Made in a vacuum environment — Udon noodles that won’t get mushy no matter how long they soak in the soup

▲ Matsusaka Pork Handmade Noodles (NT$130).

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, HowToTrip

Over the past two years, aside from Japanese ramen, there has also been a trend of Japanese udon. From Mitsuba Seimen, Marugame to Inaho Udon. But before these Japanese brands entered Taiwan, there was already a delicious udon spot in Taipei’s Wanhua District on Kunming Street — Tianshe Handmade Noodles. By lunchtime, the small shop fills up with diners, many of whom are regulars who show up at the same time every day.

Tianshe Handmade Noodles has been in business for 10 years. The owner, Wu Wen-cheng, comes from a family that originally ran a noodle factory. While helping out at home, he often visited restaurants and noodle shops to drum up business and clients, getting to know various shop owners and noodle masters and picking up some cooking techniques along the way. He also loves making noodles and thought opening a noodle shop could serve as a living advertisement to promote his family’s products.


▲ Made in a vacuum environment, the noodles are firmer and won’t get mushy or soggy even after soaking in the soup for a long time.

Tianshe Handmade Noodles are actually udon, but the name “handmade noodles” is mainly used to distinguish them from regular udon on the market. Wu Wen-cheng explained that although they’re called handmade noodles, the actual noodles are still machine-made. However, because his family runs a noodle factory, they have a machine that mimics the texture of hand-pulled noodles, resulting in a similar mouthfeel. Moreover, to make the noodles firmer and prevent them from getting mushy or soggy even after soaking in the soup for a long time, he specifically asked his father to produce the noodles in a vacuum environment. Wu Wen-cheng noted that when taking the noodles to-go, there's no need to separate the noodles from the soup — they still taste great when you get them home, without getting soggy or soft.


▲ Kagawa Cold Noodles (NT$100).

Because they are udon, the cooking process takes longer. Wu Wen-cheng said the noodles are first boiled for about 6 minutes, or roughly 70% cooked, then cooled with RO reverse osmosis water, and finally simmered with the broth, meat, and vegetables for another 3 minutes. The main goal is to let the noodles absorb the flavors of the broth, meat, and vegetables. The broth used in the shop is consistent — made by simmering Japanese soy sauce, miso, rock sugar, dried bonito flakes, and kelp. The dipping sauce for the summer-limited cold noodles is also made from the same ingredients, just slightly more concentrated. However, since the noodles aren’t cooked again in the broth, the initial boiling time is longer, around 10 minutes (fully cooked).

Having been in business for 10 years and being located near many office workers, Tianshe’s customers are mostly regulars, with tourists visiting Ximending coming in second. Wu Wen-cheng pointed to one customer in the shop and said he comes in regularly at 2 PM every day. There’s also a Japanese customer who is a regular and often comes to eat noodles here.



▲ Another signature dish at the shop: fried tofu.

Tianshe Handmade Noodles
Address: No. 99, Kunming Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2389-4218
Business Hours: 12:00–15:00; 17:30–20:30
Menu: Iwate Shrimp Handmade Noodles (NT$130), Snowflake Beef Handmade Noodles (NT$130), Matsusaka Pork Handmade Noodles (NT$130), Kagawa Cold Noodles (NT$100), Light Vegetable Broth Noodles (NT$80), Tianshe Sauce Noodles (NT$130)


▲ The seating inside the shop is limited.