Come to Yuan-Ding! (class B; EPC101; DIEGO)

Have you ever dreamed to have a meal full of Mediterranean flavor in northern Taiwan? Probably not, right? But at Yuan-Ding (which means round-shaped roof in Chinese) Café, it is no longer a unreachable daydream. Located at Pei-Ning Road, Keelung, about 200 meters from National Taiwan Ocean University, this Café is easy to find. You can go there by bus 103 and 104 or by taxi, of course, as you please. After your “landing” at the NTOU stop and walking for a while, you can see a sign which tells you that just above several steps of a stone stair is the Café you’re looking for.

Okay, now that you’re in the Café, and which kind of coffee would you like to order? Cappuccino or Latte? If you merely order them, it would be a shame. This Café offers not only beverages but some meals like chicken sprayed with black pepper and sauce beef. But I have to warn you that if you’re not a “spice container”, I suggest you think twice before ordering the “Sha-tsha pork”. Because, I think they add too much spices to this dish. Except that, every dish is wonderful. Especially the fried chicken there is indescribably tasty. The expense isn’t high; it just costs around 100 to 200 NT dollars for each meal. However, if you (or your friends) want to have a private “dining room”, you can also pay least 2000 NT dollars to ask the waitresses to open a room for you with cozy sofa and great views. And, by the way, the waitresses there are really cute and nice. Though the meal may not be that “Mediterranean”, the spectacular scenery you see when you look throughout the glass-made doors will never let you down. Because of the fact that the weather in Keelung is similar to that in the Mediterranean area, you’re going to be enjoying the cheerful sunshine in summer and the poetic drizzles in winter there. Whenever you visit it, you can have different feelings at different timing. You may feel unexplainably happy when the sun is just hanging at the middle of the sky but intensively sentimental as the golden plate is half-drowned by the Pacific Ocean.
As for my own opinion, I would like to recommend you go there around 7 to 9 o’ clock in evening when the lamp light of Jioufen is most blinking. Besides, if you’re tired of the wind from the air condition inside, you can walk out, letting soft breeze from the sea soothe your heart. Then, you’ll find that you’ve never been as this tranquil as a waveless lake. And, it’s the feature of the local culture, I think, the mixture of exotic buildings and the unique history of that place. Especially when you sit on the modern sofa and look at those twinkling lamps in Jioufen, you’ll definitely be stunned and amazed at what you see: the sparkling lights make it look just like the land covered by gold as it used to be, exactly revealing the unique history aforementioned, as if you were towed back to 70 years ago when this country was still ruled by Japanese governors.
Afterwards, I guess your stomach is filled with foods and drinks, and probably want to take a stroll so as to make your digestion smoother. That’s okay! Just cross the Pei-Nin Road, there’s a park to satisfy your need. If you, ladies and gentlemen, are rich enough, getting on board of a touring boat should be an alternative on your list. (Of course, that’s open only in the day time.) Then, when you’re exhausted due to your all-day touring schedule, going back to Yuan-Ding to have a cup of coffee is definitely the best choice to make a perfect ending for the day.
All in all, if you’re eager to find out something different or want to taste some historical flavorand take in the Mediterranean-like Café simultaneously, come to Yuan-Ding! You’re going to get experience more fantastic than you expected.