Taiwanese-style homemade brunch: ideas, simple recipes and planning for a perfect Sunday
Steaming soy milk, egg crêpes, filled rice rolls and marbled tea eggs: Taipei street breakfast comes to your table.
The essentials
- A Taiwanese homemade brunch swaps scrambled eggs and pancakes for Taiwan’s street breakfast: soy milk, dan bing, fan tuan and tea eggs.
- Almost everything is prepared the day before; only the crêpes are cooked to order.
- Long dishes like 5-hour braised pork are best enjoyed at a restaurant.
Sunday brunch at home often goes round in circles. Taiwan offers a fresh alternative.
Taiwanese breakfast is savoury, hot and shared — and most of it is easy at home. The MAISON LE TÊ team shares its ideas and planning.
Why a Taiwanese-style homemade brunch?
Taiwanese breakfast: savoury, hot, shared
In Taiwan, breakfast is eaten in small neighbourhood breakfast shops: dan bing, fan tuan, you tiao and soy milk.
It is a cousin of the night market culture — see our page on Taiwanese street food in Paris.
How it differs from Anglo-Saxon brunch
Instead of individual plates, small dishes are placed in the middle for everyone to share.
It is hearty without being heavy, with soy, sesame and star anise flavours.
The essentials of a Taiwanese homemade brunch
Five simple preparations make a true breakfast-shop table.
Marbled tea eggs (cha ye dan): made the day before
Boil the eggs, then crack the shells all over without peeling.
Simmer in black tea, soy sauce, star anise and cinnamon, then steep 4 to 6 hours minimum.
Reheat in their broth and peel at the table.
Dan bing: the egg crêpe ready in 10 minutes
A thin flour-and-starch crêpe topped with beaten egg and spring onion.
Roll, slice and serve with sweet soy or chilli sauce.
Hot soy milk, sweet or savoury
Sweet with cane sugar, or savoury with black vinegar, soy sauce and chilli oil.
Fan tuan: the filled rice roll
Sticky rice rolled around you tiao, pork floss and pickles.
Unlike the Japanese onigiri — see our homemade onigiri page — it is larger and generously filled.
Sweet side: matcha pancakes
Add a teaspoon of sifted matcha to your usual pancake batter.
Culinary-grade matcha is enough — read about the benefits of matcha.
What drinks to serve with a homemade brunch?
Three families of drinks are enough.
Oolong or black tea in a teapot
Oolong is Taiwan’s signature tea. See our oolong guide.
Simple homemade milk tea
Strong black tea, milk and a little sugar, no pearls. See our milk tea article.
Coffee, fresh juice, cold brew tea
Cold brew tea steeped overnight is effortless and smooth.
Planning a stress-free homemade brunch
Most of the work is done before guests arrive.
Timeline: the day before, the morning, serving
- 01
Day before
Tea eggs, crêpe batter, rice and cold brew tea.
- 02
The morning
Reheat rice, roll the fan tuan, warm the eggs.
- 03
Serving
Cook crêpes and pancakes at the last minute.
Shopping list for 4
One trip to an Asian grocery and one to the supermarket.
Asian grocery
- Unsweetened soy milk
- Light and dark soy sauce
- Sticky rice
Supermarket
- A dozen eggs
- Flour and cornstarch
- Spring onions
Setting a breakfast-shop table
Small bowls, chopsticks and everything in the middle.
Slice the rolls so everyone can help themselves.
Adapting: vegetarian and gluten-free
Vegetarian
Use smoked tofu or shiitake instead of pork floss.
Gluten-free
Choose certified gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
What is hard at home… and worth the trip
Taiwanese braised pork needs a slow 5-hour cook.
Fluffy steamed gua bao and fresh-pearl bubble tea are counter skills.
At MAISON LE TÊ, 136 rue Saint-Maur in the 11th, discover our Taiwanese brunch in Paris.
Homemade brunch FAQ
What to serve for an original homemade brunch?
A Taiwanese spread: tea eggs, dan bing, fan tuan, soy milk and matcha pancakes.
How to prepare a brunch the day before?
Steep the tea eggs, make the batter, cook the rice and start a cold brew tea.
What budget for a homemade brunch for 4?
It stays affordable: eggs, rice, flour and soy milk; pantry items last for several brunches.
Savoury or sweet: what balance?
About two thirds savoury, one third sweet.
What is a typical Taiwanese breakfast?
Soy milk with dan bing, fan tuan, you tiao or a soft sandwich.
Want to taste the original before making it at home?
Start with tea eggs and dan bing, then add the rest over the Sundays.
Come and taste MAISON LE TÊ’s homemade cooking first.
Going further
Our homemade brunch ideas come from the MAISON LE TÊ kitchen.