Lacto
Ovo
American
Western
Beer/Wine
Fusion
Opened Feb 2014, this place offers vegetarian food along with drinks like specialty beer, wine, and coffee. The entrance is a bit back from the street - look for the sign. Reported closed June 2024.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
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27, Sec. 4, Lane 101, Zhongxiao East Rd (at Da'an District), Taipei, Taiwan, 106
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 01 Jul 2024 by Marcola
Update business info
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25 Reviews
First Review by Avesloa
Jipiii
Points +113
Yummy - Edit
Had a huge craving for some fresh veggies. Got a big salad with mushrooms and tofu. It was really yummy. Shared the wonton to start with.
Read morePros: Dishes with a twist , Nice courtyard, Dishes with milk/eggs are marked
Guest
frezpie
Points +66
Very delicious! - Edit
I was impressed with the menu. I got the tom yum pasta and wontons. Both were delicious and definitely worth the prices!
Read moreThe staff were pretty friendly, but I think they got nervous about speaking English so only called upon two workers that spoke English. They were nice, though.
Good for date nights, out with friends, or even celebrations. I was solo but no judgement was given😄
Pros: Big menu, Delicious flavors
Cons: Some staff were nervous to serve foreigners
Guest
letlemoss
Points +191
Many options, deliciously - Edit
very tasty, a little pricey, but very worth it.
Read moreGuest
sarahzee
Points +1676
Love the wontons! - Edit
The fried wontons are delicious. I would return just for these! I am updating my review from several years ago when I wasn’t so impressed with the food there. Been a few times recently and each time I’ve been quite pleased with the food.
Read moreSometimes the service lacks and things come out at different times and aren’t always hot when they should be, but the staff and owner are always so lovely and friendly. Also, sometimes the portion sizes aren’t the same when a few people have ordered the same dish, but I think this kind of thing happens when they’re really busy. Overall, great food, lovely staff and atmosphere.
Updated from previous review on 2021-03-17
Guest
ZoraStewart
Points +107
Great - Edit
I loved the moussaka and the “shroomutton” wrap my boyfriend had was great too. Looking forward to coming back soon to try other things. Came around 8PM on a Thursday and there was plenty of seating. It wasn’t cheap by Taipei standards but I think it has very comparable pricing to similar restaurants in the area.
Read moreGuest
denn
Points +561
Good quality food - Edit
Expensive but worth a try. Nice staff and busy on weekend
Read morenancy37d
Thank you for giving such wonderful information
Read moreGuest
itravelforveganfood
Points +1824
Atmospheric veg cafe in alleyway - Edit
Read more in this vegan Taipei guide: https://itravelforveganfood.com/vegan-taipei-guide/
Read moreLocated in a quiet alleyway of the busy Da’an district, Herban Kitchen is a great vegetarian cafe to slow down and have a vegan meal.
Herban Kitchen serves some western classics, like pasta and risotto, and some creative dishes. I especially love the cashew spinach wonton. Perfectly crispy and filled with mashed spinach and cashew cheese. The Thai sweet and spicy sauce and mint olive oil on top go very well with the wonton.
Most of the non-vegan items on the menu are marked with milk or egg symbols. However, there are a few, like the cream used in risotto, were not marked at the time of writing. Read the ingredients carefully and ask the staff if you are not sure.
Pros: Good quality food, Chill vibes, great for a group of friends
Cons: Some items are not marked vegan clearly
Marcola
Only items that cannot be made vegan are marked with the dairy/egg symbol. All other items can be made vegan. This is stated at the top of the first page of the menu.
Read moreGuest
SoniaGivray
Points +1537
Webster way, quinoa etc - Edit
Great place to come, very original menu. Difficult to chooose what to have. Nice staff. I bring my omnivorous husband and he also enjoyed a lot, and this is not easy.
Read morePros: Great food, Big menu, a lot to choose, Ambiance
Guest
VeganExpression
Points +1728
Nightlife in the Alley - Edit
hidden in the alley. It's too easy to miss it. I went there at night. It is very chill both outdoors and indoors. Best to book it in advance~
Read morevisit date: 2019-03
Guest
akufner
Points +203
Expensive for what is served - Edit
The food is ok, but very pricey. Not as vegan friendly in my eyes as the menu suggests. No vegan substitute for cheese for example. Food took a long time to come out too.
Read moreWorth a look, but can definitely find better food nearby for a lot cheaper.
I will say the place is very nicely put together and definitely feels classy, so I guess they can justify the prices to a certain extent. But the food just doesn’t live up to it.
Guest
CA89SS
Points +2138
Meh - Edit
Bad place for vegans in my opinion. Came at 3, they had run out of half the items we wanted. They don’t replace the cheese with a vegan sub which makes the majority of menu items seem very disappointing. Food was okay but not for the price. I ordered a white sangria but it came out red. Just tasted like pineapple juice and I couldn’t finish it. We had 2 drinks, 3 share dishes (1 was a small chips) and the bill came to $1265. They also served egg aioli with the chips even though we were very clear we are vegan. Lucky we double checked. Service was kind but very slow. I didn’t receive my drink until 15 minutes after my partner and also after the first 2 dishes. They tap on a 10% gratuity tax. Won’t be back.
