Elegant Healthy Dining at Sugar Pea
| New safety measures for COVID-19: Number of tables reduced, temperature scans at door (customers with temperature with 37.5°C or above will be asked to leave), tables are 1.5m apart from each other, alcohol spray provided to customers, and surfaces disinfected immediately after customers leave. |
| Delivery information: Order from them on Food Panda. |
We first stumbled across Sugar Pea, a bright, stylish restaurant near Zhongxiao Dunhua, when looking for new brunch options. It has since been several years since our discovery, and Sugar Pea has earned itself a firm place on our shortlist of healthy restaurants, and not just for their creative brunch menu. We love everything about it — from the gorgeous, airy interior and aesthetically-pleasing plating to the food that is just divine, Sugar Pea ticks every one of our boxes.
Sugar Pea is one of those places that is just so gorgeous that we would be remiss not to mention it. The interior is spacious and inviting, with white brick walls, potted plants, and pretty tiles creating a stylish, clean setting for eating in. They have a beautiful sunroom at the front of the restaurant that welcomes natural light through its large white-framed windows, which is absolutely delightful during the day. At night, Sugar Pea takes on a slightly cosier atmosphere, with dim lighting and a relaxed atmosphere.
We were already drooling when we sat down on a Saturday morning in June. It was still pretty empty when we arrived around opening time at 11:30am, but every seat was booked up: Sugar Pea is so popular that you really must make a reservation to avoid the disappointment of not being able to get a table.
There were so many tempting options on the menu that we needed help deciding what to get. The very friendly hostess with perfect English walked us through some of the popular options to help us choose. The first thing that was recommended to us was the raspberry compote with brie cheese and honey atop crostini ($260). This turned out to be an excellent appetizer, although it’s unfortunately no longer available on their new menu. The sweetness of the raspberries perfectly complemented the creamy brie, and the olive oil and cracked black pepper brought the flavours together in a mouth-watering combination. After one bite, we were confident that the main course would be exceptional too.
The Chipotle Chicken Market Bowl ($430) came next, which was a mix of quinoa, black beans, sweet corn, feta, roasted onion & pepper, cherry tomato salsa, smashed avocado, cilantro and lime. It was incredibly tasty, light, and healthy. We would definitely order this again, having loved the full-but-not-too-full feeling we got after eating it.
Our guilty order was the Banana Pancakes ($320) with peanut butter honey syrup, brûléed bananas, and whipped cream. The pancakes themselves were nice and fluffy, but the real treat was the delicious, gooey syrup. Luckily for everyone, these are still available on the brunch menu. We highly recommend giving them a try, though you may want to split it with another person since they’re rather heavy.
The brunch at Sugar Pea is incredible, but we’ve also very much enjoyed our dinners there too. On our most recent trip back, we tried two of their seasonal cocktails, the frozen sunny margarita ($320, pictured left) and the strawberry basil smash ($320, pictured left). Both drinks were delicious and perfect for warm spring weather, though the margarita made a better impression with it’s the delightful, citrusy tartness.
Once again, it was hard to choose from their incredible menu, but after agonizing over the options we settled on a few. The first to arrive was the shrimp salad with tender greens, avocado and mozzarella ($400). This salad was absolutely exquisite, with perfectly-cooked shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and little cubes of mozzarella sitting on a bed of greens, tossed in a delicious pesto-based dressing with a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top. This was one of the best salads we’ve had in Taipei, and we would order it again and again.
Next, we got the Chipotle chicken market bowl ($430) that we had ordered for brunch on our first visit. It was still as good as we remembered it, with tangy flavours and a beautiful crunch from all the fresh vegetables.
Last but by no means least, we ordered the roast steak & couscous salad with roasted vegetables ($580). We loved how generous the serving of tender sirloin steak was in this salad, and how well it paired with the perfectly-roasted vegetables, crumbled feta cheese, couscous, and cilantro dressing. It was hearty and light at the same time, and the best way to satisfy all of our meat cravings for the day.
We really should have left at this point, but it was hard to resist dessert. We settled on two that came recommended to us: their signature red velvet cake ($200) and apple custard tart ($200). The red velvet cake was dense and moist, sweet enough to make an excellent dessert without going overboard. The apple custard tart was deliciously creamy and indulgent, and we found the custard apple garnish to be rather interesting. It was hard to pick a favourite.
Overall, we strongly recommend a visit to Sugar Pea, no matter what time of the day. We’ve loved their brunches, lunches, and dinner no matter the weather or occasion and will continue to return for as long as they stay open. Their food is consistently fresh and absolutely delicious, with the added benefit of being (for the most part) healthy. It’s also undeniably gorgeous, which is hard to ignore and definitely makes the experience that bit more enjoyable.
Check out their full menu down below:
What’s the vibe?
Bright and elegant, full of plants and natural light. It’s one of Taipei’s classier brunch environments and is great for hosting events like birthday parties, bridal showers, and nice family outings. It’s also a fantastic spot for lunch and dinner.
Worth it?
Absolutely, if you’re looking for beautiful, healthy food. It’s not the cheapest brunch option, but the gorgeous interior, first-class service, and great food make it worth the price.
Would you go back?
We’ve already been back multiple times.
Last updated April 2020
| Sugar Pea |
| Hours: Tues - Sun: 11:30am -- 8pm (last orders at 7:30pm) Closed Mondays |
| Phone: 02 2325 6188 |
| English Address: 1F No.16 Alley 20 Lane 300 Section 4 Renai Road, Daan District |
| Chinese Address: 大安區仁愛路4段300巷20弄16號1樓 |
