Taipei-bound: Tainan’s must-queue desserts now available up north — milk tea soufflé is a must-try for sweet lovers

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled report
 
In Tainan City’s premier food battleground, Guohua Street, the recently exploded-in-popularity “Prince Kamatani Japanese Thick Pancake” has taken the scene by storm. When Prince Kamatani Soufflé first opened, it perfectly caught the soufflé craze — even before the stall opened for business, there would already be people queuing up beside the stall, and getting your hands on one meant waiting patiently for a while. Now, branches have opened in Taichung, Hsinchu, and Taipei, bringing joy to dessert lovers beyond Tainan.

The signature flavor of Prince Kamatani Japanese Thick Pancake is the “Earl Grey Milk Tea Soufflé.” Two thick, fluffy layers of soufflé pancake are drizzled with sweet Earl Grey milk tea sauce and topped with super chewy tapioca pearls — absolutely dreamy. And it’s great value: you can enjoy a whole soufflé for just the price of one portrait of Sun Yat-sen (NT$100)!

The flagship store of Prince Kamatani Japanese Thick Pancake is located at the intersection of Zunjwang Road and Guohua Street in Tainan. Every time you pass by, you’ll see a long line snaking all the way into the alley beside the stall. Moreover, because the soufflé pancakes are made fresh to order, you’ll need to wait at least 20 minutes to get one. But if you don’t want to queue, no worries — the store also accepts phone reservations, and pickup only requires a 15-minute wait to enjoy freshly baked soufflé.

Now, in addition to the Tainan flagship store, Prince Kamatani Japanese Thick Pancake has gradually opened franchise stores in Taichung, Hsinchu, and Taipei, allowing friends from other counties and cities to enjoy these irresistible soufflé pancakes without traveling all the way to Tainan. However, the flavors and prices of the soufflés may vary slightly between branches. For example, the Taipei branch located in Shilin Night Market has slightly higher prices for its soufflés.

The soufflé flavor is slightly sweet, so it’s recommended that two people share one or order two different flavors to split — that way, it won’t get too cloying. Recently in strawberry season, the store has also launched a winter-limited strawberry soufflé. Strawberry dessert lovers, it’s time to make a pilgrimage.