A relatively new addition to the neighborhood that surrounds Yongkang Street (永康街) in Taipei, Caffe Libero (咖啡小自由) has become one of the hottest hangout spots in the capital, and for good reason. Renovated from a 40-year-old mansion, the establishment attempts to revive the building’s past glory by keeping its original Taiwan zelkova flooring, marble walls and engraved wood door and spicing up the space with vintage furnishing and embellishments.
The 50-ping (one ping equals 3.3m2) Caffe Libero is divided into three sections. Visitors will first be greeted by a cafe that offers a solid selection of brews made from an old manual, lever-operated espresso machine. House specialties include hot coffee with whisky (NT$250), iced coffee with Prucia plum liqueur (NT$250) and espresso corretto (NT$230).
The lounge in the back serves a variety of whiskeys from Japan and Scotland priced between NT$280 and NT$1,200 per glass. Located between the cafe and whiskey lounge, Le Petit Patissier (chefleslie.pixnet.net/blog) is a bakery within Caffe Libero that boasts a pleasing selection of pastries and sweets.
Caffe Libero is located at 1, Ln 243, Jinhua St, Taipei City (台北市金華街243巷1號). Tel: (02) 2356-7129. Shop opens Monday to Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 6pm.
After Jurassic Park premiered in 1993, people began to ask if scientists could really bring long-lost species back from extinction, just like in the hit movie. The idea has triggered “de-extinction” debates in several countries, including Taiwan, where the focus has been on the Formosan clouded leopard (designated after 1917 as Neofelis nebulosa brachyura). National Taiwan Museum’s (NTM) Web site describes the Formosan clouded leopard as “a subspecies endemic to Taiwan…it reaches a body length of 0.6m to 1.2m and tail length of 0.7m to 0.9m and weighs between 15kg and 30kg. It is entirely covered with beautiful cloud-like spots
Just after 6am, I walked up to the ticket gate at Taipei Main Station and entered the Taiwan Railway platform without scanning any ticket; instead, I flashed the Sanrio Fun Rail pass on my phone to the gate worker and was admitted. I found my train and prepared to board. My destination? This very same station. I was embarking on a 13-hour journey on one of two round-the-island trains operated by ezTravel. They run each day, one counterclockwise around the island and one clockwise. They differ in a number of ways from an ordinary Taiwan Railway train and can make for
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
RSS