In Kaohsiung, Wu Pao Chun Bakery has become somewhat of an institution - from cab drivers to pedestrians, everyone knows the legendary tale of the country-side boy from Southern Taiwan who became a world-famous baker and went on to win prestigious international baking medals for 2 of his famous loaves that infuses a bit of the East with the West: A round rice wine with longan loaf and a triangular rose-lychee loaf. Each are massive, weighing at least a pound and have a signature design imprinted with flour on its surface. The first time we visited, we were surprised at how big the loaves were and ended up buying a smattering of their other smaller buns (they carry traditional Taiwanese, Japanese buns and European pastries as well as creative ones like this curry flatbread with a fried egg on top):
The award-winning loaves claim a wall all to themselves at the front of the bakery, and are a good 4-5 times larger than any other breads in the vicinity. Below is the rose lychee bread which was the only one on display during our first visit:
I wasn't satisfied with trying Wu Pao Chun's normal buns, so on our last day in Kaohsiung, I made it my mission to return and claim one of their signature loaves. As luck would have it, their rice wine + longan bun had just been freshly baked when we entered, and so I quickly snatched one before they disappeared:
The loaf is truly spectacular and absolutely worth the NT 350 (USD 12). Being a self-professed bread and bun-fanatic, I was delighted by the semi-hard crust which provided just the right amount of bite and the luscious, soft, stretchy interior filled with walnut pieces and bits of juicy longan which provided a deep and satisfying fragrance. The rice wine also had the effect of bringing a slightly sweet and acidic undertone which alltogether made the bread entirely irresistible and extremely addicting.
I definitely recommend returning and buying one of the medal-winning loaves!
5/5 Longan bread
3.5/5 All the other bread
Address：No.19, Siwei 3rd Rd., Lingya Dist., Kaohsiung City 802, Taiwan
