Breakfast - Yonghe Soy Milk King

New Taipei City breakfast – The Great #1 YongHe World Soy Milk King 世界豆漿大王

YongHe World Soy Milk King

Breakfast is by quite a considerable way the most important meal of the day. How many times have we heard this again and again? Well, I’m here to tell you that Taiwanese breakfast is a 24-hour-a-day kind-of-thing, and you absolutely need to get involved! Traditional food at breakfast could take the form of soy milk, flaky pastry, noodles, rice, steamed soup dumplings, or the absolute family favourite – the danbing! (Read more here about my previous post highlighting all about the incredible danbing)

But, with so much choice, what are some of the top things to go for? Well, Yonghe Soy Milk King has them all lined up for you, so let’s take a look.

A short walk from Dingxi MRT station in Yonghe, lies this sleeping giant - Yonghe's Shi Jie (world) Soy Milk King. I am not exaggerating when I say I have been here countless numbers of times, day or night. This 24hr traditional Taiwanese breakfast restaurant has absolutely everything I want, 24hrs a day.

Yonghe world soy milk king has recently had a renovation. It's looking way nicer now!

Over the last few years they have also gone through some much-needed refurbishment, and it's looking much nicer from the outside, and also on the inside, too.

inside of YongHe World Soy Milk King

Inside, gone are those awful plastic yellow stools and tacky decor, and it is lots of wood and classically traditional food wares specific to Taiwan. A lot of places claim that they are the king of soy milk/soy milk king 豆漿大王, claim that they are from Yonghe (the jury is out on whether they are or not) and most of them are completely average.

For my money, this is certainly one of the better ones out there, and well worth a trip to Yonghe for.

inside of YongHe World Soy Milk King

As said, the new decor really gives it a fun Taiwanese breakfast store vibe.

The menu at Yonghe World Soy Milk King

YongHe World Soy Milk King menu

You can also check out their website for the most updated menu (the website is in Chinese, but you can see the clear picture of each item).

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    Inside the Yonghe World Soy Milk King restaurant, there is always an abundance of people, yet the atmosphere never gets too energetic. The kitchen staff is very competent, efficient, friendly, and fun. They don't speak English, but it really doesn't matter because they're quite happy to offer things up for you to try! Having this English menu really helps when all you want is some of the best soy milk in Taipei.

    YongHe World Soy Milk King menu

    There are plenty of tables inside, but sometimes it does get so busy that you may have to wait if there is more than 4 of you on the weekend (no more than 10mins). Above is what we ordered.

    My recommendation for the 2 drinks you should try here are:

    1. 冰清漿 (無糖) bīng qīng jiāng (wú táng) - Cold soy milk (no sugar).

    Without sugar is how I take my soy milk. It keeps it fresh and healthy. Without sugar, it has an earthy, slightly burnt, lush green taste to it, with a milky smooth finish. Cold, it is very refreshing and just what you want on those sunny days. Hot, and it's just what you want in the winter. When heated it gets a little thicker but still maintains all of those fresh and pure flavours that I've come to love in this wonderful drink.

    1. 溫豆米漿 wēn dòu mǐ jiāng - Warm soy and rice milk mix.

    Unsweetened soy milk is quite a unique taste, so if you don't like it I would suggest getting it mixed with rice milk instead of just with sugar. The addition of brown rice milk makes the consistency a lot thicker and feels almost medicinal when hot. However, when cold it can still be quite refreshing and also quite sweet.

    Breakfast - Yonghe Soy Milk King

    I couldn't resist but to take one of these table spread pictures. More often than not all of the food will arrive at the same time. So it's perfect to get one of these pics.

    Clay oven roll with green onion and egg

    燒餅夾葱蛋 shāo bǐng jiā cōng dàn

    clay oven roll with green onion and egg

    This is a staple order for me at any Taiwanese soy milk breakfast store. I can't resist the flakey pastry with the chewy yet crunchy texture that gives way to a deliciously fried omelet-style egg filling with little pops of green onion flecked throughout. Slap some spicy chili sauce inside and you've got me.

