Once voted as the favorite beef noodle dish among foreigners – Zhouji’s Satay Beef Stir-Fried Noodles

Text/Photos byOld K

That day at 3 PM on a Saturday, I was heading to the Starbucks store in Chongqing to attend a small concert. Since my brunch that morning hadn’t been very filling, I thought I’d grab a meal at the nearby Chengzhong Market. That reminded me of Zhouji Beef Noodles, which I had tried before. Aside from tasting good, the most important thing was that they had air conditioning.

Although they do have air conditioning, the seating is actually quite cramped. Thankfully, there weren’t many customers after two in the afternoon, so if you want to eat here, really try not to come during peak meal hours — you’ll have to wait, and it gets pretty crowded.

It’s been almost two years since my last visit here. Lately, I’ve started revisiting some of the places I used to enjoy eating at. It’s not a bad idea — just to see if the quality has gone downhill. After going back and comparing with the old menu, I noticed the prices have gone up slightly.

Previously, this place was rated as the foreigners’ favorite beef noodles spot, but actually, it’s their Satay Beef Stir-Fried Noodles. Last time I came, I didn’t get to try them, so of course Old K had to order them this time. Meiji, on the other hand, got curious when she saw another customer ordering green-colored noodles. She asked the boss and found out it was cold noodles — and there were three types of noodles to choose from for the cold noodles. Meiji picked the green-colored zhajiang cold noodles.

Zhajiang Cold Noodles (Small) – NT$70

These are the green noodles — the restaurant uses a wider type of home-style noodle. The green color might be from adding spinach juice or some other vegetable juice, though I forgot to ask.

First, I gave them a good stir. Eating it felt just like regular zhajiang noodles, except these were cold. Actually, the zhajiang sauce had a pretty nice aroma and tasted good, but the cold version just didn’t do it for me as much. The noodles were also a bit too soft. Old K thought if it were sesame paste-based, it would probably suit the taste better, but Meiji doesn’t like sesame paste, so there wasn’t much I could do. Meiji said she’d try the hot version next time.

Satay Beef Stir-Fried Noodles (Small) – NT$95

The aroma of the satay was really fragrant — it looked super delicious.

Honestly, Old K isn’t a huge fan of satay, but I ordered this dish purely because it’s so famous. But wow, it really was tasty once I tried it. The noodles were super chewy — exactly what Old K likes — and they were quite different from the green noodles in the cold noodles (weird, huh?).

The satay flavor was rich without being greasy. It must be a specially made version, because both the taste and aroma were way better than the commercial ones you usually get. Who knew satay could taste this good? Plus, the seasoning was on point — even Meiji, who dislikes satay even more than I do, thought it was tasty.

Remember to add a bit of chili — this one is spicy but not salty, and it really boosts the overall deliciousness of the stir-fried noodles. The beef had a nice bite to it but wasn’t tough, which was pretty good too.

Old K’s Little Reminder: Finally got to try the Satay Beef Stir-Fried Noodles. This dish also changed Old K’s view on satay. The noodles here are genuinely delicious. If you’re around Taipei Main Station, why not give this place a try? Just remember to avoid peak meal times, and you can enjoy your meal in a much more relaxed way.

Old K’s Personal Rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.2
Value for Money: 7
Dining Environment: 5
Price: 6

Zhouji Beef Noodles
Address: No. 12-5, Lane 80, Section 1, Hankou Street, Taipei City (inside Chengzhong Market)
Phone: 02-2371-8008
Business Hours: 11:00–19:00 (Closed on the second and fourth Sundays of each month)

Old K
Keep the food journey going, Old K!

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