A-Ming Shi Old Shop

Review

A-Ming Shi Old Shop sits on the corner at No. 11, Section 2 of Ziyou Road in Central District, and takes its name from Wei Ching-hai, the baker known as A-Ming Shi. According to historical accounts, shortly after the war he reworked the Qing-era malt cake into a single-serving size, co-ran a trading shop in Beitun, and in 1954 was hired to bake at Tai Yang Tang; his descendants and apprentices later opened their own shops around Taichung. There is more than one story about how the sun cake began, and this is the most widely told. The shop is now run by the third generation together with master bakers, and it supplies tour groups and several airlines with souvenirs.

The shop is spacious with a wide range, and besides sun cakes the phoenix pastry and pine nut pastry are often recommended. A single sun cake costs about NT$25, an affordable price for Ziyou Road. One travel platform describes it as fragrant with malt and melting in the mouth, but a writer who compared several sun cakes side by side found the crust lacking in aroma, with a faint stale-oil note, and the filling on the sweet side.

Opinions are therefore split. Fans value the many staff, the generous samples and complimentary tea, and the smart gift packaging; detractors feel it no longer tastes as good as they remember. That writer even said they would stop buying it regularly, and warned that quality at any shop can vary from batch to batch.

It opens roughly from 8am to 10pm, though one source says it stays open until 10:30pm; sources disagree, so check before you go. It is an easy walk from Taichung Station and sits on the same street as the other old sun cake shops, so you can compare them on the way. The generous samples are its biggest practical advantage, letting you taste before deciding. Sources do not mention parking or payment methods.

It suits travellers who want to pick up phoenix pastry, pine nut pastry and other classic souvenirs in one stop downtown, or anyone short on time who wants a big shop with plenty of choice. Try the sun cake and phoenix pastry samples first and buy a full box only if you like them; picky eaters can sample a few shops on the same street.