Kaohsiung Xifeng Street’s 20+ Year-Old Nameless Noodle Stall – Sticking to MSG-Free Good Health

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Street food vendors that have been operating on Xifeng Street for so many years generally have a solid following. We’ve visited this entire street dozens of times, and every shop has its own unique charm. The noodle stall we’re introducing this time is located at the intersection of Nenjiang Street and Xifeng Street. Though it’s just a roadside stand, it’s been around for at least twenty years. Based on our two visits, we can tell the stall still enjoys strong popularity.

This place offers a wide variety of items, including all kinds of traditional noodles. Since it’s a street stall with no official name, you’ll just have to recognize the stall itself. Fortunately, it’s located at the street corner, making it fairly easy to spot. We also noticed a small sign that says “No MSG Added,” which is reassuring for those sensitive to MSG.

Aside from various types of fresh noodles, the stall also displays a selection of marinated side dishes and cold cuts. The cooking area is in the back at a mobile setup, and the three staff members work efficiently, each handling their own tasks.

We ordered four side dishes: pig ears, pig skin, tofu skin, and kelp. Perhaps due to the hot weather and the lack of refrigeration, the tofu skin didn’t taste particularly fresh, but the other three were quite okay.

The boss forgot we had ordered dry noodles with sesame paste, but after we reminded him, he added the sesame paste afterward. It’s a very traditional style of dry noodles, and they even included two slices of pork.

After mixing, the aroma of the sesame paste gradually spread. The stall’s sesame paste was well chosen—there was no bitterness when mixed with the noodles. The savory flavor was reminiscent of the dry noodles with sesame paste we used to eat as kids, and the noodles weren’t mushy but had a nice bite to them, making them really delicious.

This was my husband’s order: dry noodles with shredded pork and preserved mustard greens. The preserved mustard greens were cut a bit thick, and the portion wasn’t as generous as what you’d get at Wenzhou Wonton King on the same street. But even with simple dry noodles, if the meat sauce is good, the noodles will taste good too.

Saltwater Spaghetti is said to be the stall’s signature dish. We didn’t get to try it on our first visit, so we definitely had to come back again. Like the other noodle dishes, it came with bean sprouts and pork slices. The simple preparation resulted in unexpectedly delicious flavors.

This time, the noodles were slightly wider and thinner, commonly referred to as saltwater spaghetti. The meat sauce itself was flavorful enough, and the stall gave us a generous amount, ensuring every strand of spaghetti was coated with the rich meaty aroma. It was so good we couldn’t stop eating and finished it in no time.

We also ordered an extra serving of dumplings. Dumplings here are sold in orders of ten, at 3.5 NTD each—pretty affordable. Each dumpling was also of decent size.

Perhaps due to the folding technique, there were many crimps in the dumplings, so getting the filling evenly packed wasn’t easy. To put it simply, the filling had a fresh pork flavor with a noticeable ginger taste—it was actually quite tasty.

As frequent diners out, we always try to include some vegetables in our meals to get our vitamins. Sweet potato leaves are a vegetable we’ve eaten since childhood, and they’re highly nutritious. Just blanched briefly in hot water and tossed with some scallion oil, and you’ve got a delicious plate of greens. The scallion oil here had a fragrant taste, the sweet potato leaves were tender, and the saltiness was just right—very yummy.

We didn’t expect the wonton soup to come in such a large bowl—it was enough for two people. Most wonton soups might just have some greens or minced celery, but this stall uniquely added seaweed to the soup, making it even more flavorful. As for the wontons themselves, they were pretty average—just your standard taste.

Based on our two visits, the total cost each time didn’t exceed 200 NTD. We estimated it’s about the same as Wenzhou Wonton King, which actually makes it quite affordable. In the evening, Xifeng Street starts to get more visitors, yet everyone eats dinner quietly, creating a rather unique scene. Dining here, especially on the sidewalk, gives off a peaceful vibe, as if you’ve traveled back to an earlier era in Taiwanese society. Here, we experienced traditional old-school flavors and would definitely recommend it to everyone.

Address: Near the intersection of Xifeng Street and Nenjiang Street, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Business Hours: 4:00 PM ~ 12:00 AM (next day)
 

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