Banghuang’s Budget Eats: Sweet-and-Spicy La Zai Noodles & Eight-Treasure Round Ice

Text & Photos /San Gao Chi Han

On the second morning in Yuanlin, I slept in a bit and simply checked out of Kangqiao at 11 a.m., then headed straight to hit three food spots to make up for skipping breakfast (as an excuse)

Yuanlin has quite a few shops serving La Zai Noodles and Mi Tai Mu, both well-known local snacks. I’ve got a few places bookmarked, but Jianhong really caught my eye—it’s been around for 20 years, and when I arrived around 11 a.m., almost all the seats were taken. Clearly, it’s pretty popular.

La Zai Noodles can be served either in soup or dry. I usually avoid Taiwanese-style soup noodles, and I didn’t pay close attention at Jianhong, but it seems they only serve the dry version—sort of like the stir-fried noodles commonly eaten in Taichung. They’re pre-cooked and kept warm, and when you order, they scoop (or grab) a portion into a bowl and drizzle it with minced pork sauce. A large bowl of La Zai Noodles costs just NT$35. You can grab an extra empty bowl and easily share it between two people. It’s incredibly cheap.

Fishman (Lin Kui-you) mentioned in his blog “Fish Intestine Sword Manual” that he had researched La Zai Noodles. He wrote that the name should actually be “Nuo Zai Noodles,” where “Nuo” sounds similar to the Taiwanese pronunciation of “six” and means to grab, rub, or shake—rather than to pull. That description actually fits the motion quite well.

The noodles are slightly thicker, topped with a light, salty-sweet garlic pork sauce. It pairs perfectly with the noodles, and I bet this sauce would also taste great poured over a bowl of rice. The noodles have that classic “al dente” bounce—chewy and lively.

Apparently, the authentic way to eat them is to add mashed garlic and chili sauce. The table had both sweet-and-spicy chili sauce and another variety with seeds and skins. I mixed a bit of everything in, and the result was sweet with a kick—I couldn’t stop eating, it was so delicious.

The side dishes included pig’s blood tripe and pork intestines. A plate like that cost just NT$60, and the perfect level of doneness, texture, and the sweet umami that develops the more you chew made it one of the best I’ve had in a while.

The NT$10 pig’s blood soup came in a huge portion—I even wondered if it was actually meant to be two NT$20 servings. When I checked the bill, it really was just NT$10. Even if they charged NT$30, it’d still be worth it. It was just that satisfying.

While some snack shops serve tasty food, I don’t always feel compelled to go back. But Jianhong? It’s genuinely cheap and delicious. No wonder the business is booming. I’d definitely be willing to visit again.

After eating, I walked a short distance to Guangming Street, the stretch between Minsheng Road and Nanchang Road. I heard this area used to be called Fan Shu Shi (Sweet Potato Market) because many shops here used to sell sweet potato leaves as pig feed.

With names like Fan Shu Shi Chicken Foot Jelly and Fan Shu Shi Eight-Treasure Round Ice, the nearby spots are just steps apart. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a bowl of ice cream and maybe pick up some chicken foot jelly to go.

The Eight-Treasure Round Ice (NT$30) didn’t clearly list what its eight treasures were (but there was sweet potato in it!), but every ingredient was cut into small, bite-sized pieces that were easy to eat. Paired with somewhat coarse crushed ice, it was cool and refreshing, making a satisfying crunch on a still-warm day.

A Taiwanese girl I saw ordered the Candied Fruit Four-Fruit Ice (NT$25), which had a nostalgic preserved fruit flavor in the syrup. Not bad at all—I even stole a few bites.

I also heard the Round Ice on Xinxing Road is good, and the Fan Shu Shi Round Ice is open year-round with both cold and hot items. With the weather turning cooler recently, it might be worth trying something else. Before leaving, I visited the Fan Shu Shi Chicken Foot Jelly shop, and later picked up some from Huang Family Chicken Foot Jelly. All in all, I ended up carrying quite a lot of food with me.

Jianhong La Zai Noodles
Address: No. 52, Huilai Street, Yuanlin Town, Changhua County
Business Hours: 6:30 AM – 1:30 PM (irregular holidays)

Fan Shu Shi Eight-Treasure Round Ice
Address: No. 216, Guangming Street, Yuanlin Town, Changhua County
Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

San Gao Chi Han

Savoring Taiwan, one delicious bite at a time
San Gao Chi Han’s Food Journey San Gao Fan Page