Guo Family Scallion Pancake

Review

Guo Family Scallion Pancake sits at the mouth of Lane 101, Wenlin Road, in Shilin Night Market, and is a street snack often placed on travel sites' and media's must-eat lists. There is no shopfront, just a wok of hot oil and a small work counter, and people often watch the vendor drop dough into the oil while they wait; crowds come from late afternoon to late night.

Unlike the usual pan-fried scallion pancake, this one is plunged straight into hot oil, so the surface blisters and the texture is crisp and fairly thin. With an egg, it is fried until the yolk is just set so it runs when you bite, then brushed with house garlic soy sauce and chili sauce. A travel site lists NT$30 without egg and NT$40 with egg, while one diner said it was NT$30 with egg; sources differ, so check before you go. Each pancake is about palm-sized, a fitting night-market snack.

Fans say it's thin and crisp rather than heavy, not too oily, and that the runny yolk with garlicky sauce is addictive, a flavor they grew up with. Critics are just as direct: some find it salty yet flavorless, little more than fried flour; others say it's only good fresh, turning soft and greasy if it sits, and that the sauce brushed on one side isn't even.

It runs daily from about 3 p.m. to midnight. The stall is at the lane mouth with no seating, so eat standing or as you walk. There's a short wait at peak times, but service is quick. Cash is easiest; traffic is busy around the stall, so stay alert while queuing. It's an easy walk from MRT Jiantan Station.

It suits anyone wanting a cheap taste of Taiwanese street frying or who loves a runny egg. Order it with egg, ask for chili, and eat it hot right away. If you're wary of oil, one per person is enough, or share it with friends and move on to other stalls.