TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Antipodean, one of Taipei’s most prominent Australian-style cafes, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a nostalgic menu revival.
Founded in the Neihu District in 2016 and expanded to the Minsheng Community in 2022, the cafe has launched a series of anniversary events, starting with a limited-time promotional menu titled "Calling back to 2016."
Running through May 31, the first wave of the anniversary campaign brings back four frequently requested dishes that defined the cafe’s early years.
The special menu features avocado baked eggs, signature house-made beef sliders, red velvet cake, and iced Sicilian lemon coffee.
According to restaurant management, the initiative is a gesture of gratitude to loyal regulars, inviting them to reminisce over a decade of dining alongside the cafe’s iconic blue kangaroo mascot.
The Antipodean’s core mission — to provide high-quality food and coffee in a comfortable space — has remained steadfast over the past decade.
Founder Andy Rin, who moved to Australia at age 11 to study and work, said he was deeply inspired by the vibrant and relaxed Australian lifestyle.
He noted that grab-and-go coffees and morning brunch rituals are inseparable from daily life in Australia. Wanting to bring this energetic lifestyle to Taiwan, he launched the flagship Neihu location in 2016.
Since its inception, the cafe has meticulously developed its menu, which features crowd favorites like the Queen’s Breakfast, acai bowls, and a customizable "Brekkie Plate."
The Antipodean partners with Rufous Coffee Roasters — the only Taiwanese cafe named in the 2025 World’s Top 100 Coffee Shops list — to supply its specialty-grade coffee. The team adjusts grind size, portioning, brewing time, and water flow for every batch of beans to preserve their unique flavor profiles.
The revival menu highlights Rin’s early culinary innovations. The avocado baked eggs, launched in 2016 when avocado breakfasts were still uncommon in Taiwan, feature halved avocados stuffed with chorizo and spiced baked eggs, served with thick sourdough bread and arugula salad.
The signature house-made beef sliders showcase charcoal buns stuffed with juicy beef-and-pork patties, Gouda cheese, and pickles.
For dessert, the classic red velvet cake brings back a naturally beet-dyed sponge with rich cream cheese frosting. Finally, the iced Sicilian lemon coffee returns after originally debuting as a mystery drink named "Surprise Me!" on the cafe’s very first seasonal menu.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
