Department of Cultural Affairs

The “No. 1 Food Theater,” operated by Lead Jade Life & Culture Co., wins the 5th National Cultural Asset Preservation Award by the Ministry of Culture. DOCA Photo
 

By Yali Chen
 
The historic building “No. 1 Food Theater” in Taipei City won the 5th National Cultural Asset Preservation Award by the Ministry of Culture. Such recognition demonstrates that the collaboration between public and private sectors can help restore older structures to their former glory.
 
Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) launched the “Old House Cultural Movement Plan” in 2013 to preserve the city’s historical and cultural assets. It is the Taiwan’s first matching platform initiated by the public sector. Through public bidding and public selection procedures, the DOCA worked with private companies to restore older structures that have been idle for many years. Since then, 13 historic buildings have been refurbished and reopened to the public.
 

Diners in the restaurant on the second floor of the No. 1 Food Theater. DOCA Photo

 
The No. 1 Food Theater was one of the items in the first phase of the DOCA public bidding process. Lead Jade Life & Culture Co. (立偕生活文化有限公司) took up the refurbishment project and spent NT$28 million on it in 2013. The restoration work took nearly 3 years. On July 23, 2016, the older structure was transformed into the No. 1 Food Theater.
 

The No. 1 Food Theater is a good example of the collaboration between public and
private sector in the old house movement. DOCA Photo

The historic building was the first granary built by the Japanese in Taipei City during the period of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945. Its outer wall still left bullet holes from the U.S. military bombings in World War II.
 
After the restoration work, the granary was turned into the No. 1 Food Theater to showcase the process of food production, promoting agricultural knowledge and delicious dishes. It not only functions as a warehouse for urban small farmers, but also becomes a marketing platform between urban and rural agriculture.
 

The restaurant on the second floor has earned a Michelin star for the
second consecutive year. DOCA Photo


Made at the No. 1 Food Theater. DOCA Photo
 

The Lepu Huinong Supermarket (樂埔滙農超市) on the first floor of the building sells more than one hundred kinds of high-quality farm products from local small farmers. A restaurant on the second floor turns fresh local produce into delicious dishes. It is the Michelin-recommended restaurant for the second year in succession.
 
The DOCA said that the No. 1 Food Theater retains the historic integrity and cultural value. The combination of cultural assets and local farm products gives a new life to the historic building. It is a good example of the cooperation between public and private sectors in the old house movement.