Minimal Nordic style interpretation: Taipei’s newly opened curated café and light bites spot

Text and photos by /A Man’s Daily Life
(Text / Man E, Photography / Man)

I’ve been thinking how every newly opened dessert café these days can be so aesthetically pleasing.

Last week I introduced the cream-based dessert shop on Fujin Street, where I experienced an imaginative journey of refined taste. This week, I visited HEXA, a brand selection café and light meal spot in Taipei’s Da’an District. From the store’s décor style and curated lifestyle items to its food offerings, everything reflects a Nordic minimalist lifestyle. The not-so-spacious interior has been thoughtfully arranged to embody this concept beautifully.but. we love buttera dessert shop serving creamy treats, where we embarked on a journey of ultimate taste and boundless imagination. This week, we visited HEXA, a brand concept store in Taipei’s Da’an District that offers curated lifestyle goods, coffee, and light meals. From the store’s interior decor and carefully selected lifestyle items to its food offerings, everything reflects the Nordic minimalist lifestyle, making the most of the compact space with beautiful harmony.

Text _ Man E. Photography _ Man J

HEXA officially opened just last week. It’s about a 5–8 minute walk from Taipei Da’an Station. The exterior features a low-key, fresh white palette, while the interior is dominated by cement gray, accented with simple black and white. The seating area for coffee and light meals isn’t very large, with only about five tables including a few window-side seats. The space truly embodies the minimalist design philosophy consistent with the brand’s concept.

HEXA’s brand selection focuses mainly on three categories: home, work, and leisure. There are currently over ten different brands featured. First-time diners might notice the irregularly textured glass plate holding water glasses on the table—it’s also part of HEXA’s curated selection, from a Korean-designed lifestyle brand.ABLE TIMEIn addition, there’s also a Hong Kong-based handmade watch brand,MAVEN WATCHESand a well-known Seoul-basedOh, Scent!fragrance brand, both available in the adjacent selection area.

While the menu at HEXA isn’t extensive, it currently offers three rice dishes and two salad options, with drinks primarily featuring Italian coffee, teas, and seasonal sparkling beverages. There are also fried platters and alcoholic drink options. Open daily from 11 AM, HEXA closes at 10 PM on weekdays and 11 PM on weekends. All meals are available throughout the day, so you can enjoy a variety of flavors in this beautiful space at any time.

● ETNEWS News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

%Jian Wei Xia Bian? 130

The portion size of the salad at HEXA is fairly moderate. If you’re with friends who have ordered other main dishes, sharing between two people is sufficient. In addition to chicken breast, it includes zucchini, potatoes, and various fresh greens, topped with a homemade lemon vinaigrette. The chicken breast is pan-seared then roasted to lock in the juices and preserve its natural flavor—the texture is quite good. However, the sauce was overly salty that day, and the amount drizzled was a bit too much, making the parts of the greens that got sauce-covered taste noticeably salty.

%Jiatao’s dishes cost $170 for dine-in / $150 for takeout

The grilled chicken leg rice bowl looks quite generous. The chicken leg is marinated and grilled, with decent texture, though it’s also clearly too salty. The fresh greens are served without any sauce, presented in their natural state—but eating them plain gives off a strong vegetal taste. For those not used to eating raw greens this way, the staff suggests mixing them with other ingredients, which should help balance the flavor. Personally, I preferred the stir-fried eggplant and roasted small red-skinned potatoes served on the side. Overall, I think the concept and variety they aimed to present are great, but with slight adjustments to the seasoning, it could be even better.

%Seafood platter, oysters, and scallops $250

The portion is suitable for 2–3 people to share. The textures of all three fried items are good, but the fries and chicken are also noticeably too salty. The cheese sticks use mozzarella and have a rich, bold flavor—better paired with a cold beer.

%Ji Lang Qiao Tea 100 / Slightly tart, smooth to drink.

%Ji’s dishes cost $110

It has a sweet and sour taste, with moderate flavor.

%Taiwanese-style fried chicken with basil $240

The handmade desserts here are fromAmor House, a private dessert studio,featuring soft chiffon cake with a bit of bounce, moist texture, and a rich sesame filling in the middle, topped with soft whipped cream. The overall sesame flavor is unforgettable, with a hint of freshness. It’s so delicious you might finish it all by yourself, though each piece is actually quite large (3T), so sharing between two is also a good option.

Afterwards, I looked up some online info—Amor House is a two-person dessert studio established in May this year, offering only online home delivery. Currently, their desserts mainly consist of chiffon cakes.

HEXA offers takeout for all its meals and drinks, with a NT$20 discount on lunchboxes. Some areas (Songshan, Xinyi, and Da’an Districts) also provide delivery service for orders over NT$700 (advance reservation required by 11 AM).

Postscript

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I love the Nordic lifestyle attitude that HEXA wants to showcase in Taipei. It’s beautiful and classy, and the uniquely designed selection items are a feast for the eyes. I feel like I’ve found another great place for gift shopping. That said, the dishes I tried this time were all a bit too salty, lacking the light and healthy essence the shop aims to convey. But I look forward to future adjustments bringing more consistent and balanced flavors. I believe HEXA’s wonderful philosophy of “living a simple yet extraordinary life” will surely resonate with more people.

INFO

HEXA
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Address: No. 9, Lane 76, Sihwei Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Business Hours: Sun–Thu 11:00–22:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–23:00
Phone: 02 2706 7533

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