such as increased muscle mass or strength —
RSS