From ordering to getting your change — make your own meal with your own hands at Neihu Jue Lu Café

Text & photos /Old K

Speaking of Jue Lu Café, most friends living in Neihu probably know about it already — it’s practically a local legend. The other day, Meiji suddenly told Old K that Jue Lu Café was opening a new branch. So Old K checked out their fan page and saw they’d be opening a new location on Sunshine Street in Neihu on New Year’s Day 2015. But since Meiji was heading to Kaohsiung for the holiday, Old K and his sister came by yesterday (January 2nd)!

The Jue Lu Café on Sunshine Street is really spacious.

As soon as you walk in, you see an ultra-long counter and plenty of seating.

The whole environment is super comfortable — there must be over a hundred seats, so you won’t have to wait as long as at the main branch.

We were about to order, but the staff informed us that the middle section offers food DIY.

You can make any of these five items yourself.

So how does the DIY work? Go to this ordering machine first to pick what you want, then pay.

Old K’s sister immediately went to choose two items — a hot-pressed crispy sandwich and an Italian coffee.

This place is seriously DIY — you even make the payment yourself. That’s really awesome — they trust their customers a lot.

Nearby, you can brew single-origin coffee yourself — there are three types of beans to choose from, then use the electric grinder, and brew it on your own. We’re not that skilled, so we skipped it XD

Old K’s sister got the coffee beans ready and prepared to brew her Italian coffee.

That’s quite an impressive coffee machine — you wouldn’t normally find one this good at home.

Just tighten it, press the button, and it brews on its own. If you have any issues, you can ask the staff.

The coffee is ready — so exciting.

You can also froth milk nearby. Remember not to turn it up too high — it’s dangerous. Even Old K thought it was pretty fun after watching.

So Old K went to order a mixed fresh juice. Here, you can add any fruit or vegetable you like — and as much as you want XD

There’s a blender box under the table you can grab.

Let’s go with a kiwi. Actually, Old K added two XD

How about some beetroot?

The not-so-cheap blueberries are a must — XD

After adding everything, it turned into this much.

Old K doesn’t drink milk, so he added a bit of water and closed the lid.

The juice came out super colorful.

It’s an ultra-thick juice. This cup is 120 NT dollars and really not expensive. Let’s call this one: Old K’s Special Super Nutritious and Delicious Mixed Vegetable & Fruit Juice XD

Homemade juice (120 NT), homemade Italian coffee (120 NT)
The juice has a sweet and sour taste, very rich and with a slightly gritty texture. If you want it smoother, just blend it longer. Old K thought it was really tasty. He didn’t try the Italian coffee, but his sister said it was too strong — maybe because the coffee grounds were packed too tightly when pressing, so it came out more intense. Old K thought the juice was way easier — and tastier.

Sis Lao K was too fast—before Lao K could take a photo, she had already sliced the bread. The homemade sandwiches here use ciabatta.

The toppings here are also quite varied. These toppings are shared between sandwiches and pizzas. Time to add some toppings.

Let’s add some pesto.

Eh, just throw in whatever.

Then we’re going to bake it. It takes five minutes here, and there’s a timer on the table you can use.

Of course, if you don’t want to DIY, there’s also a MENU to order from. Go to the counter to order and pay first, and they’ll give you a number. Your meal will be brought to your table shortly.

There are also cookies, cakes, wine, and mineral water available at the counter.

We’re back, and the sandwich is baked.

Homemade Sandwich (150 TWD)
Sis Lao K said the one she baked herself tastes really good. Lao K didn’t get to try it XD

The self-service area has seasonings, utensils, boiled water—all self-serve. Even the coffee and food can be reheated in the microwave if they get cold. So thoughtful.

Tomato Spicy Chicken Pasta (180 TWD)
Lao K originally wanted to order the pesto-flavored pasta, but after asking the staff, he found out the pesto contains cream. Lao K was worried it might be too creamy, so he played it safe and went with the Tomato Spicy Chicken Pasta XD It’s been a while since he’s had penne. The spicy and tangy flavor paired with the slightly firm yet elastic penne was pretty good, though the taste is a bit one-dimensional. He feels Sis Lao K’s homemade sandwich would probably have tasted better XD Too bad he didn’t get to try it (sigh).

Halfway through the meal, we saw some parents bringing their kids to make pizza—it looked so fun!! They even had to roll out the dough themselves. Gotta try it next time.

We also saw someone making their own hand-brewed coffee!! Maybe watching others do it is fun—more and more people are coming to check it out XD

Lao K’s Little Tips:
This DIY concept is really fun. Lao K absolutely loved it. The homemade juice is super thick and delicious, and Sis Lao K’s sandwich looked amazing too. The environment here is really comfortable—you can even bring your laptop here. There are power outlets, free WIFI, and no service charge. Lao K wants to come back and try making his own pizza XD Friends who love trying new things, what are you waiting for? Come give it a shot now!!

Lao K’s Personal Rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.1 points
Value for Money: 7.5 points
Dining Environment: 8 points
Price: 7 points

Keep the food chain going, Lao K!!

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