Xiao Du Baozi

Review

Xiao Du Baozi sits on Henggong Road in Hengchun, with a back entrance on Hengnan Road, and is a popular stop on the way from town towards Kenting. Supertaste features it alongside an old-street rice cake shop in its Hengchun food piece, travel bloggers have written about it many times, and guesthouse owners often send guests here for breakfast.

Its hallmark is variety and creative flavours. Supertaste lists lion's head, meatball, sausage, onion roast pork, cheese and red bean mochi buns, while a blogger mentions spicy lion's head and bamboo shoot buns. The cheese bun stretches when bitten, the onion roast pork bun carries black pepper and onion, and the dough itself is lightly sweet. Foreign visitors note there are both meat and vegetarian options. According to one blogger, cheese and bacon sausage buns cost about NT$35 and onion roast pork about NT$40, though that information is older and prices may have changed.

Fans praise the choice, inventive fillings and warm owners, who often hand out samples or suggest new flavours, and there is upstairs seating for eating in. Critics find the prices higher than ordinary buns and the quality uneven, and some dislike certain strongly seasoned fillings, so opinions are divided.

Google lists daily hours of 06:30 to 18:30, until 19:00 at weekends, while Supertaste gives 08:00 to 19:30, so sources differ and it is worth checking first. A blogger notes the early morning is mostly prep, with fresh batches coming out later. The shop faces a main road, so drivers can pull over briefly nearby, and takeaway is easy.

It suits anyone heading to Kenting who wants breakfast or snacks for the road. Pick two or three different flavours each, perhaps lion's head or onion roast pork for savoury and a red bean mochi bun for sweet. To eat in, head upstairs and add a soy milk for a simple Hengchun breakfast.