Lao Dan A-Zhang Ba-Wan
Changhua City · Taiwanese
Huoyunzhang Uncle's Pan-Fried Bean Cakes
BudgetTakeawayLong-standing
VerdictHand-flipped NT$7 bean cakes: get one sweet and one savory
A half-century pancake stall under a banyan tree on Yuanshui Road. The owner presses each cake by hand in two flavors, red bean or cabbage, crisp outside and chewy inside, at NT$7 each. People often buy ten or more. Open in a morning and an afternoon session.
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Review
The cart of Huoyunzhang Uncle's Pan-Fried Bean Cakes carries a sign reading 'Pancakes Under the Banyan Tree', and it stands beneath a big banyan on Section 2 of Yuanshui Road in Yuanlin, opposite Zhenhua Temple, which makes a handy landmark on a first visit. Supertaste lists it among Yuanlin's legendary snacks at risk of disappearing, and a 2026 TV episode featured the same skill as 'iron-palm pancakes'. Reports put its age at just over fifty years or at sixty, so sources differ, but either way it is a roadside stall with more than half a century behind it.
The nickname 'Fire Cloud Palm' comes from the owner flipping the cakes by hand on the hot griddle. There are only two fillings, sweet red bean and savory cabbage, at NT$7 each. The crust is crisp and faintly sweet, and the inside is soft with a springy chew. The red bean keeps some texture and is not very sweet, while the cabbage stays crunchy, and diners often mention a strong peppery aroma. They are extremely hot straight off the griddle, so give them a moment before biting in.
Most people rave that the price is almost unbelievably low, and since everything is made to order, watching the owner flip the cakes is part of the fun; customers commonly buy ten or more at a time. Some prefer the savory cabbage and find the red bean fairly ordinary, and others mention that the filling is occasionally uneven or the crust a little oily. At busy times they can sell out quickly.
Listed hours are in two sessions, 6:30 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m., with a break at midday. Media reports do not mention a fixed closing day, so check before going. It is mainly takeaway with no seating, and buying several to share at home is the easiest approach. The stall sits beside a fairly busy road, so take care if you stop briefly.
It suits anyone who wants an old-time snack for a few coins and a look at a skill honed over decades. On a first visit, buy one sweet and one savory for NT$14 to compare the two, then take more home if you like them.
Why go
- NT$7 each, in red bean or cabbage
- One sweet and one savory cost just NT$14
- The owner flips them by hand, made to order
- The cabbage version has a strong peppery kick
- Very hot off the griddle, so let them cool a bit
- Closed at midday, open in morning and afternoon sessions
What people say
Liked
- NT$7 each is almost unbelievably cheap
- Freshly made, with a crisp crust and a soft, chewy inside
- Watching the owner flip them by hand is a show in itself
Complaints
- Too hot to eat right away
- Some find the red bean ordinary, and it can be a bit oily
Summarized from the common views of bloggers, media and diners; not direct quotes.
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Location
彰化縣員林市員水路二段133號Directions ↗
Sources
This page is compiled from the articles below and rewritten in our own words. Hours and prices change, so check before you go.
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