Taipei II

November 10-12, 2025

   

The second half of our time in Taiwan didn't go quite to plan. Our intended outdoorsy excursions were washed away, and then I had a health issue that limited my mobility and eating. (Happily, I received timely and affordable medical care!) Here are some fun foods that fit into our plan Bs and Cs.

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After our cycling tour was cancelled, we roamed the Songshan District for a late breakfast and found Miss Qin's Soy Milk. This breakfast restaurant had English menus available at the counter, a bustling takeaway service, and simple seating for those of us seeking to stay a while. I've never been an enthusiastic soymilk drinker, but in Taipei I felt ready to give it a proper try. We ordered a sesame and an almond soy milk (TW$50 ~ AU$2), which were a fun, sweet way in. Michael also grabbed a pancake with fried bread/doughnut and egg (TW$60 ~ AU$3), recalling the jianbing we were so fond of in China.

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Our accommodation was close to the Main train station, and often the easiest way to make our way out of it was via the QSquare shopping centre. The Happy Cow app helpfully brought to our attention that Minder Vegetarian sat within its food court. It's another pay-by-weight spot, more compact than Three To, while still managing to fit in numerous vegetables, mock meats and fried treats. We had a convenient and tasty lunch for two sorted for TW$300 (~ AU$14).

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Little Tree Food is another vegetarian food court option, worth making a purposeful trip to Diamond Towers for dinner. I was mostly drawn to them for the fresh vegetables, and they had a really nice way with them. We started with Mexican grilled corn (TW$240 ~ AU$11), lightly buttered and dusted with parmesan, chilli, Sichuan pepper and lemon. The avocado macro bowl (TW$420 ~ AU$19) provided exactly the greenery I needed, with delicate zucchini ribbons nestled among micro greens, edamame and avocado. Some quinoa, a really tasty green fried rice, and flavoured chickpeas formed a lower, more filling, layer. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese puttanesca pasta (TW$420 ~ AU$19) took Michael by surprise - here, the usual spaghetti and tomato were teamed with pickled melon, preserved plum, sour long beans and Thai basil.

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Fu Hang Soy Milk is a well-known spot for breakfast in Taipei, and our accommodation offered pre-orders for delivery to reception each morning - no need to queue! For TW$350 (~AU$16), we sampled a sweet soy milk, a savoury soy milk, a thick omelette with fried dough and a savoury rice ball. Our Miss Qin experience had us well-primed for the sweet soy milk, and the omelette/doughnut combo was puffier than the similar rolls we've eaten before, a much higher ratio of bread to egg. The firmly-packed savoury rice ball was a hearty and well-seasoned combination of rice and egg with pork floss in the centre (whoops). Most novel for us was the savoury soy milk. The use of vinegar causes slight curdling, and there were generous hunks of doughnut included. It's not pretty, but it is salty, savoury and comforting - a bit challenging for me at breakfast time though I reckon I'd enjoy it for lunch.

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I needed to rest for most of our last full day in Taipei, but in the afternoon I worked up the strength to revisit Dihua Street. I browsed Yong Le Fabric Market and picked myself a souvenir, then met Michael at MISS SHIBA Cafe, named after the darling dog that lives there. Lucky for me, they specialised in shaved ice desserts, something that felt safe for my digestion! The lightest option with a mandarin orange theme (TW$190 ~ AU$9) was a winner - a huge, carefully constructed mound of shaved ice soaked with black tea syrup and mandarin juice, topped with mandarin segments and a garnishing squirt of cream. Beneath was a heart of konjac jelly and mandarin. We gradually figured out how to angle our way into a food that ballooned out of its serving dish, and I didn't feel any envy over the richer dishes that others were ordering. The cafe was cute, cosy and quiet, an ideal spot to take it easy.

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Since our time in Taipei trailed off a bit, we're left with a sense of all the things we'd like to return and try in future. I hope there's a second chance to visit ahead for us, so that we can appreciate Taiwan more fully.

Taipei

November 8-9, 2025

   

Following Naha, Okinawa, Michael and I visited Taipei, Taiwan. While we were initially a little overwhelmed by the public transport and dense city, we rapidly came to appreciate its unique style, with trees tucked into the unlikeliest places. Taiwan has a rich seam of veg*n food, accessible through just a bit of online research. Here's how we got started.

