Inexpensive handmade udon noodles in New Taipei—slurp up these Q-textured, chewy noodles!

Text and photos byPingzi

Looking to enjoy delicious udon noodles and Japanese rice dishes, Pingzi this time takes everyone to visit Youyuan Udon. The shop’s signature udon noodles are Q (chewy) and smooth, and the Japanese rice dishes are generous in portion and ingredients, giving you a very satisfying fullness. The store’s tofu hot pot, oden, and other items are also very flavorful, and the prices are very affordable, making it high-value budget-friendly food.

Youyuan Udon is located near Dapinglin Station on the Taipei MRT. It’s just a 10-minute walk from the station. After exiting, head straight along Beixin Road, then turn right onto Dafeng Road to reach the shop. The location is very convenient and easy to find.

Youyuan Udon is conveniently situated right at the corner, making it highly visible.

The entrance features transparent glass doors, and the front is adorned with many wooden signs displaying the food items available in the shop.

As you step inside, you’ll see a semi-open kitchen where you can observe the chefs preparing the food, which adds peace of mind. The kitchen is visibly clean and well-organized, further reassuring you about food safety—highly recommended!

On the side, utensils and drinks are self-service, so you can help yourself. There’s no service charge, and free hot tea is provided all day. In these tough economic times, such thoughtful service is truly touching.

Inside, there is a dining area with a total of seven wooden tables, including six four-seater tables and one two-seater table, accommodating up to 26 people. Though compact, the design here is far from careless.

The space features a strong blend of Sino-Japanese Zen aesthetics, complemented by Western-style pendant lighting. Dining here under the soft yellow light creates a cozy atmosphere. The great food here means that by lunchtime, the place quickly fills up. The best part is that they don’t close for lunch.

Calligraphy on the walls conveys the shop’s warm hospitality, good relationships, and messages of blessing—all adding to the positive vibes that bring in good business.

Each table is equipped with menus, tissues, and shichimi spice, all readily available and generously provided.

Flipping through the small menu, you’ll find just a few thoughtfully designed dishes. The selection isn’t extensive, ranging from noodle dishes to rice bowls, including cold noodles and light meals. Udon is offered in both dry and soup versions. Meal prices are very affordable, ranging from NT$100 to NT$150, making it great value for money. Pingzi ordered several dishes she’d like to recommend.

First up is the onsen tamago (hot spring egg), topped generously with nori (seaweed). Just seeing it served makes for an eye-catching presentation. Tasting the onsen tamago—its perfectly runny yolk and silky texture—is incredibly smooth and absolutely delicious. It’s a must-order side dish here.

Tofu Hot Pot – 100 NTDAs soon as it arrives, it catches your eye, making you wonder what it is. Turns out the tofu hot pot resembles a traditional clay pot dish, but here it comes with sticky rice. The bottom layer is packed with tender beef slices. The beef is very soft and juicy, allowing you to taste the freshness and natural sweetness of the meat. Paired with a sweet Japanese-style sauce, it enhances the flavor even more.

The stir-fried onion salad in the middle has a refreshing, sweet mayo-like flavor—it’s quite unique. It’s the first time I’ve seen udon paired with stir-fried onion salad, a really creative touch. There’s also an onsen tamago on the side, making the dish very hearty.

Next up—we introduce the staff’s top-recommended salad udon cold noodles, priced at 160 NTD. Just looking at the generous portion shows how generous the shop is, making your mouth water instantly.

The salad udon cold noodles mainly consist of beef, kimchi, mushrooms, and a cold onion salad, all arranged to fill the bowl. It's made using a dry-style preparation, which is quite unique, with udon noodles spread generously at the bottom.

The beef is chopped finely but still covers the whole bowl. It’s very tender and lets you enjoy the freshness and natural sweetness of the meat. Combined with the sweet Japanese-style sauce, it adds another layer of flavor.

The stir-fried onion salad in the center offers a refreshing, sweet mayo flavor—it’s truly unique. It’s the first time I’ve seen udon paired with stir-fried onion salad, such a creative combo. There’s also an onsen tamago on the side, making it super filling.

Biting into the onsen tamago, you get that semi-runny yolk with its silky texture—so delicious.

The texture of the udon cold noodles here is excellent. The noodles are fresh and directly boiled, which takes around 10 minutes or more, giving them a great chewy and elastic bite. The mix of toppings on top complements the noodles, offering a unique way to enjoy udon that isn’t in soup form—a creative take on this classic dish.

The spicy and crispy kimchi adds a lot of flavor and a fusion twist, making this bowl of udon incredibly rich and satisfying.

Pork belly rice set (130 TWD) Topped with plenty of pork cartilage and sprinkled with nori strips—it looks so generous. Just seeing the big portion is satisfying enough; you’ll feel full just by looking at it.

Just order the Japanese rice dish or udon noodles, and you’ll get a bowl of kelp soup that comes with a large, intact piece of kelp. The soup tastes savory and sweet, and it’s served hot — it’s really delicious.

The pork belly rice is generously topped, completely covering the rice underneath. Instead of using the usual pork slices, they opt for quite chewy pork cartilage (as shown above), which is really premium. The pork cartilage is stewed just right—you can enjoy both the texture of the cartilage and the meat as you bite in. It’s really delicious.

The rice here is cooked to a softer, smoother texture and mixed with a sweet Japanese-style sauce, adding an extra layer of aroma.

After seeing Pingzi's share about Youyuanhao Handmade Noodles, which specializes in udon noodles, N<,,,,,,,,,,.

Youyuanhao Handmade Noodles
02-2916-1685
No. 27, Dafeng Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City. (Near Dapinglin MRT Station)
Business hours: 11:00–20:00
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upssmile Pingzi (up’s smile – Upward Smile)!
She is a designer and also the photographer behind Upward Smile Travel, Food, Design & Photography.
Passionate about “Travel,” food, “Design,” photography, and movies.