Lee Ting Hsiang

Review

Lee Ting Hsiang is one of the few century-old pastry houses still trading at its original spot on Dihua Street, handed down since 1895. At its peak it had several branches in northern Taiwan, then shrank as eating habits changed and even hit financial trouble. The current successor, a former display-panel executive, gave up a high salary to come home and rebrand the shop for a younger crowd, and its red-brick and white-facade storefront is now a favourite photo stop in Dadaocheng.

The signature is the 'peace turtle', inspired by the Taiwanese temple custom of praying with turtle-shaped cakes. The shop shrank the traditional large turtle into a single bite, filled it with a milky blend of maltose and peanut powder, and wrapped it in embossed gold foil as a wish for wealth to return home. There are also mini puffs, new-style Taiwanese pastries, cinnamon rolls and honeycomb candy, mostly on the sweet side and small enough to share out.

Praise online centres on the charming shapes, smart packaging and how presentable the boxes are as gifts, and the peanut-maltose aroma of the turtles gets frequent mentions. Complaints include high sweetness, prices that are not cheap, no free tasting, and staff who can seem inattentive when busy. None of the articles we checked listed item prices, so check the shop's official channels before you go.

The Dihua Street flagship opens daily 10:00–19:00 and is walkable from Daqiaotou MRT station; weekends and the Lunar New Year market bring the biggest crowds. The street is narrow and busy, so skip driving and come by MRT or shared bike. The shop is small, so decide roughly how many boxes you need before stepping in.

It suits travellers looking for a Taipei gift with a story, or anyone curious about traditional Taiwanese pastry culture. First-timers can buy a small box of peace turtles to taste and add a few mini puffs as a walking snack; for elders, the gold-foil turtle gift box carries a lucky meaning and travels well.