Meet you at the "Sunny Day" Station — Happy Homemade Cuisine by a Japanese-Taiwanese Couple

Text & Photos /Gui Xiaosun

Sunny Day: No. 103, Wucheng West 6th St., West District, Taichung City ＼ 04 2376 6080

Before the New Year, I still remember having a day off and being drawn to this place called ‘Sunny Day’—its name? Its appearance? The young couple? I made a special trip just to have lunch here. Actually, I’m not sure how long ‘Sunny Day’ has been open, but recently it’s been quite interesting—I was drawn to a shop through Instagram photos... I haven’t been on Instagram for long, but sometimes I end up spending more time browsing everyone’s photos there... I’ve even started to develop some habits of my own and share them online. Welcome to find me: enjoylife_sun

This ‘Sunny Day’ is near the Art Museum. If you don’t pay attention to the address, you might overlook its existence. XD After looking up some info, I also noticed something special—this is a family-run eatery run by a young couple: the husband is Japanese and the wife is Taiwanese. The menu has only two daily options, which change from time to time. It could be rice or noodles~ On the day we visited, both options were noodle dishes. We had a Kansai-style stir-fried noodles and a pork tomato stew noodles, so we each picked one to share~

Hidden away here, this ‘Sunny Day’ feels as though it has always been like this—as if the bus stop sign and the ground markings all exist because of ‘Sunny Day’. This young couple lives their life around this little shop... coexisting and growing together with it.

The decorations in the shop feel like every inch has been handcrafted. There aren’t any particularly fancy design elements, but everything has been drawn or built by themselves... Each seat that greets guests, each view. It may not have the beauty of a big restaurant, but it has a warm and friendly atmosphere... making your stomach growl involuntarily.

The meal comes with a bowl of miso soup, salad, and a small dessert after the meal... The crispy vegetables are refreshing to bite into, and the salad dressing has a sweet and sour Japanese flavor... which really won me over. That one wall in a pale mint green color particularly caught our eye—it’s painted with little dogs. We didn’t get to see the shop dog that day, though. XD

The Kansai-style stir-fried noodles and the pork tomato stew noodles—we almost forgot what we had ordered... As soon as they were served, we could smell the aroma wafting over, gently warming our hearts... Actually, I had no idea what Kansai-style stir-fried noodles would taste like, so when the dish arrived, the overwhelming smell of mayonnaise caught me off guard. What is this?! Of course, it’s very easy to understand the pork tomato stew noodles—the flavor is sweet and tangy, just like tomato-based pasta, though not as sweet. It’s a great meal suitable for both kids and adults.

The noodles are very Q (chewy), and the portion is quite generous. Most importantly, the pork is tender and soft after being braised—super delicious~

The Kansai-style stir-fried noodles are really a love-it-or-hate-it dish that you’ll either love if you’re into mayonnaise or not. Since we’re not particularly fans of mayonnaise... after eating some, we did start to find it a bit cloying. XD But the ingredients inside are actually quite hearty, and the noodles seem to be the same as those in the pork tomato stew noodles—they’re also Q (chewy). It’s just a pity... mayonnaise isn’t my thing. XD But maybe this dish would be great for kids—it’s sweet. ~~~ haha.

After the meal, there’s hot tea and a small dessert. The dessert is quite special—it’s like a cookie made from a mix of lots of cereals, which also reminded me of some diet cookies. XD While drinking tea, the owner brought out an extremely thick “dictionary” of birth dates for us to look at... like a friend inviting you into their home, she pulled out her favorite book... We flipped through our own birth dates, some of which felt accurate... and some made us think, but we still couldn’t forget the thoughtfulness of her gifting us this book at the end.

Because this is what she does to encourage guests to stay longer... right?!

[Enjoy Life Without Boredom. Gui Xiaosun]