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FYI SOUTH Magazine, November 2005.

Shanghai Baked Mantou (06) 234-0818 36, DongMen Rd., Sec. 2, Tainan City Hours: 10 am-10 pm

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--By Steven Crook, translated by Annie Liu

Tainan residents have responded to the opening of this takeout-only food vendor by forming queues each evening, and keeping the staff very busy indeed. What's made and sold here is enticingly different to run-of-the-mill Taiwanese snacks. Mantou - steamed Chinese bread rolls often eaten for breakfast in Taiwan - are thought by some people (including this writer) to be rather plain and tasteless. However, the oven-baked versions (NT$5 per piece) are light and crispy, and especially delicious when still warm. Three flavors are available: Original, Peanut, and Ham and Onion. Because the oven-baked mantou are proving so popular, orders are currently limited to 20 pieces per person. You can phone through your order and collect it later - not a bad idea because of the queues and the lack of parking spaces nearby. There's nothing else on the menu, though drinking water is provided.