Taipei's Exquisite Café: Limited Daily Blueberry Soufflé Pancakes

Text and photos byDaKou

This time, DaKou is taking everyone to a café for a delicious meal again. What do I mean by "eating a meal at a café"? Because when people think of cafés, their first instinct is usually to go there for great coffee, not for tasty food. But the "Coffee Please By MASTRO" that DaKou is bringing you to this time is completely flipping the script on your usual café expectations. The coffee is excellent, the food is top-notch, and best of all, the prices are super reasonable—you can enjoy high-quality coffee for under NT$100.

On top of that, you can also enjoy Choice-grade beef here, meat dishes made using molecular gastronomy techniques, soufflés, and other popular menu items. It’s truly a hidden gem with a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Next, let’s dive right in and see just how delicious the food at “Coffee Please By MASTRO” really is.

“Coffee Please By MASTRO” is the second branch opened after MASTRO CAFE gained a foothold in Neihu. It’s located along Fuxing North Road in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, and features a very eye-catching black signboard with yellow lettering.

The café follows a minimalist industrial design aesthetic, with light wooden tables and chairs that give off a relaxed vibe. Despite the compact dining space, it doesn’t feel cramped at all. Natural sunlight streams through the large windows, creating a bright and pleasant atmosphere.

For coffee lovers, “Coffee Please By MASTRO” is also a fantastic spot. They use WBC World Barista Championship-specified coffee machines, carefully selected estate-grown coffee beans, and Italy’s renowned Anfim grinder to freshly grind beans on-site, delivering affordable yet high-quality coffee to every guest.

Aside from coffee, they also have an impressive selection of drinks. There are refreshing tropical cocktails, rich espresso martinis, sweet plum wines, and even Sahi dark beers—so if you’d like to enjoy a drink here, you totally can. (Please note: no alcohol for those under 18.)

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking.

Ordering here is hassle-free. Once you place your order, the staff will bring your food over once it’s ready. Dishes, drinks, and desserts are all served at the table—super convenient.

They also offer a visual introduction on their website, helping customers get a better sense of what “Coffee Please By MASTRO” is all about.

They also allow you to add a fresh salad of the day (for an extra NT$25, you can swap fries for salad) with your meal. Their premium steak sets (all come with truffle fries) can be upgraded to a combo for an additional NT$70 (which includes any drink) or NT$120 (which includes any drink, dessert, or soup). (Desserts and drinks can be swapped for options under NT$90 or you can pay the difference for other selections.)

They also offer lighter fare such as salads, desserts, and special pancakes (available after 1:30 PM).

Their coffee lineup includes both regular and specialty brews, with milk, oat, and coconut milk options—all very smooth. There are also a variety of non-coffee beverages to choose from, including premium teas, organic teas from Germany’s BG Tea Manor, fruit drinks, chocolate beverages, and beers, ensuring even non-coffee drinkers have plenty of options.

The café also collaborates with “Coffee Please By MASTRO.” Most of their dishware is wooden, which gives the place a really nice vibe.

Try the SDA Choice Diced Beef with Sesame Salad (NT$240). This hearty wooden bowl salad is quite generous—it comes with Choice-grade diced beef along with baby corn, pine nuts, walnuts, apple slices, cucumber, sweet potato, pumpkin, and lettuce. It looks incredibly lavish.

The salad dressing is rich but not overwhelming. Every bite of the beef is juicy and flavorful. Some pieces are seared to a nice char, adding an extra layer of taste. Even when it cools down, the meat stays tender and doesn’t become dry or tough—the texture and sweetness remain amazing.

The sweet potato and pumpkin pieces in the salad are also incredibly sweet and tender, with almost no fibrous texture. Who knew adding sweet potato and pumpkin to a salad could taste so good? This bowl of salad is definitely one of the best DaKou has ever had—crisp, flavorful, with a sesame dressing that’s aromatic but not greasy. Everything about it is just delicious.

The Grilled Pork Ribs Sandwich (NT$220) comes with onion slices and a fresh salad of the day.

The pork ribs are marinated before being grilled, resulting in a slightly salty-sweet flavor and juicy, tender meat. Paired with soft, fluffy ciabatta bread, it’s extremely satisfying. Fresh onions add a touch of acidity to cut through the richness. This seemingly simple grilled pork rib sandwich is surprisingly addictive and delicious.

They also serve a Caramel Macchiato (NT$90) and a Marshmallow Chocolate Drink (NT$75). The Caramel Macchiato has a subtle caramel aroma, with just the right amount of sweetness, making it smooth and mellow. The Marshmallow Chocolate uses cocoa powder from Ghirardelli, the largest traditional chocolate manufacturer on the U.S. West Coast. It offers a rich cocoa flavor, lightly sweet and not cloying—much less sugary than typical hot chocolate. In the middle, there are roasted marshmallows that melt in your mouth, adding a soft, chewy texture. It’s very enjoyable.

