Spices take center stage on the plate！ Taichung’s creative dining spot lets you craft your own unique flavor.

Text & Photos /Mika

I’ve always loved the Good Days series under the Lavender Forest Group because their dishes are light, high-quality, natural, organic, and focus on the true flavors of ingredients—unlike anything you’d find in mainstream cuisine. This particular Good Days Shengping branch is even more special, pioneering a new culinary revolution by putting spices in the spotlight, allowing you to enjoy your meal while also creating your own signature spice blends.

The dishes maintain a high-quality approach, blending health-conscious, light meals with creative combinations, and their names are romantic and full of imaginative appeal. As for the interior design of Good Days, it stays true to the concept of a small forest-green space, with the Shengping branch being a hidden green oasis within an old building tucked away in the city’s alleys. This time, the spotlight is on spices I’m not familiar with—their aromatic scents challenge my rather dull taste buds. I believe those with more sensitive palates than mine will likely detect the sincerity and layered complexity these spices aim to convey.

This low-key yet lush green old house on Shengping Road in central Taichung is Good Days. Parking here is a bit tricky since it’s located in a residential area, much like that mysterious patch of green hidden within the city’s lanes.

I’ve always admired the positive and optimistic philosophy that Good Days conveys. Trust me—we all need to live each day well.

Good Days values the original form of food, letting you taste the natural essence of ingredients, which is why using locally sourced produce is also one of their core principles.

The copywriting by Good Days is truly impressive—so light, whimsical, and filled with romantic, artistic imagination.

The first floor is “Good Living,” showcasing and selling ingredients and spices.
The second floor is the “Micro Canteen,” a literary-wooden, green small forest-themed dining space for life and meals.
The third floor is the Herb Garden and Reading Space ← yes, the subtle literary vibe—you get it.

We’re always trying all sorts of ways to make life more fulfilling—learning to dance, learning languages, doing yoga, joining social gatherings—using many methods to add flavor to our lives. But actually, it doesn’t have to be so effortful. Just add a bit of spice, let your taste buds experience sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, and blend your own life’s flavor. Find joy in seasoning, and life might not feel so hard after all. Often, we push ourselves to the limit, but nothing beats simply eating well and living well. It’s simple and pure, yet so beautiful—when your heart is full and you’ve rested enough… life becomes rich and flavorful. Happiness isn’t something you have to seek far away.

As someone who can’t cook, my spice IQ is practically at zero. I don’t understand them, and they don’t need to understand me. Anyway, whatever mix of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, or slightly pungent flavors ends up in my mouth, I don’t really care—as long as I can blend a flavor I like, it’s delicious.

The micro canteen, where wooden greenery coexists with spices. Today, raindrops patter outside the window, as if whispering to us about the beauty of life. Outside the window is fog, and I can’t see the hanging vines by the window—but then, I can just imagine them dancing in the wind. A beautiful life is always made up of three parts imagination and seven parts reality, isn’t it?

An old house reborn—with lush greenery, natural lighting, wooden tables and chairs, and soft lighting, it’s been completely revitalized. An old house doesn’t have to stay just an old house. With a little care, it can also be fresh and green.


Coming here made me realize just how complex the world of spices really is. So many varieties—it’s like magic. The way you add and season them transforms the flavor entirely. Playing with spice seasonings dances with our taste buds. The more you blend, the more you discover what flavor suits you best.



This place really feels like a Spice Republic, with spices from around the world, each exuding its own unique aroma.

The fresh, green little space, accompanied by the pitter-patter of rain outside, is like a natural symphony that syncs with your mood.

The third floor is the Herb Garden and Reading Space, bringing the greenery missing outdoors inside, creating this place’s own unique small forest-green space.

Here, spices are the stars—the ingredients are just supporting players.

The young and beautiful head chef—her dazzling presence really surprised me.

Micro Canteen
A fusion art space combining light meals × brunch × afternoon tea × dinner × café

Become a Light (Vegetarian) NT$220
It’s actually a tofu mushroom curry medley with plum vinegar—such a positively uplifting name. Spice highlight: the irresistible little fennel. The portion and price are both reasonable—not inflated just because it’s a creative art space with spices (you know how pricey cultural creative stuff can be, right? *shrugs*).

Before eating, you can add an appropriate amount of plum vinegar to adjust the flavor—please go easy (reminder!), adding too much will really throw off this dish. Can you imagine how oddly the slightly tangy plum vinegar would clash with the earthy, mushroom-scented curry tofu? But honestly, the most assertive flavor turned out to be the plum vinegar *XD*.

