I went to Juggler this afternoon and had a cappuccino and their homemade banana bread. Everything was delicious. The cappuccino was very creamy and balanced. Next time I’m going to try a piccolo latte and maybe a sandwich. Give it a try if you’re near Sogo. You won’t be disappointed.
EDIT: Oh, and the owners speak good English, too.
There’s a new place called Prem Restaurant. You can search for it on facebook it has a map on its page how to get there, in Taiping, 5 mins from Taichung train station by scooter. The coffee there is good and in a lovely setting. Trees, fish ponds etc great place to chill. The owner is a great guy aswell. 
I went to Prem for supper tonight.
I don’t want to turn this thread into a restaurant review, but I’ll say just a bit. First off, Prem is extremely hard to find. It’s on a dead-end lane, off of an alley, off of Shi Jia Road. The food was okay (although the Caesar salad was atrocious), but most (all?) of their pastas are either fish or seafood, except the vegetarian one. Their panna cotta was pretty good. Salad, soup, pasta, dessert, and coffee were just shy of $550NT.
I actually didn’t hold out much hope for the coffee. The lady couldn’t really describe what kind of coffee they used, so I just assumed they weren’t really interested in that part of their service. Most restaurants have appalling coffee. The cappuccino she brought surprised me, not because it had latte art–which was quite well done, actually–but because the milk was properly steamed. It turned out to be a pretty good cappuccino–much better than what you’d get at most coffee shops. But, I knew I’d tasted something similar before. I looked at their espresso machine and, on a hunch, asked the chef if they got their beans from Buggy. Bingo!
There is just one drawback to their location, other than it being so hard to find the first time. While the lawn out back is beautiful, the restaurant is next to a canal. Mosquitoes were my dinner companions tonight.
On a side note, Buggy has opened up a shop on B2 of Chung Yo Department Store, so people will at least have an option to Starbucks when they go there.
FYI: check out the sidebar for TC links http://www.wretch.cc/blog/breman7/15102743
I visited Ino a couple of years ago while meeting up with a friend. At that time, they were using beans from Buggy. Buggy roasts just a little too dark for me, so there are some noticeable burnt and bitter flavors in their espresso. It’ll do in a pinch, and I’m certainly happy to have a Buggy cappuccino at a restaurant (because restaurant coffee is notoriously bad anyway), but I expect more from a coffee shop. (Although, I once went to Buggy and had a very tasty dark-roasted espresso, but that was last year, and the experience hasn’t been repeated since. 
)
I went to Coffee Literature this weekend. It’s on the corner of Dadun 14 St. and Daying St. (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%E5%8F%B0%E4%B8%AD%E5%B8%82%E5%A4%A7%E5%A2%A914%E8%A1%97265%E8%99%9F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=24.152224,120.648667&spn=0.013157,0.024784&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.495626,101.513672&t=h&hnear=407,+Taiwan,+%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%8F%B0%E4%B8%AD%E5%B8%82+Section+2,+T%C3%A1izh%C5%8Dngg%C7%8Eng+Rd,+%E9%81%94%E8%8A%99%E5%A6%AE&z=16&layer=c&cbll=24.152224,120.648667&panoid=Iof0ov8OXwOCdXexQDqUnA&cbp=12,78.28,0,0). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Buggy roasts for them, too, as it’s a similar dark roast. However, the shop is very nice. Lots of room and people working on laptops. I didn’t try their food or their brewed coffee. I may give that a try if I’m in the area again and needing something.
Forgot about this place, went there ages ago. All I remember is they had nice service. There is another cafe rather close (next block away from GongYi?). I think have a wide range of coffees. Tried it? Also there is Cafe Terry in that area.
BTW, The side bar of the link I posted (scroll down) has links to a load of cafes in TC.
Unfortunately, the Starbucks on Taichung Port Rd (newly renovated) has to be the best place to drink coffee and just read for as long as you want. All the other coffee shops are just to small and parochial. 
No, I haven’t tried any other cafes nearby. Are they any good?
