MaggieLiu%sFalls in Love with Taipei’s Warm Hospitality

Text & Photos / TRAVELER Luxe Traveler’s Journal

 

Why did Maggie Liu, a beautiful chef from Hong Kong, choose to settle down and start her business in Taipei? The secret lies in the wonderful experience of her solo backpacking trip to Taiwan during high school.

 

Maggie, who has always been independent, chose Taiwan—the closest place to Hong Kong—as the destination for her first solo trip during high school. Without knowing a single word of Mandarin, she ventured around Taipei on her own for three days. She took a photo at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall back then, which she still keeps to this day.

 

Maggie said the most memorable thing was seeing an unfamiliar dish at a street stall. Out of curiosity, she asked about it, and the vendor not only sliced her a big plate to try but also enthusiastically explained the dish to her—something that completely surprised and moved her. She had never experienced anything like that in Hong Kong. There were many such instances that made her deeply feel the warmth and friendliness of Taipei. At that moment, she thought, “If I ever don’t live in Hong Kong one day, I’d like to live here.”

As Maggie grew older, she traveled frequently between Hong Kong and Taipei, gaining a deeper understanding of Taipei and making more and more friends there. Having visited over twenty countries, Maggie believes that among Chinese-speaking cities, Taipei is the best place to live. Whether it’s food, entertainment, clothing, food, housing, or transportation, everything is convenient—and so she decided to settle down in Taipei.

 

To open a French restaurant in Taipei, Maggie—who has loved cooking since childhood—went to Nice, France, to hone her culinary skills. She chose French cuisine because of her love for its romance and elegance. However, as she delved deeper, she discovered that French cuisine not only has a long history and diverse regional styles, but also boasts meticulously detailed recipe literature due to its emphasis on food culture. This intrigued her more and more, leading her to explore further.

 

Maggie poured all her energy into running the Olive Bistro, even giving up her beloved long-term travels. The interior features a base of off-white paired with light wood tones. The walls are adorned with replicas of century-old advertisements and black-and-white photos from 1940s–50s France, creating a cozy, retro, and stress-free dining space—even welcoming children and pets. Within this refreshing space, guests can enjoy high-end, exquisitely prepared cuisine where both ingredients and cooking techniques are carefully considered. Take the saffron-spiced prawns, for example—they use truly fresh, just-caught prawns paired with a sauce made from premium Spanish saffron. The sauce is rich yet highlights the prawns’ sweet, tender, and crisp flavor, making diners exclaim how delicious it is.

 

Maggie has been interested in the flavors of food since childhood. While exploring night markets in Taiwan, she would naturally try every kind of snack. Shilin Night Market and Linjiang Street Night Market became her go-to spots due to their proximity.

 

The dishes she fell in love with in Taipei are pepper buns and rice balls with egg. She used to frequent a pepper bun stall near National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University. Holding a freshly baked, warm pepper bun and taking a bite as the fatty meat blended with the crispy exterior—it was mouthwatering, though sadly that stall is no longer around. She also loves rice balls with egg from soy milk shops. Maggie explains that for the perfect rice ball, the cruller should be crispy, the pickled mustard greens salty, and the egg fragrant—the combination makes it delicious. Most rice balls at Taipei’s soy milk shops meet a certain standard, and almost every one is good.

 

When she craves home flavors, Maggie likes to visit Hong Kong-style dai pai dongs and Kau Kee Seafood Restaurant. Both are run by Hong Kong natives, so the food is incredibly authentic. Hong Kong Dai Pai Dong serves classic Cantonese congee, noodles, rice, and dishes. Owner Mr. Cheung insists on preserving the flavors of 1960s–70s Hong Kong—like deep-fried glutinous rice rolls (炸两)—which are even hard to find in Hong Kong these days. At Kau Kee Seafood Restaurant, owner Mr. Ho Pui-yuen originally came to Taiwan as a Cantonese chef and has worked as head chef in multiple star-rated hotels. The restaurant offers elaborate, high-quality dishes made with top-notch ingredients—each one is a signature dish that definitely won’t disappoint.

Over the past year, Maggie has been busy with restaurant work and filming, keeping her life quite hectic. She enjoys travel plans that serve double purposes. She often goes to Taipei’s Vieshow Cinemas in Xinyi for movies, since the adjacent shopping mall allows her to pick up what she needs, while street performers add a charming French vibe to the area, which she also loves. When restocking at a supermarket in Neihu, she’ll also browse home decor shops along Xinhul Road. She says that since her daily life is mostly home-centered, she enjoys buying home decor items to add charm to her space. Back then, she frequently shopped at home decor stores along Section 7 of Zhongshan North Road in Tamsui.

 

 Player Profile—Maggie Liu (http://goo.gl/ni0IQ7)