Table of Contents
Introduction
No name pancakes – There’s something about the smell of egg pancakes as you walk around a night market. This ranks highly on my list of some of the best Taiwanese snacks just over the river in Yonghe right near Dingxi Station.
But what makes this particular place so special? Is it the ingredients, the price, or is it the skill of the person who is making it? What I tend to find about this snack, is that they are often very airy and filled with sweet fillings. Moreover, the batter is more often than not too sweet or too greasy. But not these ones. These egg pancakes from No name pancakes are light, airy, and perfectly balanced between sweet and savoury.
My personal recommendation is to get 2 bags, take them to the closest café (see this link for some amazing cafés all around Taipei), and proceed to dunk them in allowing each stick of perfectly cooked batter to suck up the delicious coffee and melt into your mouth.
If you are coming to Yonghe and wonder what are the other good places around Dingxi Station, you can check out these articles (all within 10 mins walk from the station):
New Taipei City breakfast – The Great #1 YongHe World Soy Milk King 世界豆漿大王
Taiwanese Spring Rolls 潤餅 on Tomb Sweeping Day – Why, Where, and Are They Tasty?
Taipei Restaurant – Xiao Luo Bo 小螺波- Spicy & Sour, perfect for this chilly weather!
No name pancakes
I went with 'pancakes' because I am not quite sure what else you can call 雞蛋糕 apart from potentially 'cast-iron egg cakes' or 'pancake cakes'. So, there we have it. Leave your thoughts on what they could be called (or if you agree, naturally) in the comments section at the end. 雞蛋糕 is a traditional snack in Taiwan, and I absolutely recommend them any day of the week. But why do I often go here for mine?
As you can see the owner is busy doing pancakes, so it is a DIY paying procedure. There are 2 flavours to choose from, one is the original, the other is cheese. When you are in the line, she would ask you what type and how many of the pancakes do you want. When she tells you it is ready, you put the money in the tin, and if it is not the exact amount, you take the change back yourself.
How to order
This is how you would order in Chinese when she asks you how many you want:
| Chinese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 我要一份原味 | wǒ yào yī fèn yuán wèi | I want a bag of original flavour. |
| 我要一份起司 | wǒ yào yī fèn qǐ sī | I want a bag of cheese flavour. |
| 各一份 | gè yī fèn | I want 1 bag each. |
If you'd like to learn more about how to order in Taiwan, you can check out the following post:
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
We lined up for No name pancakes a long time back, but they sold out after we had been in the line for 20 mins. So, this time, we got there a little earlier and persevered. Now, firstly, this lady is hardcore. The only business hours she seems to keep for No name pancakes is 11:00am until sold out. That's literally what is written on her FB page, good on you!
However, with that does come the issue that you need to check her times and dates before you venture out salivating at the thought of these with your favorite take out coffee (see this link for some amazing cafés all around Taipei).
What we ordered
So it's essentially an eggy pancake mix used for the batter and it's piped into cast iron molds that are scoldingly hot. It's turned several times - each vendor has their own individual take on how many times and in what specific way it should be turned - and then scooped into a paper (always, to save them from sweating) bag. It is better to take your own bag with you, since the pancakes would be hot when they are ready.
When we go here we have to get the cheese ones as they are incredible, but not only should you go for that, you should also make sure to get your hands on the original unfilled ones as they are also excellent.
The result is this crazy good, eggy, cakey mix that has a slight smokey flavour from the heat at which it is cooked. Still interested? Damn right you are. Pictured above are the unfilled original ones, which come as 3 in a bag. The care and attention that she gives them is nothing short of ultra methodical. The time she puts into each order and the way she manages to get it just right every time is marvelous.
But if the original flavour isn't your thing (don't be silly), then you absolutely must try these cheese ones! In fact, even if you're already a lover of the original flavour, these cheese ones are insaaaaane anyway! Mozzarella cheese oozes out in copious amounts as you split these in half. You have to go to No name pancakes! In fact, tell me when you're going and I will come and join you.
The vendor is quite small and is situated right next to a noodle place. Make sure to follow the smell of the delicious pancake in case you miss it! Enjoy! And don't forget to take pictures and tag me on Instagram to make me jealous.