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Eat it plain, with nothing added on top. The 81-year-old grandpa’s Shandong scallion pancakes—both thick and thin styles—are delicious.

Published: 2026-09-24 👁 102 views

Last updated 2026-09-24 — Though he humbly jokes that “selling pancakes is the lowest kind of work,” he has great confidence in his own pancakes. His shop only offers two types: thick and thin scallion pancakes, with no options to add eggs or meat. Interestingly, both types of pancakes use the same dough—the difference lies in how they’re made. The thick ones aren’t rolled out flat but are instead cooked slowly over the griddle for nearly half an hour until the crust is crispy and the inside chewy. The thin ones, on the other hand, are crispy on the outside and slightly sticky within. Each style has its loyal fans. During the interview, regular customers kept coming by to buy them. It’s said that even if you refrigerate them and reheat in the oven for a few minutes, they still taste just as good as freshly made.

Before noon, across from the Beitou Market in Taipei, the aroma of dough and scallions wafts from a Shandong scallion pancake stall. The owner, Lin Zaichuan, originally from Jiangxi, is in his 80s but speaks with a loud, clear voice and organized thoughts. He occasionally asks me simple questions and then responds with a hearty “Yes—!” It feels almost like being in class.

Text and photos / Mirror Weekly

It turns out that Owner Lin was originally a chemistry teacher. At the age of 60, he left teaching and, by chance, learned how to make Shandong-style scallion pancakes. He started selling them on Zhongcheng Road in Tienmu. The turquoise sign reads“Light On = Pancakes Available”He explained that his stall was originally just called Shandong Scallion Pancakes. Since the pancakes are made fresh and sold in limited quantities, customers often came in the evening only to find them sold out. So he designed a small sign that read “This Light On Means Pancakes Available.” When the light is off, it means they’re sold out. Word of mouth spread among customers, and the phrase became more famous than the original name.

The phrase “Light On = Pancakes Available” has inspired several similarly named branches, though not all are necessarily connected to Owner Lin. Currently, he only operates at the Zhongcheng store and the Beitou store.

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Eat it plain, with nothing added on top. The 81-year-old grandpa’s Shandong scallion pancakes—both thick and thin styles—are delicious.

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