The aroma wafts out with the steam—thick, golden pancakes with a rich, dense texture.

Photos and text byOrange Dog Loves Candy

I remember when I was little, my mom never let me touch coffee. I think she was worried the caffeine would keep me up at night. I was already a handful during the day—how could anyone handle an even more hyper kid at night? XDD So, I was always super curious about the smell of coffee, but I never even got to try a can of Braun coffee.

But after I started studying away from home, I gradually got used to the taste of so-called latte coffee. However, I always felt that the world of coffee was too complex a subject, so I only ever had a superficial understanding. I just drank what I liked each time—whether it was light or dark roast, or which country the beans were from, haha, forget it.

But I’ve always loved visiting coffee shops. My preferences have shifted over the years—from initially being drawn to their beautiful designs and decor, to later appreciating the surprise of discovering great coffee. As I grew older, I began to notice the subtle flavor changes in each bean, guided by the baristas’ descriptions.

But this [Wizard Coffee], located far away in Taichung’s Taiping District, initially caught my attention because of its thick pancakes. And the funniest part? I also ran into Feitianxuan here, haha!!

Nowadays, there are more and more cafes in downtown Taichung. Almost everyone’s dream is to open a cafe. But interestingly, cafes have somehow become synonymous with brunch spots, yet most of them are just too generic. One day, I saw a photo of a thick pancake posted online by a group of friends. The golden, chubby-looking pancake looked so tempting.

I couldn’t wait and headed straight from SOGO to Taiping the very next day at noon. After all, such a charming and rare little dessert should logically appear in a busier urban area, right?


Also, the cafe’s name is a bit unique—it’s called [Wizard Coffee]. It’s not some overly European, design-heavy, or romantic name. At first, I even thought the cafe might have some tarot card fortune-telling theme, XDD. Thankfully, it doesn’t.


You can spot [Wizard Coffee] right by the roadside on Dongping Road. The shop is small, with a wooden-fronted design, and about 70% of the interior is also wood-themed. But it actually takes the route of specialty coffee.


There are some slight industrial-style decorative elements, but only in the chairs and tables.

The metal chairs aren’t really about comfort, XD, but their designs are pretty unique. There are two or three different styles. They also sell coffee equipment, pour-over coffee packs, and their own roasted beans.


Don’t let the two young women behind the counter fool you—one handles the coffee brewing and explanations, while the other is in charge of making desserts and light meals. This part is also quite special, and I’ll talk more about what makes it unique later.


The high counter and the area behind it are lively with decorations—there are tons of cute animal figurines, which really reflect the romantic and playful side of the two female owners.

But the back wall is covered with professional coffee sets and kettles, balancing out the potentially cold, professional image. Although I think it’s a shop worth supporting and recommending, I selfishly hope not too many people find out, so it can stay quiet, haha!!


The main offerings here are various coffee drinks, with not-too-high prices. On the bottom right, there are some desserts and light meals. I’m glad they don’t just serve the same old brunch items.


Although you can still see the classic brunch pancake, their pancakes are quite different… they’re thick pancakes, which are rare in Taichung. Flipping to the back, they also offer single-origin options, though there are only a few fixed choices.

But occasionally, there are hidden, unannounced options added in the shop. The backboard uses adhesive putty, making it easy to add or remove new beans as needed. Since I wanted something with a brighter fruit acidity today, the staff recommended Ninety Plus’s Hachira. I’d never tried it before, so why not give it a shot?


[Matcha Latte / 150 TWD / Hot]—the coffee is served in a rustic Japanese-style ceramic cup. The fresh green of the matcha is topped with a new-style latte art of milk foam, and the wooden saucer adds a rustic touch to this matcha drink. It must be quite rich and bold, right? But it wasn’t my order… so I can only share a photo with you all.


[Ninety Plus 90+ Hachira (哈琪) / 200 TWD]—after grinding the beans, they let us smell the aroma first. Since there were two of us, the staff very thoughtfully divided a small extra cup for the other person.

I originally wanted to try Yirgacheffe, but the staff said the beans were roasted to a level where the acidity wouldn’t be as pronounced today. But compared to the “tragedy” of the matcha cup, I was actually hoping the single-origin cup would be a bit more special, haha. Hachira is a bean from the U.S.-based Ninety Plus, and its flavor profile changes with the temperature of the coffee, revealing different layers.


When it’s first served at a slightly hot temperature, you get a rich, bold bitterness that smells like caramelized toasting. As it cools to lukewarm, a hint of citrusy fruit acidity playfully dances on your tongue amid the smoky bitterness. After drinking about a third and it cools further, what remains is a bright fruit acidity—so vivid that it makes you smack your lips in delight.

Compared to the previously tried Geisha’s vivid and bold flavors, Hachira offers even more nuanced changes.

[Maple Syrup Wheat Field Thick Pancake / 240 TWD]—Taiwan hadn’t seen thick pancakes like this until last year when Japan’s Apricot Pancake Shop came to Taiwan. That’s when I realized pancakes could be presented in such an interesting way. And surprisingly, there are such charming thick pancakes in Taichung too. Their thick pancakes are beautiful, with a dusting of powdered sugar like a light snowfall, glowing golden around the edges.

Since it’s made to order, this one takes about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare—but it’s worth the wait. Once cut open, the eggy aroma rises with the steam, and the fresh cream on top keeps melting uncontrollably.


It’s garnished with raspberries and redcurrants—actually, I feel it’s not just a light meal item anymore, but presented more like a dessert. The texture of the pancake is dense but also fluffy like cake.


The slightly moist yet rich eggy flavor creates a light and satisfying taste when you chew into it. It’s an outstanding dessert—I highly recommend it. It’s definitely worth coming all this way to try.

[Berry Checkered Pancake / 150 TWD]—it’s not super large in portion, but you can immediately taste the rich eggy flavor as soon as you take a bite.


The outer layer is lightly crisp (but not overly so), topped with simple berries and cream—this pancake from their shop also performs quite impressively.


[Latte], a little parting gift, about the size of a sample cup. Apparently, they do bean testing daily, so we got two cups of coffee as a bonus XD. The temperature of the milk foam and the balance of bitterness and aroma in the coffee were just right.

Witch’s Coffee, located far away in Taiping, Taichung—I made the trip all the way from the city center just for the thick pancake. Honestly, I sometimes feel intimidated by so-called specialty cafés because I don’t know much about coffee and tend to ask a lot of questions, but some specialty shops can be quite serious and have strong personalities.

But Witch’s Coffee, perhaps because it’s run by women, feels much more approachable. I heard it’s been open for about three months now—I only just discovered it because it’s so far from my usual area. As for why the pancakes stand out, I think there’s a difference between making them as a light meal versus as a dessert.

While eating both of their pancake options, I was reminded of the flavors I know from sweet shops. Because of this care and uniqueness, I think this place is definitely worth the trip despite being a bit out of the city center.




⟦[Witch’s Coffee]⟧

⟦[Address:]⟧⟦No. 563, Dongping Road, Taiping District, Taichung City⟧
⟦[Phone:]⟧04-22783852
⟦[Business Hours:]⟧⟦01:00 PM～09:00 PM⟧
⟦[Consumption Reminder:]⟧⟦Closed on Mondays, recommended to call ahead for the thick pancake⟧
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