    Taiwan radish pastry with green onion egg

    蘿蔔絲蛋餅 luó bo sī dàn bǐng

    Taiwan radish pastry with green onion egg

    Unlike the radish cake you may know from many Taiwan soy milk breakfast shops, this one is finely sliced radish mixed with finely sliced carrot and served inside a flattened 餅 (餅 translates to cake, but it isn't a cake in the Western terms of a cake, it is more like a flat hollowed out dough) and topped with egg. The slices of carrot and radish are simple but delicious, and the 餅 allows for a contrast in texture, with the egg on top adding richness and lifting the dish altogether.

    Make sure to slap some of that chilli sauce on the side for dipping, too. It's pretty salty, and lightly spicy, but well up there for a mild kick for breakfast.

    Taiwan radish pastry with green onion egg

    Yum. Here you can clearly see that daikon radish sandwiched inside there. Quality food.

    Savoury soy milk with egg

    鹹豆漿加蛋 xián dòu jiāng jiā dàn

    Savoury soy milk with egg

    Not for everyone, but I do like it every now and then. Savoury soy milk often contains what is essentially curdled soy milk, crunchy fried dough sticks, green onions, tiny little shrimp, and probably some eggs, too.

    Savoury soy milk with egg

    It's not winning any beauty contests. But, then again, we eat a lot of disgusting-looking food that turns out to be absolutely divine. Take Uni for example. I mean, it looks revolting. It looks like a tiny little orange tongue from a kitten. But, I would eat it every single day if I could afford to do so.

    Salt and pepper rice roll (half savoury, half sweet)

    椒鹽飯糰 jiāo yán fàn tuán

    Salt and pepper rice roll (half savoury, half sweet)

    I'd typically classify this more as a filler than a staple dish at this spot. Inside you'll find a mix of salty and sweet fillings such as peanut sugar, fried dough stick, and pork floss. Honestly, I don't mind it, but I like my rice roll to be a little more delicate and less compact than the ones they do here. Having said that, these would easily fit in the water carrier section of your backpack if you are going on a hike, and the fact that they have no meat inside makes them infinitely safe to carry for a good few hours before you consume them - ideal energy supplement if needed.

    Sweet cake pastry

    Now we are on to the part that I love - the sweeter things in life.

    Sweet malt cake pastry

    麥芽甜餅 mài yá tián bǐng

    Sweet malt cake pastry

    Around 15cm in length, this malted sugar pastry is quite different from other pastries I have had before. It puffs up quite a lot, and the center has a smooth layer of malt sugar. Just as the sweetened red bean uses the pastry to counteract the sweetness, the malt sugar does the same here. 

    If the pastry is hot to the touch, I recommend leaving it for a few minutes to cool down. As the sugar is as hot as the sun! (I learned the hard way, several times) It's a perfect afternoon snack with a cup of your favourite hot beverage (I recommend tea, but then, of course, I would - I am English).

    Red bean paste pastry

    豆沙餅 dòu shā bǐng

    ※Information update: The red bean paste pastry is off the menu since my last visit in June 2023. Hopefully some day this delicious pastry will reappear on the menu.

    Red bean paste pastry

    A tasty little delight. Red bean is something that is very popular in Taiwanese, Chinese, and Japanese cooking. Be it in ice cream, doughnuts, or like this. This red bean pastry is sweetened and works tremendously well with the salty pastry and sprinkles of sesame seeds on top. It's less than 4 bites but is incredibly moreish. 

    The Bottom Line

    What's the best dish? The best dish at Yonghe World Soy Milk King: is the 蘿蔔絲蛋餅 luó bo sī dàn bǐng Thinly sliced radish cake with egg - I know it's called World Soy Milk King, but this dish is just awesome. If I am in England, this is the breakfast I miss. Recently I was away for a few weeks, and my first breakfast when I came back was this. I just couldn't wait!

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