One of the most popular keywords when you google "Things to do in Taiwan" is its themed restaurants. Taiwan has a lot of quirky restaurants that is very popular for tourists such as the hospital , ninja, A380 airplane , classroom, Barbie, Hello Kitty and Toilet themed restaurants. We managed to visit the latter 3 and I'll be sharing here my reviews and tips for those who want to make their visit in Taiwan unique.
1. Barbie Restaurant When I was a child, I remember collecting Barbie dolls and all accessories related to Barbie--clothes, shoes, make up, bag, even her child Kelly and her sweetheart, Ken. So when we visited Taiwan, we made sure to try Barbie Cafe.
How to get there?
Address: 2F, 128, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City (Across Zhongsiao/Fushing Sogo department store B1). To go there via MRT, go down at Zhongxiao Fu Xing station and Exit at # 2. It is open from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm everyday.
The interior is very girly! Full of glitters, pink stuff, ruffles, and crystals. It's like a real Barbie house or should I say Cafe! haha :) The ambiance is great and also the staff; however, we encountered a translation problem when we got there which eventually led us to leave the place.
Since we already ate our lunch and were quite full from all the street food we ate, we decided to try just Barbie's dessert and coffee. We were about to order until the waitress told us that we need to pay minimum of NT 300 PER PERSON! That's a whopping Php 450 each!!! We browsed their menu and found out that most of their set menus are priced between 250 to 500 pesos and their dishes are quite heavy too so as politely and quietly as possible, we decided to EAT AND RUN haha.
2. Hello Kitty Cafe
After the humiliating incident in Barbie Restaurant, we already knew what to expect in themed restaurants. We then went to Hello Kitty Restaurant (walking distance from Barbie Cafe) to finally try the food since we were already hungry and tired from walking.
How to get there?
Address: No 90, Section 1 Daan Road Daan District, Taipei. Take the MRT and exit at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station.
At least in Hello Kitty restaurant, customers are informed about the minimum payment of NT 300 per person plus 10% service charge so no surprises!
The interior is surprisingly tolerable compared to Barbie Cafe. Although I hate Hello Kitty (I like Badbadzmaru haha), the decor inside is full of pastel colored couches, tables, and Kitty Bows (even inside the toilet!). Food is more on desserts and milk shakes and ranges from NT 350 and up or Php 525.
We ordered a set menu of one dessert with one drink included plus one free Hello Kitty jello. I forgot how much exactly we paid per meal but total of our expense for this food trip was NT 715 for both of us.
Nothing spectacular with their food. Cakes taste bland and are dry. Drinks are so-so too. I think the only dessert I liked was the tiramisu and that's about it. Seems like you pay for the brand and the food's cuteness and not the taste and quality. So sad because we wasted money and calories eating those sweets.
Nothing spectacular with their food. Cakes taste bland and are dry. Drinks are so-so too. I think the only dessert I liked was the tiramisu and that's about it. Seems like you pay for the brand and the food's cuteness and not the taste and quality. So sad because we wasted money and calories eating those sweets.
3. Modern Toilet Restaurant
Finally for dinner, we went to the Modern Toilet Restaurant. This is the most popular themed restaurant in Taiwan because of its unique proposition--poo on your food. Well, not literally but we all know that poo and toilet stuff is taboo on the dining area. We were raised by our parents not to talk about gross things while eating and yet this restaurant broke the idea and placed poo and toilet literally on the food.
How to get there?
Going to Modern Toilet is easy. Via MRT, go to Ximen Station and then Exit at #6. Turn right after the MRT exit and just go straight. You will see the "central" of Ximen (see photo above) and just go straight. Once you see the Starbucks and underneath it is a 7-11 shop, turn left and just go straight.
Address: 2F., No.7, Lane 50, Sining S. Rd., Wanhua District, Taipei City
As you have guessed, the interior of the restaurant is full of...toilet bowls, bath tub, and poo all over. The interior is not that gross when you're there--promise it won't make you throw up because the ambiance was executed like an art or pop culture and not something else haha.
For Modern Toilet's food, just like the other themed restaurants it's nothing special. To be honest it's not even average :O We spent NT 520 total for the experience and photo documentation but that's it. I also learned from other blogs that food for themed restos are really bad. Tourists usually visit these places for fun and experience but if you're a food junkie, I don't recommend any of the themed restos we visited. Modern Toilet also requires guests to pay around NT 90 minimum per person. At least, cheaper than the others.
Modern Toilet Chicken Curry Set Meal (including soup, rice, cold tea and ice cream) NT 230
Disclaimer: This is an old post from my Blogspot account dated December 26, 2013.
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