Fine vegetarian food is rare in Taipei, but there is artistry at work on the menu at Metro Bodhi. They have fashioned a plant-based menu that is homely yet elegant. The restaurant was started by a Buddhist organization in the belief that Buddhism does not have to be ascetic, but can be about living a full life and enjoying what it has to offer.
The restaurant is rather large with three floors for seating. It’s elegant but modestly decorated in a Buddhist fashion. Bronze statues and tea lights adorn the otherwise clean walls, creating a warm atmosphere amid plenty of literature and wines that are available for sale. The tableware is embellished with golden place settings and deep burgundy serviettes, which appear modest but still modern enough to give the restaurant a refined appeal. It resembles an upscale family restaurant.
The spicy tomato chickpea soup (NT$120) doesn’t pack much heat, but is well seasoned with herbs that give it an earthier taste than your classic tomato soup. There are three salads to choose from, my favorite being the fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic and red wine onion salad with Modena vinaigrette (NT$160 for a single serving, NT$320 for 2 to 3 people). Modena essentially means balsamic, so this salad has a dominant sweet Italian zing. If you prefer bitter flavors, try the chayote salad with grapefruit, mint olive oil dressing and aged white wine vinaigrette (NT$160 for a serving, NT$320 for 2 to 3 people). Chayote is similar to squash, but is more bland. Together, the components release a pungent yet refreshing burst of flavor on the palette.
Photo by Olivia Wycech
From the appetizer menu, the goat cheese with avocado and banana dressing (NT$360) is highly recommended. It’s a small serving but worth every dollar. Diced avocado and creamy goat cheese sit atop a bed of sprouts, raisins and nuts, with a dollop of banana puree sweetened with honey, spiced with nutmeg and soured with white wine. The mushrooms with balsamic vinaigrette (NT$160) are nothing more than their description, but are sauteed until perfectly coated in a thick and not-too-sweet reduction.
The five slices of bread (NT$200) are a unique spin on a restaurant regular, as a variety of thick grains and spreads are served in a range from sweet to savory. The potato wedges (NT$100) are simple but worth ordering for the dip. A seriously strong jalapeno relish-type dip accompanies the spuds, which also comes as a side to the cumin bread sandwich (NT$280), which is topped with a poached egg and generous amounts of mozzarella cheese. The cumin was quite mild and was balanced nicely by a topping of creamed mushrooms.
The restaurant offers three sizzling pans, and both the menu and myself recommend the Ofeakwu (NT$295). In fact, it was my favorite item of the day and I immediately went home and tried to replicate this native Nigerian dish. Wild rice, various beans, seasonal vegetables and a poached egg are covered in a simple tomato sauce that makes it somewhat of a stew. The flavors are so wholesome and robust that even hardcore carnivores won’t complain.
Photo by Olivia Wycech
Metro Bodhi’s interpretation of pizza is more like a flatbread with toppings, which once again gives off more of an earthier taste. The lack of oil makes it drier than what you expect from pizza, but also means you can better taste the toppings like the explosive taste of pesto on the arugula pizza (NT$300). It’s perfect for those who enjoy the concept of pizza but usually pass on an oil-drenched deep-dish style.
There are a variety of fresh juices on the menu, like the cucumber juice (NT$120) and lemon juice (NT$150), but the real gems are the teas. The brown sugar galangal tea (NT$150 per cup, NT$200 per pot) tasted like your typical sweet milk tea but with an added zest of ginger. If milk tea is too heavy for you, the lemon-yogurt tea (NT$200 per pot) is more delicate with just a touch of creaminess. And for dessert, the cheesecake (NT$180) is what drew the most oohs and aahs. It’s creamier than most cheesecakes and has subtle hints of orange in every bite.
Photo by Olivia Wycech
Photo by Olivia Wycech
Taiwan’s English education system is being pulled apart by three opposing forces. Bilingual Nation 2030 pulls students toward English and global communication. Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness pulls them toward digital judgment, verification and AI-mediated work. But Taiwan’s old exam culture pulls them back toward memorization, grammar drills, timed reading and correct answers. If the education system keeps using old exams to define success, it risks producing graduates who are neither genuinely bilingual nor genuinely AI-ready, but trained for tasks machines can already perform. The first force is Bilingual Nation 2030. Launched in 2018, the policy aimed to “help Taiwan’s workforce connect
It seems every few days one bumps into one of those “real man” comments in which Taiwan is urged to “face reality” or similar, and “make a deal,” with the speaker implying that soon it will be too late. “Deal” advocates always present themselves as having a superior grip on reality, and the manly ability to make the “hard choice.” Their testosterone-laden language often echoes that of Taiwan sellout advocates. Note that such commentary always specifies a process (“make a deal, work with, make progress”), never the end state of what occupation by a violent authoritarian colonialist state will entail. In
There are shadowy cabals plotting to sell out Taiwan to be annexed by China, by invasion if necessary. Fortunately, they are buffoons. In 2019, former Bamboo Union gangster and founder of the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), Chang An-le (張安樂, colorfully known as “White Wolf”), led a protest at the Legislative Yuan against comments made by then-premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) that in the event of an attack by China, he would never surrender, but would protect the nation by fighting to the end, even if he only had a broom. Chang had party members bring a wooden casket that they
June 1 to June 7 "If all Taiwanese were as afraid of dying as you, then what would happen?” Physician Shih Chiang-nan (施江南) reportedly said this to his wife Chen Chiao-tung (陳焦桐) after she urged him to stop intervening on behalf of Taiwanese soldiers stranded overseas after serving in the Japanese Army during World War II. Shih had clashed with high-ranking officials over the issue, engaged in several heated arguments with Taiwan governor-general Chen Yi (陳儀) and allegedly shouted at general Ko Yuan-fen (柯遠芬), chief of staff of the Taiwan Garrison Command, over
RSS