Late-Night Coffee Oases: Taipei's Cozy Café Culture at Its Best

TEXT　Ray Hecht

PHOTOS　Chen Cheng-Kuo

Take a stroll through almost any neighborhood in Taipei and you're sure to see a variety of independent cafés. Unlike the ubiquitous branches of chain operations like Starbucks and Louisa, these destinations each express their own unique style, often featuring music and art in addition to quality caffeinated drinks. The city provides many choices for places to hang out and socialize, including the two late-night java joints introduced below.

Remember Me

This enterprise is located in the heart of Songshan District. A short walk from MRT Taipei Arena Station (Exit 5), it has a rustic atmosphere with exposed-brick walls hung with artwork along with candid Polaroid photos. Submissions are welcome, encouraging patrons to make use of the exhibition space to express themselves. The wooden tables, which look like old school desks, are a clever aesthetic choice. Some have a drawer containing pencils and sketchpads filled with drawings by customers.

This is an intimate place with seating for 30 to 40 people, including outdoor seats at the entrance. Live music is hosted every night, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, but since space is limited, don't expect large bands. Feel free to tip the artists, and apply if you want to perform yourself. The café is open late on most nights, until 2:00am.

Opened nine years ago by Ray Fu, it is named after the 2010 Robert Pattinson film Remember Me. The owner wanted to create a space with an air of nostalgia. Hot drinks with milk come served with a small note each, bringing back memories of passing notes in school when we were young. It's a cute gimmick and makes for a nice conversation starter during a date. My note said, in English, "Life is full of impossible situations, but it's up to us to make every situation possible.

Besides coffees and other hot drinks, the menu also includes beers and ciders, as well as light meals and desserts. The Fig Jam Coffee is particularly recommended. It has a strong green tea note with lemon juice, fig jam, and pineapple sauce, garnished with a dried pineapple slice. The Remember Me Coffee is the café's namesake drink, made in collaboration with the well-known local sweets shop Chocoholic, and contains chocolate sauce with a hint of hazelnut. Stir it well and enjoy; it even comes with a Ferrero Rocher treat. The Tiramisu, one of the signature desserts, is very rich and creamy.

Savory options are also served, such as the usual sides of French fries and other snacks, as well as rice dishes, pasta, and salads. The main-dish menu is eclectic, including such international-cuisine creations as the enjoyable fried fish with Thai sweet chili sauce salad. There's much to choose from, and customers are sure to find something they like.

Remember Me 記得我

🚩16, Aly. 4, Ln. 133, Sec. 4, Nanjing E. Rd., Songshan Dist.

📞(02) 2547-1517

🔗facebook.com/remembermecafe

🕝Tue-Sat 12pm-2am, Sun-Mon 12pm-10pm

YABOO

This café is something of a hidden gem. Located near Daan District's bustling Yongkang Street area– well known for restaurants and boutiques – it is a bit off the beaten path. One must have precise directions to find this inconspicuous place with a rather small sign. The nearest metro station is Dongmen Station (Exit 5).

A spacious spot with plenty of seating, including a basement floor for extra room, YABOO has a distinct rock-and-roll ambiance. Colorful music festival posters adorn the walls, and tattooed baristas work behind the counter. The customer base is hip and young. Expect to hear indie rock music playing in the background. There are also shelves filled with books to browse and an outdoor patio in the front area.

A family operation, YABOO was founded by sisters Emily and Tina Tsai in 2010. The name came from an inside joke among the sisters. "Yaboo" was a term they liked to use with each other because it sounded like "y'know."

Many kinds of typical coffee beverages are on offer, such as cappuccinos, served with intricate flower designs drawn on the foam. A vegan milk substitute is available for customers with dietary restrictions. For fans of chocolate, high-end Valrhona brand chocolate is used in a variety of mixed drinks. Available flavors are strawberry, banana, hazelnut, and toffee.

If you're looking for a twist, numerous other drinks also include spirits, such as a café latte made with Baileys liqueur. The menu has an entire section of milk teas made with Kahlúa, rum, and more. These drinks combine the relaxing social lubricant of alcohol with a caffeinated kick.

The food menu, though not particularly extensive, contains dishes both flavorsome and filling such as pastas and panini sandwiches. There are also seasonal desserts available, with the offering at the time of writing being matcha cheesecake, a very Taiwanese kind of fusion creation that fits well in a Taipei café.

YABOO is open daily until midnight. In addition, a second location was opened nearby, YABOO II, a good alternative if the first outlet should get too crowded. However, note that the newer place is smaller with more limited hours. No matter which you choose, YABOO makes for a nice example of the charm that central Taipei's cafés have to offer.

YABOO 鴉埠咖啡

🚩26, Ln. 41, Yongkang St., Daan Dist.

📞(02) 2391-2868

🔗facebook.com/yaboo.lalala

🕝Mon-Fri 12pm-12am, Sat-Sun 11am-12am

🍷Please drink responsibly.