Aside from my luxury bag business, many of you probably don’t know that I also manage a digital marketing office. Every year, my husband and I make it our goal to save up for our yearly company outing. This our way of giving back and rewarding our small group of employees for their loyalty and hard work. Thankfully, this 2019, we are able to visit Taiwan!

One of the places listed on our travel itinerary is the Modern Toilet Restaurant in Taipei. It is a toilet-themed restaurant where food is deliberately served in disgusting presentations from different shapes of poo to mini urinals.

I have read many great reviews about this quirky tourist attraction so my pioneer team and my family decided to experience it ourselves. So if you’re curious about how their food tasted or just looking for places to visit on your trip to Taiwan, here’s my restaurant review of the Modern Toilet in Taipei.

Restaurant Review: Modern Toilet in Taipei, Taiwan

 

• Overview

In Japan, one can find a wide array of weird and unusual restaurants especially in Tokyo. Here in Taiwan, you can also experience the same thing. In fact, the owner Wang Zi-Whei was actually inspired to create the Modern Toilet Restaurant because of a Japanese cartoon.

Originally called the Marton Restaurant back in 2004, the Modern Toilet Restaurant offers a unique dining experience with its toilet-themed decor and food. Generally, reservations are not required unless it’s peak hours or holiday season. Having said that, the place is spacious enough so I guess you’d only wait for about a maximum of 10 minutes or so. Do note that each person has to order at least one food item from their menu. (More about their food later.)

Here are the operating hours if you’re planning to visit this restaurant:

• • Monday – 11:30 am to 9 pm
  • Tuesday – 11:30 am to 9 pm
  • Wednesday – 11:30 am to 9 pm
  • Thursday – 11:30 am to 9 pm
  • Friday – 11:30 am to 9:30 pm
  • Saturday – 11 am to 9:30 pm
  • Sunday – 11am to 9pm

 

• Location

There are actually three Modern Toilet Restaurants in Taiwan—one in Shilin district and another at Ximending district in Taipei, and the last one at Taichung City.

We visited the one at the Ximending district. If you’re passing by the Xining road, it’s impossible to miss out on the huge toilet decor outside a certain building. This is exactly where the Modern Toilet Restaurant is located.

In order to reach the restaurant from the nearest Ximen MRT station, simply follow these instructions:

• • • After alighting the MRT train, take Exit 6 and walk towards Chengdu Road.
    • There would be a Starbucks located across the street. Once you see this establishment, turn right at Kunming street.
    • Walk until you see a parking lot and turn right at Xining street.
    • Keep walking until you reach the Modern Toilet Restaurant.

Planning to tour around Taipei after your visit to this restaurant? Worry not as it’s located right at the center of the Ximending Shopping Area. You can also easily go to famous Taipei tourist destinations such as the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, the Lungshan Temple, and the Presidential Palace.

 

• Ambiance

Modern Toilet Restaurant truly lives up to its name. Even before you enter the actual establishment, you can already see the huge display of a toilet bowl—as if enticing you to go inside. Once you reach the building, you’ll be welcomed by a bathroom set-up (complete with a sink, toilet bowl, and basin) on the ground floor where you can freely snap some photos. 

The actual restaurant or dining area is located on the 2nd floor and according to their website, it can accommodate up to atleast 80 people. The flight up to the stairs isn’t boring either—there’s another toilet again but unlike the one downstairs, this one contains poo!

Upstairs, you’ll find glass tables (that allows you to see the basin containing poop underneath) and chairs that are designed as real toilet bowls. Each toilet bowl chair has a unique design though so you’ll never get tired of taking pictures of the resto.

When you look at the walls, you see that they are designed like mosaic tiles which you’d usually find in bathrooms. There are also toilet-inspired paintings displayed over the walls. These wall decors just further heighten up the feeling that you’re in a bathroom.

As for their actual bathroom or comfort room, it’s also designed with the poop-themed setting in mind. For one, instead of the usual sink set-up, the resto’s sink actually looks like a toilet bowl with a bidet as the faucet. There’s also a urinal inside but it’s not for the purpose you’re probably expecting—it’s actually used as a lighting fixture inside the bathroom. Talk about creativity!

Overall, I found all of these toilet-themed decors inside the restaurant very fun and witty. They really do offer one unique and completely bizarre dining experience for every guest! And if you like posting travel photos on Instagram, you’ll definitely find the Modern Toilet Restaurant Instagram-worthy!

 

• Food

Upon entering the Modern Toilet Restaurant, you’ll be greeted by their respective wait staff. You’ll then be seated at one of the tables but you can freely choose which one especially if the place’s not that busy. After, you’ll be given a toilet-shaped menu and an order sheet.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to order:

1. Mark your chosen food on the order sheet. (Do note that each customer is required to order atleast one food item on the menu. This means that there are no sharings allowed.)

2. After marking the order sheet, give it to the cashier or counter.

3. The restaurant staff at the counter will then give you a service button device. Simply press the button if you need assistance.

4. They will also give you an order confirmation slip. Place it on your table afterward.

The menu varies for each Modern Toilet restaurant branch but here are the food options presented to us during our dine-in experience at the Ximen location.

As you can see, the food choices are vast from sumptuous Asian meals (hot pots, curry, and tofu) to basic Western food (sandwiches, chicken, and spaghetti). 

And aside from the toilet-themed decor, another thing to look forward to in this restaurant is the unique food presentations. For instance, their hot pots are served in mini toilet bowls. Some food items are served in basins and the drinks are inside a mini urinal. Of course, don’t forget to take pictures of their iconic “poop” ice creams. 

Here’s what our group ordered:

• • Toilet Chicken Nuggets – I bought this for my son, Evan. This is just your typical chicken nuggets with, of course, a twist on the food presentation.
  • Ham & Cheese Stuffed Fried Chicken – It’s delicious as it tastes like good old chicken. If you like to order safe and are not really adventurous when it comes to food, then go with this.

• • Seafood Spaghetti with Cream Sauce – This is commonly known in the Philippines as carbonara. The taste would definitely pass in a Filipino’s standards because it tastes similar to the carbonara one is familiar with.

• • Thai Pepper Steak – This one’s a bit spicy for me and it really reminds me of sweet and sour pork.

• • Swirly Poop Ice Cream – For our desserts, we ordered their famous chocolate swirl ice cream that looks like poop. It’s your typical chocolate ice cream.

We spent a total of NT $2300 or about ₱3,800 in Philippine peso. We’re a group 6 (plus 1 child) so I find this price a little bit expensive.

• Overall Experience

My family, together with my pioneer team, really enjoyed our experience at the Modern Toilet Restaurant. Evan (my son) had fun seeing the numerous poops displayed on the tables, toilet bowl chairs, and even the food! Like the kids, the adults would also find the ambiance (and overall concept!) inside the restaurant very entertaining. As an added bonus, these decors are all Instagram-worthy, perfect for your travel grams.

And although I found their food pricey (especially when compared to restaurants here in the Philippines), we still enjoyed each option that we ordered because their taste is reminiscent of every Filipino’s favorite local food.

All in all, the Modern Toilet Restaurant is definitely a must-visit spot when you’re traveling in Taipei, Taiwan.

If you want a tour inside the Modern Toilet Restaurant, feel free to watch my vlog.

Check out my blog to read more articles about my travels abroad and in the Philippines.