Ni Camak's Kitchen

「A tribal café run by a seasoned Paiwan chef」

The chef Camak left his tribal village at the age of 12 and returned to the homeland with his wife Jiajia and children when he was 42. Now he serves traditional cuisines of Paiwan tribe made with ingredients from tribal forests and his culinary creativity. With over 20 years of cooking experience, the chef opened the restaurant at Nanxing tribal village of Dawu Township at southern part of Taitung, in order to go back to his tribal roots with traditional food. Camak is a shy man and cooking is his way of “communication” with his guests. He garnishes the dishes with small pebble stones and leaves of subcostate crape myrtle tree, which can be easily found in his tribal village. His wife Jiajia is a cheerful woman who would enthusiastically introduce his culinary creation and share the stories behind all the dishes he prepares. Camak and Jiajia returned to his homeland with a dream of helping their children develop their identity as part of Paiwan tribe from Qudjaqas village. According to Jiajia, the restaurant is much more than a workplace for them. “It is our home and a venue to make friends, ” said Jiajia.