If you live long enough in Taiwan you will lose touch of a few things that, back home, you would have held clutched in your hands close to your heart.
Apple pie à la Mode. This was my great joy back home and when I moved to Taiwan it slipped from my hands and my mind due to the horrible remakes that is exist there. Mom's Pies came close, but it was more of a harebrained sequel to a fantastic movie. My Mom baked the best apple pies. The recipe was passed down to my Mom from my Great-Grandmother with amazing success. Large chunks of hot apple and a flaky crust and Mapleview ice cream on top. Thinking about it makes me salivate.
As my good friend Jessie once said: "This engine runs on pie."
After a few months of living in Taipei I lost hope and gave up the search for a good piece of pie in Taipei. Two weeks ago, a year and a half into my stay here in Taiwan, I stumbled upon Càfe Junkies. That was the day good pie, real pie, came back into my life.
Directions: Take the Green Line to Taipei Arena Station.
The address is:
No. 9, Jiankang Rd, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105
Càfe Junkies is a spacious càfe with toys, merchandise, and reading material everywhere. The sound system is great and the baristas have good taste in music and a subscription to Spotify Pro, so no pesky ads.
The vibe is fantastic for working hard on something that you don't want to work hard on. There are two bars by large windows that let in a splendid amount of natural light. Small tables with childrens chairs and large tables with bit adult chairs ensure a seat no matter what your age. Càfe Junkies is populated with many nick-nacks giving patrons something to look at or play with if they forgot their laptop or cellphone. If you did bring your laptop or cellphone the wi-fi password is: massachusetts. There are tables in the back that are watched over by the Càfe Junkies mascot, a bear head, great for study groups or business meetings.
The càfe itself serves great coffee. The baristas know how the steam milk and know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino.
They have great bagels that are a faithful adaptation to the great New York bagels I have had only once in my life, so I never really missed them.
After ordering a bagel and an americano I sat down at the bar, an Irishman was working on something or other beside me. Enter the pie. He took one bite and turned to me. "Pie," he said happily, "Real pie!"
I took one look at it and went back to the counter and ordered a piece.
It was good. It was real pie à la mode, and just because they can the folks at Càfe Junkies place a toasted marshmallow on top. In Taipei, at Càfe Junkies, pie is back in a big way.
