Taipei Fude Cold Noodles paired with a refreshing egg drop soup — the late-night hours definitely see long queues.

Text & Photos byXiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog

[Zhongshan Junior High School Station Food — Fude Cold Noodles] Recommendation Rating: ★★★★ 1/4☆

Taiwan has countless street snacks, and cold noodles might not rank in the top five or ten, but they still hold a place in the eating habits of Taiwanese people. Otherwise, can anyone tell me there’s someone who’s never had cold noodles? Also, because they’re as common as braised pork rice or plain noodles, every place or city tends to have at least one or two popular cold noodle spots. Everyone surely has one or two that they think are the best.

Taipei has many famous cold noodle shops, and Fude Cold Noodles is definitely one of them, at least when it comes to late-night eats. Otherwise, come take a look next time — it’ll definitely be this scene, unless you show up at 3 or 4 a.m. But luckily, cold noodle shops have a pretty fast table turnover, so even with so many people, you won’t have to wait too long.

Here's another shot from a different angle, but honestly, the difference between the two is just before and after eating — both times it was packed, and even squeezing your way in isn’t easy. When you come here, remember one thing: grab a seat first...

I originally thought this shop, like many cold noodle places, only sold cold noodles, but when I got there, I saw they actually offer other types of noodles too. It’s just that the vast majority of people order cold noodles. I noticed the lady serving the noodles didn’t stop moving her hands the whole time.

I’m not sure who decided it or when it started, but Taiwanese cold noodles always seem to come with Japanese miso soup. But having said that, the miso soup served with these cold noodles is usually a Taiwanese-style, slightly sweet version. I took a look at the menu — next time I’ll try the pickled mustard green and shredded pork cold noodles.

Maybe because I’d just finished drinking and my hands were still shaking, the only photo I took turned out blurry (blame Guomian for that). But luckily, cold noodles all pretty much look the same anyway — sesame sauce, mashed garlic, shredded cucumber, right? =)

While mixing it up, I realized the sauce on these cold noodles was just right — the thickness was ideal. In short, it was really easy to mix, no extra effort needed to get an even color. Some of you at your computers might protest — aren’t all cold noodles the same? No. Some cold noodles are super hard to mix, so hard that I just give up and bite into a clump of sesame paste.

The first bite I definitely thought was tasty, but then a question popped into my head: “And then?” At that moment, someone next to me, You Shang, who had also taken a bite, echoed my thoughts: “Tasty, but pretty ordinary.” Is that the feeling? That’s exactly it… The sesame sauce here doesn’t have an especially rich aroma, and the mashed garlic doesn’t particularly overpower the flavor either. If I had to say what’s impressive about it, maybe it’s just that it goes down smoothly.

A regular customer next to me suggested I add half a spoonful of Taiwanese wasabi, and sure enough, the flavor became much more dynamic — and tastier too. But it was still: “Tasty, but pretty ordinary.” To borrow my friend’s words again: “It tastes like the stuff from 7-Eleven.” Though I think that comparison might be a bit exaggerated, XD.

Friends who know me well have probably often heard me say: “Tasty, but pretty ordinary” and “Ordinary, but really tasty.” If the cold noodles above were tasty but ordinary, then this bowl of egg-drop miso soup is the classic: “Ordinary, but really tasty.” The difference lies in the feeling it gives you in your mouth — even if both are tasty.

Actually, both cold noodles and this kind of Taiwanese miso soup are very ordinary foods, but when you eat the cold noodles, there’s just a little less of that emotional impact — that wow factor that makes you go “wow!” But it still definitely tastes good. As for this bowl of miso soup, the slightly sweet aroma of the miso, plus the scallions, goes down super smoothly. The egg drop, cooked to about 3/4 done and mixed well, adds a bit of texture and softness. Its salty-sweet flavor and the egg and scallion aroma are so ordinary, yet every sip makes you go: “So good!” The cold noodles here may be tasty, but what I’ll be talking about later is this bowl of Taiwanese miso soup — possibly the best I’ve ever had.

Fude Cold Noodles: No. 75, Xing’an Street, Taipei City; Phone: 02 2503 8553; Business Hours: 24 hours (closed from 2:00 PM Sunday to 12:00 PM Monday)

Xiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” would be far too boring~~~