Authentic flavors from Matsu, Taiwan: The black sesame noodles and "black-hearted" dumplings that sell 500 bowls a day

Reported by Hong Shengyi / Taipei

If you’re looking for something “special” and full of “nostalgia” in downtown Taipei, the black sesame noodles and “black-hearted” dumplings from the Matsu Noodle Shop near the intersection of Liaoning Street and Bade Road could be a fantastic choice. ETtoday EBC conducted an in-depth interview with the second-generation owner, Wu Guoxing, to unveil the mysteries behind this over 50-year-old shop and its signature “black-hearted” dumplings.

▲ The Matsu Noodle Shop opened in 1992 in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District and has been around for 21 years. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

The founder of the Matsu Noodle Shop is 66-year-old Wang Zhuchai, who has run the shop for 21 years. According to Wu Guoxing, his mother originally came from Beigan Island in Matsu and arrived in Taiwan in 1943. She initially worked as a cement worker before helping out at a noodle shop. After about 7–8 years, she decided to open her own shop, leveraging her cooking skills and experience. She happened to find a residential space for lease on Liaoning Street at an affordable price and used her savings to take over the current location, opening the Matsu Noodle Shop in 1992 — which has been operating for about 21 years.

▲ The Matsu Noodle Shop is now managed by the second generation, Wu Guoxing, who maintains his mother’s sauces and also developed new dishes based on Matsu’s “Three Treasures.” (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

▲ The black sesame noodles cost NT$55 and can be paired with a sunny-side up egg and a bowl of signature mixed soup. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

Wu Guoxing revealed that his mother has been making noodles for over 30 years. When she first opened the shop, she drew on childhood memories of her grandmother’s homemade noodles to create the key sauces for both black and white sesame noodles. These sauces have become the shop’s biggest draw. A regular customer, Mr. Li, said the black sesame noodles here have a unique flavor you won’t find elsewhere, making you want to come back again and again.

▲ The secret to the Matsu Noodle Shop’s signature black sesame noodles lies in the sauce created by Wu Guoxing’s mother, based on the taste from her hometown — a flavor you can’t find anywhere else. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

Wu Guoxing, born in 1965 and the third child in the family, started helping out at home from a young age. After completing his military service, he took over the Matsu Noodle Shop from his 66-year-old mother. “Running a traditional noodle shop is really tough!” Wu said bluntly. The biggest challenges are maintaining the shop environment and ensuring staff quality. Given the limitations in menu variety and refinement, prices can’t be raised much, and younger workers often don’t stay long.

▲ Wu Guoxing explained that traditional noodle shops like his face major hurdles in maintaining the shop environment — prices can’t go up, and it’s hard to retain young staff. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

But to preserve the unique flavor, Wu standardized the sauce-making process when he took over, ensuring the taste remains consistent. He also sought innovation without relying solely on tradition. Drawing on Matsu’s “Three Treasures” — fish noodles, lees, and rice wine — he worked with his mother to introduce new dishes such as lees-flavored side dishes and authentic Matsu fish noodles.

Wu confidently stated that, under his management, the shop sells an average of 500 bowls a day of both black and white sesame dry noodles. He also developed the “black-hearted” dumplings, which have become the shop’s star product.

Wu saidthe “black-hearted” dumplings are made with a pork filling mixed with black sesame. The idea came one day when chatting with friends — they thought it would be fun to create a uniquely dark-colored dumpling filling, hence the name “black-hearted” dumplings.Of course, it’s not the kind of “black-hearted” associated with diseased pork. He found the concept playful and unique, something people would definitely remember. But creating it wasn’t easy — getting the right “golden ratio” between pork and black sesame was quite difficult. The meat, sesame paste, and sesame each have distinct flavors, and the thickness of the wrapper matters too. None of these should overpower the others. More importantly, when cut open, the dumpling must retain juicy pork flavor, while not being too salty. Each dumpling also had to weigh around 22 grams — a true challenge. Wu estimated it took about six months of trial and error, using ingredients for more than 5,000 dumplings.

▲ In developing the black-hearted dumplings, Wu went through countless trials, using ingredients for over 5,000 dumplings in the process. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

Despite many failed attempts, Wu refused to give up. Instead, he set a target flavor and worked tirelessly to achieve it. He’d rest when tired and then try again, until finally finding the perfect golden ratio — the version now sold in the shop.

Reporters who tried them found the dumplings just the right size for one bite. When you bite into the wrapper, the juicy pork and aroma of black sesame burst in your mouth without any clash. The wrapper isn’t too thick and actually helps balance the flavors. After eating, your mouth is left with a lingering hint of sesame and pork juice. Unless you dislike sesame, this is truly a unique and highly recommended flavor.

In the future, Wu hopes to standardize the internal workflow and solve delivery issues so he can expand into a chain, improve the shop environment, and open second and third branches — perhaps even nationwide. To that end, he’s already discussing details with designers and professional managers to elevate this longstanding shop, with hopes of seeing results.

※ Shop Information:

● Shop Name: Four Towns Five Islands Matsu Noodle Restaurant

● Address:
Taipei Liaoning Main Store: No. 7, Liaoning Street, Zhongshan District, Taipei City / Tel: 02-27715406 / Delivery Hotline: 0980-957147
Beitou Station Branch: 2F, No. 2, Beiping West Road, Taipei City

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