TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new chapter in Taiwanese tea culture began Wednesday as Pouyuenji, a celebrated local tea brand, opened its first boutique store in Taipei, blending traditional aged teas with modern design and an exclusive dessert collaboration.
Located at a busy Taipei intersection, the new shop offers a tranquil escape from the urban rush. For its grand opening, Pouyuenji partnered with internationally acclaimed pastry chef Hiratsuka Makito on a limited-time dessert menu available until Oct. 31.
The Pouyuenji Taipei outlet is the brand’s first takeaway-focused location. Designed as a sleek tea bar with standing tables and floor-to-ceiling windows, it provides a full brewing service tailored to the contemporary urban rhythm.
The summer menu features the brand’s signature aged teas, including a rich, woody aged pu-erh with notes of jujube and brown sugar; the golden Darmo raw pu-erh with a zesty plum aroma and floral finish; and an aged pu-erh milk tea blending mellow tea with premium fresh milk. The store also serves two rare ice-drip teas, brewed through a 70-minute process to reduce bitterness and caffeine.
For the opening, Hiratsuka crafted 11 takeaway desserts combining Eastern and Western flavors.
A standout is the crab meat cheesecake topped with Hokkaido snow crab and salmon roe, layered over tuna and swordfish floss from Donggang, Pingtung. Other offerings include edamame blancmange with miso chantilly on bonito jelly, and a truffle camembert dessert of Camembert cheese, white chocolate, and a hidden layer of black truffle sauce. Due to high demand, the truffle camembert requires a five-day advance reservation.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