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We arrived to Taipei in time for a late lunch; Michael led me a short walk from our hotel to Three To Vegetarian Restaurant, a casual corner spot with signs reading 'Sun Like Healthy vegetarian' in English. The huge pay-by-weight buffet of vegetarian dishes is visible from the street, and a kind staff member had enough English to invite us in and get us started, all while serving others rice, weighing their food and settling their bills. The buffet runs to several dozen dishes: vegetables, tofu and mock meats; some lightly treated and others battered and fried, or smothered in sauce. Our hearty meal for two came to around TW$370 (AU$18) and had us excited for all the eating to come.

   

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We sought out an early dinner at Ningxia Night Market, hoping to get our fill before it got seriously crowded. Again, Michael had done his research, and knew a few veg-friendly stalls that were worth tracking down. I loved the Yammy Peanut Ice Cream Roll (TW$60 ~ AU$3), watching the vendor expertly lay out a thin pancake (which I believe is rice-based and gluten-free), grate copious peanut brittle shavings from a huge block, top with two small scoops of vegan ice cream, then garnish with chopped coriander leaves before tidily wrapping it all up. Sweet, bright and refreshing, with just a bit of chew.

   

Michael focused on the salted egg-flavoured scallion pancake (TW$65 ~ AU$3), which was oily and generously glazed with spicy condiments. We finished up in a little seated spot, where two friendly young men served us a generous bowl of strawberry mochi ice (TW$75 ~ AU$3.50). The textures changed as we worked through it, the mochi initially soft and warm then getting more chewy as the shaved ice cooled them. Jammy strawberries, condensed milk and peanut powder completed the sundae experience. From there we were satisfied to sneak down the side of the market and watch others crowd in, some forming long queues down the street for the more famous stands.

   

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Perhaps the most anticipated meal of our time in Taipei was our dim-sum booking at Yang Shin Vegetarian Restaurant; it came recommended by a Taiwanese former colleague of mine. The restaurant is large, a little fancy and very orderly while maintaining that dim-sum buzz. The extensive menu included pictures and English labels, we ordered dishes at our own pace online, and we were entertained by the cat-faced robot that brought select dishes out from the kitchen.

To our taste, every dish was executed flawlessly. Moving top-to-bottom, left-to-right: the shao mai (TW$148 ~ AU$7) were labelled a signature dish and I was impressed by the mock ground pork and the accompanying mustard condiment, which we held onto for dipping the mustard green pancakes (TW$138 ~ AU$6.50). We had to try the stinky tofu wrapped in bean curd sheets (TW$320 ~ AU$15) and found its pungency to be subtle, like a whiff of blue cheese. The rice noodle roll with bread stick (TW$128 ~ AU$6) was carb-on-carb perfection. 

   

The deep-fried radish cocoon pastries (TW$138 ~ AU$6.50) shattered in the most pleasing way; xiao long bao (TW$148 ~ AU$7) weren't as soupy as we expected but included more tasty ground mock pork. The pork theme continued with Cantonese BBQ char siu bao (TW$118 ~ AU$5.50).

   

For dessert, we shared a lovely, varied bowl of tofu pudding, tapioca pearls, a dainty scoop of bean or taro paste, and brown sugar syrup (TW$118 ~ AU$5.50). Then there were some truly memorable deep-fried sesame balls (TW$118 ~ AU$5.50), with crisp golden sesame shells concealing soft, warm and sweet rice dough with a rich, molten black sesame centre.

We were full, we were so satisfied, and we were well fuelled to wander the Zhongzheng District for the afternoon.

Naha, Okinawa

November 4-7, 2025

   

After a wonderful visit with Matt and his wife, Michael and I moved on to Naha, Okinawa. This was a fascinating place, popular with Japanese tourists, and rich with its own distinct cultural traditions that draw from its Pacific geography and coral reefs, and centuries of trade with Japan, China, and Korea. We bounced between seeking veg-friendly foods from general vendors (soba, Nepalese, convenience stores and museum cafes) and visiting veg-specific venues. Here are a few highlights.

