Dimmed red lighting and cozy corners, the soft glow from the streetlights outside; the music, modern yet sexy, envelops hushed conversations. JUJU entices us to their snug Spanish spot to clink wine glasses and share indulgent dishes. This place was designed for sultry romantic evenings.
But be warned: the tapas use an atomic bomb of garlic, a daring choice for date night.
Entering from a rainy night in Songshan District (松山), we’re hit with that intoxicating garlic and the warmth of a charming bistro hitting the sweet spot between busy and bustling. I was looking to impress, and I hit the jackpot.
Photo: Hollie Younger
Hailing from the volcanic island paradise of Tenerife, Spanish native chef Pablo Lorenzo floats around the dining area, offering recommendations, mixing drinks and whipping up delicious small plates in the open kitchen.
Entering their seventh year, JUJU is a family affair of passion and perfection. Except for the fresh produce, their beers and wines, spices and aromatics, even the charcuterie and cheeses are imported from Spain. Lorenzo’s cousin, a professional jamon slicer, regularly flies to Taipei with certified Iberico ham and supplies JUJU’s charcuterie boards with the premium cuts, cured for 36 or 48 months and carved into silky, salty slices, straight off the leg. A plate of Iberico ham (NT$900) with a jug of fresh sangria (NT$590) forms the perfect introduction to this leisurely and intimate culinary experience.
Many sangrias are in fact an amateur amalgamation of red wine and soggy fruit. But JUJU’s sharing jars are a one-way ticket to a sunny veranda in Seville, a holiday in a glass. Pablo also imports gin from the Balearic Islands, using a traditional and simple Menorca-made gin for JUJU’s signature gin and tonic (NT$320), elevated in-house with rosemary and berries for a light, summery spritz.
Photo: Hollie Younger
In homage to his Canary Island home, located off of continental Africa, Lorenzo’s menu fuses Spanish classics with fresh seafood and South American flavors; his menu features Venezuelan arepas, akin to a taco with a starchy, maize dough casing.
The more continental tapas list offers a wide range from classic croquettes to more opulent braised octopus; Lorenzo recommends sharing three to four per couple.
The signature here, that Lorenzo implores we try, are the garlic shrimp (NT$550). Served in an individual cast-iron pan, the shrimp are plump and pink, doused in rich garlic oil amplified with fresh red chili. Loaded onto the crisp toasts, it’s a yummy mouthful.
Photo: Hollie Younger
Our next order from the sea is the seafood paella (NT$430), conveniently served tapas-size in miniature pans. The mussels are huge, the clams juicy and we’re delighted with a further helping of those fresh prawns.
The final tapas; Beef Tongue Pintxos (NT$360). In northern Spain’s Basque region, traditional taverns serve bite sized appetizers on tiny crispy toast: the pintxo. JUJU’s take uses ample slices of tender, buttery beef tongue on a bed of soft and tangy cream cheese. It’s incredibly rich, but strikes just the right balance — good things come in small portions.
Think tapas, and desserts don’t usually come to mind, but a hugely popular dish is the Torrijas (NT$280). Bread soaked in cinnamon milk and fried, it’s the cakier, fluffier cousin of the churro, topped with vanilla ice cream. A little something sweet sees off a smorgasbord of authentic, bold Spanish cuisine — full-bodied flavors yet never too heavy.
Photo: Hollie Younger
We finish the evening watching the world go by from the covered terrace, savoring the last of a fruity gin and tonic as we reacclimatize from sunny Spain to rainy Taipei.
Photo: Hollie Younger
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and the country’s other political groups dare not offend religious groups, says Chen Lih-ming (陳立民), founder of the Taiwan Anti-Religion Alliance (台灣反宗教者聯盟). “It’s the same in other democracies, of course, but because political struggles in Taiwan are extraordinarily fierce, you’ll see candidates visiting several temples each day ahead of elections. That adds impetus to religion here,” says the retired college lecturer. In Japan’s most recent election, the Liberal Democratic Party lost many votes because of its ties to the Unification Church (“the Moonies”). Chen contrasts the progress made by anti-religion movements in
Taiwan doesn’t have a lot of railways, but its network has plenty of history. The government-owned entity that last year became the Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) has been operating trains since 1891. During the 1895-1945 period of Japanese rule, the colonial government made huge investments in rail infrastructure. The northern port city of Keelung was connected to Kaohsiung in the south. New lines appeared in Pingtung, Yilan and the Hualien-Taitung region. Railway enthusiasts exploring Taiwan will find plenty to amuse themselves. Taipei will soon gain its second rail-themed museum. Elsewhere there’s a number of endearing branch lines and rolling-stock collections, some
This was not supposed to be an election year. The local media is billing it as the “2025 great recall era” (2025大罷免時代) or the “2025 great recall wave” (2025大罷免潮), with many now just shortening it to “great recall.” As of this writing the number of campaigns that have submitted the requisite one percent of eligible voters signatures in legislative districts is 51 — 35 targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus lawmakers and 16 targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The pan-green side has more as they started earlier. Many recall campaigns are billing themselves as “Winter Bluebirds” after the “Bluebird Action”
Last week the State Department made several small changes to its Web information on Taiwan. First, it removed a statement saying that the US “does not support Taiwan independence.” The current statement now reads: “We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” In 2022 the administration of Joe Biden also removed that verbiage, but after a month of pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), reinstated it. The American
RSS