Taichung's own breakfast is da mian geng (大麵羹), thick yellow noodles in a naturally thickened broth, which the city's tourism site calls a snack found only in Taichung and usually eaten in the morning. Have it once, then spend a morning at the Second Market for black tea, pork buns and braised pork rice. The rest of the time, Taichung eats the same Taiwanese breakfast as the rest of the island: soy milk, egg crepes and rice rolls from a corner breakfast shop.
Da mian geng (大麵羹)
The noodles are made with extra food alkali, which makes them yellow, springy and two to three times thicker than ordinary yellow noodles, the Liberty Times explains. They cook in the broth and thicken it as they go, so no starch is added, and the bowl comes with fried shallots, dried shrimp, chopped dried radish and chives. It costs very little.
- Known for Da mian geng; on the MICHELIN Plate list in 2020 and 2021
- Where Yingcai Road (英才路)
- Hours Mornings; the Liberty Times reported it opening around 09:00
- Getting there Taxi from Taichung Station
Yingcai Road Da Mian Geng (英才路大麵羹) is a long-running stall now run by its third generation, and the one Michelin picked. There are other da mian geng shops around the city, so treat it as a starting point.
The Second Market in the morning
The 1917 Second Market (第二市場) in Central District is where Taichung goes for a long, slow breakfast. These stalls open early (hours as reported by UDN in October 2025):
- Lao Lai Black Tea (老賴紅茶): black tea, or black tea with soy milk, from 07:30 (closed Thursdays).
- Yen Chi Pork Buns (顏記肉包): handmade pork buns and wonton soup, from 08:00 (closed Tuesdays).
- Lu Rou Chiu (魯肉邱): braised pork rice, from 08:00 to 13:30 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
Getting there: walk from Taichung Station (about 1 km) or take a taxi.
→ The Second Market: the full guide
A Taiwanese breakfast shop
- Soy milk (豆漿, doujiang): hot or cold, sweet or unsweetened.
- Salty soy milk (鹹豆漿): hot soy milk with vinegar and soy sauce, which makes it curdle into a soft, savory soup.
- Egg crepe (蛋餅, danbing): a thin pancake rolled around egg, with fillings like ham, cheese, corn or tuna.
- Rice roll (飯糰, fan tuan): sticky rice wrapped around a fried dough stick, pork floss and pickles.
- Sesame flatbread and fried dough stick (燒餅油條): flaky bread with a crisp dough stick inside.
Western-style breakfast shops (早餐店), selling egg crepes, toast, burgers and milk tea, are on almost every block. They open early and most close around midday.
Later in the morning
- Chun Shui Tang (original store), the teahouse that says it invented pearl milk tea, opens at 08:30 daily at 30 Siwei Street, West District. Taxi from Taichung Station. → Bubble tea in Taichung
- Shanghai Food (滬舍餘味), a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand pick in Nantun, makes the pan-fried pork buns its Shanghai-born owner spent three years perfecting. Taxi from Taichung Station; check hours on Google Maps.
- A Kun Mian (阿坤麵), a Bib Gourmand noodle shop in its third generation, serves egg noodles with braised pork sauce and fried scallion, and a dab of sweet chili sauce. Walk from Taichung Station; check hours on Google Maps.
Good to know: breakfast in Taichung starts early and ends early. Market stalls and noodle shops can sell out or close by early afternoon, so check hours on Google Maps the night before.
→ What to eat in Taichung → The MICHELIN Guide in Taichung
Sources
Da mian geng as a Taichung breakfast: Taichung Tourism, Taichung specialties. How da mian geng is made and Yingcai Road Da Mian Geng: Liberty Times (25 August 2021). Second Market stall hours: UDN (12 October 2025). Chun Shui Tang hours: Chun Shui Tang. Shanghai Food and A Kun Mian: the MICHELIN Guide Taichung Bib Gourmand list and each restaurant's page there (2026).
Checked October 2026.