Popular Hokkaido dessert LeTAO opens a branch in Taiwan – Cheesecake flown in fresh

▲ Double-layer cheesecake flown in from Japan. (Photo / Reporter Chou Chen-keng)

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

In April, LeTAO, the popular dessert shop from Otaru, Hokkaido, opened its namesake café in Taiwan at Taipei’s Songshan Cultural and Creative Park entrance — marking the brand’s first overseas branch under the same name. Here you can enjoy their signature double-layer cheesecake, which is made in Japan and then flown to Taiwan to preserve its original taste. Zhang Geng-hao, manager of LeTAO Taiwan, said that besides the double-layer cheesecake, many ingredients such as biscuits are also flown in from Hokkaido, all to ensure the taste matches that of the shops in Japan.

▲ Berry cheesecake thick pancake. (Photo / Reporter Chou Chen-keng)

LeTAO is a popular dessert shop in Hokkaido, especially its main store in Otaru, which is a must-visit spot for many Taiwanese travelers. The shop’s most famous dessert is the original double-layer cheesecake, which combines Italian mascarpone cheese, Australian cream cheese, and rich Hokkaido whipped cream. One layer is a chilled no-bake cheesecake, and the other is a baked cheesecake — rich in flavor and melts in your mouth. Aside from the original flavor, there are also chocolate and limited-edition matcha flavors that are equally popular.

Zhang Geng-hao said that aside from the dine-in double-layer cheesecake (currently available options include the Colorful Garden Double Cheesecake, Mixed Fruit Double Cheesecake, and Powder Snow Double Cheesecake), LeTAO’s Songshan store also sells a full-sized 5T cheesecake for takeout.

▲ One of LeTAO’s Taiwan-exclusive main meals: Sunshine Burger Patty Set. (Photo / Reporter Chou Chen-keng)

Aside from the double-layer cheesecake, the store also offers Japanese-style pancakes, salads, sundaes, and four Taiwan-exclusive main meals available only during meal times. These include mushroom risotto, ginger pork rice, Russian-style roast beef omelet risotto, and the Sunshine Burger Patty Set, priced between NT$340 and NT$360.

Different from the common American-style or Belgian Liège pancakes, LeTAO’s pancakes are as thick as hamburgers (called thick pancakes), but have an incredibly soft texture. Zhang Geng-hao explained that they beat the cream until it becomes very fluffy, then mix it with the batter, pour it into molds on an iron griddle, and pan-fry it — hence the unique shape.

LeTAO’s Songshan store can accommodate about 48 people. Reservations are accepted on weekdays, with a two-hour dining limit and a minimum order of one drink or sundae. Business hours are from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.


▲ Uji Matcha Sundae. (Photo / Reporter Chou Chen-keng)


▲ Iced Matcha Milk. (Photo / Reporter Chou Chen-keng)
 
LeTAO Songshan Store
Address: No. 30, Lane 553, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Tel: 02-2760-2100
Business hours: 11:00 AM ～ 8:00 PM (Last order 7:00 PM, pancakes last order 6:30 PM)