Taiwanese brunch café in Tainan: Multi-layered Italian-style scrambled eggs vs. velvety Japanese-style omelette

Text/Photos byAhmon

This time, I came to Tainan not only to enjoy great accommodation but also to have amazing food. Normally, I don’t eat breakfast when working, but since I’m on vacation and relaxing in Tainan, going out for a bowl of beef soup or having brunch is a great idea. This time, because the homestay I stayed at has a partnership with Café Isshi Ni, we decided to have breakfast at the café in the morning. Café Isshi Ni is only about a 5-minute drive from the homestay, which is quite close, and there’s a small parking space for motorcycles right at the entrance.

If it weren’t for the homestay partnership, I wouldn’t have even known about this café. Tainan has so many cafés that I could never count them all on two hands, haha. The café looks quite Western from the outside and is surrounded by thick greenery—it’s really beautiful.

Meals are served during two time slots: brunch and afternoon tea. Please note the café is closed on Tuesdays.

As soon as you walk in, you’ll see a lush green courtyard, beautifully landscaped, with a cute little Bambi statue welcoming guests.

Outdoor area
It can probably accommodate around two groups of diners, but it gets really hot in Tainan during the day, and you start sweating profusely after just a few minutes outside, so we decided to stay indoors, haha.

Since the front of the building doesn’t have an entrance, we had to continue walking along the stone path at the side to find the café’s entrance. With space being so precious nowadays, it’s rare to see cafés designed like this. This green pathway gives off the feel of a traditional Chinese garden landscape—too bad there’s no rockery or flowing water XD.

As expected, the entrance is located on the side of the building. There was also an old-looking but seemingly functional scooter parked next to the café’s entrance, lol?

They actually provide power outlets here. I wish I had brought my charger to juice up my phone so I could scroll while eating. The café also offers free Wi-Fi, so internet access isn’t a problem.

The moment you step inside, you’re greeted with a refreshing change from the lush greenery outside. The interior of the building blends Eastern and Western styles, with Japanese wooden tones and an abundance of wooden elements everywhere. Yet, the window designs and floor tiles give it a distinctly Western villa vibe. Each angle offers a different kind of beauty. From the outside, it just looks like a small café, but the interior feels surprisingly spacious and comfortable.

There aren’t many seats inside the café—just a table by the window, one by the door, a small private room, and the counter area, totaling about ten or so spots. So if you plan to come here for breakfast, it’s best to make a reservation a day in advance. With this limited seating, it might get super crowded on weekends.

There’s a semi-hidden private room tucked into a corner of the café, which can probably fit 3–4 people. It also has a direct view of the courtyard at the entrance, offering a nice view. The chairs are comfy leather sofas, so naturally, we chose to dine here.

By the window

We arrived a bit early today, around 9:30 AM on a weekday, so there was only one group of customers at the counter. We could take photos freely inside the café, which made me super happy XD.

Since it was breakfast time, there were only three menu options: two brunch dishes and one wooden bowl salad. Both brunch options were priced at NT$200 each and included a pre-meal and post-meal drink. The dishes would be randomly paired by the kitchen from a set selection. If you use the homestay breakfast voucher, you can get a NT$70 discount.

Pre-meal drink
This is the pre-meal drink that comes with the brunch. One drink per order, and you can choose from several fruit milk flavors. This time, I picked blueberry milk and cranberry milk. The portion is about two sips—small cups—but they have a faint fruity aroma. You can find bits of berries at the bottom of the cup, so it’s pretty genuine. The fruit flavor doesn’t come from artificial flavoring.

Italian-style scrambled eggs brunch – NT$200
Since there were two brunch options, I ordered one of each to try. This one features Italian-style scrambled eggs as the main dish, served with a side salad, cheese multigrain bread, and mashed taro.

Side salad
It’s a super generous plate with tomatoes, purple onions, bell peppers, lettuce, and more, paired with the shop’s homemade perilla sauce. The slightly sour plum flavor really whets your appetite. The salad is refreshing and crisp, and the varying textures of the vegetables and fruits create a layered mouthfeel.

