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Turning his father’s ophthalmology clinic into a bread laboratory: directly across from the Chiayi City Art Museum stands a white bread house. The baker’s name is Yi-jia. Because the spot sits near Chiayi Railway Station, the shop was christened “Yi-jia Bread House,” a pun on “station-home.” The townhouse had begun life as his father’s eye clinic; later the family reclaimed it, and Yi-jia brought the baking skills he’d honed in Taipei back to his hometown. After five years at the renowned Le Gout—during the era when Master Wu Pao-chun was sweeping world competitions—several luminaries left a deep impression on him. When he returned to Chiayi he resolved to put theory into practice, merging European breads with Japanese baking to create powerful loaves that stay faithful to the ingredient’s own flavor. Yi-jia’s path has been smooth, blessed with many mentors. Most unforgettable was Teacher Yeh, his first inspiration; after passing away, Yeh mailed Yi-jia a lifetime of handwritten secrets. The tale feels like a wuxia novel in which a grand master bequeaths ultimate skills. As you listen and bite into the signature squid-ink bagel, it’s as if the natural yeast transmits pure qi; the bread’s texture feels vibrantly alive. Photo: Chiayi City Government Tourism and News Department | Photographer: Marg