I looked at all of those Taichung cafes listed in that link you posted. It’s a good place to start. Unfortunately, the person who maintains that blog seems to be more interested in coffee-shop design and food than in coffee. I can’t tell if coffee is good by looking at pictures, and I can’t read Chinese, so I don’t know his views on coffee or what he says about those places. At best, if you can’t get a sense of how committed they are to good coffee when walking into those places, just order a flavored latte. It shouldn’t be any worse than something from Starbucks or 85C. Just pick one that looks appealing or is close by and go for it…and post something in this thread for us English speakers. I’ll try to pick off one or two if I can as well.
I’ve already been to Forro, but their coffee is nothing special.
Rejoice! Dali finally has a decent coffee shop. Lao Ba is on GuoGuang Rd., near the intersection with DeFang Rd. It’s small and not as fancy as some of the ones in the city, but the brewed coffee I had today was good. The espresso wasn’t great–a bit dark–but it wasn’t as dreadful as some other places either. I don’t hold out much hope for their cappuccinos, but a flavored latte should be okay. I think brewed coffee (filter coffee) is probably their strength. They also sell coffee beans for those who just want to pick up a bag to brew at home.
They’re open 9AM to 8 PM, closed Mondays. They have waffles, toast, homemade cookies and cakes, and a couple pastas. Look for the coffee roaster out front. 226 GuoGuang Road, Section 2, Dali District.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=226+guoguang+road,+section+2,+taichung+city,+dali+district&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=24.105154,120.681156&spn=0.003496,0.006196&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.310476,101.513672&hnear=No.+2,+Lane+360,+Section+2,+Gu%C3%B3gu%C4%81ng+Rd,+Dali+District,+Taichung+City,+Taiwan+412&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=24.105251,120.681126&panoid=5F7VVJ0RzbVJGktqKGpO6g&cbp=12,65.19,0,0 (the street view picture was taken before the shop was open last year)
Just an update to my original post in this thread from way back in August, 2009 regarding Cafe Lulu:
The World Brewers Cup was held in Rimini, Italy along with the World Barista Championship. Yes, that’s right, competitions for making coffee and espresso. It may sound as strange as the Golden Spurtle, nevertheless the event exists. Cafe Lulu from here in Taichung placed 5th in the world. I’m not kidding when I say they have the best coffee in Taichung. Now we can say that Taichung has world-class coffee.
[quote=“SlowRain”]Just an update to my original post in this thread from way back in August, 2009 regarding Cafe Lulu:
The World Brewers Cup was held in Rimini, Italy along with the World Barista Championship. Yes, that’s right, competitions for making coffee and espresso. It may sound as strange as the Golden Spurtle, nevertheless the event exists. Cafe Lulu from here in Taichung placed 5th in the world. I’m not kidding when I say they have the best coffee in Taichung. Now we can say that Taichung has world-class coffee.
[/quote]
Thanks for the thumbs up on Lulu’s. That’s really impressive. Next time I am in Taichung I will definitely pop in for a cup. I am considering buying some beans from her and was hoping you could give me a recommendation. I must say her cheapest beans are twice what I usually pay for a half pound but at NT$400 they are still affordable. I have been buying from Original Coffee (厡物咖啡). I have gone through all of the cheaper beans and most of the mid priced beans that they sell and for the past 4 months settled on their Brazilian beans. They make a imo a really nice cup, but about a month ago the resultant cup of coffee lost its sweet note and became more sour. I tried everything I could on my end but I can only put it down to the beans because: 1. I grind to the same fineness everyday ( I dialled in the setting I liked on my Porlex a long time ago and haven’t changed it since) 2. I use the same water I have been for the last 18 months and 3. I even use a digital probe thermometer to make sure I use the same water temp everytime. After about a month of trying different water temps, a slightly finer grind etc and still not getting the results I used to, I asked at the shop. They said climate (weather changes) and farming practices will will alter the flavour of the beans. Is that correct? I don’t think they are as careful as someone like Lulu is about where they get there beans from. That maybe unfair on them. I don’t know, but I am guessing because they are a franchise (albeit a small one) and things tend to get sloppy when businesses are franchised out.
