It has an absolutely stunning night view—Front Street Coffee on Yangmingshan is a must-visit scenic restaurant.

Text & Photos /Xiaohu’s Dream Food Blog

I’ve heard about this restaurant “On the Roof” for ages, and it’s also listed as one of the top ten must-visit scenic restaurants on Yangmingshan. However, a friend also told me that the food here isn’t that great. It’s definitely okay for bringing a date to enjoy the view, but don’t expect too much in terms of taste. But after visiting, I found that the night view is really unbeatable—even though it was drizzling when we arrived. As for the taste of the food, it was actually much better than I expected. I’m not sure if it’s because my friend set the bar low in advance, or if our guide knew how to order well (laughs).

Simply put, these glass houses are built on a hillside, some facing the night view at the foot of the mountain, others to the side. I wonder if the rooms with better views are more expensive (or have higher minimum spends), like hotel rooms with scenic views (XD).

When the weather is nice, there are also many open-air high stools here. You can not only dine here but also enjoy cocktails to enhance the atmosphere. After all, it’s a great place to bring a date, right? Right? Right?

I’m thinking, if the weather is good and you can see the full night view from the mountainside, those rows of open-air sofas should be insanely beautiful!!

Since it was my friend who paid that day, I didn’t take pictures of the menu, nor do I know the average price. I found the detailed menu on their official website for everyone to check out:http://www.compei.com/menu1_2.php

The Kung Pao squid had quite a strong wok hei, and I really liked the balance of salty and sweet. It wasn’t very spicy, which I actually preferred. The squid was fresh, the peanuts were crispy, and it went great with drinks.

The Golden Crusted Shrimp Balls. The salted egg yolk flavor clung tightly, with a sandy and sticky texture. The shrimp had a slight crispiness after being coated. The taste and texture were both pretty good.

The Moon Shrimp Patties were fairly thick, and the shrimp paste tasted good, though the crispiness of the patty wasn’t that great. It felt a bit dry in texture. Maybe it’s because it was cold up on the mountain and the patties cooled down quickly. The Thai sweet chili sauce on top was nothing special, though.

The Kimchi Beef was probably my favorite dish of the night. The kimchi was closer to golden kimchi, with a sweet and sour taste and a slight tongue-tingling spiciness that was quite likable. The beef slices were a bit fatty like pork belly, sweet and oily in a good way—it was insanely delicious.

Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke filled the room. It turned out to be their signature “Huangjiu Shrimp”......

There were many stones at the bottom conducting heat, and the Huangjiu aroma clung tightly to the shrimp. Even after shelling, the wine aroma still lingered inside—it was super fragrant. The shrimp were also fairly large, and both the taste and texture were good. At the very least, for a scenic restaurant’s level of cooking, it was decent.

For grilled items, I actually wouldn’t recommend ordering them when it’s cold. By the time they’re served, they’re cold, and the meat becomes dry. Even though I quite like the cumin flavor of lamb.

The Crispy Chicken... the skin wasn’t that crispy, but I quite liked the oiliness and sweetness of the skin, as well as the tenderness of the meat. Especially that hint of garlic aroma lingering around your lips.

The Grilled Beef Short Ribs came with tasty fries and a salad drizzled with vinaigrette. The softness and sweetness of the beef were just average, and the texture had a bit of chewy toughness.

The Thai Lemongrass Fish was spicier than I expected. The sourness was balanced by the sweetness of the fish sauce. The fish was quite tender but had a slight earthy taste. Though I’m not sure what kind of fish it was.

The Mountain Pork had enough fat content and great sweetness. The roasted aroma was spot-on—it was really delicious. I loved it.

The chicken soup here can be ordered as a whole chicken or just a chicken leg soup. Look at this big chicken leg—the meat was tender but not falling apart, really delicious. The broth was flavorful but a bit oily.

Finally, I tried this upgraded version of “Cang Ying Tou” (Fly Head). It’s apparently a favorite among many drinkers here at On the Roof. When it was being cooked, the server asked whether we wanted it mildly spicy or very spicy. A few aunties didn’t hesitate to say, “Of course very spicy!” And it really was so spicy it brought tears to your eyes... I couldn’t handle even one bite...

The Fried Silver Thread Rolls were well-fried—crispy outside and soft inside, really delicious. Dipped in the well-known condensed milk, it was quite addictive. The taste was just as you’d imagine.

On the Roof
No. 33, Lane 4, Alley 61, Kaisyuan Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City
Tel: 02-28622255
Business Hours: 11:00–03:00

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