Hung Rui Chen Bakery (Beidou Flagship)

Review

Hung Rui Chen sandwiches made their name around Taichung, but the brand actually began in Beidou, Changhua, in 1947, and this Zhonghua Road shop is the flagship, right next to the century-old Beidou Rou Yuan Sheng meatball shop. The storefront has a big, eye-catching sign and a roomy interior, selling bread, cakes and traditional pastries alongside the sandwiches. Several Supertaste reports treat it as a must-buy souvenir stop in Beidou because the flagship sells many flavors the branches do not.

The star is the winter-only strawberry custard sandwich: white bread spread with three layers of strawberry custard and filled with halved fresh strawberries, described as sweet without being cloying and barely tart. A 2022 report priced it at NT$65; it was later raised to NT$80, and it is made in limited numbers each day. The taro, pork floss and cheese sandwich is about NT$50, filled with Dajia taro and fresh cream, its taro paste on the moist side, set off by savory floss and cheese. Other exclusives include taro milk, cocoa crunch, Uji kintoki matcha and peanut cheese, mango in summer, and one report mentions a refreshing grape version.

Fans say the flagship-only flavors are reason enough for a trip to Beidou, and the strawberry one comes around only once a year. But popular flavors often sell out, winter means taking a number and queuing, and purchase limits have been set on busy days. Some diners do not care for the floss range, and others find the wait long or note prices rising year by year.

Sources disagree on opening time (9:00 or 9:30 am); it closes around 9 pm. Most special flavors appear around 10:30 am, some exclusives only at noon, and another batch arrives around 2 pm. The strawberry sandwich usually runs until early March, depending on the strawberry harvest, and exclusive flavors are not available every day, so call ahead. They keep only briefly and are best eaten the same day; bring a cooler bag and ice packs if they are gifts. Parking on Zhonghua Road is hard on holidays.

It suits anyone grabbing souvenirs after a bowl of Beidou meatballs. In winter, go straight for the strawberry custard; in other seasons start with the taro floss cheese and add one or two cocoa or matcha flavors.