“Fresh out of the oven!” Crispy scallion pancakes fly onto the table — the hidden garlic flavor is a favorite among regulars

▲ The funniest sight is the “pancake toss” — every time the boss finishes baking a pancake, he’ll shout that it’s ready, and the front counter will make way for him immediately. Then he just grabs the pancake and flings it onto the table XDDDD.

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Taichung not only has a lot of fancy restaurants, each taking up huge spaces with high ceilings, but also cafes that are everywhere in its alleys. But as someone from Tainan (and not exactly a kid anymore), I naturally have a greater interest in everyday street food.

Taichung still has many traditional markets left over from the Japanese colonial era, and many long-standing food stalls are tucked inside. The Second Market is a given — it’s the closest to the train station, and back in the day, the train station was the main transportation hub. Even now, you can still see the old architecture of the Second Market’s exterior, which hasn’t changed much.

That’s why it’s the most visited old market by tourists. I love the pork belly miso from Lan, the soy milk and black tea from Old Lai, and the beef pastry. The Fifth Market, near National Taichung University of Education, also has plenty of snacks, like space black tea ice...

Since these two places are closer to me, I’m more familiar with them. But on this day, after getting an invitation from this [Heilongjiang Layered Scallion Pancake] stall, I found out where the Third Market is — even though I used to pass by it every time I went to Zhongxiao Night Market, I had no idea what this traditional market was called.

As a kid, I often went to the market with my mom. She’d pick out the groceries while I helped pull the shopping cart. But I don’t accompany my family to the market as much anymore, so the sights and smells of traditional markets are both familiar and nostalgic to me — the endless, overlapping calls of vendors, the haggling of aunties and moms, and the rich medley of scents in the air...

On this trip to the Third Market, I deliberately wandered through the stalls to soak in the warmth and liveliness that’s so uniquely Taiwanese.


When I got to this [Heilongjiang Layered Scallion Pancake] stall, I learned that these pancakes are usually more popular with older folks or mainland Chinese uncles. But back in the day, I’d occasionally buy one as an afternoon snack — a big piece that wasn’t expensive and could be shared with others.


But this Heilongjiang scallion pancake stall is a bit farther from the main market stalls, located at No. 312, Xinyi South Street, but it has pretty long operating hours, selling from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Since I arrived around 1 p.m., I thought I’d missed the morning market rush and lunchtime crowd, so there shouldn’t be many people. But surprisingly, customers kept coming non-stop. At first, I thought the business wasn’t doing too well, which is why they needed a promotional article — but actually, their sales were pretty solid.


They just hope more people know about how good these pancakes are — they shouldn’t be enjoyed only by the locals in the southern district XDD. But the boss doesn’t always stay at this location. There’s a whiteboard showing his weekly schedule. In fact, he’s only here at the Third Market three days a week. The rest of the time, he’s at the Xiangshang Market and Lukang.

I even heard some aunties asking after buying, “Why are you only here three days a week now? I might not get to eat it when I want to~” While I was waiting to take photos, customers often bought seven or eight portions at a time. The boss was busy baking pancakes non-stop, and whenever I tried to chat with him a little longer, I’d look away and the pancakes would be sold out T_T.

Behind the counter is an open kitchen, where you can see the entire process of kneading the dough, wrapping the fillings, and baking the pancakes. And of course, timers are a must — even a second too much or too little can affect the texture of the final product.


The ingredients are visibly fresh and high-quality. For example, the main ingredient, “scallions,” are sourced from Dajia in Taichung. Of course, the boss knows that Yilan’s Sanxing scallions are the best, but their moisture content isn’t suitable for achieving the texture he wants in his pancakes.


Even the Dajia scallions need a full day of preparation before they’re ready to use. I tried a bit of the fresh scallions — they really had that fresh, slightly sharp scallion aroma. I saw the boss grab a handful and generously layer the whole bunch over the dough, then add two or three layers of filling.



