Locals love it more than tourists — Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pepper Buns Are Sold Only Standing

▲ The signature pepper bun from the 20-year-old “Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pastry Shop,” featuring a thin crust and generous filling.

Reported and photographed by Chen Shichang / Yilan

On Nanmen Road in Luodong, Yilan, there’s a “Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pastry” shop. This long-established bakery is best known for its savory crispy buns and pepper buns, which are also the signature family recipes that have been around for 20 years since the shop opened. Not only do out-of-town visitors stop by to buy a few to eat, but locals riding motorcycles also buy them by the dozen to take home. In this small shop, nearly 10 staff members are busy wrapping, shaping, and baking the buns, while customers can only “patiently” stand in line and wait for the buns to come out of the oven — there’s not even a place to sit.

▲ One of the signature offerings at “Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pastry Shop”: the savory crispy bun (left), made with local Sanxing scallions, and the red bean paste bun (right).

According to the staff, the dough for the savory crispy bun is made using a sourdough starter and fermented for two hours. The crispy crust also includes layers of oil pastry made with vegetable oil and lard. The filling consists of chopped salted scallions, while the pepper bun’s filling is made of chopped savory crispy dough and minced pork. The green onions primarily come from locally grown produce in Sanxing Township.

All types of pastries in the shop are baked in a specially made oven (see the right image below), where they’re stuck to the inner wall and grilled over charcoal. Chen, who often visits Yilan from Taipei and always stops by Luodong, says her favorite flavors are the savory crispy bun, pepper bun, and red bean paste bun. The pepper bun has a thin crust and generous filling, with a fairly strong peppery spice that leaves a bit of a kick in the mouth — those who can’t handle spice might want to prepare some ice water to cool down.

A local in Luodong, Uncle A-Tu, said that the founder of the Luodong pepper bun shop was a pair of brothers surnamed Wu. Twenty years ago, the two opened one shop each in Yilan and Luodong. They had apprenticed together at Lao Zhang’s Charcoal-Grilled Pastry Shop in Nangang, Taipei, before heading to Yilan to make their mark. Now, their shop sells thousands of buns a day and is hugely popular for its pepper buns.

【Luodong Charcoal-Grilled Pastry Shop】

Address: No. 32, Nanmen Road, Luodong Township, Yilan County
Phone: 03-9550731
Business Hours: 7:00–17:30

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