Century-old Bakery Jiuzhennan Makes a Cross-Industry Move! Exclusive Experience of Joint Desserts with Regent Taipei

By / Scenic Spots Family Compilation & Report 
 
Founded in 1890, Jiuzhennan Bakery has established an innovative experience space on the first floor of Regent Taipei to welcome 2020, themed “The Temperature of Century-Old Baking and Modern Lifestyle Aesthetics.” The space, where traditional elements intertwine with modern lines, symbolizes how the historic bakery is weaving a new image. It is also the first Taipei branch to offer afternoon tea services and traditional Chinese pastry hands-on experience classes.

The brand-new space of Jiuzhennan on the first floor of Regent Taipei features a distinctive red lacquer color called “rouge red.” Upon closer inspection, one can see the delicate brushwork and layered texture applied by the artist, much like the craftsmanship and dedication the bakers put into making the fillings.

The interior space draws inspiration from traditional Taiwanese architectural elements such as rattan weaving, solid wood, and terrazzo, echoing Jiuzhennan’s heritage of century-old baking techniques. Simple and natural lines convey the philosophy of preserving the original flavor of food without additives.

The soft, rounded ceiling design complements the gray-toned interior walls, highlighting the texture of the gift boxes. Additionally, a dedicated exhibition space has been created to promote Taiwanese pastry art. On the stage of stone and solid wood, artisans will showcase performances full of color, aroma, and taste.

In addition, Jiuzhennan has collaborated with the Regent Taipei pastry kitchen to jointly develop limited-edition seasonal desserts. The innovative pastries that weave together classic Chinese flavors and romantic French elements—“Jiuzhennan’s Festival-Limited ‘Fu Qiao Jing Xi Trio’”—delight the taste buds.

To celebrate the grand opening of the new Jiuzhennan–Regent first-floor store, Jiuzhennan’s chief baking master Zhang Jinyuan and Regent Taipei’s executive pastry chef Andrea Bonaffini joined forces for an East-meets-West collaboration, launching a series of seasonal joint desserts. Jiuzhennan’s chief baking master Zhang Jinyuan has been making pastries at Jiuzhennan for over 20 years and boasts extensive experience in crafting both Chinese and Japanese confections. Regent Taipei’s executive pastry chef Andrea Bonaffini previously worked at the Italian Michelin two-star restaurants Flipot and Sadler, then served as executive pastry chef at Shanghai’s Y’s TABLE, Hong Kong’s GAIA Group, and Hong Kong’s W Hotel. In 2014, he came to Taiwan by chance and fell in love with this land rich in produce.

The seasonal joint desserts will be launched from December through the coming year, with the first winter edition being the “Jiuzhennan Festival-Limited ‘Fu Qiao Jing Xi Trio.’” This set allows you to enjoy three creatively distinct Sino-Western desserts in one go.

The set includes the “Orange Cocoa Crisp,” jointly developed by Jiuzhennan and Regent, featuring a crust made from pineapple cake’s milk crumb pastry blended with premium Valrhona cocoa powder. The filling is made from citrus strips combined with Valrhona Guanaja dark chocolate full of floral and fruity aromas, along with Chinese white lotus seed paste and red bean paste, all simmered and blended together. The “Cocoa Fortune Balls” use Jiuzhennan’s Spring Festival-limited handmade taro paste, with the core essence being the once-a-year harvested “nine-headed taro.” It is steamed and mashed with glutinous rice, then formed into a cake-like texture and deep-fried, resulting in a crispy and fragrant bite, coated with Valrhona’s premium cocoa powder and cocoa nibs. Its pure, slightly tangy taste is truly unforgettable. There’s also Regent’s Spring Festival chocolate dessert—the “New Year Golden Joy Chocolate Ball.” The winter joint dessert “Fu Qiao Jing Xi Trio” can be purchased at Jiuzhennan Bakery from December 5 to January 31, 2020 (limited daily sales).

The new Jiuzhennan–Regent first-floor store is also the first Taipei branch to offer afternoon tea services, captivating both the eyes and taste buds with exquisitely crafted mini traditional pastries. The classic tea set includes two mini traditional pastries (choose from mung bean, red bean, taro, or pandan flavors), one plum cake, and one pot of tea.