I have been wanting to go to Dazzling Cafe since it opened back in 2010. Originally a clothing and jewelry boutique, the owner of Dazzling decided to expand and start a cafe specializing in the infamous honey toast. There are now 7 Dazzling Cafes across Taiwan (in Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan).



Each branch has a different color scheme and overall feel. There's Dazzling Cafe Pink, Mint, Blueberry, Sunshine, Bubble, Sky and Deluxe.  We went to Dazzling Cafe Sunshine which was located in ShinKong Mitsukoshi in Xinyi (close to Taipei 101). With yellow tinted lights, wall frames and menus the cafe clearly resonated sunshine.

 











My friends and I had already decided that we wanted honey toast, but there were so many tempting options to choose from! Being the indecisive girls that we are, after a good 5 minutes of um-ing and ah-ing we went for the Hazelnut Chocolate Honey Toast (NT$290). It was honestly a plate of heaven. With a mix of warm honey toast, hazelnut sauce and cold vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect combination. I can't believe I hadn't tried it sooner!





Let me just warn you, as small as it looks on the photo, it is actually big enough for four people. Although, small confession - we were three and managed to demolish it (don't judge us).

Along with the the Honey Toast we got a drink each. E and K got a pot of warm Strawberry Tea with Milk (NT$160) and I went for the Hazelnut Cocoa (NT$160).





The Strawberry tea pot was big enough to share between two people, whereas the cocoa drinks were suitable for one. The hazelnut cocoa tasted just as good as it looks. The best way I could describe it would be - melting Nutella and Ferrero Rocher in a mug. The hazelnut wasn't too overpowering and you could also taste the chocolate. My only complaint would be that they could have made the consistency a bit creamier and thicker.

If you're more of a savory person, then Dazzling has plenty of main dishes. If you haven't already checked out Dazzling Cafe, make sure to find your closest branch.

I definitely see what all the hype was about now!



Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dazzling.cafe?fref=ts

Address: 2F, No. 11, Sōngshòu Road, Xìnyì District, Taipei

Phone: 2723-0767

Opening times: Sun - Thurs 11am - 11pm
Fri - Sat 12pm - 11pm

Nearest MRT station: Taipei City Hall

La Bey Cafe

On a cold rainy day, there is nothing more comforting than a cup of hot chocolate. Add a few fluffy marshmallows on top and it's heaven in a cup.

My friend G just got back from a three week trip around Korea and Malaysia so we decided to look for a cafe and chit chat away.

I passed La Bey several times on Zhongyi Street and always took a quick glance to find a full cafe and cute accents of decor hanging inside. When trying to decide on a place, La Bey quickly popped to mind and we made our way there.



La Bey is a cozy, independent cafe run by a (very sweet) couple. As soon as you step inside you get the homely feeling - with wooden tables, couches and a magazine corner it is the perfect place to unwind and relax. For those who just can't itch away the temptation of checking emails, there is also free WiFi access.











The cafe has a range of drinks and food on their menu such as coffee, tea, sandwiches, cakes and waffles. We went in at around 5pm and thought we'd save some tummy space for dinner so just decided to go with a hot drink.









G and I went for Sipping Chocolate (80NT) and E went for a Caramel Milk Tea and Lemon Drizzle Cake (180NT). You can choose to get just a hot drink or get a refillable tea pot with one slice of cake, pastry or honey toast.

The couple prepare all the food and drinks themselves so our order did take longer than the usual chain cafe - approx 20 minutes or so, but it was well worth it.

Can we all take a moment and appreciate the froth and cute marshmallow on top?



The hot chocolate had the perfect balance of cocoa and sugar. It wasn't too bitter or too sweet and the caramel drizzle added an extra hint of sweetness.

I tried some of E's Lemon Drizzle Cake and it was delish. I'm not a big lemon cake fan, but the lemon wasn't too overpowering and the cake was moist and spongy enough.





We ended up staying at La Bey for a good two hours. The service was great - E got offered a top up and overall we were happy bunnies. I would highly recommend La Bey if you are in Tianmu. I know I'll definitely be going back for some coffee and cake.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Bey-Cafe-Bar/329594947060742?fref=ts

Address: Zhongyi Street No 157, Taipei, Taiwan

Closest MRT: Zhishan

Opening times: Noon to 11 (kitchen closes at 10) Monday to Sunday

Lil Sweet Thing

Meet my childhood friend, the checkered cake. That's probably the most creative name I came up with back in the day. Today I would just refer to it as the checkerboard cake?

This is hands down one of the best cakes I've EVER had from my local bakery. If there was a holy grail cake, this would be it.

For those days when you're not sure if you want a chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla cake, this little piece of heaven will satisfy all three cravings.



It's a moist sponge cake with all three flavors, glued together with some scrumptious whipped cream and topped with little chocolate sprinkles. What more could you ask for?!

The best part is, it only costs NT$45 and is widely available in local bakeries around Taipei. Next time you have a sweet tooth, make sure to check out this little pack of goodness.