UPDATE 12/15/14: CLOSED! But some items are still available for sale at iVegan.
Quick Check:
- Quality: ★★ – So-so
- Type: All Vegan; Fast Food, American
- Location: Ximen MRT Station, Ximending, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Hours: Mon-Sat 12-9pm, closed Sun
- Price: $ – Inexpensive (About 280 TWD for large meal set)
- Language Barrier: English Menu, Staff speak some English
- Website: HappyCow Page
- Menu: Photos Below
- Phone Number: 886-02-23821617
About & Location:
Veggie Joy (蔬食樂 in Chinese) is an all vegan fast-food restaurant located in the Ximending District in Taipei, Taiwan. The closest train station is Ximen MRT Station, Exit 1. From there, you have to turn around and head back towards Section 1 Zhonghua Road. Take a right and walk down Zhonghua Road for about 3-5 minutes. Veggie Joy will be on your right.
Address:
- Chinese: 台北市中華路196之一號
- English: 196-1, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Road, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan
Google Map:
Restaurant Review:
I have mixed feelings about this place. They have a great menu with lots of American fast-food goodies (pizza, burritos, wraps, burgers, nuggets, cakes), but the quality seems to vary.
Veggie Joy (Taipei) Menu
The first time I visited, I got the BBQ Bagel Burger Combo and a slice of chocolate cake to-go. The BBW Burger Combo came with a BBQ Bagel Burger, Fried Sweet Potato, creamy soup, mixed salad, and a drink (I ordered tea). It was pretty good – I really enjoyed the burger and the little nuggets that came with it – neither was too soggy or too crunchy, they had just the right level of crispiness. The salad, unfortunately, was a bit too drenched in thousand-island-style dressing – I ended up not eating some of it because it was just too coated with the stuff. Especially with such rich meal, it was a bit much for me. After all that food I was just too full to eat the soup, unfortunately, but it looked really creamy and delicious.
(Sorry my photos are so blurry – my camera takes horrible low-light photos)
BBQ Burger Combo – $275 TWD
Mixed Salad
Sweet Potato Fried
I also got a slice of chocolate cake, which cake with a vanilla cream topping and and chopped cashews.
Chocolate Cake – $60 TWD
The second time I went I ordered the Mexican Rice Roll, 2 bagels with cream cheese, and a slice of cake (all to-go). The Mexican Rice Roll was pretty good: I was expecting something more thick and burrito-esque, but it was very thin and ended up only really being a snack. It was filled with Mexican rice, corn and a few veggies, and was pretty good.
Mexican Rice Roll – $85 TWD
The bagels were really good, but the “cream,” which I had assumed was supposed to be like cream cheese, was really more like cake frosting than anything. It was very thick and spreadable, but very sweet and not really suited to a breakfast food. I’m pretty sure it’s exactly the same as the icing used on the cakes. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – I have a huge sweet tooth and gladly gobbled them up. But if I didn’t I would have been pretty disappointed.
Bagel & Cream – $65 TWD
The cake, however, was a genuine disappointment. They had vanilla that day so that’s what I got, and it looked fine, but as soon as I started eating I could tell something was wrong. It’s hard to describe, but it tasted water-y: not much flavor and really soggy. The frosting was good, so I ate it, but it’s one of the few times in my life I’ve seriously contemplated just throwing a way a cake. I think what may have happened is that it was frozen and then defrosted, but some water had collected so that it became soggy when it defrosted.
Vegan Cake – $60 TWD
The atmosphere is very casual, and as others on Happy Cow noted, the restaurant itself seems a bit dirty. I don’t think it’s actually dirty in the literal sense, just shabby – I couldn’t quite place what seemed “off,” but it seemed like it needed some furniture replacements and perhaps better lighting. Something about it reminded me of a worn cafeteria. On a brighter note, the staff speak some English and are super friendly and always ready to answer any questions.
Bon Voyage Vegan 