Read moreGuest
nad1117
Points +70
The moussaka was sooo good - Edit
I went here with a group and had the moussaka and the tempeh burger. The moussaka was delicious!! Highly reccomend. I also had the burger which was really tasty even though it kept falling apart.
Read moreGuest
jessika311
Points +1059
Good Vegan burger - Edit
My friend and I both had the vegan burger and were pretty satisfied. The burger was a black bean base and was quite messy to eat as it fell apart quickly but overall it was tasty. Personally I prefer a firmer burger but I would go back :-)
Read morePros: Good amount of vegan options , Some veggie options can be made vegan
Cons: Pricy
Guest
Haymehhker
Points +129
great place - Edit
Get the spicy mushroom plate whatever that was called, really recommend, also had burger and chips meal, really feeling and loved it. Highlight was the fried dumpling things from the starter menu, loved them.
Read moreGuest
JeppoMAX
Points +685
Staff "out to lunch" - Edit
Tried this place super hungry as it was the closest to my hotel. Ordered the fried dumplings as recommended by a man I took to be the owner, and we chatted after he gave it to the kitchen, but only after he went back did they tell him they'd already sold out. So he said he'd give me a discount, and when I couldn't choose between the red wine roasted potatoes & mushrooms and the pita and hummus, I told him to surprise me.
Read moreBefore leaving the place he said they were making me something special, which turned out to be a big plate of roasted mushrooms - only! Despite the flavour being good, that's not a meal! Agh. And then at the end there was no discount (but there was tax). Feel like things could've gone much better...
Pros: Good taste, nice place
Cons: Staff may be kinda clueless
Guest
jademdcc
Points +12
Lovely salads, good drinks (haven't tried their pasta) - Edit
This is my Fifth time here. For somebody that likes to try new things this is already saying much.
Read moreLocated conveniently close to the zhongxiao dunhua mrt, yet secluded in the alleys, the restaurant deli place is definitely dishes out some of the most delicious vegetarian dishes in the neighborhood if not in the city.
Food: the ones I tried.
Raw pad Thai: made with Julienned cucumbers,carrots, red onions, chilies, cilantro, crushed roasted peanuts,and lemon in a tamarind peanut dressing. (Cit. from their menu).
Very tangy, fresh and spicy. Each bite was crunchy.
Pink spinach salad (vegan version): spinach, beetroot, avocado, tomatoes, walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette.
Definitely my favorite, the avocado was chunky and mouth melting. The sauce was just about right, not too wet. ( Not available anymore )
Grilled tofu with warm mushroom salad - the tofu is grilled til a dark drown, sauce was just about right, mushroom well sautéed.
To top things up buy one for one for wine!
Service: great! They even charged my phone.
Booking is definitely recommended.
Pros: lots of option
Guest
CarinaJ.Rother
Points +201
Cake is to die for, pasta is not so great - Edit
This is a high end veggie coffee place. 300 for a single plate. My friends really enjoyed their vegan burger, but the pumpkin cream pasta I had was quite simple and unoriginal, in my opinion. Also, who serves white bread with pasta? As if this weren't too many empty cars already... Felt like another place overcharging for food because it sounded vaguely western. Then came the dessert (again 200 NTD), and I've never had anything like it. Beautifully arranged, juicy, rich and creamy, no way to detect that it was made dairy-free. Worth the visit for the cake, but not the pasta.
Read moreGuest
caitjoy
Points +341
Delicious Food - Edit
All the food here was AMAZING! Super tasty!
Read moreWe had the Spaghetti Bolognese, "Tuna" Open Faced Sandwich and Spinach and Cashew Wontons. All of the food was full of flavour and we were very content after our meal!
Great place to try something different and have some "Western" food.
All vegan dishes are marked and the menu is in both Chinese and English.
Great to find soy/milk alternatives for coffee here too!
Pros: Super tasty food, Friendly staff, Cosy atmosphere
Cons: Pricey (for Taiwan)
Guest
buboreka
Points +157
Great place - Edit
Mostly vegan place, food is very good and the interior is cute.
Read moreGuest
Nevada
Points +232
Cute place - Edit
We were staying across the road so tried this out on our first night in Taipei. Great atmosphere and delicious food - especially the spinach and cashew wantons. It is however pretty pricy do probably won't be back.
Read morePros: Delicious wantons , Big portions
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Citizen Wren
Points +283
good find - Edit
nice atmosphere and pretty good food, I'll go back and try the rest of the menu. the house red wine was really nice.
