Rong Ji Bakery

Review

Rong Ji Bakery is tucked into Lane 370, Fuxing Road Section 3, around the Third Market in South District. Founded in 1975, it is a long-established pastry shop where locals buy wedding cakes and snacks. It sells everything from pineapple cakes, wife cakes, sun cakes, mooncakes and egg yolk pastries to wedding biscuits, lemon cake, longan cake and Western pastries, but what made it famous on food shows is its Taiwanese macaron, niu li, which sells over a thousand a day.

The niu li come in original, chocolate and strawberry, made with eggs, Anchor butter, flour and sugar, and are a size larger than usual; the strawberry is colored with red yeast rice powder and the chocolate with cocoa, with no artificial dyes. Fresh from the oven, the original has a strong egg aroma, an airy outer layer with a sponge-cake texture, and a lightly sweet, non-greasy cream filling; since they are handmade, sizes vary slightly. A 2023 report listed half a catty (about 300 g) at NT$180, sold by weight. The other signature is the old-style savory cake, steamed and dense, topped with fried shallots and filled with bamboo shoots and pork; the shop has fried its own lard for more than twenty years, and this too is sold by weight.

Reports quote diners who call its niu li the best in Taichung, and the range of flavors is often mentioned as good for gifting. Other voices say the savory cake filling is old-fashioned and suits older relatives more than younger buyers, and that handmade means uneven sizes, so those wanting a neat look should be prepared.

Hours are roughly 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with irregular closing days that no report spells out, so check the shop's Facebook page or call before going. It is down an alley where parking is difficult, so come by scooter or on foot and combine it with other Third Market snacks.

It suits anyone wanting a box of old-time local flavor to take home as a gift. On a first visit, get some of each of the three niu li flavors; half a catty is plenty to share. If you have older relatives, add a slice of savory cake.