Tucked beside the railway tracks sits the little French-pastry house CouCou—pronounced like a cuckoo’s call, yet in French it’s a friendly “hello.” Just like its Chinese name, “Gūgū Dessert & Coffee,” it wants to feel neighborly, close, and without the slightest distance.
The owners, Kai-An Chu and Cheng-An Lin, have dreamed of opening a shop since childhood, waiting for the day it could come true.
Kai-An served three years as second officer for Evergreen Marine; a hand-brewed coffee made by the chief mate ignited his curiosity. In the monotony of life at sea, coffee became his only comfort, so he left the ocean—and a well-paid, secure job—to plunge into coffee, where he later met Cheng-An.
Cheng-An’s interest in pastry began in college. A visual-communication design major, she taught herself desserts as stress relief, which sparked the idea of studying in France. She began to plan: taking French classes, apprenticing in pastry kitchens, English proficiency tests—five years of effort finally carried her abroad. A foodie and traveler, she toured Europe while studying, and the flavors she recorded on those journeys now inspire her creations; every dessert in the shop draws compliments.
“The ‘Lemon Crescent,’ for example, shapes lemon bubbles into a curved moon—it’s what I imagine a guest’s eyebrows do when they taste the tartness,” Cheng-An says playfully. Another item, “Dancing Banana,” reveals her inner child: layered textures combine popping candy with dessert, so every bite feels like a dance.
Superb pastries deserve equally fine coffee; the beans are selected and roasted by Kai-An. One house blend, “Rocky Yirga,” is his own invention: sparkling water meets a proprietary recipe and Yirgacheffe beans, creating a crisp, refreshing flavor that’s a best-seller.
Still hunting for professional French pastries and coffee? Come here and satisfy both cravings at once. Gūgū also pairs its offerings with Chiayi produce, linking itself to the land so locals and visitors alike can taste Chiayi’s one-of-a-kind flavors.
Recommended treats: Lemon Crescent, Rocky Yirga
