[Taipei] Other than the usual bubble tea shops peppered around Taipei’s Ximending, a fruit juice shop called “Lemon House 21” or 檸檬屋正宗苦瓜原汁 has been popular with tourists and locals alike.
White Bitter Gourd Juice? (Or sometimes known as “Bitter Melon”)
Some of you may shudder at what this ‘bitter fruit’ is going to taste like.
A White Bitter Melon doesn’t exactly have an enticing appearance, pale green in colour looking like a giant cucumber with ‘warty’ skin.
The fruit is a relative of squash and watermelon, and its juice from this stall was actually quite refreshing and not that bitter.
The cup has gone up to NT$95 (SGD4.35) per cup, from its previous NT$85 – more expensive (say 30% more?) than the average stall selling the same drink.
However, gone is the long line of tourists queuing for a cup, as the COVID-19 scare and travel restrictions have affected the business quite a bit.
“The Hong Kongers, Japanese, Koreans and Singaporeans are big fans of my White Bitter Gourd juice”, the friendly lady boss quipped.
After learning that I am Singaporean, she cheerily thank us for our support.
”This one boost immunity, buy one more cup.”. She is a good salesperson, as I find myself leaving with one more than I initially wanted.
The Bitter Gourd is supposed to pack several nutrients, has cancer-fighting properties, and can help reduce blood sugar.
I am not sure about a cup with honey added to it.
With that said, the stall claims that there is no added sugar or water. Lady boss also further explained that the recipe will be tweaked depending on the season.
If you have previous qualms about having a Bitter Gourd made into juice, the cup is actually quite addictively refreshing and cooling, with mild sweetness and just a touch of the bitterness coming at the end.
It felt like the right drink to have, especially having some of those mee sua and ‘heaty’ fried chicken pieces from Hao Da and Ji Guang Xiang Xiang Ji nearby.
”Hope you all Singaporeans come back soon.”. We hope so too.
Lemon House White Bitter Gourd Juice 檸檬屋正宗苦瓜原汁
No. 21 Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
漢中街21號 台北市 108
Tel: +886 2 2383 2228
Opening hours: 9am – 12am (Mon – Sun)
Google Maps – 檸檬屋正宗苦瓜原汁
Other Related Entries
Ay Chung Rice Noodles 阿宗麵線 (Ximending, Taipei)
Monga Coffee Roasters 丸花豆倉 (Wanhua District, Taipei)
Golden Flower Toast 金花碳烤吐司專賣 (Wanhua District, Taipei)
Jian Hong Beef Noodles 建宏牛肉麵 (Wanhua District, Taipei)
Mala Hot Pot 马辣顶级鸳鸯火锅 (Ximending, Taipei)
Click HERE for other TAIPEI Food Entries
* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.