It’s difficult to say. Coffee is a seasonal crop. Many people don’t realize this. The coffee this year may not taste the same as the coffee from the exact same farm as last year. Coffee, at its peak, is best used up reasonably soon after harvest–the same way it’s best used up quite soon after roasting.
Weather patterns are changing, and, yes, weather affects the flavor of beans–both temperature and rainfall. Some of this can be mitigated by altering the way you roast the beans, but no roaster, no matter how great they are, can get a certain flavor out of the beans if nature–through cultivar/variety, soil, and weather–didn’t put it in there to begin with.
Coffee prices have gone up since I first got into it. Taichung is cheaper than Taipei, but the minimum for decent coffee here starts at ~NT$250/0.5lb. I imagine NT$300 is where it starts to get better. Cafe Lulu usually only has higher quality beans. They bid on online auctions and also do their own importing, so they usually carry some of the top coffees in the world. To be honest, I don’t buy their top-end beans. I usually get my beans from a coffee shop that buys from Cafe Lulu, but he’s closer to where I work, so it’s more convenient for me. (BTW, I buy green beans and roast them myself.)
I can’t comment too much on the sourness problem you’re having. If grinding finer and raising the temperature didn’t do it, you may want to try a different bean. People have different tastes. I don’t mind a bit of sourness, as that’s where the fruitiness is, but I don’t like it too sour. Right now, countries like Norway and certain roasters in the US and UK are roasting very light, to the point that their coffee has been called Third Wave Orange Juice. That’s not my thing. I’m somewhere in the middle.
I don’t know which beans to suggest. If you can wait, I may be going to Cafe Lulu at the end of June or beginning of July for the launch of the Orphan Espresso Lido 2 hand grinder. I can sample whatever they have and see if I can find something you may like. How would you describe the coffees you enjoy? What method(s) are you using for brewing?
Thanks for that info. It makes sense. No wonder that perfect cup of coffee is so elusive and then when you find it, so fleeting. With all those variables, consistency must be very difficult to achieve.
You roast your own. You are much farther down the road than I am. I have considered it, but I don’t have the space or the time right now to get into that. But it must give you much more control over the end cup. When I first started buying from Original Coffee, I thought their roasting was inconsistent but I must admit that, recently, I have been quite satisfied with it.
[quote=“SlowRain”]
I don’t know which beans to suggest. If you can wait, I may be going to Cafe Lulu at the end of June or beginning of July for the launch of the Orphan Espresso Lido 2 hand grinder. I can sample whatever they have and see if I can find something you may like. How would you describe the coffees you enjoy? What method(s) are you using for brewing?[/quote]
Well, I am in no rush and was considering ordering their Uganda AA this week for no particular reason other than I haven’t tried it before and it is more expensive than the variety I have been buying. In fact, they have quite an extensive list and I have only tried about 6 or 7 of their varieties so I have a lot to try. So I’ll take you up on your offer and wait for a recommendation after your visit to Lulu.
How would I describe the coffees I enjoy? Oh, I am not very good at this terminology and still consider myself a very green novice but I will try. I like a full bodied coffee, I don’t shy from bitter, but I am not too fond of acidic tastes, sweet (can coffee be sweet? I swear I have have had coffee that tasted sweet and I never put any sugar in mine) and a long lingering aftertaste that stays with me for the rest of the morning. As far as brewing methods go, I only really use pour over and every once in while a moka pot.
Many thanks for your response Slowrain.
All the best,
bigsyd
You’re most welcome. There are a number of Taiwanese who are into coffee, but, surprisingly, not many foreigners. I’m glad to have the opportunity to talk about it with someone.
Yes, home roasting gives you more control if you know what you’re doing. I’m still figuring it out, so I have to drink a lot of mistakes. I find it more challenging than making espresso.