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We fell upon Mana with relief and delight after a string of improvised meals - each day they offer one vegan meal set, with an emphasis on local and organic ingredients, for ¥1500 ~ AU$14. We were blessed with a bowl of silky pumpkin soup, brown rice, a generous tumble of teriyaki soy meat, tempura shiso leaf, quinoa with green papaya, stir-fried bamboo and burdock (a new fave!), mustard greens and loofah in miso and vinegar, pickled rosella and green papaya, and a fresh wedge of dragonfruit to finish. The cafe was quiet, calm and spacious; everything we needed.

   

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Kuninda sat oddly on a street full of plastic souvenirs and gimmicky foods - it's a starkly modern, high-end restaurant that celebrates local Ryukyu cuisine. While omnivorous eaters a treated to a multi-stage banquet for dinner (and we observed our fellow diners' dishes with interest), veg*ns receive the same multi-dish plate that they would if attending for lunch (¥3500 ~ AU$34). It's still a very special experience with carefully composed local flavours.

We began with a small sample of Ryukyu moromi vinegar, a fermented by-product of the manufacture of awamori, a local spirit distilled from rice. (Among their non-alcoholic drinks was Shikuwasa juice, a native citrus, that I enjoyed very much.) The main plate was a beautiful selection not best photographed in the restaurant lighting: miso soup and rice, jimami tofu (made entirely of peanuts and not soy! has a more elastic texture and is lightly dressed in sweet soy), nigana (a green leafy vegetable) dressed with tofu and sesame (a familiar preparation style from Idées), deep-fried taro (a local staple), tempura vegetables, pickled vegetables including bitter gourd (another local staple), tofu sauteed with carrots, and a special salt-based seasoning. The meal concluded with a small taste of zenzai, sweetened red beans simmered in Okinawan brown sugar and salt, accompanied by jasmine tea.

The meal was very memorable and the service was flawless - the only shame was that, having been served most of it all at once, it was over too quickly.

   

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Our time in Okinawa was brief and, unluckily for us, was mostly spread across the weeknights that smaller venues aren't open. We were able to try Tamatebako for our last dinner - it's a small, densely-packed vegan ramen bar run by two jovial young men. More notable than the ramen was the array of local delicacies were tried there: more jimami/peanut tofu (¥700 ~ AU$7, above), a small cube of richly-textured and fermented tofuyo (¥700 ~ AU$7, below), and a bowl of sea grapes (¥600 ~ AU$6, below).

   

Michael had plenty of appetite to work through their coconut curry laksa (¥1400 ~ AU$13, below right), while I more slowly picked through a bowl of ma jiang mian (¥1400 ~ AU$13, below left), noodles in sesame paste topped with a welcome medley of tofu and fresh vegetables, and fine threads of chilli. The homemade ginger syrup (¥700 ~ AU$7, background) was much more ginger than syrup, and I nursed it across the entire meal. Michael finished with a taste of the awamori spirit on ice, of which they offered many varieties. We were glad to have such a cosy, distinctly Okinawan experience on our last night on the island.

   

Idées Kamakura

November 2, 2025  

   

In November, Michael and I made a long-overdue visit to Japan, where Michael's brother Matt has lived for almost two decades. It was fantastic to experience the neighbourhood where Matt and his wife live, including a couple of local restaurants, their community garden plot, a cultural festival, a short hike to a lookout for a picnic, and a sculpture garden. Matt also arranged for Michael and I to attend a vegan Japanese cooking class via Idées Kamakura. The class is hosted by 94-year-old Miyo sensei in her own home, and translated warmly into English by her daughter Naoko.

 

Once we were through introductions, Miyo sensei set us to work with chopping. They had cute little flower-shaped cutters for the carrots, which then went into a pot of kombu kelp dashi stock and sake, along with taro and pumpkin pieces, to simply simmer in the flavour.

Michael and I got to know gobo (also known as burdock in English), a long thin root vegetable with an earthy flavour. We kept the pieces submerged in cold water as we worked, and cut carrot into similarly small bite-sized lengths.

