The desserts at this coffee shop are all handmade, with the only artificial additive being "conscience."

Text and photos / Mazhi Bear (Mr. Neurotic Bear Blog)

Gifts Coffee, a home-roasting café, has been operating in Luodong for two years, but it only moved to the vicinity of the Forestry Culture Park in the past six months.

The exterior of Gifts Coffee is really quite unassuming, with no prominent sign—just white lettering on a large pink awning at the entrance. Moreover, the café has quite a few rules, such as not admitting children under 12 and not providing power outlets, which is something you should know before visiting.

But it’s a great coffee shop, and if you have time to visit Yilan, it’s definitely worth stopping by.

When I walked in, since all the other seats were taken and I didn’t want to sit by the window feeling antisocial, I had to brazenly ask the owner for a spot at the counter, which also forced me to chat with him a bit.

This was actually quite rare for me.

I ordered a washed Yirgacheffe, brewed via pour-over. The owner said that to adapt to the winter climate and give customers an energizing boost, the roast level was slightly darker.

Upon tasting, there was a rich caramel sweetness with some roasty aroma, which was a bit different from the Yirgacheffe I’m used to. Once it cooled down, the unique flavors of Yirgacheffe became more pronounced, with the overall taste leaning more toward the sweet, caramelized notes in the mid-to-late stages. The fruity acidity and floral notes only emerged as the temperature dropped, transforming into a tangy-sweet sensation reminiscent of dried tangerine peel.

I really loved the lingering aroma in my mouth—sweet with a hint of fermentation, much like the aftertaste of cold drip coffee.

The desserts at the café are all handmade by the owner’s wife, using only natural ingredients, with the only artificial additive being "conscience."

Since the texture of the whipped cream wasn’t what I was used to—thick upon entry but light in the mouth—I brazenly asked about the reason for the difference. The owner’s wife explained, “The cream is homemade, and the ingredients just have that natural flavor, so it might feel different from what you’re used to elsewhere.”

Because no additives are used, the flavor is very pure and unpretentious.

This blueberry cake isn’t overly sweet, nor does it taste particularly "blueberry," but I really liked the overall flavor. More importantly, it paired perfectly with the coffee—it was simply seamless.

Can you keep up with this beautiful and proud figure?

Since you’re already at Gifts Café, you should definitely meet the shop cat, Brownie.

As a playful, adorable, delicate, and proud little lady, she runs around the café, treating the whole place as her playground. Thanks to her high activity level and a diet of fresh fish, Miss Brownie maintains a great figure and has excellent fur.

Her friendly and unafraid nature also makes her a very capable shop cat.

The space inside isn’t large, but it feels like a carefully wrapped gift box. From the coffee and desserts to the music and every corner of the café, there’s thoughtful detail—you’ll need to take your time and pay attention to fully appreciate it.

Come to Yilan, and no matter what, you should take your time and enjoy the slow pace of life here.

At Gifts Café, time moves at Yilan’s uniquely slow rhythm, and I think that’s probably one of the reasons many people fall in love with this place.

[The Presents Cafe' – Gifts Home-Roasting Coffee Shop]
Address: No. 6, Section 1, Fuxing Road, Luodong Township, Yilan County
Phone: 0978-997-749
Business Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Closed every Wednesday)

“Maji Bear” More exciting articles can be found here: http://bear-oj.blogspot.tw/