Muzha Pan-Fried Buns

Review

Muzha Pan-Fried Buns is at No. 46, Section 1, Zhinan Road in Wenshan, right next to Muzha Market. Both Supertaste and TVBS include it in their Muzha food guides as a must-eat, describing it as a breakfast and afternoon snack locals have eaten since childhood and a well-known queue spot. Buns are wrapped, fried and sold on the spot, and customers always crowd around the griddle.

There are only four fillings: pork, cabbage, chive with glass noodles, and corn with pork. The corn and pork bun is the most recommended, with sweet, crunchy corn balancing the pork fat so it tastes light rather than heavy. These are thick-skinned buns with a golden, crisp bottom that grows more wheaty as you chew, and the fillings are full and well seasoned. Prices are small-change cheap, but sources give no exact figures, so check the board on site.

Fans praise the fragrant skin, crisp base, well-judged seasoning and brisk service, and some foreign customers note they could order in English. The main complaint is the wait, especially on weekends; others find the skin thick and the choice limited, and the popular corn bun sometimes sells out first.

Hours differ by source, so check before you go: Supertaste and a travel site list 6:20 a.m. to noon, closed Mondays, while Google shows 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays and Thursdays. The stall is by the market and mainly takeaway; parking is hard, so take the MRT Wenhu Line to Muzha Station or a bus to Muzha Market and walk.

Good as breakfast for students and workers around Muzha and National Chengchi University, or for a few buns before heading to the zoo or Maokong. First-timers can try one corn and pork bun and one pork bun to compare, plus a soy milk for a full meal, at about NT$30 to NT$100 per person. Eat them hot for the crispest base, but watch out for the heat.