Lao Dan A-Zhang Ba-Wan

Review

Lao Dan A-Zhang Ba-Wan is at No. 144 Chang'an Street in Changhua City, about a five-minute walk from Changhua Station and close to the lane where author Giddens Ko grew up. After the 2011 film You Are the Apple of My Eye shot scenes inside, it became a must-visit queue spot for tourists, and the walls are covered with signatures and photos from the cast and famous visitors. Reports also say it was once selected as a state banquet snack. Sources disagree on its age, with figures ranging from over 50 to over 70 years.

Each ba-wan is steamed first and then deep-fried one at a time in the oil-soaked style. The skin is made from sweet potato starch, translucent, springy and chewy rather than crisp. The filling is large chunks of pork (hind leg and shoulder) braised with more than ten Chinese herbs and spices, plus bamboo shoot and a whole shiitake; the meat is lean yet moist, and there is enough of it that you are not just eating skin. The sauce balances salty and sweet with sesame and peanut notes, and coriander and chili sauce are self-serve. The recommended soup is pork spinal marrow soup, smooth like chawanmushi, clean and sweet with no gaminess; there are also day lily rib soup, dried bamboo shoot rib soup, bitter melon rib soup and pork ball soup.

Most people appreciate the generous filling, good value and friendly staff. Fans of crispy skin may find it too soft, while others love exactly that soft chewiness. Prices have climbed steadily: NT$40 each before 2018, followed by several NT$5 increases. When other shops raised prices in 2024 and 2025 it held firm, only moving from NT$55 to NT$60 on 1 April 2026. Online, people groaned that they wished it were an April Fools' joke, but the queues have not shrunk.

From April 2026 a ba-wan costs NT$60, soups such as pork marrow and day lily rib cost NT$50, and pork ball soup NT$25. Dine-in customers can help themselves to free bone broth from a big pot, usually with tofu skin and daikon, though the contents vary; many pour the leftover sauce from their bowl into it. Order at the counter, collect when your number is called and return your own tableware. Even on weekdays there is a line at mealtimes, but with indoor and outdoor seating areas tables turn over quickly. Hours are roughly 9:00 or 9:30 to 22:30, varying slightly by source. Drivers can use the multi-story car park behind Changhua Station, about six minutes away on foot.

It suits first-time visitors to Changhua who want a classic ba-wan and a look at the film location. Order one ba-wan with pork marrow soup, then pour the leftover sauce into the free bone broth for the most local way to finish.