水煎包，應該大多數台灣人都有吃過的解饞小吃，在市場或街邊常常可以見到，當人們想吃些東西，又不想吃太飽時，往往會找所謂街邊小吃，來解饞，煎包多採用是半發酵麵皮，內餡多採用豬絞肉加入各式蔬菜，如此在煎完後才會多汁紮實，客人在吃下去才會有飽足感，在煎的時候，以有皺褶的那面朝下，煎出酥脆的迷人口感，再拌入醬油或辣醬等調味料，令人食指大動。
我有段時間還蠻常吃水煎包的，在下午三點多左右，去常吃的不知名小吃攤，買個兩顆作為點心，一顆10元，一顆是韭菜的，另一顆是豬肉的，墊墊肚子，有飽足感，又不會吃得過多，回家後還可以吃正餐，隨著物價上漲，現在台北市的水煎包一顆都15元或以上的價錢了，真是小吃都不小吃了。
其實，大多數的小吃攤都是沒有招牌的，因為大多數的小吃，技術門檻不高，比的都是食材新鮮和人力成本，有招牌的水煎包，如老蔡水煎包，不一定好吃，但是假如不知道買甚麼的話，可能就會選擇老蔡水煎包，假如小吃攤的售價低或口味獨到的話，的確可以吸引到忠實顧客，不過，做餐飲業都是賺辛苦錢的。
這家水煎包小攤，是我意外發現到的，也是因為不知道要吃甚麼，剛好看到它，價錢讓我嚇一跳，嚇人的便宜，只要7元，看看攤位上的標價，價錢是被修改過的，之前應該是5元，後來上調到7元，老闆懶得重新再製作招牌，直接用張紙把原本的價錢蓋掉，很務實的做法，招牌舊舊的，有一些顧客正在排隊，而一邊有員工製作水煎包及下鍋，是現做的，加分，推測是間當地人才知道的老店，正好在煩惱要吃甚麼，於是，我韭菜及高麗菜各買三顆，還不到50元就可以解決一餐，只要再找個地方窩一下，就可以品嚐在地人才知道的美味了。
Water-fried buns, a satisfying snack that most Taiwanese people have tried before. You can often find them in markets or street corners. When people crave a little something but don't want to eat too much, they usually go for these kinds of street snacks. The buns are made with semi-fermented dough, filled with minced pork and various vegetables, giving them a juicy and hearty texture after frying. They're cooked with the wrinkled side facing down to achieve a crispy and irresistible texture, and dipping them in soy sauce or chili sauce adds extra flavor that makes your mouth water.
I used to eat water-fried buns quite frequently. Around three in the afternoon, I'd go to this unnamed snack stall I liked and get two as a snack – one with chives and another with pork. At 10 NT dollars each, they filled me up without overeating, leaving room for dinner later. But with prices rising, now water-fried buns in Taipei are sold at 15 NT dollars or more each, making them not so "small" of a snack anymore.
Most of these snack stalls don't have signs because making these snacks doesn't require advanced skills; it's more about using fresh ingredients and managing labor costs. Even though famous places like Lao Cai's water-fried buns might not necessarily taste better, people might still choose them when they can't decide what to get. If a snack stall offers low prices or unique flavors, it can indeed attract loyal customers, but running a food business is always hard work.
I stumbled upon this water-fried bun stall by chance. Not knowing what to eat, I noticed it and was shocked by the price – only 7 NT dollars! The price on the stall had been modified; it used to be 5 NT dollars but was raised to 7 NT dollars. The owner was too lazy to make a new sign, so they just covered the original price with a piece of paper – very practical. The sign looked old, and there were some customers waiting in line. They were making the buns fresh on the spot, which was a plus. I guessed it was a local gem that only the locals knew about. I ended up buying three buns with chives and three with cabbage for less than 50 NT dollars – a meal solved for cheap. Just find a spot to sit and enjoy the deliciousness known only to the locals.
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