65-year-old stove reignited: Tainan’s Xinying iconic eel noodles back in business and fragrant again!

Wu Mei-yan, the second-generation owner of the eel noodles shop, said that the fire from the rice husk stove burns hotter than a regular gas stove, resulting in eel that is springy and has a unique smoky flavor—much loved by customers. (Photo by Chuang Yao-tsung)

The eel noodles shop went to great lengths to relocate its old stove. Wu Mei-yan, the second-generation owner, said it was all to preserve the traditional flavors handed down by her father. (Provided by the shop)

The eel noodles shop went to great lengths to relocate its old stove. Wu Mei-yan, the second-generation owner, said it was all to preserve the traditional flavors handed down by her father. (Provided by the shop)

A long-established eel noodles shop in Tainan’s Xinying recently took a one-month break and relocated to a new spot on Minzhi Road, as its previous location had become rundown and faced potential demolition. The second-generation owner, Wu Mei-yan, couldn’t bear to part with the 65-year-old stove and arranged for the entire structure to be moved intact to the new site. On the 11th, the stove will be fired up again. In recent days, test cooking has resumed, filling the air with mouthwatering aromas.

Founded in 1952, the original Qingxiang Eel Noodles shop was located in Xinying’s Second Market. The first-generation owner, Wu Tien-shui, hired a craftsman to design and build a stove that burned rice husks. Leveraging the principle of air convection, the rice husk stove produced an intense, high-temperature flame that cooked eel to a springy texture with a natural smoky aroma—never burnt. This distinctive taste won over many loyal customers.

After taking over the business more than 10 years ago, the second-generation owner, Wu Mei-yan, decided to move to a new location near the Minzhi Municipal Government Center, aiming to offer a better dining environment amid the aging infrastructure and poor hygiene conditions of the Second Market. She also made the decision to bring along her father’s cherished old stove.

Relocating the old stove was no easy feat. To preserve its overall structure, workers carefully excavated the area and even retained the cement base beneath it. Eventually, a large forklift was required to move the stove. Wu Mei-yan noted that the rice husk stove offers a uniquely delicious flavor and is definitely worth preserving. Moreover, the ash left after burning rice husks can serve as organic fertilizer—a win-win solution.

Mr. Chen, a loyal customer for over 30 years, said the stir-fried eel here has a refreshing flavor with just the right consistency of starch sauce. The shop also offers free all-you-can-drink clear eel bone soup and a rare whole eel soup brewed with traditional Chinese herbs. The original location was small and always had a queue, but now there's even air conditioning—so he plans to visit more often.