Delicious and Fun – Sky-High Creative Pancakes with Customizable Flavors

Text & Photos byOrange Dog Loves Candy

The night before every trip to Taipei is always the most sleepless one for me. It’s not quite the same as the excitement of a school field trip, but because I’ve gotten used to documenting food experiences all year round, I always hope that when I finally make it up there, I can find some unique spots to visit. Unfortunately, Taipei has way too many choices—rows upon rows of hot pot restaurants, barbecue joints, or coffee shops make it hard to decide. So every time, I end up staying up until the wee hours just to finalize my itinerary. I guess I’m just making a mountain out of a molehill. This time, I suddenly felt like visiting Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. Surprisingly, the weather gods blessed me with a bright, sunny day—but it was also scorching hot...

Fortunately, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park isn’t too far from Taipei City Hall Station—it’s within walking distance without even breaking a sweat. So I happened to pass by Black Rice and discovered this place I’d been quite interested in: 【Jenga-Style Creative Pancakes & Sandwiches】！

The pink storefront gives off a cute, youthful vibe. Though simple, what really catches your eye is the giant building block nearby. The staff said they have to dismantle and rebuild it every day when closing and opening, so the shape is never the same.

It also happens to match their store name, since the meals here are served in a Jenga-style stacking fashion, XD.

The interior style is adorable, mainly featuring wooden décor accented with light-colored decorations and cute wall drawings.

It feels like a little girl’s personally decorated room—very relaxed and cheerful. Since we came around noon, the place was pretty lively. Heading down to the basement felt like stepping into a big kid’s playroom, with even more colorful decorative elements added.

It would be great for bringing kids here—they’d love playing downstairs. The space also offers a sense of privacy, making it suitable for events. I think it’s probably because the staff and even the owner are all young people, which keeps the shop’s atmosphere quite vibrant.

Especially the menu, which is a must-see—like a charming little picture book. Apparently, it was drawn by one of the employees, and they might rotate different artists each time, so the illustration style changes too. That’s pretty fun too~ Basically, any dish here that can be stacked is piled up as high as possible (I heard this from chatting with the staff, XD).

Currently, pancakes and sandwiches are the easiest to design this way. Other items like pasta are still under research, I heard, XDDD.

The pancakes here are quite eye-catching, but especially interesting is this creative combo pancake called the [Rainbow Brick]. You get to pick four types of desserts yourself, and they’ll be combined into a colorful afternoon tea dessert served at your table.

I ordered it today too, but I honestly had no idea what the words “Brick,” “Grew,” or “Babo” meant on the menu, so I just randomly picked them. It made me curious about what I’d actually get (only after ordering did I realize the menu explains what those names mean, T_T What’s wrong with my eyes?).

【Perfectly Matched Steak Jenga / 250 TWD】
The first dish let me see their signature Jenga-style presentation. The sandwich is placed on an elevated wooden plate but is stacked three layers high, towering above, with a signature flag stuck on top. It’s served so carefully...

The fillings inside are clearly visible: French bread layered with wine vinegar onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and plenty of sliced beef. The beef is well-marinated with a rich aroma, though a couple of slices were slightly drier than the rest amid the mostly tender ones.

The chewy texture of the bread pairs well with the rich flavors of each layer—the first dish was an instant hit~ Served with crispy fries too.

【Mexican Cheese Chicken Quesadilla / 250 TWD】
The quesadilla has a very chewy and aromatic crust, stuffed generously inside (though I kind of forgot which variant I ordered that day!). The sauce has a tangy tomato flavor with a bit of spicy kick that whets the appetite. Each bite gets more enjoyable, and it also comes with crispy fries.

There are several pieces, but for me, it’s a good choice as an appetizer. The seasoning is present but not overly salty or greasy.

【The Newton-Enlightening Fruit Vinegar Beef Salad / 220 TWD】
This name really made me think for a while. When it arrived, I was genuinely surprised—this plate is huge!! I also really liked the serving plate, though the waitress handled it very carefully because of the salad dressing.

The mix of lettuce, corn, onion rings, and tomatoes creates a pleasing color scheme with a refreshing sweet-and-sour flavor. The beef slices are also well-prepared, releasing a nice aroma when chewed, and the meat is tender enough. But it’s better suited for sharing between two people—otherwise, one person could easily get full just from this…

【Hippie Rainbow Pancake Jenga / 300 TWD】
The first thing that caught my eye was this cute illustrated plate, surrounded by hand-drawn doll images that are really unique. Their pancakes seem to be freshly baked upon order, so you have to wait a bit patiently. The three-color pancakes in the plate are my chosen flavors, and each color represents something different too！

The inspiration for these pancakes comes from the hippie culture of the 1960s in America, fully expressing their playful creativity. I chose Happy Tiffany (blueberry), Mischievous Yellow (plain), and Shy Pink Brick (strawberry)—with whipped cream and custom fillings in between. Each flavor naturally has slight differences in aroma.

But what I liked even more was the texture of the pancakes themselves—slightly chewy with a touch of moisture. Even with the whipped cream, it doesn’t become overly sweet, and the top is drizzled with a thin, crisp layer of sweetened condensed milk and caramel. For the fillings, I chose Caramel Apple and Red Bean Grew. The caramel apple is sweet and tender with the caramel deeply infused, while the generous red bean filling and apple create a dual-texture experience in the layers. On the side, there’s also a scoop of Mövenpick raspberry ice cream for a refreshing sour-sweet contrast, plus some cute plate decorations～

This Jenga-style pancake is truly delicious, fun, and playful. Kids and girls would especially love it—after all, customizable-flavor pancakes like this aren’t common. Though you never know what kind of mixed flavor combo you’ll end up with, haha～

【Banana Milk Chocolate / NT$190】
The serving cup is adorable, especially the thick banana aroma in the slush, topped with a large scoop of chocolate ice cream. Both this and the previous Hippie Rainbow Pancake used Mövenpick ice cream—rich and dense in texture with an intense flavor. The chocolate has a slightly bitter-sweet taste that pairs perfectly with the sweet bananas. Refreshing to drink on a hot day~

【Iced Fresh Fruit Tea / NT$170】
This is a huge bottle... filled with freshly sliced fruits, delivering a refreshing sweet-and-sour taste.

I arrived around 1 PM, just as the lunch rush for office workers was winding down. To my surprise, the place was still bustling, even though I’d expected this youthful, playful café with its kid-friendly decor to attract mostly younger crowds. But after seeing what everyone ordered, I quickly figured it out—most were here for the gorgeous layered pancakes. Though we went with the colorful Hippie Rainbow Pancake, the other tables’ regular pancakes also looked incredibly tempting. After all, there are too many cookie-cutter cafés out there, so it’s rare to find one that serves creatively designed, special dishes. I later learned there’s another founding branch in Zhongshan with a completely different vibe—more laid-back compared to the lively energy here. But I think the Jiantan branch’s layered style fits well with the local cultural and creative atmosphere. Check it out if you’re curious—Up！

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◎ Shop Introduction:[Jenga Café – Creative Pancakes, Sandwiches, Songshan Xinyi │ MRT Taipei City Hall Station]
◎ Address: No. 49, Lane 22, Aly. 553, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City
◎ Phone: 02-2765-5272
◎ Business Hours: 12:00 AM – 9:30 PM (Friday & Saturday until 10:00 PM)
◎ Reservation Note: Advance booking recommended
◎ Nearby MRT: Exit 1 of Taipei City Hall Station on the Brown Line, about a 10-minute walk
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