Si Ye Jia Old-Style Soy Milk Cake

Review

Si Ye Jia sits on Section 2 of Nantun Road around Nantun Old Street and is included in Supertaste's roundup of Nantun Old Street eats. The shopfront is a modest little stall — diners warn you have to look carefully to spot it. Its specialty is freshly baked old-style sponge cake made with pure soy milk instead of cow's milk, and recently it also makes party snack boxes, cupcakes and decorated cookies.

The signature golden cheese soy milk cake costs NT$160 per loaf: the sponge is fluffy and not too sweet, and the cheese filling flows out when you cut it — the flavor most people ask for. There's also plain, plus weekend-only chocolate, taro and tiger-stripe marble; egg tarts, round cakes and cupcakes are available too, some cupcakes even decorated with a Mazu motif that matches the temple atmosphere of the old street. One diner who tried the holiday-only taro cake found the taro paste nicely balanced in sweetness.

Praise centers on simple ingredients and unsweetened soy milk that reassures parents, a soft, non-cloying texture, and pretty packaging suited to kindergarten treats or birthday sharing. The complaints come from the pre-order process: one customer who reserved by phone missed the shop's call-back and found the cake sold when arriving; the shop explained many people reserve without collecting, so keep your phone on after ordering.

Google lists Monday 07:00–13:00 and Tuesday to Sunday 07:00–15:00 — mainly daytime, so going late in the afternoon risks finding it closed or sold out. For weekend-only flavors or large orders, phone a day ahead and pick up on time. The old street is narrow and stopping is hard, so walk over while visiting Wanhe Temple or Nantun Old Street.

It suits anyone looking for a gift, a birthday treat or a snack for kids, and those who like old-style cake that isn't too sweet. First-timers can pick golden cheese and add a plain loaf for the classic taste; on weekends, check for taro or tiger-stripe marble and grab a few cupcakes for the little ones.