Taiwanese
Li Family’s Knife-shaved Noodles // 李家園刀削麵
Knife-shaved noodles? A place after my own heart. Unfamiliar with knife-shave noodles (刀削麵 dao-xiao-mian) ? Essentially, the chef takes a fat hunk of wet dough and a sharp knife and shaves strips of dough into a giant pot of bowling water to cook. Occasionally (Bei-Ping is one spot), it’ll be done right where you enter so you can watch and it’s pretty fun. It’s also pretty tasty and I’ve been able to tell the difference between hand-shaved and more standard noodles. It’s the biggest factor for me in choosing my favorite spots and I’d rather have delicious hand-shaved noodles and a mediocre sauce over the alternative. Li’s Shaved Noodles is good with plenty of options (top left part of menu is all knife-shaved whereas 拉麵 (la-mian) is hand-pulled noodles) so I was a big fan. The closest comparison is Bei-Ping, which is good but not any better than Li’s. If I had to choose on quality alone, I think Li’s noodles are better – both the sauce and the noods. Overall, great hidden spot for noodles, as it’s an easy-to-miss spot on Zhonghua that’s often closed. Beef noodle meat wasn’t as good as other spots but noodles made up for it. Would also recommend the other cheaper dishes that also utilize the noods. Recommendation: Beef noodles 牛肉刀削麵 (niu rou dao xiao mian)
(Daily: 11am-8pm but closed Wednesdays)
(950台東縣台東市中華路二段99號 /// No. 99, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Shaoxing Fried Rice // 紹興炒飯
A fried rice joint located near Uniqlo, Shaoxing Fried Rice has a solid menu with English translations (always a plus) and good prices. You can add rice (jia fan) for free for an extra large meal. You can also add spice but be careful! If you specify you want small spice, medium spice or high spice, it will be a ghost pepper-level spice, which is no joke. I tried the medium spice with the ghost pepper and it was one of the top two or three spiciest things I’ve ever had and left my stomach hurting more than 24 hours afterwards. On the bright side, if you like spice, this is your spot in Taitung. You can go for the big spice challenge to get your picture on the wall. Even if you just want a little spice or no spice, that’s cool too. It’s good stuff, just don’t order the ghost pepper unless you’re ready to tough it out. Recommendation: Shaoxing fried rice 紹興炒飯 – $80NTD
(SU, M, T, W – 10:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00)
(TH, F, SA – 1:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00)
(950台東縣台東市光明路281號 /// No. 281, Guangming Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Uncle Sen’s Fried Rice College // 阿森炒飯學堂
A fried rice spot with plenty of seating on Zhonghua (only a few doors from the Cantonese spot), Uncle Sen has a large menu of fried rice dishes with countless flavor and sauce combinations so you can come back again and again and never repeat the same meal. Good prices and quality make a great spot for fried rice in the city.
(Daily: 11:00-14:30, 16:30- 20:00 – closed on Saturdays)
(950台東縣台東市中華路一段607號 /// No. 607, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Light Seagrass Health Food Hall // 海草健康輕食館
A hip and healthy spot in the heart of the city, Light Seagrass health Food Hall has one of my favorite names in Taitung as well as my favorite soup dumplings. With vegetarian dumplings options, delicious soup dumplings and a variety of noodle dishes, it’s a good spot for a dinner after an afternoon in Forest Park or if you’re feeling something a little less oily. English menu! Recommendation: 小籠包 Soup dumplings
(950台東縣台東市中山路205號 /// No. 205, Zhongshan Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Beiping // 北平半畝園 臺東
Located in the center of the city in an unassuming shop on Zhongzheng, Beiping is an affordable option for mouth-wateringly good hand-cut noodles and thick restaurant-style scallion pancakes (different from the mobile versions dished up at food carts like Huang’s or Mama Liao’s). When you walk into the restaurant, you can see the shop owner slicing hunks of noodles into a boiling vat of water for cooking – that’s how fresh the noods are. The scallion pancakes and beef cakes are also cooked right as you walk in and are an easy way to fill yourself up for cheap (a filling meal can be purchased for 50-60NTD easily. A slice of scallion pancake is 10NTD or an entire one is 80NTD and it’s huge. Recommendation: A slice of scallion pancake and any of the hand-cut noodle dishes.
