From a street stall to a storefront restaurant – their signature cold noodles bursting with rich sesame paste flavor

Text & photos byOld K

A Chuan Cold Noodles is something I recently discovered while searching for cold noodles. Three years ago, it was featured on "Food Hunter," but back then it was just a street-side noodle stall. This time, when I visited, they’ve upgraded to a proper storefront.

And the place is actually quite clean.

They only sell two types of items: cold noodles and soup. There are four soup options to choose from, though. The large cold noodles are only NT$45, which is pretty cheap, so I went for that. I wanted miso soup but also wanted meatballs, and the boss said I could get miso soup with added meatballs.

Large Cold Noodles (NT$45)

One thing that’s different here is that the chili is added in advance. The boss will ask if you want spicy or not – there’s no chili on the table to add yourself. For the large bowl, the amount isn’t too much, but considering the price, it’s fairly affordable.

The color of their sesame paste is quite dark, looking very thick, so remember to mix it well. Their noodles are on the thinner side but still have decent chewiness. Paired with a tangy and slightly sweet flavor along with the rich sesame paste, it goes down really smoothly.

The chili doesn’t start to get spicy until after it hits your tongue. I don’t know how much chili the boss puts in, but I didn’t find it very spicy. It’s quite a traditional-style cold noodle dish – with a high ratio of sesame paste. If you’re a fan of sesame paste, you’ll probably love this.

Miso Meatball Soup (NT$45)

The taste of their miso soup is a bit saltier than your average Taiwanese-style miso soup. Besides bonito flakes, it also has dried small fish and onions, so even though it’s a bit salty, it’s not overwhelmingly so because the sweetness of the onions balances it out. Paired with the cold noodles – one sweet, one salty – it makes for a great combination. They also give quite a lot of tofu.

The meatballs aren’t as bouncy as those from Hsinchu, but they perform decently. They don’t have much meaty flavor, but the texture is still okay.

Old K’s Tip: On a hot summer day, a plate of appetizing cold noodles is the best. In the past, you might have had to sit on the roadside to eat them, which some people might not like, but now there’s a proper storefront and the environment is much nicer. If you love cold noodles with thick sesame paste, don’t miss this place.

Old K’s Personal Rating (out of 10, higher is better)

Taste: 7.8
Value for Money: 8
Dining Environment: 5.5
Price: 8

A Chuan Cold Noodles
Address: No. 3, Lane 90, Section 6, Minquan E. Rd., Neihu District, Taipei City (in the alley opposite Sanmin Junior High School)
Phone: 02-2792-0015 (morning) 02-2792-1528 (evening) 0958-183-355
Business Hours: 6:00–13:00 (closed days posted in-store)

Old K
Keep the food journey going, Old K!

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