Yi Zhen Zhai Bakery

Review

Yi Zhen Zhai Bakery stands at No. 697 Zhongzheng Road in central Caotun. When Supertaste rounded up Nantou souvenirs, it named this shop alongside Jiu Wei Da Jie mochi as a Caotun representative and called it a century-old pastry house, and Gofunit's Caotun food guide also lists it among must-buy gifts. Beyond mochi, it offers another kind of Caotun gift, centred on wedding cakes and pastries.

Gofunit's list includes mini mooncake gift boxes, savoury sponge cake, lemon cake, traditional large cakes, baked sachima and French-style mille-feuille pastry. The mini mooncakes are smaller than usual and easy to share in one bite, while the savoury cake is rare at other bakeries and draws people in on purpose. Diners also mention classic Chinese pastries such as snow-white pastry, mung bean cake, egg yolk pastry, sun cake and wife cake.

Fans praise the wide range and solid traditional flavours, and find it convenient for festival gifts or the large cakes used in engagement customs, often recommending the savoury cake and mini mooncakes. Critics say filling ratios can be inconsistent, such as egg yolks of varying size in the yolk pastries, and some report staff being curt when asked about pricing, so service experiences vary.

Map listings show hours of roughly 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., so it suits an evening stop; no fixed closing day was found, so call ahead around holidays. There are paid street spaces on Zhongzheng Road, but weekends are hit or miss. Order wedding cakes or gift boxes in bulk ahead of time.

Good for anyone wanting traditional pastries for elders from Caotun, or travellers who already bought mochi and want something different. First-timers can pick a mini mooncake box plus a piece of savoury cake, adding snow-white pastry or mille-feuille if they like flaky treats; check shelf life before gifting.