Bread Kitchen [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Bread Kitchen (麵包廚房)

Address: No. 66, Emei St, Wanhua District, Taipei 

Website: http://www.breadkitchen.com.tw/

Style: French, European

Price: $$$$  

This French-inspired bakery selling a small selection of mostly artisan bread and slices of cake was actually down the street from my first apartment in Taipei and when I had to quit apartment #1, I still hadn't had the chance to visit this place. It was only towards the end of my prolonged stay that I returned here. Having now quite a bit of bakery experience, I was astounded at the prices. From the outside, it didn't necessarily look more fancy than a better-than-average European-style bakery, but the cake slices in particular were jaw-dropping. On average, I paid less for my dinners! Due to the cost alone, I was contemplating walking out, but the worker was on hand and I was the only person inside at the time...

Despite my initial complaints, the cake slices are the most "worth it" - after all, for the same whopping price, you get a cinnamon bun. Bakeries, even the most exclusive of French patisseries, usually make a distinction between cakes and baked goods. Not in the mood for layered cream cake, which was the majority, I went with their simple cheesecake ($150!!). It was good. Sometimes you go to cheaper bakeries or franchises and the cakes especially taste cheap, so it was nice to be able to taste the quality. The cheesecake was creamy and rich without being too overtly cheesy. I liked the crumble bottom as well, though the edges were a little too brown and you could taste it. I did enjoy it, but for the price it definitely needed more wow factor. 

Rating: **1/2