Restaurant with vintage cars serves up gourmet meals for dogs
Taiwan has its fair share of themed cafes. There’s an Alice in Wonderland-themed cafe and a llama cafe and many more. Today, FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us to a restaurant with two quirky themes that you don’t often see paired together: vintage cars and gourmet cuisine for dogs. The restaurant has been around for a while; it was once featured in a popular TV show "Meteor Garden" about 20 years ago.
Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
Are you a fan of the TV series “Meteor Garden”? This themed restaurant was where the two actors from the show went out on a date. Now, 20 years later, this restaurant has transformed into a pet-friendly restaurant, serving up meals for dogs.
This first dish is sirloin beef bowl. Aside from meat, there are also veggies on the side like broccoli, carrots, and cabbage.
There is also penne gratin with pumpkin and beef. These mouthwatering meals are not for me. It’s for this husky, Poly, and this dachshund, Aloha. Over the years, the store has won many loyal patrons who bring their pets here.
Kristina Chang
Poly’s Owner
The fresh dog food here is good, and you can also play with the dogs in the store. My dog likes beef rice, but actually, he likes all of the food here. I tried the salad and seafood noodles myself. They are also delicious.
The founder of the restaurant, Gasper Lee, hired a pet nutritionist to design meals for pets. The restaurant was designated a so-called “Michelin-starred restaurant” for pets by the Taipei Animal Protection Office.
Gasper Lee
Founder
It can’t be seasoned. It’s cooked in a salt-free and oil-free way. It can be boiled, steamed, or fried a little. A pet nutritionist taught us. In addition, we have more than 10 years of experience in dog care. So we know the ratios and formulas that will suit them best.
This restaurant in Taipei was established in 1999 by Lee, an avid collector of antique cars. The restaurant is filled with classic cars, parking meters, fuel stations, and American car license plates. It even became one of the filming locations of the TV show “Meteor Garden.” Many fans of the program still come here to relive the show.
Maricris Agustin
Patron
I am from the Philippines. I am a fan of “Meteor Garden.” It was one of the places where the show has taken place so I went here because of that. I feel like I watched the drama again while eating here. I think I was just in high school or elementary and now I am working when I watched the drama
Bruno Singier
Patron
I think it is pet-friendly here, you see a lot of people bringing their pets. Sometimes it is dogs, and cats as well. I know that there has been people bringing some other pets as well like snakes and maybe iguanas.
In 2016, Lee decided to start serving healthy and delicious pet meals.
Gasper Lee
Founder
In the very beginning, I liked to collect antique cars, parking meters, antique fuel stations, and mini cars, and then re-create them. We started the pet business because of our shop dog, this dachshund. After seeing the dachshund, many customers asked if they can bring their dog over. I said: “yes.” Then they also asked if dogs can have their own meals. So we learned several recipes from pet nutritionists and sold fresh pet food in the store. We didn’t expect that it would be so well received when it launched.
Over the years, more and more Taiwanese are becoming proud pet owners. The Taipei City Animal Protection Office has created a “Michelin” guide for pets, selecting 10 pet-friendly restaurants across Taipei that provide high-quality meals. Seeing this demand, stores across Taiwan are also providing and developing more pet-friendly products and services, along with cooking meals to cater to pets and their owners.
2023-02-17