Mashed taro
I’d never seen this light purple thing at a café or brunch spot before. At first glance, I thought it might be yam mash mixed with something else, but the color didn’t seem right. After taking a small bite, the sweetness of the taro melted in my mouth, and I realized it was mashed taro. Such a creative idea @ _ @.

Cheese whole wheat bread
Slices of cheese are placed on chewy whole wheat bread, then toasted until the cheese melts and clings to the bread. The aroma in the air becomes even richer. Taking a big bite, the flour scent of the bread mixes with the savory saltiness of the cheese, spreading in your mouth and making it impossible to stop eating. Both are common breakfast ingredients, but I never expected them to taste so delicious when combined. I’ll have to try making this at home, haha.

Italian-style scrambled eggs
The ones I've had before were probably all Spanish-style omelets, but this was my first time trying an Italian-style omelet. Visually, it looks somewhat similar to a savory tart, but without the crispy pastry crust. Looking at the cross-section, you can see it's packed with various fillings—bacon, mushrooms, bell peppers, and more. The ingredients are quite generous. Upon taking a bite, you can appreciate the delicate egg flavor, Italian herbs, and the rich, layered texture. It's surprisingly delicious.

Lemon Sweet Potato
This is a special sweet potato dish made by the shop. It comes with every lunch set, and you probably won’t find it elsewhere. It has the fragrant aroma of lemon paired with the natural sweetness of sweet potato—the combination is perfect. Highly recommended.

European-Style Omelet Lunch Set $200
The main dish here is a European-style omelet, served with the shop’s homemade curry sauce. It also includes mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and tomato cups. The portion is just as generous as the French-style savory tart lunch set earlier, and it’s presented very elegantly as well.

The previous set came with a multigrain cheese bread, while this one comes with dinner rolls. According to the menu, there’s also a croissant option, but since it’s randomly assigned, I didn’t get to try it. The dinner rolls are more or less average in taste and texture—I think the multigrain bread was better. The mashed potatoes on the side have a smooth texture and a rich potato flavor, making them a great pairing with the dinner rolls.

The main part is the omelet, accompanied by a small portion of curry sauce. Visually, the omelet is quite well-made, giving you an instant craving to dig in. When you cut into the tender omelet with a knife, the hidden bell peppers and mushrooms inside come peeking out. I didn’t expect such generous fillings. Paired with the soft egg whites, it’s really delicious. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can dip the omelet in a bit of curry sauce for an even richer taste.

Tomato Cups
Honestly, I think this counts as a creative dish. The server didn’t mention the name, so I just called it tomato cups myself. A whole beefsteak tomato is sliced open at the top, then stuffed with a generous amount of sweet corn kernels. It’s quite an inventive idea.

Cross-Section Show
When eating, just pick it up whole—you don’t need to go through the trouble of slicing it. The tomato is fresh and juicy, paired with the crisp, sweet corn kernels, creating a unique double texture.

Honey Fresh Pomelo Iced Tea & Mocha Cocoa
The post-meal drink is Americano coffee. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use a $30 discount to order other beverages, which is how the two drinks in the photo above came about. The Honey Fresh Pomelo Iced Tea is what I ordered. I usually drink plain pomelo iced tea, but I didn’t expect adding honey to make it even better. I’ll definitely have to try making it at home too, XDD.

Overall, this breakfast was quite refined. Since the sides are randomly paired, everyone probably gets a different combination, so each visit feels unique and exciting. As for the flavors, they’re quite delicious—the ingredients aren’t heavily processed, and you can really taste the natural sweetness of the fresh vegetables. We all really liked it. I recommend this place’s brunch to everyone. The above is just my personal opinion, for reference only.

IsshoNi Cafe'
Phone: 06-2216813
Address: No. 160, Kangle Street, West Central District, Tainan City
Price: $200 and up, no service charge

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