(950台東縣台東市中正路184號 // No. 184, Zhongzheng Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Margaret & John’s Dumpling House (informal name) // 湘記水餃飯麵
Although the official name is 湘記水餃飯麵, this dumpling and noodle spot is affectionately known as Margaret and John’s, named after the friendliest owners in Taitung County (they hosted a Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue for 15 of us!). Margaret and John are a dynamic mother-son duo who have lived in San Francisco and are fluent in English and happy to welcome any English speakers. As for the food, it’s also delicious. The rice plates are dank and the dumplings are super good! Recommendation: Chicken plate ~ 110NTD
(950台東縣台東市復興路160號 /// No. 160, Fuxing Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Beef noodle soup
Dong Ding Beef Noodle Restaurant // 東鼎牛肉麵
The most popular beef noodle restaurant in Taitung. Simple as that. Recommendation: 牛肉麵 Niu-rou-mian
(950台東縣台東市光明路107號 /// No. 107, Guangming Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Korean
Han-sen-guan // 台東韓森館
A great Korean restaurant on Zhonghua Road, this spot is our go-to spot for big group or birthday dinners. With a wide menu of Korean staples from bibimbap to noodle dishes ranging from 150 – 230 NTD, it’s a good spot for dinner and for vegetarians and my favorite Korean restaurant in the city. Recommendation: Pork stone bowl and pickled pancake
(950台東縣台東市中華路一段504號 /// No. 504, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Fusion
Jian-Dong Restaurant // 尖東小吃部
An easy-to-miss Cantonese spot, this restaurant is located on Zhonghua near the old university campus and serves excellent Cantonese food. We had a shrimp fried rice, fried noodles, vegetables and pork chop bites. All great but the fried noodles were the highlight. Good prices and definitely worth checking out. Recommendation: Fried noodles
(Daily – 10:00 – 20:00)
(950 台東縣台東市中華路1段607號 /// No. 607, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Wan Cuisine // 丸料理義式鍋燒
A small shop that’s easy to miss as you drive down Zhonghua, this spot offers a variety of options for either pasta or stewed rice. All the main dishes are 99NTD with an additional 20NTD adding extra portion (加量). I got the 好香培根麵 which was the Good-Smelling Bacon Pasta, making it 焗烤 (baked) with an extra portion 加量. Essentially, it’s pasta noodles topped with a baked gratin in a to-go bowl. It comes with a drink and a soup that tastes like a thinner French onion soup. Seating is limited so it’s a good spot to get food to-go. I paid 150NTD for a massive bowl that will end up being two meals and it was really yummy. Don’t think the extra portion is necessary for most people. Recommendation: 好香培根焗烤 (hao-xiang-pei-gen-ju-kao) Baked bacon pasta with a creamy sauce – 130 NTD
(950台東縣台東市中華路二段91號 /// No. 91號, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Vegetarian
Peaceful Summer Grass Canteen // 夏安居草食堂
One of my top three restaurants in Taitung and my go-to spot for a nice dinner, 夏安居草食堂 is a vegetarian-only (like…no meat served, not “no meat-eaters allowed”) restaurant with the best hand-cut noodles in the city and delicious dumplings. Although the price level is a bit higher (ala carte dishes are around $140 and set meals are around $300), it’s absolutely worth it. I haven’t done the set meals yet but they look good. I usually order two or three dishes and split with one friend. Cool atmosphere too. Definite must-hit in Taitung. English menu! Recommendation: Any of the hand-cut noodle dishes
(950台東縣台東市中興路一段147號 /// No. 147, Section 1, Zhongxing Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Vegine // 蔬念
A customizable vegan noodle joint located in a dark alley behind Carrefour, Vegine is a great solution to your meat exhaustion. Whether you’re a vegetarian or someone who just needs to get an extra helping of non-greasy greens, Vegine offers you something. Big fan. It has a very hip atmosphere and the walls are plastered with phrases about animal non-harm and making the world a better place, which completes the L.A. Whole Foods vibe. When you enter, you choose a small token that says your noodle choice (udon, rice noodles, vermicelli among others). Then you grab a small cloth bag and load it up with whatever veggies you want, from bok choy to multiple kinds of mushrooms and tofu. Then you give the bag to the counter, you pay based on what you picked up (30 NTD for each cup of veggies, 20 NTD for the noodles, etc) and they cook it and bring it out to you. Pretty easy once you understand the system and allows you to eat a ton of veggies in one meal if you so desire. I added two kinds of mushrooms and cucumbers to my udon noodles and it was 120 NTD and really filling so I felt like it was a good value. Recommendation: Udon noodles, get a leafy green, tofu and a kind of mushroom.
