Taichung Handmade Dessert Shop – Home to the Hugely Popular Cantaloupe Mille-Feuille and Portuguese Egg Tarts

Text and photos byFeitianxuan

On this day, Winnie’s family from Taipei came to visit Taichung and invited us for afternoon tea. We thought of visiting “Little Yuan Café,” a spot that had been on our list for a while. It performed even better than we expected—a dessert shop that’s lovable and makes you want to come back.

“Little Yuan Café” is located on Jingming 1st Street, which was once a bustling hub and considered one of the most famous spots in early Taichung for bubble tea. However, with the shift of commercial activity, Jingming 1st Street now seems a bit faded.

In addition to coffee, “Little Yuan Café” also serves brunch and afternoon tea desserts. The brunch looked quite appealing and made me want to order some, but since we had eaten a very filling lunch that day, we held back.

The first floor features a high-ceilinged space with not too many seating areas, but the decor has a Muji-like vibe, which feels quite comfortable.

A Ferrari-level espresso machine.

The pastries in the display case aren’t numerous, but they all look adorable and delicious.

The Portuguese egg tart is said to be one of the popular items. When I googled it while writing this, I found out that it was even featured on “Travel King.”

Counter – I love this cute little bunny!! ^^

DIY hot water station

We walked up to the second floor, which has a mezzanine-style layout.

Free Wi-Fi—now that’s how it’s done, XD

The café provides kids’ chairs. As a mom, that really made me happy because many cafés nowadays not only don’t offer kids' chairs but don’t even allow children under 12.

Menu

I’m a dessert enthusiast, and I get really happy when I meet others who share the same love. That day, without even discussing, we ended up ordering four desserts in one go. (Actually, it was five—we think the staff didn’t hear one of them, so it wasn’t added to the order.)

Cantaloupe Mille-Feuille- The flaky layers have a crispy texture, but not so crisp that they fall apart with one bite. The bottom layer is custard cream, and the top seems to be fresh cantaloupe (?). A thin glaze enhances the aroma and sweetness without being cloying.

Apple Tart- This one also performed well. The base had a stronger buttery flavor, and the apple jelly part was refreshing.

Lemon Tart- Not sure if it’s lemon or lime, but either way, it had a mildly tangy taste—not the kind of sourness that makes you pucker. The base is on the thinner side, offering a crisp texture. The citrus on top was fresh, and the meringue added a nice layer of texture.

Chocolate Mousse- I’m a chocolate lover but not a huge fan of chocolate-based desserts, though not to the point of disliking them. Usually, I’d only try them if someone else orders them. Winnie probably picked this one because it looked great. To our surprise, it was really good—the bottom is a chocolate shortbread, the middle is raspberry mousse, and the outer chocolate sauce is rich without being overly heavy. The tartness of the raspberries balanced the bitterness of the chocolate. Overall, it’s a delicious dessert.

Portuguese Egg Tart- This one was ordered for the kids. However, the filling wasn’t as soft as expected—it had a slightly dry texture. This might be the only item we felt wasn’t particularly outstanding that day.

Americano- I think an Americano is the perfect pairing with desserts!! ^^

XX Tea- After it was served, they also included a sand timer. You can only drink it once the flowing sand has completely run out.

Latte- This one's mine. Both the aroma and the richness are excellent—I really love it.

Orea Smoothie- Kevin, who doesn't like bitter tastes, ordered this, but when little Cherry saw it, she went completely crazy and insisted on having some. (Honestly, kids are just terrifying—next time don’t put anything tasty in front of her.) Winnie ended up grabbing the bill this time. (Seriously sorry, we’re the locals yet we let our guest from afar pay!) Since Winnie paid, I’m not sure of the exact price, but I know the desserts were all around $100 NT to start with, which isn’t very expensive.

SmallOriginal Coffee
FB:goo.gl/iLhb8m
Address: No. 94, Jingshing 1st St., West District, Taichung City
Phone: (04)2310-8123
Business Hours: 9:00–20:30

Feitian Xuan
I record the eating, drinking, playing, and emotions in my life with a light-hearted tone "锛br /> Blog、FB