Review: Common Man Coffee Roasters

It was a rainy Saturday morning when I met up with my pals at Common Man Coffee Roasters. Had heard great reviews about its brunch and coffee, so definitely it was on my list of brunch places to visit.

Sitting on Martin Road, the café was bustling when I walked in, and you could already see and feel the energy of the place through the big glass-paned windows facing the main road. Opened by the same people from 40 Hands and 5 Senses, I imagine they have got the café formula figured out in order to attract such crowds to their doors.


We were a group of 5, and we managed to get a big table by arriving at 10am. Most other guests however were split up at the bar table or a communal round table, so do come early to avoid squeezing with the lunch crowd.

Food wise I thought it lived up to my expectations, and the coffee was strong and good. We ordered the Common Man Full Veggie Breakfast:

The Common Man Full Breakfast, which I had, and I thought the flavors of each ingredient complemented each other well, and scrambled eggs were done to my liking :)

Coffee and several pots of Earl Grey tea, in very pretty earthen-ware pottery and cups:

And some churros to share. Good but not my favorite!

Last but not least, what makes a perfect brunch experience complete is the bunch of people dining together with you. Laughter and chats till the afternoon, and 4 pots of tea later, it was indeed a fulfilling brunch experience at this café. And also may I commend the service staff, I think they did a very good job and we left a happy bunch.

Sleeping in Ximending

Every trip to Taipei, as I mentioned in my previous post, we like to stay in the Ximending area. It's somehow like a fun thing for us to try different hotels around the vicinity. I thought it'd be useful and helpful for me to share some tips on where to stay within Ximending.

Though there may be cheaper options than those I'm recommending, but let me first clarify that my criteria is that there must be a bathtub in the room, and there must be free Wi-Fi. Breakfast is not important to me because there are tons of food nearby, and I want to save my stomach anyway for them.

 

Also the way the buildings are organized in Ximending doesn't make for a lot of space, many buildings are built wall-to-wall, hence a lot of rooms also do not come with windows. If you are claustrophobic, be sure to confirm your room has windows before clicking the book button.

 

One last tip, check-in timing is generally later in Taipei. Most hotels worldwide have a check-in time of 2pm, on average Taipei hotels have a check-in time of 3pm. So if you're arriving early in the morning, I advise you to book one extra night in advance so you can rest your fill before heading out. Most shops only open after noon anyway.

 

So let's go!!

 

VIA Hotel (丰居旅店), Lane 114, 17 Chunghua Road Sec 1
VIA is very central, but it may be a bit hard to find. It's in the middle of an alley, which leads out to the Family Mart in the middle of Ximending. Also you have to take the lift to the 2nd floor where the lobby is located. Rooms do not have windows. One thing special about the room is that the bathtub is onsen style, and you can soak while watching TV haha.

VIA has a very cosy and inviting lounge area, which offers free all-day snacks and drinks, including bowl noodles (super satisfying at the end of the day). You can start the day with a muffin while going online to confirm your itinerary for the day.

SWIIO Hotel (二十輪旅店 ), No 72, 108 Wuchang Road Sec 2

I stayed here for a work trip, so this is the only hotel that doesn't have a bathtub. Haha. It also has no windows but it's funky and comfortable enough for me. The lounge is pretty cool but not somewhere I wanna hang out at. It may be a bit hard to find this hotel, but remember to look up, the sign hangs atop the building. It's just next to TGIF restaurant so look out for that, you have to take a lift up to the lobby at the 6th floor.

 

 

*inHouse Hotel (薆悅酒店), 107 Xining South Road

This modern hotel is just next to a Wonstar Hotel branch, and is really right smack in the middle of Ximending, about 5 minutes walk from the subway station. It's the most pricy of the bunch, and rooms all come with breakfast. Not typical yucky a la carte breakfast like most Taipei hotels, but this one is surprisingly good and was buffet style.

 

All guests also get free coffee, you can claim it at the 2nd floor Wakuwaku café anytime of the day. Pretty nice, save your money and forego the Starbucks nearby for this!

 

Wonstar Hotel Zhonghua (萬事達旅店), 82 Zhonghua Road, Section 1
And finally, if you're not into the frills and décor, and just want a decent place to sleep at a very cheap price, in a convenient location, this is my choice. There are 2 Wonstars in the Ximending area, be sure to book Wonstar I, with the above address. It's along the main Zhonghua Road, and there is a free airport transfer service by GuoGuang bus which stops right outside the hotel. Fuss free!