The main dish is the Plum Vinegar Tofu Mushroom Curry Medley
Side dishes: Today’s Featured Spice Soup, Premium Hualien Imperial Rice, Miso Tofu, French Fries

To be honest, I found the main dish’s flavor concept a bit too jarring—the layers are indeed rich, with the faintly fragrant fennel mixed into the mushroom curry. The curry itself is also quite mild, perhaps to avoid overshadowing the fennel, but ironically, the plum vinegar ended up stealing the show *XD*.

Today's Special NT$260

Spiced Bone-in Chicken Leg in White Curry (Milk & Spices)
The richness of the milk blends with the layered spices, and the curry has a subtle, refreshing aroma. The only downside is that the broth is a bit thin. I think the curry series at Good Days Shengping Branch is all light and not very thick—it seems they aim to highlight the layers and flavors of the spices, but it doesn’t pair well with rice XD

Let’s talk about the soup of the day—it’s pumpkin soup. Again, it’s not thick, but it has a mild, sweet flavor. The rice grains are distinct and have a chewy, Q-textured bite. It goes really well with the miso tofu. And oh, the crispy potatoes are absolutely delicious!! They taste even better when paired with the self-mixed sauce, though it’s a shame the portion is so small. This is the only less healthy—but still tasty—dish here.

I’m Hunting You NT$260

Grilled Makau Sun Pork Chop with Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce
Spice Note: The Makau Sun Pork is a breed favored by the Lavender Forest brand series. It comes from sun-raised pigs in Changhua, raised in a friendly environment with ample semi-outdoor sunlight. This pork chop is cooked in Makau oil, resulting in tender, juicy, and firm meat. It’s the dish we all agreed was the best—the seasoning is perfectly balanced. But I have to say, aside from a slight porky flavor, it’s truly perfect. And pairing it with the pineapple sweet & sour sauce is a great match—the tangy fruitiness enhances the sweetness of the pork.

Upgrade for an additional NT$40 to enjoy the Chef’s Heartwarming Turmeric Rice—healthier and with an aromatic turmeric-infused rice flavor~

Spiced Waterdrop Tea – Sweet Good Days NT$110

Sun-Moon Black Tea
Spice Note: Rose, Juniper

Spiced Waterdrop Tea – Island Days NT$110

Premium tea leaves bitten by the tea jassid, paired with Yanzi Green that exudes natural ripe fruit aromas
Spice Note: Pandan Leaf

The waterdrop tea at Good Days Shengping Branch is really delicious—you can taste the natural flavors of the spices and the tea.

Classic Yellow Lemon Tart NT$120

A purely natural lemon tart with a subtle tangy bounce, offering layered sweet and sour flavors—a very satisfying lemon tart that brings a sense of happiness.

Bagel Love Song NT$150

Choose sweet or savory. Paired with classic cream cheese and seasonal jam, these bagels from Xiaoxiaolei are so delicious they amazed me—the soft yet chewy texture with a faint sweet aroma is just too good!! The savory bagels paired with a side salad are also fantastic. These bagels are made with a small amount of yeast and long fermentation, resulting in limited production, hence called “dream bagels.”

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Classic Cream Cheese with Seasonal Jam
Honestly, NT$150 isn’t too expensive for this combo—you get dream bagels, a side salad, and cream cheese. The cream cheese has a rich milky aroma, and the mango jam is quite fragrant. Though today’s cream cheese had a slight cucumber flavor, which I found amusing XD.

This is a DIY spice creative seasoning station—all dishes can be customized with sauces. There are also instructions on the wall.

For example, how to mix the perfect ratio for fries, sides, or salads—you can refer to the guide and adjust the proportions yourself. Of course, you can also create your own recipes!! After all, you’re the one eating, so do what makes you happy XD

The sauces mixed according to the instructions are seriously delicious!! They make fries even more addictive.

If plain water is too boring and you want to add lemon slices, go ahead and do it yourself!!

I think the idea of making spices the star of the meal is really brilliant and creative. But if it focuses too much on highlighting the spices and neglects the essence of the dish itself, it’s a bit of a pity. Overall, the experience is great—the dishes have a refined quality, but there’s still room for improvement. The space is also lush and refreshing, like stepping into a small forest green haven. Spices are like magic, and also a way of life. Want to shape your life a certain way? Use spices to season your own unique flavor.

I often say: When I was a child, my future wasn’t a dream. Only when I grew up did I realize my dreams weren’t the future. Growing up isn’t necessarily the start of disillusionment, but the beauty we lose often fades away unnoticed. Change your perspective on life—just like changing the main character in cooking, adding more imagination and creativity to your meals might reveal another kind of beauty.

Good Days Shengping Branch
Phone: 04-2301-5409
Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Address: No. 60, Shengping Street, West District, Taichung City
 

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MIKA's Travel & Food Diary