Hidden restaurant tucked away in Eslite’s corner   First cuisine loves using Taiwan-grown ingredients

▲The First’s spacious interior crafted from warm wood and bright marble materials.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

Stepping into the third floor of Songshan Eslite, the air is filled with a faint scent of books. Walk toward the corner, and you’ll find a restaurant nestled there—The First. Although it has been open for some time, being tucked inside a bookstore means not many diners come here, which also gives it a tranquil atmosphere. The space features expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, offering sweeping views of the Xinyi District skyline and the greenery of Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. The First excels at using locally sourced Taiwan ingredients and presenting them through Western-style cuisine.

The First’s spacious interior is created with warm wood and bright marble materials, and the elegant ambiance achieved through natural lighting allows guests to leave their worries behind as soon as they step into the restaurant, enjoying a moment of peaceful relaxation. Unlike typical restaurants, The First doesn’t just offer high-quality Taiwan high mountain tea—it also provides a selection of red wines thanks to Eslite’s own wine agency, “Eslite Wine Cellar.” Interestingly, the name of the restaurant comes from the handmade wine glass brand favored by Wu Mingdu, the younger brother of the founder Wu Qingyou. Most uniquely, the red wine here isn't only for drinking—Wu Mingdu believes it enhances the flavor when paired with tea.


▲Dessert duo box.

For meals, lunch is served as a set menu with three price options: NT$480, NT$680, and NT$880, depending on the main course. The set includes the main dish, salad, bread, soup, and a drink. For example, the evening à la carte dish of Yilan cherry duck / port wine marshmallow / roasted beetroot costs NT$680, but the same is available at the same price during lunch, with the salad, bread, soup, and drink all included for free. As for desserts, many are freshly prepared upon order to ensure the best texture and freshness.


Market seafood platter / kelp broth / seaweed chips
This dish features the freshest daily catch as its highlight, gently simmered in kelp broth, then paired with Japanese scallops, Brunei blue shrimp (certified for raw consumption and EU organic standards), Penghu seaweed, Japanese salted seaweed, and nori chips. With the exception of the scallops, which are pan-seared, all other ingredients are prepared by simmering in the broth to highlight their natural flavors.

Yilan cherry duck / port wine marshmallow / roasted beetroot
The duck used in this dish comes from Yilan Hao Ye’s cherry duck breast, cooked with a pan-seared method to achieve a crispy skin. The sauce is made by simmering mulberries and port wine, with fruity acidity and wine aroma complementing the rich duck meat. Sous-chef Fan Jiahao mentioned that marshmallows and candied hawthorn are childhood memories for him, and the addition of port wine adds a mature twist.

Xinguo pork / vinegar-marinated purple cabbage / zucchini
The pork is sourced from Taiwan’s Xinguo Industry (Yuding House)—their barley-fed pork—with full traceability certification and excellent cold storage technology. The cooking process involves marinating the meat with garlic and spices for 12 hours to tenderize it, followed by pan-searing to achieve a golden, crispy exterior while keeping the inside juicy and tender. The purple cabbage is pickled with apple juice and white wine vinegar, paired with dried green apple slices, caramelized apples, and pickled root vegetables. The savory pork is balanced with the tangy sweetness of the vegetables, creating a rich yet not greasy flavor profile.

the first
Address: 3F, 88 Songyan Factory Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-6636-9888

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