Have you ever tried a cake made with vegetables? The Spinach Garden offers healthy and delicious vegetable cakes.

Text and photos by /Miss kitb

Last time I came to Taipei to proofread a book with an editor, she recommended this shop’s vegetable cake to me. But since Neihu is a bit far, I only had time to visit during this trip. What attracted me here, besides the very unique vegetable cake, was the lush green dining environment—definitely worth the long MRT ride. I took the brown MRT Zhishan Line to GangX... and could also have ridden a bike from the station. The shop has a large space, with a small garden outside (though the midday sun was too strong for photos, haha). Indoors, the space is even more spacious, with wooden furniture and green partition walls covered in ivy and pothos, giving off a fresh vibe.

Upon closer inspection of the introduction, I realized this is a restaurant from Japan. The chef is a beautiful woman from Tokyo who founded the world’s first specialty store for vegetable desserts. She has dedicated herself to researching vegetarian cooking and making cakes and desserts with vegetables. She enjoys collaborating with local organic farmers and even sources additive-free, natural ingredients from around the world, showing great care in her ingredient selection.

On weekdays from 11:00 to 14:00, they offer lunch sets. This time I ordered one that includes a main dish + soup + dessert/drink. For the main dish, I chose the Garden Tomato Garlic Pasta (NT$360). The soup that came first was mushroom soup, rich and fragrant with a drizzle of white truffle oil on top. The pasta looked appealing—the tomato sauce is said to be simmered for 8 hours, giving it a refreshing sweetness. I personally would prefer it a bit tangier. The side dishes included eggplant and big chunks of buffalo mozzarella, both incredibly delicious. It turns out eating tomato pasta with such a large, soft piece of cheese is really a joy.

The dessert that came with the meal was exquisitely plated, with the vegetable cake looking like it was at the center of the universe. Since I didn’t hear the staff’s explanation clearly, I had no idea what vegetables were used in it. Truly the ultimate way to trick people into eating vegetables—and my veggie-tasting skills need more training. They kept talking about vegetable cake, vegetable cake—I bet you still don’t quite get what a vegetable cake is. It’s actually a dessert made with many vegetables you wouldn’t normally think of using, like tomatoes, radishes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, green beans, burdock, avocado, and basil leaves... It sounds more like a mixed vegetable soup than a cake, but it all blends together surprisingly well—it’s really interesting. Next time I should come for afternoon tea and try more of their cake and dessert varieties.
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INFO
Potager Garden (Spinach Garden)
Address: No. 300, Yangguang Street, Neihu District, Taipei City
Phone: +886-02-8978-6068
Business Hours: 11:00 ~ 22:00
Website:http://www.potager.com.tw
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miss kitB

A core member of the Amateur Association, or a “multifunctional cross-media freelance creator.” Believes boredom is the mother of creativity and happiness is life’s greatest asset. Eats breakfast every day and travels the Earth daily.
Blog:http://kitx.mysinablog.com/index.php