Wenshan District, Taipei City｜貓空茶言觀舍

Food is great, boss was courteous and even offer an parking space for free parking.

Picked this place off recommended places around the Maokong Gondola Terminal stop and wasn't disappointed. We went with our 2 year old and they had high chairs without fronts that you push up to the table. Get yourself a table by seating yourself, I went to the counter to order for our table cause I wasn't sure of the way to order. English menus were on the front counter that we looked through when we first arrived, but no pictures. I pointed to the Chinese characters above the English to communicate what we wanted to order and just held up the number of fingers for how many. We went with a nice mix of the high level mountain oolong tea set, the iron plate tofu (FYI for vegetarians, it had small pork pieces) but was an excellent rich flavor with mushrooms as well, and finally the multicolored handmade steamed buns (no filling but delicately flavored and light) and white rice. The tea service staff made us our first round and taught us how to make it. The top tea sets are a purchase of a tea box you get to take with you (400twd) that they open and show you how to make, then serve you. If you want more you make and pour it using the remaining water in your table kettle. It was quite foggy the day we went, but bet the view would be great on a clear day.

The restaurant might have a humble look (actually it didn't quite fit into that typical look of a restaurant), but the food is certainly worthy of coming in for. While the overall quality of most dishes is outstanding, special tea dishes (i.e., dishes with tea leaves -- that's the appeal around this region), such as Oolong chicken fillet and pan-fried tea omelette, etc. definitely worth a try. Kids would love the assortment of steamed buns (colorful!). If you're not lone, you might wanna enjoy a pot of self-boiled kung-fu tea (i.e., traditional Taiwanese tea rituals with small tea pots and cups), to spend another 30 mins.