Local Delicacies in Zhonghe and Yonghe: 3 Hidden Gems for Delicious Beef Noodles

▲ There are many great beef noodle shops in Zhonghe and Yonghe. The photo above shows the braised beef noodles from Wucha Cheung Chinese Noodle House.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, New Taipei City

When it comes to beef noodles, Taipei City isn’t the only place with great options. In Zhonghe and Yonghe—areas that once saw an influx of military, government, and educational personnel—there are also plenty of delicious beef noodle shops. Beyond the super-popular Old Huang’s Original Beef Noodles near Dingxi MRT Station, there are many hidden gems tucked away in alleys and lanes, some known only to locals.

Baliting Noodle House
Located diagonally opposite Biyang Plaza on Zhongshan Road in Yonghe, Baliting Noodle House looks like a small canteen at first glance and can easily be overlooked if you’re not paying attention. Baliting Noodle House is more than just a noodle shop—it also offers a variety of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese rice and noodle dishes. Its owner, Wu Weijia, is a Cambodian overseas Chinese who previously ran a Thai restaurant, so calling Baliting Noodle House an international eatery isn’t an exaggeration.

▲ Baliting’s beef noodles ranked 5th in the 2008 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival.

Wu Weijia modified a typical Vietnamese beef pho and combined it with Taiwanese-style beef noodles to create his Premium Clear Braised Beef Noodles, which ranked 5th in the 2008 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival. He explained that he uses Australian beef shin meat, which is a bit pricier but offers better texture. The Premium Clear Braised Beef Noodles use the best cuts of shin meat. Meanwhile, the Clear Braised Raw Beef Noodles feature sirloin sliced thinly and placed on top of the noodles after they’re cooked, then doused with hot broth for a unique flavor.

Address: 1F, No. 293, Section 1, Zhongshan Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-29291108
Business hours: 11:00–14:00; 17:00–21:00

Wucha Cheung Chinese Noodle House
This shop is located on Yonghe Road in Yonghe District, right across from a well-known 24-hour fruit store in Yonghe. Though it may look like an unassuming small shop, its owner, You Congyi, has worked at the Grand Hotel and Din Tai Fung, honing his culinary skills. Wucha Cheung Chinese Noodle House offers both braised and clear-style beef noodles. Notably, its braised version isn’t spicy—the slight heat comes from garlic, ginger, and a touch of chili used for flavor. The broth is simmered for 12 hours using beef bones and vegetables, and the red color floating on top isn’t chili oil but tomatoes.

▲ The beef in Wucha Cheung’s beef noodles comes from the shin heart meat.

For the beef, shin heart meat is selected. You Congyi noted that this cut has good tendon structure and becomes tender yet firm after cooking—not too dry or tough. The braised beef is first stir-fried with soy sauce, broad bean paste, and a small amount of sweet bean paste for flavor, then simmered for six hours. The clear-style beef is sliced and steamed with the broth for three hours after the broth has been simmered for eight hours, resulting in a clear soup.

Address: No. 46, Section 1, Yonghe Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-29205332
Business hours: Weekdays 11:00–14:00; 17:00–21:30. Weekends 11:00–14:30; 17:00–21:30.

Sichuan-Style Beef Noodles
In a lane opposite the Zhonghe Farmers’ Association, there’s a decades-old beef noodle shop called “Sichuan-Style Beef Noodles.” Though it looks like an ordinary noodle stall, it draws crowds during meal times, with plenty of takeout customers as well. It’s a local favorite known mostly to Zhonghe residents, and the prices are incredibly affordable—a regular bowl costs NT$90, while a large is just NT$100 (just NT$10 more). Both the Sichuan and clear-style versions are priced the same.

▲ Sichuan-Style Beef Noodles is hidden in a lane opposite the Zhonghe Farmers’ Association and is hard to find without a local guide.

The shop’s biggest draw is its spicy and aromatic Sichuan-style beef noodle broth, with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. You can choose between thin or wide noodles. The clear-style beef noodles differ from typical clear broths—their light soy-sauce tinted broth has a hint of braised flavor.

Address: No. 1, Lane 40, Zhonghe Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-22483889
Business hours: 10:30–21:00