I’ll keep your preferences in mind. I may not be able to go depending on what day they choose for their get-together.
[quote=“SlowRain”]You’re most welcome. There are a number of Taiwanese who are into coffee, but, surprisingly, not many foreigners. I’m glad to have the opportunity to talk about it with someone.
Yes, home roasting gives you more control if you know what you’re doing. I’m still figuring it out, so I have to drink a lot of mistakes. I find it more challenging than making espresso.
I’ll keep your preferences in mind. I may not be able to go depending on what day they choose for their get-together.[/quote]
I think there’s a lot of us who enjoy good coffee or coffee shops but we are not connoisseurs. I’m more interested in tea personally and I also find the lack of people interested in tea a bit perplexing. You’d think some foreigners would have gotten into growing and roasting their own tea. But there you go, I haven’t got round to it either 
.
The point I’m making is that coffee is a significant part of Western culture, yet foreigners in Taiwan don’t really take advantage of the surprisingly strong coffee culture here. I’m not at all surprised that foreigners haven’t started growing tea, what with the investment that would require.
As to a lot of foreigners “who enjoy good coffee”, just take a look at the coffee recommendations mentioned here on Forumosa. People recommend Mr Brown, Cama, 85°C, Barista, 7-11 etc. How many actual good shops get mentioned? That’s what I find surprising.
I think that it may be the profile of the posters here, either young single and short term or (slightly) older married crusties like me in the main. They don’t have the time , money or interest. Speaking for myself I only got into drinking coffee in Taiwan after a few years here , I also brew my own but with fresh ground beans from a roaster in Taichung. I also get takeaway from chains like cama or independent coffee shops but will stoop to 7-11 and 85c as per necessary. I find it time consuming and expensive to sit down in a more up market coffee shop and my kids are NOT welcome. Problem.
As for tea, tea is all around us but many people don’t get into it either. Tea is becoming real popular overseas now too. I think a lot of folks don’t get into tea because its a bit expensive for the good stuff and they don’t travel outside Taipei much. The problem with tea (and most stuff made in Taiwan) is they mix it with cheaper imports from china, Vietnam etc and try to pass it off as 100% Taiwanese . The really pisses me off.
I agree with a lot of what you say in that post, with the exception of “young and single”. That’s exactly the prime coffee group in Western countries. I’m guessing there’s something about either expats in Taiwan or members on Forumosa that make them statistically less likely to seek out better coffee, but damned if I know what it is. Still, it’s nice to run across them when I do.
As for tea, well, I prefer coffee to tea the same way I prefer rum to whisk(e)y–but I like them all.
There’s just not that many expats and those that are here don’t earn a whole lot of moolah. Many teachers come and go and are not here to drink expensive coffee or get into local culture. Most people here are overworked if they are doing a 9-5 (or should it be 9-9). Time deficit. I’ve had a lot of free time for a few years , Taichung is dead during the day and comes Alive at night. Pretty interesting how that works.
Well, Taiwan is known in Asia as being a coffee destination, but even then most Asians are just visiting. We need more international types here!
I understand not wanting to get into espresso or home roasting as an expat, but I disagree that money is holding back any foreigner here from buying a decent grinder and an AeroPress, pour-over cone, or French press. There seems to be money aplenty, and I think a lot have a coffee maker of some kind anyway. You’re right that there’s little time to go to coffee shops during the week, and coffee in coffee shops is expensive, however you naturally ask around, share information, and seek out better everything in general as part of the life experience. You learn where the good coffee is and buy your beans there to brew at home even if you don’t sit down and drink a cup there in the coffee shop very often. It’s more or less what’s happening back home and with local Taiwanese, just not with the expats so much.
bigsyd, that meet-and-greet with Orphan Espresso regarding the Lido 2 isn’t going to happen, so it looks like I won’t be heading to Cafe Lulu anytime soon. I would suggest contacting Lulu and letting her know your coffee preferences and see what she recommends. Or else go there in person next time you’re in Taichung.