Fantastically Cute Food And Where To Find Them (In Taiwan)

These days, cuteness is no longer an abstract concept. It’s a physical entity that we need and crave. Things like that of a chubby baby, or corgi butts, or pre-pubescent Justin Bieber simply don’t cut it anymore. We need cuteness we can touch, we can hold, and even consume. We need Gudetama Telegram stickers, Hello Kitty-decorated trains, and unsurprisingly — food that look too cute to eat.

So when our appetite for cuteness combines with our appetite for food, the result is an insatiable desire for food that looks good. And there’s only so much our tiny island can provide. In Taiwan, food operators have upped the ante and creativity, creating dramatically cute creations that we can only pine lovingly through our phone screens. Here’s the lowdown of some of the most adorable food we found that’ll have you squealing in delight.

1. Bunny Tarts

 

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Here’s a hypothesis we have: most cute things tend to jiggle. And this tart (NT$180, SGD$8.07) from io Design Studio in Tainan jiggles at the slightest touch. Made from yogurt and passionfruit, the bunny sits dainty atop a lemon tart. It really is too cute to eat, but you probably will, because you already paid for it. And from the sounds of it, it should be pretty yummy too.

Address: No. 50, Lane 433, Gongyuan Road, North District, Tainan City, Taiwan 704
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2. Puppy Shaved Ice

 

 

 

Who’s a good puppy? This looker from Hanamiwa Sweets in Tainan surely qualifies in our book. Hanamiwa Sweets is a Japanese teahouse that serves up matcha and hojicha flavoured shaved ice (NT$240, SGD$10.76), topped with a soft serve nose and a biscuit snout. We’re willing to bet that this will actually taste just as good too.

Address: No. 222, Section 2, Ximen Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan 700
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3. French Bull Dog-shaped Cakes

 

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Okay, are we stumbling on a trend here? Animal-shaped treats seem to have the ability to send our hearts fluttering and tummies growling. People might visit Doru in Taichung for their Japanese curry rice, but they’ll stay for their cakes fashioned to resemble the café’s furry companion — a french bulldog (NT70 for 6, SGD$3.14). It’s warm, fluffy, cute, and … wait … which one are we talking about now?

Address: No. 60, Qingdao West Street, North District, Taichung City, Taiwan 404
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4. Shiba Inu Rice Dumplings

 

 

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WakeWake Studio in Taoyuan City is made for the millennial crowd. Everything from the interior to the food was clearly conceived for maximum social media impact. The space is a milky pastel pink hue, but what takes the cake, or rice cake to be the specific, is their dumpling made to resemble a Shiba Inu (NT$50, SGD$2.24). It’s lazing in a soy sauce pool, looking straight into your heart with its tiny seaweed eyes. Equally cute is their dog-shaped dango swimming in red bean soup, and a Fuji mountain doriyaki.

Address: No. 29, Siwei Road, Yangmei District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan 326
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5. Honey Bear Dessert

 

 

 

 

Like how Pooh is drawn to honey, this bear-shaped cake is paired with a delightful pudding (NT$180, SGD$8.07) at Café Pacha Mama in Taipei. Accompanying the sweet honey-flavoured cake is a seasonal pudding with flavours that change periodically. Last we checked, the café have rolled out its Thai milk tea pudding for the month of May.

Address: No. 11, Lane 119, Section 3, Heping East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
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