Tip: I always book my hotel on Booking.com cos rates are lower than Agoda's most of the time and you only need to pay at the hotel. No worries about credit card transactions going wrong online. If you really want to stay in Ximending though, be sure to book early in advance. They sell out really fast because the properties aren't that big. So good luck and hope you enjoy Taipei as much as I do! :)

Eating in Ximending

Every time we emerge from the Ximen MRT Exit 6, it just "feels like home" [quote Nettie] LOL. I don't know how to explain why an overly crowded walking street can feel like home, but somehow it just does. And somehow in Taipei, we always just choose places to stay in Ximending because it's just so vibrant and nice soaking in that young atmosphere. We have our favourite food stalls that we visit all the freaking time. Like why try something new when you've found the love of your life HAHA.

Like the most yummy 卤味 pushcart...We seriously eat it every night: Radish, mushrooms, PRINCE NOODLES...yum. (Don't know the name, it's one of the pushcarts in front of the cinema, opposite the big carpark)

The 豪大大雞排 is one of a kind, no other franchise in the world can beat it. I've tried it in Hong Kong and Singapore, but they really can't compare to the original Taiwanese chicken. (right smack in the middle of Ximending on Hanzhong Street, can't miss it!)

And how can you miss out 阿宗面线! Don't need to introduce this right, super good! (8~1 Emei Street)

 For ultimate slurping good 卤肉饭加荷包蛋, I recommend 天天利美食坊！You can also try the Taiwan style oyster omelette, but I'm not a fan, I much prefer Singapore's version. (No 1, Lane 32, Hanzhong Street)

Too many snacks and feeling thirsty? Cross the street from 天天利 to grab a cup of bittergourd juice. The name itself scares you right, but it actually is really creamy and nice. They mix the juice with a tad of honey, and it'll have you hooked from sip one! (End of Hanzhong Street)

*Tip: the one at the end of the street for some reason has better fengshui than the store next to it and always has a long Q. Do yourself a favor and visit the store next to it, it tastes exactly the same.

Do you love mash potatoes?  Cheese? Cheese AND mash potatoes? Then you MUST try 王子起士馬鈴薯 . I myself am not a huge dairy fan, but the cheese sauce is not too overpowering, and once you start eating this it's very addictive! (49~3, Emei Street)

*Tip: the muachee store next to it always has a super long queue, but it actually is not  nice at all, don't waste your time!!

If it's windy and rainy and you feel a little cold, go to the Toilet Restaurant for some Kimchi hotpot soup. Weird right...I mean I tried 王媽臭臭鍋 for super cheap hotpot, but I find myself returning to "the toilet" instead LOL. Don't bother trying anything else at the restaurant, it really is a novelty place and only worth coming back for the Kimchi hotpot. Sumpa, it's good! (No 7, Lane 50, Xining South Road)

If you're really famished, give 烧匠 a visit. This all-you-can-eat BBQ and steamboat place is every guy's (and girl's) favorite, delicious meat (all kinds of meat, all parts of meat) and seafood cooked over a charcoal grill, or boiled in flavourful herbal soup. The soup alone is worth a visit, none of that tasteless watery broth you find in Singapore, it's good quality double-boiled soup! The normal menu costs about TWD500+ per pax. There also is an option of a premium menu with items like scallops, costing slightly more. Wash it down with freeflow Taiwan beer. Mmm mmm. (98~4, Kunming Street)

On my last trip I accidentally discovered a super good ramen place, the broth is TO DIE FOR. So smooth I was craving for it once I woke up from my nap after we arrived. (樂麵屋, 25 Kunming Street)

And how can I forget my favorite 牛肉麵! Although I'm not a fan of beef brisket and what not, but I like the consistency and texture of the noodles, together with the flavourful soup. (老王記牛肉麵, 15 Taoyuan Street)

Drink lots of bubble tea! It's cheap and A MILLION TIMES nicer than all the teas in Singapore combined. My favorites are Oolong Honey Tea and anything with Yakult in it :D Be adventurous and try some flavours not available in Singapore, like Sake Milk Tea (was really yummy!)

Last but not least, when you still feel peckish at the end of the night....go to 7-11 or Family Mart and buy up the impressive selection of instant bowl noodles. You can also add a hot tea egg to go with it. Hands down go to bed peaceful and fat.

You must be really hungry now after reading this, so enjoy your meal! Stay tuned for my next post on where to stay in Ximending! :D