I watched the boss toss four pancakes, all landing perfectly on the cooking surface. That’s how you get the golden pancakes piled high with scallions and layers that you see at the front counter. You can tell how much practice and how many pancakes he’s tossed to master this (of course, I stayed out of the way in case a pancake flew toward my face XDDD).


There are seven flavors of pancakes here. Six of them are priced uniformly at 50 NT$ per large piece, including garlic, scallion, brown sugar, coconut, red bean, and goji berry. The cheese flavor is a bit more expensive, at 60 NT$, with a generous thickness of 5 cm and a diameter of about 30 cm — so honestly, it’s not expensive at all.


Besides the great layering and generous scallion amount, the crispy crust is another highlight. This is thanks to a secret step the boss takes right before taking the pancakes out of the oven (the secret remains a secret).

[Garlic Scallion Pancake / 50 NT$] — Although the original scallion pancake is the signature, the garlic flavor is their hidden popular option. Almost one in five regulars will walk in and ask, “Do you have the garlic flavor?”


The garlic sauce is also made by the boss himself. The garlicky aroma wafts out with the heat, and you can smell it even when you’re near the stall. The garlic flavor is rich but not overpoweringly spicy — no wonder so many people love it. But if you’re on a date, maybe skip this one XD. It sells out quickly, and once it’s gone, you’ll have to wait for the next batch.


[Signature Layered Scallion Pancake / 50 NT$] — When you take a bite, the scallions still have that fresh, mildly spicy kick even after baking.

Because the dough also has a sprinkle of pepper, there’s a hint of spicy aroma mixed in with the scallion flavor. The chewiness of the inner crust and the crispness of the outer layer create two distinct textures in every bite — both satisfying and fulfilling. The pancake skin also retains a bit of moisture, not dry at all, and gets more flavorful the more you chew.


You can buy it to take home and bake it again after a day or two — it’s still delicious. Maybe I’ll try a spicy version someday, which sounds pretty great.

 
[Cheese Layered Scallion Pancake / 60 NT$] — Since it’s layered with cheese slices, you’ll sometimes see melted cheese oozing out from the sides. But it doesn’t overpower the scallion flavor, so it’s also very popular. A traditional taste with a modern twist.


The remaining three are sweet layered pancakes, which the boss says are also vegetarian-friendly.

I really like the coconut flavor — although it’s a sweet pancake, it’s not overly sugary.


However, there are also grain-flavored options, which aren't listed on the menu but you can see the generous fillings just by looking at the cross-section.


The brown sugar flavor has a rich, aromatic sweetness—and of course, the sweet ones don’t have scallions added, Up！

Since coming to Taichung, I actually haven’t had the chance to try the big flatbread yet, since everything here is still unfamiliar compared to Tainan, where I know my way around. But I really like the owner’s warmth and enthusiasm—he didn’t hesitate to share his business ideas and insights with me.

As for the layered flatbread, it definitely satisfies hunger, and the texture I experienced made me like it even more. It’s slightly different from the traditional veteran village flatbread flavor, but it’s just as hearty and made with quality ingredients, plus the price is reasonable. I only brought two portions home, and I ended up eating them all by myself that same day...

But its business hours are a bit tricky, so you might want to make a note to avoid showing up when it’s closed. At the Third Market location, it’s only open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. If you come to Taichung, the traditional markets are great places to find lots of affordable and delicious food—make sure to stop by while you’re here.


[Heilongjiang Golden Layered Scallion Flatbread]

Address: No. 312, Xinyi South Street, South District, Taichung City
Phone:0910-793339
Business Hours: Thursdays & Fridays → 9:00 AM～5:00 PM (storefront), Wednesdays & Saturdays → 9:00 AM～1:00 PM (may appear at Third Market in the afternoon), Mondays → 9:00 AM～5:00 PM (next to Lukang Tianhou Temple)
Consumption Reminder: Closed every Tuesday. Be sure to check the exact location or call ahead to confirm.

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