While exploring the art and cultural attractions in Taichung, we chanced upon Xiangyang Dongpo Egg Yolk Fresh Meat Bun (向陽東坡蛋黃鮮肉包) at Taichung Third Market. This popular establishment had a long queue of mostly local customers, similar to Bu Yi Yang Mantou which I had previously blogged about.
Taichung Third Market
While browsing the menu and taking pictures, an elderly couple in the queue asked whether I was a tourist from Hong Kong, lol. They highly recommended the steamed buns from this shop, claiming that it was the best in Third Market. Intrigued, we decided to join the queue and purchase some buns to sample for ourselves.
As I observed, customers at the shop were buying entire bags of buns, leading the staff to continuously prepare and steam fresh batches to keep up with demand. To manage the overwhelming demand, they imposed a limit of 10 buns per person (except for mantou), with a “Buy 10 Get 1 Free” promotion in place.
Menu
They offer the following types of steamed buns on their menu:
- Dongpo Fresh Meat Bun
- Egg Yolk Fresh Meat Bun
- Mushroom Fresh Meat Bun
- Mushroom Vegetarian Bun
- Red Bean Bun
- Brown Sugar Raisin Mantou
- Brown Sugar Mantou
- Fresh Milk Mantou
- Taro Mantou
- Spring Onion Mantou
- Shandong Mantou
All are priced at NT$15-20 each (prices adjusted due to increased costs).
Despite the affordable prices, we had to endure a long wait of around 30 minutes. When it was finally our turn to order, many of the varieties were already sold out, leaving us with limited options. To avoid further waiting, we opted for the available selections.
Dongpo Fresh Meat Bun
At first, I expected the Dongpo Fresh Meat Bun to contain braised pork belly (dongpo rou) due to its name.
But when I pried open the bun, I realised it was just a regular pork bun. However, upon opening the bun, I discovered that it was just a regular pork bun. The bun had a soft and fluffy texture with a mild sweetness to it. The filling was delicious and had a noticeable aroma of sesame oil.
Mushroom Fresh Meat Bun
Similar to the Dongpo bun, but the meat filling had a distinct earthy flavour from the mushrooms.
It seemed that the buns at Xiangyang Dongpo Egg Yolk Fresh Meat Bun were made with unbleached flour, which made them look less white than regular buns.
Final thoughts
Although the long queue had raised our expectations, we found the buns to be rather ordinary after trying them. The buns were indeed soft and fluffy, and the fillings were flavourful, but they weren’t remarkable enough to warrant a long wait. In fact, I personally think that Nam Kee Pau and Tanjong Rhu Pau in Singapore are better, lol.
Despite the lack of culinary excitement, the buns still provided a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Furthermore, the low prices are most likely what drew customers to this location in the first place. You could easily satisfy your hunger without spending much money.
Closed on Mondays
+886 4 2285 3636