Try the "Mazu Burger" in Taoyuan – Limited Offer of Buddha’s Hand and Crispy Fried Red Fermented Eel

▲Stuffed Fried Oyster Omelet in Jianguang Bread.

Text & Photos / Nine-Five Nagging Wife

Has anyone been to Mazu? Back in college, Nine-Five Nagging Wife traveled there with classmates and discovered that Mazu locals cook with remarkable naturalness and boldness. They often use fresh local seafood as their base ingredient and prepare it with simple techniques, which makes it easy to enjoy an authentic, primal flavor that tends to leave a lasting impression.

Due to Taoyuan’s geographic proximity and strong network of relatives and friends, about 80% of Mazu people who come to Taiwan tend to settle in Taoyuan, bringing their hometown culinary skills along with them. For Nine-Five Nagging Wife, who wanted to try Mazu cuisine, this meant she didn’t have to travel all the way to Mazu to enjoy authentic Mazu dishes right here in Taoyuan.

▲The understated storefront of this Mindong-style eatery.

At Mindong Small Eatery in Taoyuan, the owner is a native of Mazu. To recreate the true flavors of his hometown, many of the ingredients are shipped directly from Mazu to Taiwan. According to the owner, the restaurant’s signature dishes include fried red fermented eel, fish noodles, and Jianguang bread.

Jianguang bread is made by kneading flour into dough, adding salt and sesame seeds, then baking it into round flatbreads. It has a savory taste and the aroma of wheat, making it a common and distinctive food in Mazu, hence it’s often referred to as the “Mazu Burger.” At the eatery, the bread is split in half and stuffed with a quick stir-fry of scallions, eggs, and oysters. The result is a dish that combines the soft texture of the bread with the flavors of oysters and eggs, serving well as a main dish and also as something quite appetizing.

▲Crispy fried red fermented eel with tender, non-falling-apart flesh.

Another standout at the eatery is the fried red fermented eel, which is made using homemade red yeast rice and undergoes minimal processing—resulting in tender, intact fish flesh. The fish noodles are made by mixing fish paste with dough and then freshly sliced, cooked with onions, shrimp, oysters, and scallions. They’re refreshing, subtly sweet, and have a slight chewy bite—each element offering its own distinct flavor.

▲Refreshing seafood-flavored fish noodles.

Compared to traditional Taiwanese stir-fried seafood, the flavors at Mindong Small Eatery are simpler and more rustic, making it satisfying even when eaten at lunchtime without feeling heavy. The owner mentioned that aside from a few signature dishes, from May each year through the Lunar New Year, it’s the peak season for Mazu clams—some of the plumpest you can find. During autumn and winter, the area also offers Mazu’s unique “Buddha’s Hand,” which the eatery serves seasonally. Seafood lovers should definitely come and give it a try.

Mindong Small Eatery
Address: No. 747, Guangfu Road, Bade District, Taoyuan City
Phone: 03-371-5897
Price: Around NT$100–300 per dish; some items are priced seasonally

%Note: Vegetarian options, seafood, and other personal preferences available.