Taipei’s brunch culture feels a little static compared to how quickly other restaurant trends evolve over the years, like a snapshot of peak mid 2010s brunch culture in a sunny minimalist millennial dining space that overindexes on soft scrambled eggs and hybrid pastries like the croffle. Shaori Café is a textbook example. The spacious restaurant just a block away from the bustle of Zhongxiao Fuxing is a popular stop for brunching at what seems to be any time. The minimalist space, western plates, and lax time rule appeal to a young professional crowd and families alike.

In terms of the food, there’s not much to write about. It’s your typical western brunch fare (ahem, Aussie-brekkie coded) at typical brunch prices. Variations on open faced sandwiches. Croissant waffles in sandwich and in dessert shapes. Coffee in all the forms you’d expect. Salads if you’re feeling healthy. Lemon tarts and mille crepe cakes if you aren’t. In some ways, I think Shaori is a social utility, a reliable place for gathering in a comfortable space with generous hours and a big enough menu to appease to most. For a society that has a strong local breakfast habit, this offers a refreshing, leisurely alternative to change things up.