German-style muffins served in a cast iron pan & ice cream in a surprising Shaoxing wine flavor!

Text & Photos /Yu Tian

The cast iron pans come from the German countryside. At first glance at the menu, the pictures looked like Italian frittatas—something you’d find at a brunch-only restaurant, or like a Yorkshire pudding stuffed with fillings. I can bake Italian frittatas too; next time I’ll try adding some extra ingredients!

Aside from having a pot of tea or a cup of coffee during afternoon tea time, I think girls and busy professionals on a break would all enjoy a savory snack, followed by something sweet to finish, right?!! English-style tiered afternoon tea also follows the order of savory to sweet. So today, we’re going for one savory and one sweet mini cast iron pan each—time to indulge!

Savory Cast Iron Pan Muffin (Tomato Beef) – NT$360
It has the exact texture of a Yorkshire pudding crust, paired with spinach from the local farmers’ association, a tomato sauce made from freshly diced tomatoes, and neatly cut beef cubes. It’s nutritious, delicious, and just the right portion for a solo pizza-like lunch!

All cast iron pan muffins are freshly baked after ordering. Just wait 20–25 minutes, and you’ll have a hot and delicious afternoon tea treat ready to eat. (Totally worth the wait!)

Sweet Cast Iron Pan Muffin (Caramel Apple + Shaoxing Ice Cream) – NT$40
What? Shaoxing wine ice cream!? So cool!! I’ve only had lime or whiskey ice cream before—someone actually came up with a Chinese flavor. (I personally love the aroma of Shaoxing wine, so I ordered the apple flavor just for this scoop.)

The ice cream flavor is quite unique—it has a slightly sandy texture, not the smooth and creamy kind, but the taste is sweet and full of old-school charm. It’s pretty tasty. The caramel apple cast iron pan muffin has an apple pie vibe—the warm apples are seasoned with cinnamon, making it a great twist on a classic apple pie. The cast iron pan muffins are served fresh out of the oven, piping hot—the pan is extremely hot. Next time I come back for the ice cream version, I’ll definitely ask them to serve the ice cream separately so it doesn’t melt so fast, ruin the muffin, and make me miss out on that chewy, elastic egg-flavored crust.

Where to eat?
Bingguo Sweetheart (Taipei Xinyi Branch - ATT 4 FUN)
(02) 7737-8788
No. 12, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei, 4F
Business Hours: 11:00–22:00

Taichung Flagship Store
(04) 2375-6513
No. 117-1, Zili St., West District, Taichung

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