Forgotten Edges and Drifting Tales: A Floating Café Hides in Shilin’s Shizitou

▲ LILI KOKO Coffee in Shizitou. (Photo provided by netizen debbieeeeeeeee. Please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement.)

Reported by journalist Jiayun Yu

“Where is Shizitou?” Many people might not be able to answer this question. Often mistaken as a Taiwanese offshore island, Shizitou is actually part of the Shilin Shizitou community. It became an isolated island in the past due to the Fenzi Gully, a branch of the Keelung River, which separated it from today’s Datong District. Even though it is now connected to Taipei proper, the name Shizitou has endured.

This forgotten community offers a sharp contrast to the hustle and glamour of Taipei. Its aged structures and barren streets make it difficult to imagine that it's merely a bridge away from the city center. But in this seemingly isolated "island," there stands an oddly eye-catching café that appears to float in the sky, standing alone like a hermit on the open land by the riverside.

▲ The café building is quite unique. (Photo from LILI KOKO Coffee’s official fan page)

Located beside the Shizitou river dike, LILI KOKO Coffee is a stilted metal-sheet structure. As soon as you cross the Shizitou Bridge, you can spot it “floating” in the air from afar. Its floor-to-ceiling windows fill the café with abundant natural light on sunny days, while offering sweeping views of the riverside scenery from day to night.

▲ Afternoon sunlight streams through the glass. (Photo provided by netizen ann000062. Please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement.)

KOKO, the person in charge of LILI KOKO Coffee, shared that her partner LILI’s grandmother lives in Shizitou. Having grown up in Shizitou, LILI shares a deep emotional bond with the place. The simplicity and warmth of the local residents and the land also motivated them to leave behind their previous urban lives in Taipei and start the food and beverage business they love right here in Shizitou.

▲ The Shizitou river dike is great for cycling. (Photo from LILI KOKO Coffee’s official fan page)

LILI and KOKO, who are passionate about baking desserts, uphold high standards for their ingredients, sparing no expense to source imported materials. But for KOKO, who comes from a farming family, promoting Taiwan’s excellent agricultural produce is an even more important philosophy. As a result, most of the vegetables in savory tarts or fruits in desserts come from Taiwan. In Shizitou, where nearly half the land is used for growing crops, vegetables brought over by neighbors sometimes even become surprise ingredients on the menu.

All the desserts and savory tarts at LILI KOKO Coffee are handmade daily. The menu also changes according to the seasons and available produce. Though neither of them are professionally trained pastry chefs, they’ve honed their skills through years of experience and constant experimentation, attracting many young customers eager to taste these handcrafted treats made by two young women.

▲ The flavors and textures of the pastries and savory pies are exceptional, all handmade every day. (Photo from LILI KOKO Coffee’s official fan page)

Due to the high cost of ingredients, most of the pastries in the shop are priced around NT$100. KOKO says that a handmade cake selling for over a hundred dollars may not be unusual in the city, but in Shizitou—often dubbed “Taipei’s countryside”—locals consider it exorbitant. A café that only sells drinks and desserts, with no meals, is even harder for them to understand. But perhaps it’s precisely this simplicity and tradition that led LILI and KOKO to set up shop on this side of the Shizitou Bridge.

▲ There are also outdoor seats where you can enjoy the river breeze. (Photo from LILI KOKO Coffee’s official fan page)

Amidst the quiet and desolate rural roads, this tin-roofed house emanates the aroma of coffee. When night falls, LILI KOKO Coffee lights up, becoming the brightest and most striking structure in the Shizitou community—like a lighthouse on the island, illuminating this forgotten solitude.

▲ LILI KOKO Coffee at night. (Photo from LILI KOKO Coffee’s official fan page)

LILI KOKO Coffee
No. 101, Lane 200, Alley 2, Section 8, Yanping North Road, Taipei City
Business hours: 14:00 – 22:00