Hidden gem of cheap eats in Zhongzheng District: a popular dry noodle shop tucked away in an alley

Text & photos /viviyu

Taipei’s Zhongzheng District is home to several well-known dry noodle shops: Lin’s Dry Noodles next to Jianzhong High School, Xiao’nangmen Fuzhou Silly Dry Noodles flagship store near Xiao’nangmen, Hualin Dry Noodles and Zhongyuan Fuzhou Dry Noodles near the urban campus of Soochow University.

I’ve tried all the other ones—some even regularly—but somehow never got around to Hualin Dry Noodles. The reason? Their business hours are quite unique, only serving breakfast and lunch, and I usually find myself in the area in the evening. Plus, because they’re so affordable, the place gets packed with university students at noon, which always made me hesitate.

This time, taking advantage of the summer break when students were away, I arrived just before noon and finally got to enjoy Hualin Dry Noodles without waiting in line.

The sign isn’t very eye-catching, and if it’s your first time, you might get confused among these alleys. It’s easier to find if you approach from Yanping South Road—the alley is right across from the guard booth of Soochow University’s urban campus.

You might walk right past it without noticing that a famous noodle shop is hidden here. Once inside, you wait for the owner to seat you rather than finding a table yourself. If there’s a short wait, the owner will ask what kind of noodles you want (you can order the soup when you sit down).

The menu here is simple, yet the food is incredibly satisfying—you can tell there’s something special about it. It’s generally recommended to order at least a medium bowl, or you might end up still hungry and needing a second one.

There are only two types of side dishes in the appetizer section: shredded dried tofu and dried small fish.

This is my friend’s zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste). A Soochow alumnus, he’s been eating here for over a decade, and the owner even added him on Facebook—so he got the shredded dried tofu on the house.

This is my dry noodle order. Following the lead of the regulars, I also got complimentary shredded dried tofu—thank you so much！

Dry noodles must be eaten with black vinegar; I also added some spicy crumbs.

After mixing, the slight tanginess and spiciness, paired with the chewy noodles, make it incredibly moreish—I finished it in no time.

This is the mixed soup, with egg drop, fish balls, and wontons.

The dried small fish is probably the most strongly flavored item here; today’s batch was a bit on the salty side.

Bonus stop: the taiyaki from the welfare shop in the High Court Criminal Division building on Bo’ai Road. When we went, the auntie had just finished making them and placed them on the counter—I chose butter and red bean.

The filling was generous, and I ended up feeling really full. Each taiyaki costs NT$13, which is pretty standard for the city center.

Also, anyone can enter the welfare shop on the first floor of the High Court Criminal Division building—even non-staff. I’ve heard their buffet meals are tasty and inexpensive, though unless you’re a nearby civil servant, probably no one would go out of their way to eat there.

<此篇作者为：梦田农夫>

Hualin Dry Noodles

No. 15, Lane 91, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
(02)2331-6371
06:30–14:00 (closed on holidays)

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