A refreshing beef noodle soup with a hint of Chinese herbs—Taipei’s “Gourmet” Beef Noodles and Soup Dumplings

Text & photos byXiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog

Beef noodles have somehow become ubiquitous—I mean, at least in Taipei. But finding a really good bowl isn’t all that easy. Good beef, aromatic broth, quality noodles—I can’t say I’ve found one that truly satisfies me just yet.

That day, on our way home with You Shang, we got hungry but couldn’t decide what to eat… Then, we happened to spot a sign at the alley entrance that read “Liu Family Beef Noodles.”

It looked like a newly opened shop. I also couldn’t quite remember what used to be here—was it “Goose Family Noodles”?? So we decided to check it out.

The decor inside wasn’t anything special. If I had to describe it, I’d say it felt a bit like a small Japanese diner… At least that was my first impression.

I was surprised to see quite a variety of dishes on the menu. I was originally thinking of ordering the stewed chicken noodles because they seemed more unique. But then I changed my mind and went with the beef noodles—after all, it’s “Liu Family Beef Noodles,” not “Liu Family Stewed Chicken Noodles.” That said, maybe calling it the latter would’ve been more enticing… since it leaves more to the imagination (laughs).

There were six jars of seasonings on the table, including pickled vegetables, but I didn’t use any of them.

I’m not sure why beef noodle shops always sell these little flower-dried tofu side dishes, and I don’t even know when I developed the habit of always ordering it with my beef noodles. Later, I realized I actually like how the flower tofu soaks in the beef broth—it’s not only juicy and satisfying to bite into, but the flavor also becomes more layered (the sweetness of the tofu mixed with the beef broth). Overall, the flower tofu here was pretty tasty.

The beef noodles weren’t particularly special, but I did go for the more unique “Gourmet Noodles.” Curious, I asked what “gourmet meat” meant, and the answer was “top blade meat”—essentially the concept of a “gourmet steak.” It cost 30 NT more than the regular beef noodles. But honestly, 140 NT for beef noodles is pretty reasonable in Taipei, right?

Let’s try this so-called “gourmet meat” first… The first bite reminded me a bit of beef shank, but with edges that had the soft, chewy texture of tendon. Overall, it felt like ordering a bowl of half-tendon, half-meat beef noodles, then stuffing two pieces into your mouth at once. Both the meat and the tendon had decent textures, though the meat was slightly less sweet.

The broth was on the lighter side, but not as purely clear as a clear-braised style. It had a faint hint of Chinese herbs, and the non-greasy, smooth flavor was quite pleasant—though it lacked a bit of a defining feature… or maybe what I mean is, it didn’t leave much of an impression afterward.

The noodles were like hand-pulled ones—light with good chewiness, though they weren’t my personal favorite type.

I also ordered a bowl of soup dumplings, though I only realized there was “stewed chicken noodles” after I’d already ordered. I felt too awkward to change my order.

The dumpling wrappers had a nice slight chew and sweetness, almost like handmade dumpling skins.

The filling, like the broth, leaned toward a light flavor profile, but there was more meat than veggies. It reminded me a bit of xiaolongbao filling, and it was pretty good.

Liu Family Beef Noodles
Address: No. 3, Lane 171, Minsheng West Road, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 0976-565085
Business Hours: 11:30–15:00, 16:00–21:00

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