You can enjoy Small Squid Rice Noodles in Taipei too—free refills of broth and noodles when dining in!

Text and photos byOld K

I spotted this Small Squid Rice Noodles place last time I visited Longshan Temple. It must be newly opened—the sign is huge, and rice noodles with small squid are pretty rare in Taipei, so it made quite an impression. This time, I dropped by to try it.

It’s located at the intersection of Xiyuan Road and Juguang Road, with a very eye-catching sign.

Not many people during the afternoon—Old K’s favorite kind of vibe XD The tables are quite spacious, so there’s less of that crowded, claustrophobic feeling.

Aside from Small Squid Rice Noodles, they also serve side dishes, cold plates, and grilled items. Prices are pretty reasonable. Too bad my favorite pork intestines weren’t available. I just picked a few things and waited for the food to arrive.

A big pot of rice noodle soup—but I didn’t see any small squid. Maybe they’re freshly blanched?

The best part here is that you can get free refills of both broth and noodles when dining in—awesome!

There are basic seasonings on the table, but you can grab extra ones from the seasoning station.

Soon enough, my afternoon tea arrived XD The chili-soy sauce on the top right was grabbed from the seasoning station.

Small Squid Rice Noodles (NT$80)

I was wondering if it would be like the Tainan-style Small Squid Rice Noodles, but nope, way off XD Tainan’s version has thicker noodles. This one is more like the usual rice noodle soup you’d find in Taipei, but with added small squid. Since the squid is blanched in the soup, it gives the broth a slight seafood sweetness, making it a rather refreshing rice noodle soup. With scallions and celery added, while it can’t match the sweetness of Tainan’s version (which comes from boiling tons of small squid XD), it still tastes pretty good. The noodles themselves are also quite Q (chewy).

The small squid is also quite Q and springy—you can tell it’s fresh. But maybe it was blanched a little too long, so it’s a bit on the firmer side. It’d be even better if it were softer and more tender.

Add some soy sauce and chili for extra flavor—it really brings out the sweet umami of the squid. It’s not very spicy, so no worries X (at least according to Old K XD).

Pork Jowl (NT$50)

Old K loves pork jowl because it’s the part of the pig that moves the most (from all the eating XD), so it’s both chewy and tender. Having tried pork jowl from many places, this one is pretty average—it has some bite, but lacks a bit in tenderness. However, the portion size is decent.

Pork Skin (NT$30)

The pork skin performed much better than the pork jowl—QQ (chewy) with just the right firmness. It’s my favorite side dish of the day.

Fried Tofu (NT$30)

I thought NT$30 for one serving of fried tofu was a bit steep, but turns out it’s only two pieces. The tofu here seems to be made from soft tofu and then fried—the skin is chewy, but the inside is very soft and tender. However, the pores are relatively dense. I personally prefer tofu with more pores that can soak up the broth.

After finishing the Small Squid Rice Noodles, I immediately went back to get another bowl. The fact that you can add both broth and noodles is really generous.

Old K’s Little Tips: Although it’s not the same as the Tainan-style Small Squid Rice Noodles, it’s still pretty good as a regular Taipei-style rice noodle soup. I’ve had a few rice noodle soups where you can get free refills of broth, but being able to refill noodles is quite rare—so that’s a big plus. Too bad I was alone this time or I would’ve ordered some grilled items too. For those who think Wanhua is too far, don’t worry—I only realized after seeing their business card that they have a branch on Section 3, Minsheng East Road. That location is a izakaya, so it opens later. Fans of a different style of Small Squid Rice Noodles can give it a try.

Old K’s Personal Rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 7.8/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Dining Environment: 5/10
Price: 7.5/10

Mao Dong’s Small Squid Rice Noodles (Wanhua Branch)
Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/毛董小卷米粉/391633337666551
Address: No. 82, Section 2, Xiyuan Rd., Wanhua District, Taipei City (near Julu Rd.)
Phone: 02-2308-2328
Business Hours: 11:00–21:00 (Open every day; if closed, the fan page will announce it)

Old K
Keep the chain going, Old K！

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