See big love in small details: A touching food review of Lv Xinjie’s “Thoughtful Coffee”

▲ Lv Xinjie’s Thoughtful Coffee isn’t just about food and drinks; the philosophy behind it is even more admirable and beloved. (Photo provided by Thoughtful Coffee)

Reported by Hua Shaofu / Taipei

Near Nanjing Sanmin MRT Station, there’s a café called “A Thoughtful Place,” featuring rare barrier-free space planning. Its spacious seating makes you feel right at home the moment you step in. Most of the meals use organic or artificial additive-free ingredients, ensuring customers not only feel safe in the space but also eat with peace of mind. In fact, the owner of this café is none other than Lv Xinjie, a long-time advocate for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.

Many may not be familiar with Lv Xinjie, but members of the LGBTQ+ community certainly know her. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, she has long advocated for marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights. In 2015, she married her same-sex partner Chen Ling and hosted a 50-table wedding banquet, attended by many political and business celebrities, becoming a celebrated story at the time.

▲ Lv Xinjie (left) and Chen Ling (right) run Thoughtful Coffee together. (Photo provided by Thoughtful Coffee)

In August 2016, Lv Xinjie and Chen Ling quietly opened their brainchild, “Thoughtful Coffee.” With an electrocardiogram as its logo, the café’s décor and layout emphasize gender-friendliness, barrier-free access, and family restrooms—prompting curiosity about why they hold such ideas and philosophies.

“My sister has a disability, and my grandmother used a wheelchair. So when I was planning the café, I hoped to create a place where elderly people or those in wheelchairs could move around easily without needing much assistance,” Lv Xinjie explained. She noted that most cafés in Taiwan aren’t very friendly to people with mobility issues or seniors, which is why she spent NT$200,000 to build a gender-friendly “barrier-free restroom.”

▲ The barrier-free restroom at Thoughtful Coffee. (Photo provided by Thoughtful Coffee)

Lv Xinjie said the café originally had two restrooms, which she had combined into one larger barrier-free restroom. The raised platform was removed to create a flat, level surface, and a ramp was installed at the entrance to eliminate height differences. In addition to grab bars by the toilet, half-length mirrors were placed by the entrance and sink—all designed to provide a safe and comfortable space for those who need it.

▲ The outside of the barrier-free restroom at Thoughtful Coffee features a ramp, making it easy for wheelchair users to enter and exit. (Photo provided by Thoughtful Coffee)

Having experienced the challenges her wheelchair-bound family members faced while dining out with everyone, as well as the psychological pressures of being in a wheelchair (such as not daring to eat too much for fear of needing the restroom, or avoiding stairs because it would trouble family members), Lv Xinjie was determined to create this café. She hopes to spread more positive energy to those in need—and now, Grandma Lv can use the restroom independently in the café!

▲ Small details reveal the big heart behind Thoughtful Coffee. (Photo provided by Thoughtful Coffee)

At this point, you might think “Thoughtful Coffee” is only thoughtful in philosophy and that the food is ordinary? Wrong. The food is not only delicious, but all ingredients are made in Taiwan (MIT), including black tea from Xiangshan Farm, fresh milk from Hetian in Tainan, Thai rice 147, Fuyuan peanut butter, Happy Chicken eggs, and Rui Chun soy sauce—all carefully selected so visitors can enjoy the “pure” and original flavors of the food.

▲ The coffee here is also incredibly aromatic. (Photo provided by reporter Hua Shaofu)