The signature dish at this beef noodle shop turns out to be sesame sauce noodles—thick sesame paste and fragrant Sichuan peppercorns

Text and photos byOrange Dog Loves Candy

Traveling without a plan is quite the adventure, but I guess my natural laziness means I usually set off with zero itinerary. This time, for our trip to Yilan, all we knew was the destination. We booked a homestay, and as for where to go, we decided to leave it all up to fate XD

On the way through Taipei’s Neihu District, we got hungry, so a colleague mentioned there was a pretty good beef noodle shop run by a friend of his in the area. On a whim, we took the exit and drove straight to Jinhu Road in Neihu to find this 【Lao Deng Authentic Sichuan-Style Beef Noodles】. Taipei is the first and most visited destination for international travelers coming to Taiwan, and beef noodles are one of Taiwan’s well-known delicacies. Just look at the annual Beef Noodle Festival—you’ll know that Taipei’s beef noodle scene is full of hidden gems. But my colleague’s recommendation had me really looking forward to this place.

At first, hearing the name 【Lao Deng Authentic Sichuan-Style Beef Noodles】, I mistakenly thought it was a branch of the famous Lao Deng from Tainan that had opened in Taipei. But after eating there, I realized the flavors were completely different—the style in Tainan is more like that of old military dependents’ villages, whereas this place has a strong Sichuan flavor.

However, we arrived a bit late, just before their afternoon break, which felt like a close call. The space inside isn’t very large, but there are a decent number of seats. The tables and chairs are rustic wood, but actually have a nice quality to them. The shop has air conditioning and a TV—since there are quite a few tech workers in the area, having a comfortable dining space helps attract more customers.

Aside from beef noodles and noodle dishes, this place surprisingly also offers rice-based meals. And to my surprise, the beef noodles only cost 110 NT dollars, which is really not expensive for Taipei. I think it’s probably a menu designed with office workers in mind. There are also some quite unique signature side dishes. In the end, I just let my colleague, who’d eaten here before, order everything for me so I could dive straight into the delicious dishes.



【Signature Dan Dan Noodles / Dan Dan Noodles / 60 NT】
Yes, even though it’s a beef noodle shop, this seemingly simple sesame sauce noodle dish is actually what I want to highlight the most. The boss said it’s actually their signature dish, as it used to be the star at their original Dongmen location. Seeing the noodles neatly arranged in the bowl after cooking shows the owner’s little attention to detail. There’s a small dab of peanut powder on top, and the bowl contains specially prepared sesame sauce, with the clever addition of Sichuan peppercorns.

Since this is an Sichuan-style noodle shop, the key element of Sichuan flavor is absolutely essential. After mixing it all together, the thickness and richness of the sesame sauce, the aroma and sweetness of the peanut powder, and the fragrance and numbing spice of the Sichuan peppercorns blend into an enchanting taste on the tongue. The chewy texture of the noodles contrasts with the sticky sesame sauce, revealing a subtly sweet and numbing flavor that’s both fun and appetizing. The more I ate, the more I enjoyed it. It may seem ordinary, but it’s so simple that I fell in love with it at first bite—it’s definitely worth trying.

【Braised Beef Noodles / Small Bowl / 110 NT】
This bowl of noodles also has a hint of mild numbness and spiciness—you can actually adjust the spice level, and for a milder experience, you can go for light or medium spice.

Thanks to the well-executed spice level, the broth is both fragrant and spicy. It feels a bit heavy on the palate, yet you can’t help but want to take another sip.

There are about four to five pieces of beef, some with a bit of tendon. The meat is tender and flavorful from braising, not too soft, and the tendon parts have a nice chew. The beef is also carefully arranged neatly at the bottom of the bowl—though today’s portion was slightly overcooked. The boss said next time we should tell him in advance how we like the noodle firmness, so he can adjust it accordingly.

I forgot to check if they had pickled vegetables—if they did, adding some would have made the flavors even richer. But I only thought of it after finishing the bowl XD. For a bowl of bold-flavored beef noodles at just 110 NT, it’s really good value, especially since the portion size is decent. I really liked it.



【Steamed Pork Intestines with Glutinous Rice / 90 NT】
I used to only know about the Hong Kong-style dim sum version of steamed pork ribs, but this was my first time trying steamed pork intestines. It’s a Sichuan-style dish where glutinous rice and meat stuffing are first stuffed into the intestines, then placed on top of sweet potatoes (or you can use potatoes), and finally steamed in a basket.

But beforehand, the intestines are marinated in a sauce (including spicy broad bean paste, sweet bean paste, pepper, minced ginger, etc.) to infuse flavor.

The steaming time needs to be sufficient; otherwise, the intestines often end up undercooked, which really affects the texture and taste.
The result is tender and rich intestines with a kick of spiciness, while the sweet potatoes at the bottom become soft and fluffy. The combination of the two textures is quite unique.

【Stir-fried Small Fish with Dried Tofu and Chili / Forgot the price】
The chili used here is Qinglong chili, and the boss said this year’s Qinglong chilies are especially spicy—which turned out to be absolutely true. But because it’s so spicy, eating it is actually quite a thrill, sweating as you go but also incredibly flavorful.

【Braised Flower Tofu / Compliments of the house】
This dish was given to us as the last piece remaining, but in terms of flavor penetration, it’s still pretty good. Though the outside is brushed with a layer of soy paste, which makes it a bit salty. The best braised flower tofu I’ve had so far is still at Taichung’s Longhua Pavilion Beef Noodles. That place is also Sichuan-style, but their broth has a stronger satay flavor. Their flower tofu, however, is so well-braised and flavorful that you don’t need to dip it in anything.

I’d actually never been to the Neihu area before—when I’ve come here in the past, I usually just hung around the Xihu Station area.
So thanks to this Yilan trip, where my colleague specifically brought us here for lunch, I discovered that this Lao Deng place is actually so delicious. And the boss isn’t even from Taipei—he’s a young man who came up to Taipei alone a few years ago just to learn how to make these beef noodles. Now he and his mom run the shop together. The boss handles the kitchen, and his mom takes care of front-of-house service. A lot of Sichuan-style beef noodles or noodle dishes tend to be heavy on spice but lacking in authentic Sichuan flavor. This place has a pretty distinctive character. It’s just that the location isn’t very prominent, and the shop isn’t big, but the flavors are solid. If you’re interested, I definitely recommend giving it a try!!

======================================================
◎ Shop Introduction: [Lao Deng Family-Style Authentic Sichuan Beef Noodles – Dan Dan Noodles │ Neihu District Huzhou Station]
◎ Address: No. 369, Jinhu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City
◎ Phone: 02-24216565
◎ Business hours: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (subject to availability)
◎ Consumption reminder: The store is closed from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
◎ Nearest MRT station: Exit 2 of Huizhou Station on the Wenhu Line, about a 12-minute walk
======================================================

"[For more real-time food and movie updates, please follow]
@OrangeDogLovesCandy@
OrangeDogLovesCandy Blog OrangeDogLovesCandy Facebook Fan Page "