For meat lovers, there’s also a 5 oz New Zealand Veal Chop (NT$680), served with a portion of truffle fries. The veal chop comes with a choice of three seasonings: natural sea salt, rose salt, and yuzu pepper—you can pick your favorite. On the side, they also provide a renowned French Forge de Laguiole steak knife, the same kind used in many Michelin-starred restaurants.

This incredibly tender New Zealand veal chop is marinated with French mustard and Hungarian spices before being grilled. Because the meat undergoes molecular gastronomy pre-treatment, it turns out exceptionally juicy.

The veal chop is grilled to medium-rare, yet shows no sign of bloodiness—instead, it has a naturally delicate pink hue, making it look especially appetizing.

%Jiyou Bang? Fencai Xianlan’s Caramel Macchiato (90 RMB) and Marshmallow Chocolate (75 RMB). The Caramel Macchiato has a subtle caramel aroma, not overly sweet, and tastes rich and smooth. The Marshmallow Chocolate uses cocoa powder produced by Ghirardelli, the largest traditional chocolate factory on the U.S. West Coast, giving it a deep cocoa fragrance that's slightly sweet but not cloying. Compared to regular hot chocolate, it's noticeably less sweet. In the middle, there are roasted marshmallows that melt in your mouth—soft, chewy, and delicious. It’s very enjoyable to drink!

%Beef tenderloin (scored 5/6, 680 RMB), each served with a portion of truffle fries. The beef tenderloin is paired with seasonings including natural sea salt, rose salt, and yuzu pepper—all of which you can adjust to your taste. Beside it is a renowned French Forge de Laguiole steak knife, a handcrafted tool used by many Michelin-starred restaurants!

This extremely tender grilled New Zealand beef tenderloin is specially selected from young calves and marinated with French mustard sauce and Hungarian spices before being grilled. Because the meat undergoes molecular gastronomy processing beforehand, it is exceptionally tender!

%The chef has carefully grilled each beef tenderloin slice to showcase a particularly outstanding level of doneness. It doesn't appear bloody at all even though it's cooked to medium rare; instead, it shows a natural pink hue, making it look especially appetizing.

The beef back paired with natural sea salt has a stronger salty flavor, while those coated with rose salt offer a subtle sweet-salty aroma. Each variety has a distinct scent, but they’re actually delicious on their own too!

The beef back here is incredibly tender, and the two types of salt enhance the flavor further. The aroma of the beef is rich, and whether you prefer savory or sweet tastes, this beef back will definitely impress you.　

Their homemade butter is also very good, with a mellow and smooth texture.

The soufflé here costs 320 NTD (about $10 USD), and it’s available only in limited daily quantities. It’s made to order and takes over 30 minutes to prepare, but it’s definitely worth the wait for this delicious treat!

The blueberry soufflé they served was topped with plenty of fresh blueberries and blueberry sauce. Each bite delivered a lovely sweet-tart blueberry flavor!

The other soufflé had a more neutral flavor, with the beef back and potato offering a rich umami taste. There were multiple layers of flavor, and when paired with the blueberry sauce on the soufflé, the overall flavor was incredibly satisfying. After finishing the soufflé, I was completely satisfied—what a perfect ending!

Additionally, there’s a uniquely stylish coffee corner in the restaurant where you can choose your favorite coffee.　

George de Laguiole has been producing handmade knives since 1829, and their craftsmanship is world-renowned. Most Michelin-starred restaurants use their knives, and “Coffee Please By MASTRO” also displays two sets in-store!

Whether you’re into knives, design, or just aesthetics, this display is truly a feast for the eyes.

“Coffee Please By MASTRO” believes that even when time is limited, quality should never be compromised. They aim to provide high-quality, well-prepared meals at affordable prices—and they’ve succeeded brilliantly. The dishes even impressed me greatly. For example, the dice steak with sesame salad maintained the natural sweetness of each ingredient, complemented by a light sesame aroma. The dice steak was tender, sweet, and left a lingering aftertaste in every bite. Another highlight was the incredibly tender roasted New Zealand beef back, which was a pleasant surprise. Using molecular gastronomy techniques, the meat becomes even more tender and melts in your mouth with specially prepared spices and sauces—it barely felt like eating beef at all. The soufflé and the tender roasted pork rib sandwich were also excellent, each dish unique and incredibly flavorful. I highly recommend everyone to try this place if you get the chance. You’ll definitely miss it after you leave, and you’ll start craving it before you even get home!

【Restaurant Information】
Coffee Please By MASTRO
Address: No. 202, Fuxing North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City (located between Nanjing Fuxing MRT Station and Zhongshan Junior High School MRT Station)
Phone: 02-25010130
Business Hours: 10:00–20:00 (Monday–Friday), 11:00–20:00 (Saturday & Sunday)
Official Website:http://www.mastrocafe.com/
Facebook Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/CoffeePleasebyM

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