TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kingmauii Coffee (金茂宜咖啡) is a newly opened “art cafe” in the popular Yongkang Street area of town that has a Hawaiian vibe and great veranda for people watching.
The two-floor store is the brainchild of coffee entrepreneur Xie Jia’en (謝佳恩), whose original Maui Coffee house was established in Kaohsiung, 2001. Since then, he has opened up multiple coffee shops in Taiwan and China, though many were forced to close during COVID.
With the pandemic over, Xie is once again expanding and his latest store is a bright, modern, and comfortable venue for long conversations over a stylish cup of Kona coffee. The Hawaii-sourced bean is known as the “Champagne of coffee” for its refined taste, rarity, unique terroir, and exclusivity.
Kona beans have also been called an "American national treasure” and Xie proudly shows proof of them being chosen for the coffee course at White House banquets. Grown on Maui, Hawaii's second-largest island, the Kona Coffee Belt plantations have a volcanic soil rich in nutrients and blessed by perfect weather.
Kona coffee: “A richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may and call it by what name you please” – Mark Twain
Xie has been the sole agent for Kona coffee not just in Taiwan and China but the whole of Asia for around 20 years. He first fell in love with the gourmet brew 30 years ago and was trained as a roaster by an American master.
He says he is still very much a “hands-on” business person when it comes to roasting the cafe’s beans. As a result, each cup of coffee has a signature flavor that is smooth, rich, and has a wonderfully subtle fermented, chocolatey aftertaste.
The iced coffee is most popular and has a coconut and nut edge. It is served with sucrose and fresh milk, with Kona coffee ice cubes. Iced Kona coffee retains its flavor and freshness for up to a week in the fridge if you fancy a takeaway. But fresh is best.
In addition to coffee and other beverages, including some fine green tea, his flagship store serves brunch, light meals, and desserts. The pizza is a collaboration with a Michelin-starred restaurant.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
(Taiwan News, Jules Quartly photos)