(Daily: 11:20am-1:30pm, 5:30pm-9pm)
(No. 12號, Lane 312, Zhengqi Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Ming Long Spring Roll Shop // 明隆春捲專賣店
A popular all-vegetarian spot in the heart of the city, Ming Long’s specialty is the spring roll – a wrap with several customizable options that is especially refreshing in the summer. If you aren’t feeling like a sprouts wrap, you can order a favorite like braised “pork” over rice or vegetarian dumplings. Extensive menu with no meat so vegetarians can pig out without worrying. Delicious and one of my favorite vegetarian spots. Recommendation: Sprouts wrap with sesame sauce
(950台東縣台東市正氣路489號 /// No. 489, Zhengqi Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Shi Fang Vegan Restaurant // 台東十方素食餐廳
A Buddhist vegetarian restaurant hidden above a Buddhist shop, Shi Fang serves a wide menu of Chinese and Taiwanese favorites with a meatless twist. And it’s SO good. Although the vegan name might be misleading (I think vegetarian, rather than vegan, would probably be a better name for the fare, as I am not confident the food is prepared animal-product free), it’s a really good option for vegetarians who want a wide array of choices. It’s slightly more expensive, around $160-180 NTD per dish, but worth it for the flavors. The Kung Pao Mushroom dish was one of the best I’ve had in Taitung and better than most Kung Pao Chicken dishes I’ve had in China. Nailed the texture on the meat substitute parts of the dishes. Recommendation: 宮保蘑菇 Kung Pao Mushroom
(950台東縣台東市光明路108號 // No. 108, Guangming Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Hot pot
Ghost Pepper King Spicy King Eat Until You’re Full Hot Pot// 鬼椒王麻辣王吃到飽台東旗艦店
The only thing I love more than wonderfully translated English names of Chinese restaurants? Unlimited ice cream chests. Ghost Pepper Hot Pot is all-you-can-eat spicy hotpot with a variety of endless ice cream options to cool you down after the meal. The restaurant offers two choices – a $535 NTD basic option with four kinds of beef and pork or a $595 NTD deluxe option with seafood and higher-end meat. Both have a 10% service charge. I think the $535 option is the best one since the meat is already sufficient. Moreover, there’s a huge open refrigerator wall with a wide array of seafood options (oysters to various fishes) already included in the $535 option so you really only miss out if you’re trying to have some crab-like stuff. Go with the $535 meal and choose your two pot marinades (we chose both spicy, as the place is known for spice) and go for it. The restaurant has a sauce table, a pudding fridge, an open fridge with more options for hot pot than you could ever try, and three separate tubs with all-you-can-eat ice cream. An endless Taiwan Beer tap, soda fridge and various other goodies complete the deal. Although it’s quite a bit of money, this spot is worth it for the all-you-can-eat hot pot, ice cream and treats. YUM. Recommendation: The $535 option with one spicy pot, one non-spicy pot and then go for broke. Don’t forget to crack an egg in the ladle and cook it in the pot for a delicious poached egg that goes well with any meats.
(No. 410, Chuanguang Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Mala Jianghu Hot Pot Restaurant // 麻辣江湖火鍋店
A spicy hot-pot restaurant on Zhonghua Road, Mala Jianghu is equally good for a pair of diners or a big group. Meals usually average around 300NTD so it’s more expensive than most of the ala carte dinners in Taitung but still on the more affordable end for hot-pot. Their specialty is the spice, as the mala name implies. For those who aren’t familiar, mala is a Sichuan-style flavor, derived from peppercorns, that’s both tingly (ma) and spicy (la). Super cool and this restaurant offers a good variety of stuff to marinate in the spicy pot for the taste. You can also get non-spicy here if that’s not your thang.
