Junn Mei Pastry Store

Review

Junn Mei Pastry Store is at No. 301 Dajin Street in Nantun District, a bakery Taichung people recommend by word of mouth. An iCook article republished on LINE TODAY (2021) says the brand has been around for over 30 years and had five branches in Taichung at the time, with many locals saying they grew up on it. Supertaste's list of locals' insider souvenirs also includes it, and its signatures are Junn Mei pineapple cake and pine nut pastry.

The pineapple cake is traditional, with a filling based mainly on winter melon: simple, not sour, gently sweet and fairly soft, without any stringy fibers. Reports consider it well suited as a gift for elders or for festivals. Netizens call the pine nut pastry a must-eat, and many Taichung families choose it when ordering wedding cakes. The shop also sells sun cakes, mung bean pastries and other traditional sweets, and both the gift boxes and individual wrappers have a classic look.

A 2024 NOWnews report says that when an Instagram dessert-review account compared 52 pineapple cake brands, Junn Mei won the traditional pineapple cake category and received a high repurchase rating. Fans of tangy native-pineapple fillings with fruit fibers, however, may find the winter-melon filling too plain, and no source lists prices, so ask the shop before buying.

Earlier reports say it opened at 8:00 a.m., while recent listings say 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., so check before going (tel. 04-23204714). The number and locations of branches may have changed, and sources do not describe parking or the shop interior, so go by what you find on site.

It suits anyone buying traditional pineapple cakes for elders or choosing wedding cakes. Buy pineapple cakes together with pine nut pastries to try both signatures at once before deciding which to give.