A celebrity-favorite breakfast spot loved by many in Taiwan: The Taiwanese-style pizza "Turnip Cake & Egg Scramble"

Text & Photos /Old K

Shilin has quite a few popular breakfast spots, such as Manjiaxiang Burger near Shilin Night Market and the outrageous Charcoal Grilled Sandwich shop Fengsheng Hao (where you might die waiting in line XD) These two, Old K has already tried. Today, we’re introducing another breakfast spot even celebrities love—Du’Ai Jia.

Compared to the previous two breakfast spots, this one is a bit more off the beaten path. It’s over 10 minutes’ walk from the nearest Jiantan MRT station, but business is still booming. From the outside, it doesn’t look much different from your average breakfast shop.

But when you take a closer look, it really isn’t that different XD. However, for Old K, the most important thing about food is how tasty it is. Old K visited on a weekday, so there wasn’t a huge crowd.

There are quite a few photos on the wall. Even the “Foodie Tour” TV show came here to film, and that famous celebrity couple, Ethan Ruan and Wei Ning Xu, have also visited.

Their menu is seriously extensive—so much so that it’s hard to decide what to order XD. Old K spotted their house-exclusive items, which on weekends require a 30-minute wait. Luckily, today no wait was needed, so of course Old K went for that series. That’s how Old K ended up ordering the hilariously named “Half Portion Turnip Cake & Egg Scramble,” plus the equally unique-sounding “Crispy Chicken Leg Platter.” For drinks, Old K got a large Honey Apple Black Tea with less ice. Here, they use regular sugar in drinks, unlike most breakfast joints that use mostly high-fructose corn syrup—way healthier. They also serve fried rice and pasta, but those aren’t available until 11 AM. Old K came too early and will just have to come back next time.

On the blackboard, there are some new dishes not listed on the menu, like fried instant noodles. It feels like they’re constantly innovating—trying to try everything here really isn’t easy XD.

Honey Apple Black Tea Large (NT$40), Half Portion Turnip Cake & Egg Scramble (NT$50)
The Honey Apple Black Tea contains actual apple chunks, probably marinated ones—they’re pretty sweet. But the tea itself isn’t overly sweet, so when you sip the tea and bite the fruit bits, the sweetness is just right. It’s really quite tasty. Sweet and lovely XD.

The Turnip Cake & Egg Scramble kind of looks like preserved radish omelet at first glance.

Both sides of the egg are fried until golden brown, looking super delicious.

At first, Old K thought it was just turnip cake and eggs being pan-fried together, but after double-checking, there’s actually cheese inside too. Suddenly it transforms from a preserved radish omelet into a Taiwanese-style pizza XD. The turnip cake here is super soft and tender, the outer egg has a crispy texture, and paired with the melted cheese, the flavor is really unique. Since they use Hong Kong-style turnip cake, you’ll sometimes even find char siu (barbecued pork) bits in there, adding an extra layer of aroma. You can also dip it in the sweet chili sauce on the side—it’s salty, sweet, slightly tangy, and a little spicy, which adds to the complexity of flavors. Cheese and egg lovers are bound to enjoy it, though if you come on weekends, be prepared to wait longer.

Crispy Chicken Cutlet Platter (NT$90)
Next up is the Crispy Chicken Cutlet Platter, which was nothing like what Old K had imagined. Old K thought it would be a crispy fried chicken cutlet sandwich, but turns out it actually has a layer of puff pastry on top, with a pan-fried chicken thigh cutlet inside. Honestly, puff pastry is something Old K usually sees in soups, never on a sandwich. That alone makes it pretty special.

The top layer features a multi-textured puff pastry crust, paired with a chicken thigh cutlet that’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, plus ultra-rich cheese and ham. The bread itself is super soft. It’s almost indulgently decadent, but honestly, it’s super yummy. Calorie-counting goes straight out the window at moments like this XD. Old K absolutely loves this Crispy Chicken Cutlet Platter.

While eating, a customer suddenly showed up riding a scooter for a takeaway meal, and their toy poodle was just chilling on the scooter. How amazing is that? And the dog was even wearing clothes—so cute.

Old K’s Little Tips: When Old K was almost finished eating, the owner came over to chat XD. They’ve been in business for 30 years, though they’ve moved a few times. This particular location has been open for nine years. The owner said the items Old K ordered are all bestsellers (Old K sure does have great taste XD) and also recommended their wraps, fried rice, and Guanmiao noodles, all of which are great. They use better ingredients than others, which is why prices are a bit higher—just NT$5–10 more. While eating the Crispy Chicken Cutlet Platter, Old K could definitely tell the ham and other ingredients were different—much tastier. Weekday business is brisk, with waits of over 30–60 minutes, but the owner secretly mentioned you can call ahead to reserve. Old K is thinking of coming back to try the fried rice and wraps. If you love American-style breakfasts but are tired of your usual breakfast chains, come give this place a shot.



Old K’s Personal Ratings (Out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.2
Value: 7
Dining Environment: 5
Price: 6

Address: No. 278, Fukang St., Shilin District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2883-6060
Business Hours: 6:30 AM – 2:00 PM (last orders at 1:50 PM)

Old K
Keep the food train rolling, Old K.
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