Lin Yi Xiang Zhai Bakery

Review

Lin Yi Xiang Zhai is at No. 170 Wuqi Road on Wuqi Old Street, where several Qing-dynasty buildings still stand. Many reports call it a century-old bakery, and plenty of Wuqi residents grew up on its pastries. It is often recommended as the souvenir stop when visiting the Wuqi Cultural Outpost and the old street.

The signature is a savory cake made from a family recipe: two layers of fine, moist sponge cake sandwiching a filling of pork, shiitake mushrooms, chopped shallots and soy sauce. Sweet and savory intertwine, the texture is fluffy, and it does not feel greasy. The savory cake keeps for only two days, so buy it at the shop for the freshest taste. Another popular item is the horn-shaped croissant bread, crisp outside and milky inside, which comes out of the oven only in the afternoon and often sells out quickly.

The shop also sells mung bean cakes, Chinese-style wedding cakes, full-month celebration cakes, wife cakes and sun cakes, offering plenty of gift options. Media coverage of the savory cake is generally positive; some netizens, though, find the overall quality decent but unremarkable, and others feel the prices are not cheap, so whether it meets expectations varies.

Hours are about 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Some online information suggests it may close on Mondays, but sources differ, so check before going (tel. 04-26562339). Sources do not list prices; go by the tags in store. The shop also has an official website and Facebook page for the latest information.

It suits visitors strolling Wuqi Old Street who want to take traditional local pastries home. Buy a box of savory cake and finish it the same day or the next; if you come in the afternoon, grab some freshly baked horn bread too.