Uvaz Tahtung Studio in Donghe, Taitung
Taiwan’s rural areas often face aging populations and youth outmigration — yet in Taitung’s Donghe, more and more small shops are opening.
➤ Recommended Reading｜The past and present of East Coast Road (9) TERA Coffee
I remember one afternoon when I had a little time before picking up a friend at Taitung Train Station. Since there was a gap in the schedule, I wandered along the East Coast — and stumbled upon this studio by chance.
A café that leaves time for bread — a choice of living that’s willing to slow down.
The first time you step into Dirty Kid Studio, there isn’t a big visual “wow.”
But the moment you push the door open, you’ll want to stay — held in place by the scent in the air.
It isn’t just coffee aroma — it’s flour, fermentation, wood, and fire woven together.
A kind of atmosphere that naturally makes you slow your steps.
They don’t rush to explain what kind of place this is,
yet every time a fresh batch comes out of the oven, the answer arrives quietly on its own.
The name “Uvaz Tahtung Studio” (meaning “Dirty Kids Studio”) often makes people pause the first time they hear it.
But stay a while and you’ll understand: it’s not random rebellion — it’s a way of living.
Here, hands get dusted with flour, and the tabletop keeps the marks of being used.
From talking about how much we love bread, the conversation naturally drifted to:
“Why did you want to open a place like this?”
Simply because they love bread — and they’re willing to spend time waiting for fermentation.
On the East Coast, time was never meant to be chased.
Wind, sunlight, temperature — every day is different; bread is, too.
A Space That Doesn’t Rush to Welcome You
Dirty Kid Studio isn’t big, and it doesn’t have many seats. Woodwork is its main language — clean lines, practical forms —
paired with greenery and natural light, the whole space feels quiet and warm.
This isn’t the kind of place for a quick sit-and-go.
But it’s perfect for a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll,
letting time pass slowly through the afternoon.
A lot of people discover here that doing nothing — just sitting — can feel exactly right.
Cinnamon rolls are a flavor built on patience.
The most talked-about item at Dirty Kid Studio is their cinnamon rolls, with plenty of variations.
I remember you could dine in or take out.
From dough texture, fermentation time, and layering ratio to the balance of cinnamon aroma — everything is the result of countless rounds of adjustment.
The first bite may not shout “wow,” but it will make you want to finish it quietly.
Wood-fired bread is for people who understand waiting.
Beyond cinnamon rolls, their wood-fired bread matters just as much.
Bake times aren’t fixed, because fermentation doesn’t take orders from a schedule.
You can take a whole loaf home, or order slices to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
The crust carries that wood-fired aroma; the inside is moist and springy. It doesn’t need any toppings — it already feels complete.
This kind of bread is also perfect for one person to finish slowly — the kind that makes you want to sit a little longer.
Why it’s worth the trip: if what you want is a quick photo and a fast check-in, this won’t be your first pick.
But if you’re willing — for a thoughtfully made piece of bread,
for an afternoon not chased by time,
for a moment where you can truly sit and breathe —
then Dirty Kid Studio is absolutely worth a special visit.
What it offers is something essential to East Coast life: a day that is treated with care.
【Turning Crisis into Opportunity: The Eastward Drifter’s Entrepreneurial Path】
“I’m a Bunun person who came from the city back to my roots. I’m from Xinyi Township, Nantou — but I grew up mostly in Taipei.” In 2018 (ROC 107), Pan Jun-Wei, driven by a love of surfing, first set foot on Taitung. The beauty of nature awakened a deep longing for the land. He chose, without hesitation, to leave a well-paid job as a Taipei clothing-store manager and move to Donghe Township to pursue the life he truly wanted.
“uninang mihumisang” is a common Bunun greeting — and a reminder he repeats to himself: to live well. In the beginning, Pan lived a work-exchange lifestyle, relaxed and unrestrained. But the pandemic in 2020 (ROC 109) disrupted that rhythm. When everything stalled, making a living became urgent, and he began to ask: How can I stay on this land — sustain my life — and still move toward my ideal?
Then came his partner, Zhang Hao-Yun. The two clicked instantly. They decided to center their work on baking, paired with local experiences — creating a brand that carries warmth and transmits culture. That’s how Dirty Kid Studio was born, combining their love for life with their commitment to the land.
Turning Crisis into Opportunity — The Eastward Drifter’s Entrepreneurial Path
“I’m a Bunun person who came from the city back to my roots.”
That’s how Pan Jun-Wei describes himself.
He’s from Xinyi Township, Nantou — a Bunun child — yet most of his growing-up memories live among Taipei’s streets and buildings.
In the long-running rhythm of the city, work, promotion, and efficiency became the default.
Then in 2018 (ROC 107), surfing brought him to Taitung for the first time — truly.
The vast coastline, the breath where mountains and sea meet, made him realize the longing for land had always been there — simply covered up by city life. It wasn’t a sudden impulse, but an awakened feeling. So he made a decision many couldn’t easily understand: he left a high-paying manager role in Taipei, walked away from the familiar city, and moved to Donghe, Taitung — to chase the life he actually wanted.
“Uninang mihumisang” — a reminder to live well
“uninang mihumisang” is a common Bunun greeting, meaning “Live well.”
That sentence became Pan’s core belief — a constant reminder in his East Coast life.
In the beginning, there was no grand startup blueprint.
He chose work-exchange stays, living a lighter, freer pace — relearning how to be with time, and slowly understanding the rhythm of this land.
When the World Stopped, Life Started Demanding an Answer
In 2020 (ROC 109), the pandemic arrived, and everything was forced to stop.
Travelers disappeared, work-exchange opportunities shrank, and a life that depended on movement suddenly lost its support. When the rhythm broke, the most real question surfaced — livelihood.
In that situation, Pan began to face a question he couldn’t avoid:
“If I want to stay on this land, what else can I do?”
It wasn’t just a job choice — it was a question about a way of living.
A Partner Appears, and a Direction Takes Shape
It was at this turning point that his partner, Zhang Hao-Yun, appeared — and things began to shift.
They quickly realized their visions of life aligned —
they weren’t just trying to run a business, but to create something with warmth, something people could truly feel.
They chose “baking” as the core.
Not because of market analysis, but because baking itself demands time, patience, and honest投入 — and that quality matched the life-state they were looking for.
On the East Coast, fermentation can’t be rushed;
and living on the land shouldn’t be reduced to efficiency alone.
The Birth of Dirty Kid Studio
And so, “Dirty Kid Studio” was born.
Willing to let hands get dusted with flour, willing to let life leave marks — and willing to admit that real creation is never perfectly clean and tidy.
By combining baking with local experiences, bread becomes more than food — it becomes a medium between land, culture, and people.
Every fermentation and every batch out of the oven is a response to “uninang mihumisang” —
living your days well is the most important thing.
For Pan Jun-Wei, real stability is no longer just income or a title — it’s whether he can continue to live, create, and connect with people on this land.
Dirty Kid Studio was born in exactly this context —
not a carefully planned startup route, but a path of turning points carved out step by step in a crisis.
📌 Dirty Kid Studio — Official Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CqD6WHBQm/
📍 Google Maps Address
No. 54, Neighborhood 5, Longchang Rd., Donghe Township, Taitung County 959, Taiwan
📌 Brand Story
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ALq9SZ48F/