A Kaohsiung noodle shop that carries on the flavors of the old store — homemade lard gives this classic "dry noodle" its old-time taste

Text and photos byShadow

There are quite a few Shantou-style plain noodles shops around Kaohsiung, each with slightly different flavors, but among the tasty ones, there are also well-known old establishments. Over two years ago, we shared a plain noodle spot under the love river in a tin-roof shack on Luchuan Street, which received a lot of positive feedback from fellow food lovers. Just a few months ago, the young second-generation owner opened a branch, located on Yucheng Road near the section closer to Mingcheng Road.

The family has been running a noodle stall for twenty years. Even without a formal name or signboard, through word of mouth among neighbors, it has become a somewhat well-known old-time noodle spot in the community. It was the idea of the young second-generation owner to get into the food business. He was the one who proposed opening the branch, and even went to a famous Shantou-style plain noodles shop to learn from others before opening his own. It’s clear he put in a lot of effort to be able to run a branch on his own.

When we first met the owner, we were surprised that this young man was willing to take on the traditional snack shop business. He takes his noodle-making very seriously and has great presence. Through a brief chat, we learned that he went to another shop to learn in order to absorb the successful management style of established stores and to find a unique flavor for his own shop.

The old shop’s plain noodles are characterized by homemade lard and fried shallots. The only difference is that the noodles used at the branch are not the same as those at the original shop — they come from handmade noodles made by a master at a Shantou-style plain noodles shop on Linsen First Road. These handmade noodles have a more chewy texture.

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Next to the small dishes cabinet, there's a table with a menu where you can simply check off your choices and hand it to the staff.

We picked side dishes like pig’s tongue, pork intestine, and dried tofu. If the soy paste could be switched to a homemade scallion-garlic soy sauce, it might be even more distinctive.

Octopus – 70 NT

It’s been a while since I had cold octopus. This classic Taiwanese sauce pairs perfectly with blanched octopus, and the sweet and sour flavors of garlic and ginger give it an old-time taste.

There are several seasonings on the table, including chili oil made by the shop itself. Those who like spicy food can add it to their noodles — it’s really flavorful.

Plain noodles – 50 NT / large bowl

The portion of the large bowl of plain noodles exceeded our expectations — it’s really quite a lot. Seasoned with homemade lard and fried shallots, topped with blanched pork slices and bean sprouts, it’s simple yet deeply flavorful. After a light mix, the aroma comes out.

The handmade plain noodles do indeed have a good chew, giving off the aroma of lard and fried shallots. The saltiness is just right, not greasy at all, and the taste is on par with the old shop.

Wonton noodles – 50 NT / small bowl

The soup is a bit darker in color, probably due to seasoning. It’s extremely smooth to drink. As someone who’s usually picky about noodle soups, I feel this old-time noodle soup hits the right note.

There are a few wontons, which are just average in size, but their simple flavor complements the soup nicely.

Steamed egg soup – 20 NT

Clear broth with pork bone paired with steamed egg — this is a rather unique dish, perhaps a variation that came about in earlier times when people had limited income.

For customers, in the past you had to go to Luchuan Street to get the old shop’s plain noodles. Now with the branch, those who want to try it can head to the Yucheng Road branch nearby. There aren’t many noodle stalls that make their own lard and fried shallots. The important thing is the food is delicious and the prices are reasonable — definitely worth recommending for everyone to try.

Address: No. 1602, Yucheng Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City
Map:https://goo.gl/maps/ujSzuZHiknA2
Business hours: 11:00–20:30
Day off: Thursday

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