Midnight rice vermicelli soup available here in Taipei Muzha — no more worrying about late-night hunger!

▲ Muzha Rice Vermicelli Soup. (Photo / Reporter Yang Xiaorou, the same below)

Reporter Yang Xiaorou / Comprehensive report

Taipei Muzha is a well-known educational district densely populated with schools, which means nightlife isn’t particularly bustling, and most shops close early — not very convenient for night owls or office workers heading home after late shifts. After 8 or 9 PM, options for dinner or a late-night snack are limited. But this “Muzha Rice Vermicelli Soup” shop goes against the norm, staying open from 5 PM to 2:30 AM, offering locals in the Muzha area a choice for dinner or a late-night bite.

▲ The menu at “Muzha Rice Vermicelli Soup,” featuring a wide variety of dishes.

▲ The shop offers homemade fermented black bean chili soy sauce (left), spicy but not salty, which pairs perfectly with their dishes.

Although named “Muzha Rice Vermicelli Soup,” this place doesn’t just serve that. They also offer spaghetti, thin wheat noodles, wonton noodles, cuttlefish thick soup, beef noodle soup, and other popular dishes. In addition to these, they serve common local favorites like pork ball soup, pork intestine soup, liver soup, and braised pork rice, all appearing frequently on the menu. Even outside of peak dinner hours, diners still have quite a few choices.

▲ The rice vermicelli soup here uses thick rice noodles, and the broth is simmered with pork bones and natural fruits and vegetables.

When you visit Muzha Rice Vermicelli Soup, you definitely have to try the rice vermicelli soup first. This shop uses thick rice noodles, which are chewy and soak up the broth without getting soggy. The soup is made with pork bones and natural fruits and vegetables, light yet sweet in flavor, with a hint of celery that enhances the aroma. Both large and small servings are hearty and satisfying.

▲ The mixed fried dish includes plenty of shrimp and oysters.

Aside from the signature rice vermicelli soup, the egg-fried series here is also very popular with netizens. The mixed fried oysters and shrimp have generous portions, with slightly charred edges that add flavor, and they’re cooked through — much tastier than many other places.

▲%Mixed side dishes and sliced meats are also a highlight of this shop. Netizens say the braised radish here is tender yet firm, retaining its natural sweetness, while the fried tofu is soft and juicy. The sliced pig tongue is well deboned, making it easy to eat with the dipping sauce, and the pig gum slice is a part you don’t often see — it has a nice crunch, and when paired with shredded ginger and the shop’s sour vinegar sauce, it’s very flavorful.