(950台東縣台東市中華路一段323號 /// No. 323, Zhonghua Road, Section 1, Taitung County, Taitung City, 950 )
Ramen
Ha Ramen // 哈拉麵
The best ramen in Taitung, 哈拉麵 is a small five seat ramen bar that’s pretty popular so if you don’t want to wait, come right when they open at 5pm. For quality, it’s the best in Taitung and worth it. The meat is tender and juicy and the egg melts in your mouth. You can customize the noodles and broth, which shows the care they put into the dish. For prices, it’s a bit higher than the other spots, especially the entry level. The more expensive bowls go up towards 180, 190 NTD without any add-ons but there’s still a few options around 120NTD. You can add extra noodles for free when you order. Recommendation: The 120NTD one with normal broth, extra noodles and thin, soft noodles
(44號, 新生路台東市台東縣950 // No. 44, Xinsheng Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Tun-Jiang Ramen // 豚將日本拉麵
The most affordable of the ramen spots, Tun-Jiang offers 69NTD ramen. Although I always think I’m going to save money and choose that one, I usually end up getting one of the ones around $100NTD and splitting an order of the potstickers so going here never actually saves me money. Still, the thought is what counts, right? Tun-Jiang is good. Quality isn’t quite as good as Ha Ramen (above) but price level is better. Bonus points – unlimited noodles! If you’re hungry, you can’t beat Tun-Jiang and you’ll leave full. Recommendation: The spiciest one! The Red Devil.
(950台東縣台東市中華路一段742號 /// 950, Taitung County, Taitung City, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, 742號號)
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Chuan Ramen // 傳麵
Located in the Feng-Rong area on Zhonghua Road, Chuan Ramen is solid but definitely third on this list. If you’re in the area, it’s a good choice but value is better at Tun-Jiang and quality is better at Ha Ramen so I’d go here as a matter of convenience rather than craving. Still hits the spot at around $100NTD a bowl. No free extra noods 😦
(950台東縣台東市中華路二段108號 /// No. 108, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Dawn Ramen // 曙日式拉麵
A cute shop on Chuangguang Road, Dawn Ramen has an attractive English menu and prices on the lower end with most ramens averaging around $100NTD. Each dish comes as a ramen or dry noodles option with slight price variations for each (ramen is typically $10-20 NTD more). There is no option to add extra noodles (unlike other restaurants) but there is a vegetarian ramen. The Signature Ramen and the Spicy Dry Noodles were both good but nothing out of this world. I’d recommend this spot if you were in the area, wanted a dry noodles option or had a vegetarian who wanted to join. Otherwise, I think Tunjiang has better value with the free extra noodles and similar price and Ha Ramen has better quality ingredients with the juciy pork and perfectly done egg. Dawn is solid but not worth going out of your way for. Recommendation: Spicy Dry Noodles
(Thursday-Tuesday, 11:00-13:30, 17:00-20:30)
(No. 272, Chuangguang Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950)
Dumplings
Jiayi Dumplings // 加依軒湯包
Located on Zhonghua Road in the Feng-Rong neighborhood, Jiayi is a small dumpling shop with great dumpling options. It has seven or eight types of 水餃 (shui-jiao), including a yummy vegetarian option. It also has good soup dumplings and they toss in a few free taro or sesame buns if you have a large group. The shop is run by a friendly couple and the prices are very affordable for good quality. This also happens to be the location where I did my dumpling challenge and ate 76 dumplings in a single sitting. English menu too so it’s easy to order! Recommendation: Chili basil dumplings
(950台東縣台東市中華路二段204號 /// No. 204, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Ba Fang Dumplings // 八方雲集
A popular dumpling chain, Ba Fang has spots all over Taitung City and Taiwan. You can pay per dumpling, which is a nice feature if you want an amount that’s different than the portions given at other dumpling spots, and the variety is often better than at specialized dumpling spots. As befits the chain identity, I think the dumplings are better at other restaurants compared to Ba Fang but it’s a good reliable spot that won’t blow you away or disappoint you.
