Whalen’s

When a Canadian decided to introduce Taiwanese people to his homeland’s signature dish, Whalen’s was therefore born. It is a Canadian poutinerie/restaurant offering a casual ambiance in one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Taipei. Beloved by locals and expats alike, Whalen’s has initially been known as a place for brunch, but it is in fact open 24 hours on weekends. With an abundance of bars around the corner, it seems to be a perfect place to either start or end your night out.

Items on the regular menu include omelettes, sandwiches and burgers, but there is a whole separate menu dedicated to the Canadian Poutine, a classic dish made with French fries, and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy. This thick, gloopy pile of chips, meat gravy and squeaky cheese curd first appeared as a local late-night drinking snack in Quebec and is now believed to be the perfect hangover cure all over the world. The poutine stays incredibly true to its Canadian roots at Whalen’s, and some other dishes are also worth a try here, such as The Country Club (a triple decker sandwich made with the freshly baked whole grain bread, oven roasted turkey, bacon lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese and dijon mayo) and The Uneggspected (an omelette filled with bacon, salami, mushrooms, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes and jack cheese topped with sour cream). Finally, let the homemade granola sitting within the fresh yogurt imported from Germany put a sweet end to this enticing meal. If you want to satisfy your comfort food cravings in Taipei, Whalen’s is definitely the place to go.