Taipei Food Guide: Popular Beef Noodles at “Taiwan Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup” and Affordable Din Tai Fung at “Wucao Che Chinese Restaurant”

Popular Beef Noodles at "Taiwan Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup"

As the name suggests, "Taiwn Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup" specializes in these two comforting dishes. Founded by former artist Qiu Longjie (Qiu Xiaosan), who doubles as the chef, his inspiration stemmed from late-night cravings for the warm soup his mother would prepare for him. This restaurant caters specifically to those returning home late.

Braised beef noodles with half tendon and half meat, thin noodles with a chewy texture and a good broth.

The main offering is the braised beef noodle soup, available with options for beef, beef tendon, and beef tripe. Diners can choose between thin noodles or knife-cut noodles, with three portion sizes: half bowl, small bowl, and large bowl. The rich broth is crafted from a large amount of beef bones, combined with old hens and chicken feet, simmered for 24 hours to achieve a deep, flavorful essence. The beef rib strips used are tender and flavorful, while the thin noodles are perfectly chewy and soak up the broth beautifully.

Braised beef noodles, served with a side of braised dishes, are the most beloved flavor for Taipei's night owls.

The chicken soup comes in five flavors: clam, mushroom, ginseng, garlic, and peeled chili, with the peeled chili option being the most popular. The aroma of the chili complements the slowly simmered chicken broth, resulting in a sweet, slightly gelatinous soup made from fresh local chickens from Hualien and Taitung, delivering a heartwarming experience.

The aroma of the peeled chili combined with the chicken soup that has been simmered for 8 hours results in an extremely sweet taste with a hint of gelatin, making it a truly blissful experience. The menu of "Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup".

"Taiwan Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup" serves up a bowl of braised beef noodles, a bowl of peeled chili chicken soup, and a plate of side dishes—perfect for Taipei's late-night diners, which explains the queues even late into the night.

P.S. The "Taiwan Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup" shop is small, but there are often long queues. There is a row of round stools outside the door, which is a thoughtful touch.

Taiwan Beef Noodles & Chicken Soup

Address: No. 164, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Daan District, Taipei Phone: +886-2-2778-7776 Opening Hours: 18:00 - 04:00 ( Monday to Saturday),17:00-03:00( Sunday)

Transportation: Take the MRT Bannan Line to "Zhongxiao Dunhua Station", and walk for about 3-5 minutes from Exit 8.

Website: https://taipei-midnight-beefnoodles.1shop.tw/

Affordable Din Tai Fung at "Wucao Che Chinese Restaurant"

"Wucao Che Chinese Restaurant" claims to be the affordable alternative to Din Tai Fung.

"Wucao Che Chinese Restaurant" claims to be the affordable alternative to Din Tai Fung, with prices approximately 30% lower than those at Din Tai Fung. While Din Tai Fung's prices continue to rise, Wucao Che offers a more budget-friendly menu filled with comfort foods like noodle soups, fried rice, dumplings, and appetizers, most priced between NT$100 to NT$200. The most expensive dish, stir-fried shrimp, costs NT$430.

Many Taipei locals opt for the pork chop fried rice, featuring a generous pork chop atop a mound of rice, making it visually appealing and a hit among meat lovers. The shrimp egg fried rice, priced at NT$200, is outstanding, with excellent wok hei (breath of the wok) using Taiwan's No. 9 rice, ensuring each grain is distinct and chewy. The ratio of egg, scallion, and shrimp is just right, rivaling the quality found in high-end Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong.

Shrimp and egg fried rice made with Taiwanese No. 9 rice, the quality is comparable to a star-rated Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong.

For a lighter option, the oil tofu vermicelli (NT$130) is also a great choice, featuring finely wrapped minced meat in tofu skin that absorbs the broth perfectly. Among the appetizers, the meat-stuffed eggplant (NT$75) is a delightful take on the Hong Kong-style stuffed eggplant, while the roasted chili century egg (NT$90) and red oil shrimp dumplings (NT$150) are also worth trying. However, it's worth noting that the Nanchang branch does not serve xiao long bao; for that, you'll need to visit the Yonghe District in New Taipei City.

The eggplant stuffed with meat appetizer is a fancy version of Hong Kong-style pan-fried stuffed eggplant. Oil tofu vermicelli ,the tofu skin wrapped around the meat is very delicate, and the tofu soaks up all the broth, making it delicious! The shrimp wontons in chili oil are also good.

Wucao Che Chinese Restaurant (Nanchang shop)

Address: No. 188, Section 2, Nanchang Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei

Phone: +886-2-2368-1950

Opening Hours: 11:00-21:00

Transportation: About five-minute walk from Exit 2 of Guting MRT Station.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/%E4%BA%94%E8%8D%89%E8%BB%8A%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E9%A3%9F%E9%A4%A8%E5%8D%97%E6%98%8C%E5%BA%97-100054592654010/