(950 TW 台東, No. 496號中華路一段台東市台東縣950 /// Multiple locations)
Pizza
Pizza Factory /// 披薩工廠台東店
A chain with locations in several cities across Taiwan, Pizza Factory is my favorite pizza spot in Taitung with regards to value and taste. They have an extensive menu that caters to both Western and Taiwanese tastes and they also offer an wide variety of pasta options. While I didn’t try the pasta, it appeared other tables ordered pasta more often than pizza so I’d suspect it’s also quite good. If I need a break from Taiwanese food, this is my go-to spot. With pizzas ranging from 180-280 NTD, the price isn’t too expensive and the pizza is so good, much better than I’ve had in other parts of Asia. In particular, the mushroom truffle pizza is one of my favorite dishes in the city and would be a dish I would purchase in the States. It’s that good. If you’re visiting Taitung from the States or Europe, Pizza Factory isn’t worth one of your meals but if you’re in Taitung for an extended period or want a non-Taiwanese meal, this is my top choice. The chocolate pizza is also delicious! Plenty of vegetarian options. Service charge is added on the final bill. Recommendation: The mushroom truffle pizza – 200 NTD
（950台東縣台東市廣東路181號 /// No. 181, Guangdong Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950）
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Uncle Pete’s Pizza // 披薩阿伯
Owned by an American who moved here to surf and then never left, Uncle Pete’s Pizza is regarded by many to be the best pizza in Taitung. Some will argue it’s better than much of the pizza/international food you’ll find in bigger cities like Taipei or Kaohsiung. I thought it was great pizza and the owner was quite friendly but the prices are much steeper than Pizza Factory (340-400 NTD for a pizza). The flavors might be worth it on a special occasion but with so many good options at a lower price point in Taitung City, I’ll only go back when I can afford it and am really craving a break from Taiwanese food. Still really good pizza though and the crust is amazing. Offers everything from more traditional American styles (pepperoni, etc) to the kinds that are more common in Taiwan (tuna, etc).
(950台東縣台東市臨海路一段167號 /// No. 167, Section 1, Linhai Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Vegetarian Station // 素食小站
素食笑點 is an unassuming vegetarian spot on Kaifeng Street. While the name implies that it offers a wide variety of vegetarian dishes (which was the original reason we tried it), it actually specializes in pizza and they’ll encourage you to order that. I thought the pizza was pretty good and the spicy one I ordered was indeed quite spicy even by my standards but I thought both Uncle Pete’s Pizza and Pizza Factory offered better value and tastes. The prices are a little cheaper here than Uncle Pete’s but comparable to Pizza Factory and I think both are better. If you’re in this area of town, it’s still a solid choice and better than average pizza. Owners are friendly!
Indian
My Friend’s House // 在朋友家吃飯
My personal overall favorite Indian restaurant in Taitung (considering taste, price/value, and atmosphere), My Friend’s House is equal parts a cozy Indian-themed restaurant and an awesome gathering space for the local LGBTQ community (indicated by walls adorned by rainbow flags and posters from Taipei Pride). Their dishes are more affordable than Spice House (around 200NTD for a meal) and offer a few unique takes with dishes like baked egg over rice. While Spice House might have better overall flavor, the value and decor of My Friend’s House gives it the edge in my book. Nice place to sit and chat with friends for a while, as befits the name. Recommendation: Baked egg dish or the chicken curry
(No. 473, Zhangsha Street, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Taitung Spice House Exotic Indian & Thai Cuisine // 印度咖喱香科室子
A lengthy but descriptive name marks the most authentic Indian restaurant in Taitung. Owned by a friendly Indian man who moved here seven or eight years ago, Spice House offers a wide selection of various curries with both vegetarian and meat options. Although most of its dishes are north of $300 NTD (which is significantly more expensive than many of the spots in Taitung), the flavor is worth the occasional splurge. Each dish comes with a hearty helping of the curry with a modest side of rice and fruit. The highlight of the meal is the buttery naan, a nostalgic reminder of my favorite Indian food back in the United States (yes I recognize the irony of yearning for Indian food in the US, don’t @ me), which serves as the perfect way to wipe up the remains of your curry. Taitung restaurants aren’t known for their high spice level and while Spice House does offer more spice than most, the Spice in the restaurant name tends to refer more to flavor than to heat. Overall, Spice House is your best high-end option for Indian food but you can find better Flavor Per Capita (flavor per dollar spent) elsewhere in the city so save this place for when you’re really craving an authentic curry. Meat dishes are fine but think the best value is the vegetarian ones. Recommendation: Butter chicken or chickpea curry
(No. 418, Hanyang North Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Breakfast
Orange Breakfast早餐吧
A breakfast spot near the PX Mart in the Fengrong area, Orange Breakfast is a dependable chain with all the breakfast standards, from toast to danbing. Nothing fancy but a reliable choice if you’re looking around for an easy spot.
