Golden Era Bakery

Review

Golden Era Bakery is at No. 17, Section 1 of Zhongxing Road in Guishan, right in the back street shopping area, and locals describe it as the bakery with a queue every day. Supertaste's shop listing names it among Taoyuan's must-try bakeries, and several Guishan food roundups call it a local speciality; people often buy several loaves at once for friends and family, and many think of it first when it comes to Guishan gifts.

The shop sells only two breads: the Chanson and the Caterpillar. The Chanson is a soft French-style loaf split and filled with a lightly salted butter cream, described as tender yet chewy with a balance of milky, salty and sweet notes. The Caterpillar is a long loaf that also puts the butter cream centre stage. With such a short menu, all the effort goes into these two, and when a batch comes out the aroma fills the street.

Positive comments praise the well-balanced cream, the slightly chewy crust, reasonable prices and how well the bread works as a gift; the queue is long but moves fairly quickly. Complaints include the need to queue and long waits at busy times; some find the cream on the sweet side, or feel the bread is simply old-fashioned and may seem ordinary to those with high expectations.

Most sources list hours of 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the French loaves coming out around 1:30 p.m., though times can change. Purchase limits have been reported as fifteen Chansons and six Caterpillars per person, but follow the shop's notice on the day. Days off differ by source, with some saying weekends and others Sundays and Mondays, so check before you go. The back-street lanes are narrow and hard to park in, so come by scooter or park on the edge and walk.

It suits anyone looking for a distinctive Guishan gift or who loves cream-filled bread. First-timers can buy one of each to compare, and eating it the same day keeps the crust at its best. To avoid the longest lines, skip the batch times, and pair the visit with snow ice nearby to tick off both of the back street's famous queues.