World-class latte art here！Three masters perfectly present milk foam and coffee

(This is a piece of latte art made by Master Lin Huan from Lovely Cake)

Text & Photos／kuni

After a hearty lunch, our group headed to Minquan East Road, where we found a white glass storefront surrounded by red brick walls in an alleyway. The eye-catching three-hole Spirit Triplette machine sat boldly before us, with the words “Milkglider Latteartist Unity” prominently engraved on its body. This isn’t just any machine—the international retail price is $20,000 USD, though who knows what it goes for in Taiwan.

(The beautiful white glass storefront)

(The eye-catching three-hole Spirit Triplette)

(The shop’s interior has simple yet striking furniture and decor)

Backed by 2014’s top three Taiwanese latte art champions in the TNTTW competition, Milkglider’s skills are undoubtedly strong. But when we saw the menu, we were genuinely surprised—

A small cup of latte is only NT$80 (espresso + 6oz milk)

Add NT$20 for a large cup (espresso + 12oz milk)

(What a beautiful machine!)

Today, besides regular lattes, we also tried a strawberry flavor. I followed Chris to the counter without hesitation to record the process, while the second cup was made by Lin Huan from Lovely Cake. I’m not just being polite—though their latte art styles are completely different, each has its own beauty and unique appeal.

(On-site video footage of Chris making latte art)

Since I’m a big fan of the latte art instructional book written by 2008 World Latte Art Champion Hiroshi Sawada, I naturally compared the techniques. Traditional free pour latte art can only use milk pouring to create designs—no toothpicks or other tools allowed. The barista manipulates the milk jug to create patterns directly on the coffee surface.

Comparing competitions over the years, it seems that baristas’ skills have improved dramatically since then. Still, from the patterns alone, I personally feel there’s room for even more creativity—for example, more intricate and delicate lavender leaves, maybe even six layers or more.

The lattes at Milkglider, crafted by a gathering of masters, offer a unique experience. The first cup had mid-to-high level aroma and velvety milk foam. The second added a modest amount of strawberry, a far cry from today’s trend of using fruit syrup. Instead of sugary sweetness from syrup, this one delivered a faint tartness from berry notes subtly present in the foam, harmonizing beautifully with the latte and creating a vibe somewhat reminiscent of a light-roast-style latte. It was really interesting.

The best part? For coffee of this caliber, the prices are very reasonable. It’s a pity I ate too much for lunch—if I have time, I’ll definitely come back to try their pastries.

(Chris’s latte art)

(Lin Huan’s latte art)

Milkglider Latteartist Unity
Address: No. 36, Lane 19, Aly. 160, Sec. 3, Minquan E. Rd., Songshan District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2712-3080
Hours: 10:00–21:00

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