(950台東縣台東市漢陽南路103-105號 /// No. 103-105, Hanyang South Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Four Seas 四海豆漿大王
A breakfast restaurant located on Zhonghua Road, Four Seas offers up delicious 蛋餅油條（danbing youtiao）, which is a Chinese donut wrapped in an egg pancake/crepe. Tasty and filling start to your day. They also offer other breakfast staples too! Nice service. Recommendation:蛋餅油條 Danbing youtiao
Yuan Feng Breakfast Restaurant // 圓峰早餐店
A reliable breakfast spot on Zhongua Road right near Tiehua Village, Yuan Feng serves up delicious 抓餅 (zhua-bing), which is a thin pancake stuffed with sprouts and various other healthy items. For a healthy start to the day and filling up on your greens, this is the spot. Also has other breakfast staples. Recommendation: 抓餅 zhua-bing
(950台東縣台東市中華路一段607號 /// No. 607, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
Scallion pancake
Huang’s Scallion Pancake // 黃記蔥油餅_仁和店
An inconspicious scallion pancake stand tucked in a small patio in front of the owner’s apartment, Huang’s Scallion Pancake has been serving up just two delicious dishes for over 40 years – a scallion pancake (蔥油餅 congyoubing) and a cabbage pancake (similar to the scallion, just with more greens). For both of the items, you can order them plain with no egg (no egg = 不加蛋 // bu jia dan) or you can add 1 or 2 eggs (1 egg = 加蛋 jia dan, 2 eggs = 雙蛋 shuangdan). Once you order, you apply your own spicy sauce and savory black sauce and the cook will tie it up for you. Perfect for a mobile snack! You might want a double egg or two of them for a meal. My personal favorite scallion pancake in Taitung City. Recommendation: 蔥油餅 加蛋 (Congyoubing jia dan) – Scallion pancake with an egg
Mama Liao’s Scallion Pancake // 廖媽媽蔥油餅
Hidden in an alcove next to an always-present 7/11 and marked merely by a small 蔥油餅 sign, Mama Liao’s Scallion Pancake stand is convenently located on Zhonghua, a major road in Taitung City and the route to Zhiben. See Huang’s Scallion Pancakes’ entry on ordering tips for scallion pancakes. Mama Liao’s spot only has scallion pancakes, no cabbage pancakes, and you can only add one egg but it’s delicious nonetheless and comes piping hot off the grill. Wait a few minutes before you eat it. Recommendation: 蔥油餅 加蛋 (Congyoubing jia dan) – Scallion pancake with an egg
(950台東縣台東市中華路二段276號 /// No. 276, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, 950)
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Xinsheng Road Scallion Pancake Stand // 新生路蔥油餅
A scallion pancake shop at the corner of Xinsheng Road and the origin of Siwei Road, this unnamed stand is manned by a cute husband and wife who take previously cooked scallion pancakes, slap them on the grill to warm them up and add an egg if necessary, then lather it up with oil and sauce. Although the pancakes had already been made when he threw it on the grill, they still looked pretty fresh, like cooked maybe earlier in the afternoon. When compared to Huang’s or Mama Liao’s (who put the dough on the grill as soon as you order), that threw me off a bit but the pancake certainly did not disappoint and in the end, I didn’t care. The cost of 30NTD for a pancake and egg (congyoubing jia dan) is slightly lower than the $35 pancake + egg option elsewhere. The pancake itself was thicker and held the egg and sauce more firmly. Really big fan of it. Different thickness makes it hard to compare with Huang and Mama Liao’s but certainly worth trying.
(No. 669, Xinsheng Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950)
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Fancy Pancake // 台東花式蔥餅
A small stand on the corner of Zhejiang Road, Fancy Oancake is open daily (except Monday) from 3pm to 7pm, addressing that awkward window of time between lunch and dinner that scallion pancakes fit into so well. Armed with impeccable Google reviews, Fancy Pancakes lived up to the hype with a delicious and creative take on the scallion pancake. Made fresh to order for 35 NTD, it comes with an egg as default. If you don’t want an egg, you have to specify (不用加蛋，bu yong jia dan). The dough was one of the best I’ve had and I’m already looking forward to going back. Definite must hit.