   

Naoko guided us through a tasting of different miso pastes, each with a unique origin, ratio of ingredients, and flavour profile. The Hatcho miso was dark, long-fermented and strongly flavoured, reminding me of Vegemite. Mugi barley miso was the lightest coloured option, with a gentle pungency that reminded me of blue cheese. My favourite was a bright, salty, golden-coloured and grainy textured miso. It was labelled 'miso zwate' but I haven't been able to find this description online since.

This now-mysterious miso was used in a dressing, ground together walnuts, mirin and sugar in my preferred ratio. In a second dressing, Naoko had me use soy sauce instead of miso. For a third dressing, I ground umeboshi (salted plum) with mirin and agave for a sweet and sour effect. We ultimately spooned a little of each into separate bowls of lightly steamed broccoli to appreciate their distinct flavours and textures.

   

The burdock and similarly-sliced carrots were stir-fried until tender and flavoured with sesame oil, sake, sugar and soy sauce. Miyo sensei got them started, then Michael and I took our turns tossing them around.

   

In parallel, Miyo sensei showed me how to grind roasted sesame seeds with suribachi and surikogi (traiditonal Japanese mortar and pestle), then mix in silken tofu. This mixture did double duty. First, it was seasoned with sugar, salt and soy sauce, and mixed with finely chopped vegetables to form a small, cool, salad side dish. Second, it was used to stuff potato starch-dusted mushroom caps as a 'mock abalone'; these were fried on both sides and brushed with teriyaki sauce.

I had whisked up the teriyaki sauce to taste (soy sauce, mirin and sugar). It was used primarily to flavour squares of pressed tofu that had been dusted with potato starch and fried until just golden. The tofu and mushroom caps are plated together, below.

   

Somehow (through Miyo's more than our efforts) a banquet was created! Steamed green beans and mushrooms appeared to accompany the simmered vegetables. Edamame were cooked into the rice in a large rice cooker, then moulded into a thick arc shape. There were pickled vegetables and huge, slightly sweet hana-mame beans, plus a beautiful tofu noodle soup.

   

It was a beautiful, expansive meal that I savoured slowly. Naoko spoke to us about the philosophy of Nihon Ryori (Japanese cuisine): five tastes, colours and methods. The aim is to capture a variety across the meal: sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter, pale/natural, umami; black, white, red, yellow, green; simmering; pan-frying, deep frying, stir frying, steaming, pickling, dressing, soup, rice, sweet.

To properly tick off that last category, there was still a little more to come.

   

Miyo sensei kneaded a dense dough of shiratamako (refined glutinous rice powder) and water, and we all gathered around to form small dumplings and drop them into boiling water. They only took a minute to cook! We ate them for dessert with unflavoured kanten (agar agar jelly cubes), sweet azuki beans, and black sugar syrup. After taking the below photo, I also sprinkled over some kinako (soybean powder).

   

It was such an honour to learn from Miyo sensei and Naoko in their home! They welcomed us with warmth and immense generosity, we deeply enjoyed the food that we shared, and we've started replicating a couple of these techniques at home.

Cumbé

October 24, 2025

   

The bright orange panels at Cumbé caught my eye on Sydney Rd before they'd even opened, and I was excited to see that this would be another sandwich shop. (It's a trend I'm firmly in favour of.) More specifically, Cumbé is focused on Mexican tortas, offering a compact list of tortas/bowls alongside pies and sausage rolls. There's a lot of pork going on but also one vegetarian option in each category - a pie of roast pumpkin and lentils ($10) and chilaquiles con huevo ($16 as torta/$15 as bowl). 

Michael and I snuck in for a work-from-home day lunch and both sampled the torta. It is immense, and immensely messy! A long roll barely containing a mostly-gooey cacophony of fried egg, ricotta-like cheese, black beans, corn chips, spicy pickled onions, coriander and fresh chilli. I enjoyed the ride but got off early; Michael saw through his and the rest of mine. This situation clearly isn't built for vegans and I'm not sure that I'm built for it. I bet Michael will be back for another round, though.

   

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Cumbé

551 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

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Accessibility: Cumbé has a flat entry to a low counter. There's a mix of high benches with backless stools by the window, and regular height tables with backless stools and bench seats. We ordered and paid at the low counter, and received food at our table. We didn't visit the toilets.