The "Mini Buns" pineapple buns really have pineapple; the "Piglet Flowing Custard Buns" actually flow with custard.

▲ The super-cute Piglet Flowing Custard Buns.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

Dubbed the strongest rival to Tim Ho Wan, Mini Buns officially opened at Taipei’s Xinyi Breeze in early November. Currently, the restaurant is fully booked during mealtimes every day. The most popular item is the super-cute piglet-shaped Piglet Flowing Custard Buns, which sell up to a thousand a day. In addition to the Piglet Flowing Custard Buns, Mini Buns’ signature dishes also include Honest Pineapple Buns, Shining Shrimp Dumplings, and Crispy Shrimp Sausages.

Mini Buns opened in Jordan, Hong Kong, in 2010. With its delicious fusion of innovation and tradition, it quickly gained popularity and opened branches in Mong Kok, Wan Chai, and Sha Tin within four years. It expanded to Shanghai in 2012 and finally entered the Taiwanese market in 2015. Taiwan’s Mini Buns location is at Breeze Xinyi. The interior features plenty of Hong Kong-style elements such as lightboxes, birdcages, and mosaics, creating a space full of Hong Kong flavor.




▲ It was Lollipop member Wei who brought Mini Buns to Taiwan.

Currently, Taiwan’s Mini Buns offers 25 types of dim sum, though the flavors have been slightly adjusted, as Taiwanese people generally don’t prefer overly sweet or greasy food. Since the Hong Kong version of Mini Buns has over 40 menu items, they plan to gradually phase out less popular dishes while introducing new dim sum from Hong Kong to Taiwan. Artist Wei, who introduced Mini Buns to Taiwan, recommends the Piglet Flowing Custard Buns, Honest Pineapple Buns, Shining Shrimp Dumplings, and Crispy Shrimp Sausages.

The Piglet Flowing Custard Buns are not only adorable in shape, but their filling—made from salted egg yolk blended with various dairy products—slowly oozes out when you take a bite. However, be cautious as the freshly baked ones can be very hot. Also, these buns are best eaten while hot because once cooled, the filling becomes a bit dry and loses that “flowing” sensation.


▲ The Honest Pineapple Bun really has pineapple.

Honest Pineapple Bun!? Is it a bun that makes you tell the truth? Actually, in Hong Kong, “pineapple” (菠蘿) refers to “pineapple,” but most pineapple buns don’t actually have any filling inside (they’re called pineapple buns because their crust, after baking, becomes bumpy like a pineapple). However, the Honest Pineapple Buns at Mini Buns contain not just butter but actual chunks of pineapple, allowing you to truly taste the pineapple (菠蘿). Its sweet and tangy flavor is why it's called the Honest Pineapple Bun.

The Shining Shrimp Dumplings have a filling made from fresh shrimp mixed with pork back fat, combined with wheat starch and cornstarch for a chewy yet tender texture. The wrapper is Q (chewy), and the filling is firm without being greasy. The standout feature of the Crispy Shrimp Sausages is the use of imported rice vermicelli instead of youtiao (fried dough sticks). They’re stuffed with a mixture of shrimp, carrots, celery, and other ingredients, then deep-fried until crispy, and finally wrapped in a fragrant rice-flour-based wrapper, offering a rich variety of textures.


▲ The Shining Shrimp Dumplings.


▲ The Crispy Shrimp Sausages.


▲ The Fragrant Egg Siu Mai.


▲ The Teriyaki Eggplant.


▲ The Mushroom Chicken Rice.

Mini Buns
Address: B1, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City (Breeze Xinyi)
Phone: 02-2345-0509

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