A bowl for NT$400?! The ultra-popular premium braised beef noodles in Ximending

Written & photographed bySan Gao Eats China

I suddenly realized I’ve hardly written any food reviews about beef noodles. The few times they’ve appeared in my posts, they were just side characters, not because I don’t like them, but because most of the beef noodles I’ve had outside— including many highly recommended ones online—have generally been just okay (not to my taste). Over time, I ended up eating them less and less.

But when I saw a friend visit this place several times, I got curious. This trip to Ximending gave me the perfect excuse to check it out, and wow—it was really good. The broth and the beef both felt like they were made with care and effort. I’d definitely come back if I get the chance~

When you get to the door, be sure to fill out the little notebook on the right to reserve your spot in line. Then just wait for the staff to call you. Around noon on a Saturday at 12:30, we waited about 10 minutes before being seated. By the time we came out after eating, wow—the place was packed.

Since it’s not every day I come here, I went straight for the limited-edition and most expensive premium braised Manchu-style beef noodles (NT$400). After being seated, there was still a short wait for this one, so I started with some of the other side dishes I ordered.

The hot dry tofu was delicious—soft texture that didn’t scrape the mouth at all, and the inside was soaked with broth that tasted almost like a clear braised beef soup. It also seemed to have sugar or something added to balance it out, giving it a slightly sweet and meaty aroma. So smooth. Adding a bit of the spicy sauce from the side dishes was also great. The braised beef intestines were alright in comparison—I liked the dry tofu preparation much more~

The premium braised version comes with a bowl of clear braised soup noodles and another small pot with the braised broth, so you can try both flavors. Perfect for foodies who can’t rest until they’ve tried everything.

The clear broth was tasty. In the past, the so-called “clear broth” I’ve had often lacked flavor or was just salty without depth. This one had me sipping quite a bit.

That pot of braised broth was rich and thick. I took a small sip—it was milder than I expected, with a hint of tomato sweetness, a blended aroma of Chinese herbs, and a slight spiciness. The saltiness was heavier, so it wasn’t ideal to drink straight.

Following the instructions, I added three spoonfuls to the clear broth noodles, turning it into a braised-style noodle dish, then transferred the beef over—done. This version included rib meat, tendon core, beef tendons, and honeycomb tripe slices—all big, hearty cuts, nothing skimpy.

The quality and preparation of the beef were really top-notch. Especially the thickly sliced tendon core—when I eat it out, I’m always worried it’ll be dry or tough, but this was nothing like that. The first bite had a bit of resistance with a springy feel, then it easily tore apart softly, with the fibers staying nice and juicy. The tendons mixed in just melted away in your mouth. The other pieces were good too, like the beef tendons which had a well-balanced Q texture, but the tendon core left the strongest impression.

I tried adding some of the spicy beef fat from the table, which naturally made the flavor richer and oilier.

Another way to eat it is to scoop out the noodles, mix them with the braised thick broth and pickled vegetables, making a dry noodle dish. Though the noodles themselves weren’t anything particularly special, the highlight of this meal was definitely the tendon core. I wonder if the regular version of the beef noodles would be much different?

Beef Shop’s Premium Braised Beef Noodles
Address: No. 91, Kunming St., Wanhua District, Taipei City
Business Hours: 11:30 AM–3:00 PM, 5:00 PM–8:30 PM (Closed Mondays)

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