Four floors, four different views – enjoy Western-style afternoon tea in this 50-year-old all-white “house”

Text and photos byPaperclip. Food Photography Joy

I’ve been following on Facebook one of my favorite spots,the chocolate drink specialty shop Joco Latte, which introduced a new shop on Bade Road with an interesting name — WUTZ, meaning “house.” It’s said to be the second location for Joco. After keeping an eye on their Facebook page for some time, I noticed recent updates — it seems the time to visit has finally come.

WUTZ is located at the section of Bade Road where it meets Civic Boulevard. This isn’t a bustling commercial area, nor is it a hub for cafes and restaurants. The entire four-story, 50-year-old building has been painted entirely white by the management team, making it stand out compared to the surrounding older houses.

The first floor is the dining and drinking area. In terms of floor space, there are only about twenty seats, making the use of space quite luxurious. Aside from white and earthy wood tones, I especially noticed the gray-blue door frames and trim, which echo the cement flooring. Rather than simply calling it gray-blue, I’d prefer to describe it as teal or frosted green. This blue with hints of gray and green, though hovering between several cool tones and difficult to describe, gives me a strong sense of calm. Mostly because the window frames at my childhood home were painted this color for several years. As a kid, I didn’t like this shade — I always felt the house looked a bit gloomy. But now, it stirs feelings of nostalgia.

Additionally, WUTZ collaborates with some handmade artists to display and sell their products.

Currently, WUTZ offers meals provided jointly by Joco Latte and Olive Baking, including Joco’s signature chocolate drinks, coffee or tea, as well as savory pies (NT$140/160), sandwiches (NT$160/200), and desserts. On weekends, they also offer special brunch options: a hearty “Big Breakfast” (NT$300, featuring homemade bread, bacon, sausage, poached egg, grilled tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms, served with coffee/tea) and a simpler “Little Breakfast” (NT$200, with yogurt, granola, honey, fruit, and coffee/tea). They open at 11 AM on weekdays and 9 AM on weekends — early birds are in for a treat.

I ordered a hot chocolate made with 70% Samana cocoa from the Dominican Republic (NT$200), a pesto-smoked chicken sandwich (NT$160), and for dessert, an apple cheese cake (NT$180). The total wasn’t exactly cheap.

The smoked chicken sandwich should be quite filling for the average woman. The grilled toast was spread with pesto, filled with well-seasoned and high-quality smoked chicken, topped with a sunny-side-up egg with softly flowing egg yolk, and layered with tomato and lettuce. There were also some extra greens on the plate. Overall, the taste was good, the preparation thoughtful, but personally, I don’t think this sandwich will be a particularly memorable dish.

The Samana chocolate had a rich flavor, with fruity and smoky notes.

The post-meal apple cheese cake was a dense cheesecake mixed with diced apples, topped with a layer of hard caramelized sugar, garnished with a few pieces of candied apple, and drizzled with caramel sauce upon serving. Eating the whole slice felt a bit too heavy for me, but I attribute that to pairing it with chocolate, and perhaps also to being past the age where I can easily enjoy such a rich cheesecake. Still, to be fair, this cake, much like the sandwich, was above average — though just a solid choice for afternoon tea.

The space at WUTZ is far more impressive than the food. The upper floors are available for rent for photo shoots (e.g., online stores or weddings) or events and lectures, spanning three levels. Each level has a slightly different style, but they all share two things in common: they’re spacious and have excellent natural light.

The second floor features European classical furniture and decor, along with a central island suitable for cooking. It would be perfect for throwing a party and inviting friends to cook together.

The third floor has a more Muji-style vibe.

The fourth floor is characterized by its high ceilings and sloped design.

To visit the upper floors, you’ll need to inform the counter on the first floor, where staff will guide you upstairs and explain the spaces. Currently, the hourly rental fee for these three floors is NT$2000, with a minimum rental of 4 hours. They support the use of a projector and laptop, and ordering food or drinks from downstairs incurs additional charges. If you need part-time staff assistance or party snacks, you can discuss that in advance. WUTZ’s “manager” mentioned that whatever you need, you can always contact them — they also rotate the furniture styles on each floor regularly to keep things fresh for photo shoot clients.

If there’s one thing to nitpick, it might be the restroom? It’s a unisex toilet. When I used it, the toilet seat was up. I don’t have strong opinions on the great seat-up vs. seat-down debate, but when it’s up, you can see some noticeable dirt on the underside of the seat. This situation felt oddly familiar — I went back and checked my notes on Joco Latte and found a similar issue. That strange sense of connection made me chuckle.

WUTZ House
Website:https://www.facebook.com/wutz.tw/
Location: No. 176, Section 2, Bade Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-27760030
Business Hours: Tue–Fri 11:00–19:00 / Sat, Sun 9:00–17:00 (Closed Wed)

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