(15:00-19:00 Tuesday-Sunday)
(No. 17, Zhejiang Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950)
Zhongxing Road Scallion Pancake // 抓餅
An unassuming zhua bing and congyoubing stand operated out of the back of a blue construction truck in front of Xinsheng Elementary School, this spot isn’t marked on Google Maps but the owner is nice and gave me his business card. Solid congyoubing for the same price as all the other stands. Added a dry spice rub rather than the sauce and it was good. Would recommend if you’re in the area.
(15:30 – 18:30 Monday-Friday)
(No. 77, Zhongxing Road, Sect. 5, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950 – in front of Xinsheng Elementary School)
Uncle’s Scallion Pancake // 阿伯蔥油餅
I tried this spot three times before I finally found it open. It’s a small stand on Highway 9 just at the corner of Xincheng St and Zhongxing Road, marked with a subtle 蔥油餅 sign. When I finally saw it open on my way downtown, I saw a cute old man and woman working the stand, which might account for the erratic hours. If they don’t feel like making it that day, they just don’t. I respect it. The pancakes were made fresh from batter he had portioned out before and drowned in a thick layer of oil in the pan so while it’s not as oily as Mama Liao’s, it certainly isn’t a low-fat one. Price was 30NTD for one 蔥油餅加蛋（cong you bing jia dan // scallion pancake with egg). Sauce is added by the man and it’s not as saucy as other ones but he added a squirt bottle sauce at the end that was delicious. It almost looks cheesy but I think that’s just the egg. Really solid one and I’m starting to make freshness (dough prepared just before cooking) a requirement for a top scallion pancake, which this had. The cute man added to the charm but the erratic hours make me less likely to return compared to the other spots. Still, it’s the only one on this side of Highway 9 so I’d check it out if you see it.
(No posted hours)
(Zhongxing Road, Sect. 2, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan 950, near the corner of Zhongxing Road (HWY 9) and Xincheng St – just put it into Google Maps and it’ll pop up)
Wu Memory Family Hand-Made Scallion Pancakes // 吳記家傅手工蔥油餅
As I’m quickly discovering, it’s hard to compare the different scallion pancake stands in the city because they all offer slightly or wildly different products. Wu’s Scallion Pancakes Stand has three options on size – a large pancake (一大張) for 60 NTD, a half pancake (半張) for 30NTD, or a single slice // quarter (一人份) for 15 NTD. You can add an egg, which increases price to 100NTD, 50NTD, 25NTD, respectively. The full size pancake looks massive and would easily be a meal, especially with an egg. I got a half pancake since I was going to dinner afterwards and it was still significantly more filling than any other scallion pancake I’ve had. Sizes are definitely different than Huang or Mama Liao’s stands but both offer their pros and cons. I ordered half pancake with egg and they handed it to me in a bag, chopped up into pre-cut slices with a toothpick to serve myself rather than a rolled-up method. It was easier and cleaner to eat on the go but I still missed the inevitable sauce mess at the end that comes with the rolled version. All in all, if you’re in the area and you need a more filling quick meal, this would absolutely hit the spot. Value is great and it’s easy, quick and cheap. Totally recommend.
(Daily, 15:00-18:30)
(No. 469, Chuangguang Road, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950)
Chen Family Scallion Pancake – Siwei Road // 陳家四維路蔥油餅
Another day, another scallion pancake. True to my prior realization, each scallion pancake offers something a little different. When I ordered two pancakes with egg at Chen’s on Siwei and indicated I wanted to eat it there (not take-out), I was presented with my first plated scallion pancake. The pancake was fluffier than other versions and the thickness made the fold difficult, which is why a plate and a sliced up version was ideal. They plopped the egg on top and then slathered it with spicy and oil sauce with a significant layer of greens between egg and pancake. Overall, the cong you bing was excellent. The egg had above average flavor and the extensive greens poking out the sides were a nice touch. The thickness of the pancake prevented it from feeling like one giant oil sponge (not complaining about those) and it felt a little more bread-like rather than crepe-like. On the north side of town, definitely recommend this spot. They also served stinky tofu and a few other dishes too with some tables out front to sit at, which is rare at spots that serve the cong you bing.
(Daily, 14:00-19:00)
(No. 492, Siwei Road, Section 1, Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan, 950)
Bergmann Bites 