Read moreGuest
Surfergirlonboard
Points +87
awesome food, kind welcoming people - Edit
This is an oasis of fabulous food. I recommend the raw pad Thai. They have dairy in some dishes but you can request that they prepare any dish dairy free. Easy to find using google maps in a vibrant part of Taipei, so really fun interesting to walk around here. They have wine and beer although I did not try any pairings. This California girl appreciated the delicious food and atmosphere.
Read morePros: bright, vibrant and happening , interesting art and decor (check out the cool bath
Cons: background noise , need a reservation likely on weeknight
Guest
Nirmalalan
Points +13
Bad gnocchi - Edit
It's a really cozy place and good service as well. Though the dish I ordered called "Primavera" wasn't that great. The sauce and vegetables were fine, but the gnocchi that went with wasn't gnocchi. Gnocchi is made from potatoes, but I am certain that these were made from rice. In Asia they have this product called "nian gao", which is used in a lot of Asian cuisine and I suspect that they've gone with that instead of real gnocchi. Most likely for economical reasons, since importing european products like gnocchi is expensive. Anyway, I really love gnocchi and getting something gooey and sticky as 'nian gao' was a real disappointment...
Read moreMy friends' spicy Thai linguine was delicious though! Just don't order the gnocchi and I think you'll be good
Pros: fresh vegetables , alright sauce
Cons: bad gnocchi
Herban
Hi Nirmalalan,
Read moreThank you for taking you time to review us. About our gnocchi, I don't know if you knew that our gnocchi is gluten free and vegan, meaning we have to substitute flour with rice flour, and eggs that bonds the dough together with tapioca flour... hence the chewiness. We only want to offer an alternative diet for people with restrictions. I understand that the taste and consistency of the gnocchi will be compromised. We will work on it to improve it, maybe forgo gluten-free altogether. You just can't please everyone. :) thank you though, for your input.
Guest
JesseD
Points +832
So-so food, Overpriced - Edit
MEAL
Read moreI was a little disappointed with Herban. I'd heard the scrambled tofu was good, and it's something that I used to often eat for brunch at restaurants back in New Zealand, so it was great to find it on a menu in Taipei It wasn't bad, but I could have made the same thing myself in the same five minutes by crushing a block of tofu, mixing it with half an onion and frying it with a bit of salt. The beans tasted like they were literally straight out of a can, with no added flavour at all. The salad consisted of basic greens with a dressing which I think was straight from a bottle. The mouthful of roasted vegetables were very good and by far the best part of the meal.
PRICE
This meal came to NT350, including the "10% gratuity" which, according to a comment hidden only on the second page of the menu you'd never look at, is added to every bill. This would get a feast at many other nearby vegetarian and vegan restaurants, especially in this area, which is the vegan heart of Taipei. So I left feeling rather underwhelmed and in no hurry to go back.
COMPARISON
Western food in a western style restaurant is hard to come by in Taiwan, so if that's what you're looking for you might want to consider Herban. Staff are friendly and the place had a nice restaurant atmosphere. But for international food it's definitely a distant third after Mianto and About Animals, and its quality and price doesn't compare to many other options nearby.
Pros: vegan options labelled, western food
Cons: bland food, overpriced & hidden charges
Guest
Avesloa
Points +19
Paradise for Vegans and Vegetarians - Edit
A hidden gem and paradise for vegetarians and vegans alike. The atmosphere is relaxed but modern, the design using natural colors and varying shades of green with funky industrial light fixtures hanging font he ceiling.
Read moreUpon being seated, I was pleasantly surprised by a small carafe of rosemary lemon water while I browsed the menu. The menu is easy to read and has distinguishing marks and suggestions to note whether something is vegan, or dairy free, or has onion/garlic. As I made to decide between the delicious sounding grilled cheeses, I was helped by the server (perhaps one of the owners?) who knew just what to recommend based on my mood and hunger. I also chose to sip on some truly fantastic sangria (I tried the red) while I waited for my Avocado Lemon Compote.
My sandwich arrived quite quickly, accompanied by tomato soup and fries. While I was told the meal was on the lighter side, I was truly quite full when I was finished, for I ate every last bite! The avocado was fresh and creamy an went perfectly with the cheese and lemon. The flavors mingled together in a savory tart medley that was truly divine. An avid vegetarian cook myself, I think I will have to do some more experimenting with lemon after experiencing this creative and delicious use of the citrus. The soup was a thick tomato purée without being overly seasoned or only tomato, it was a wonderful compliment to the sandwich. The fries were some of the best I've tasted; crunchy, yet soft on the inside an seasoned to perfection. Though a bit of ketchup is provided, these fries don't really need a dip because they are so delicious on their own.
Having finished my meal, I sat back and drank the rest of my sangria while listening to the great music and taking in the comfortable vibes around me. I will certainly be back again, and next time I will bing friends!
Pros: Delicious food, Comfortable atmosphere, Diverse menu
Cons: A bit pricy for Taiwan standards
Guest
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