Beef noodle soup, or 牛肉麵 (niú ròu miàn) in Chinese, is a beloved dish by so many locals and visitors in Taipei’s vibrant food scene, and Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup is one of the best! This comforting and flavorful meal typically contains tender beef chunks, handmade noodles, and a rich broth that can vary in style from clear and light to spicy and heavy. If you want to read more detail about the different types of beef noodle soup in Taipei, you should check out my previous article entitled Unveiling the Ultimate Taipei Beef Noodle Paradise: 10 Flavours, 1 Delicious Foodie Tour! There are so many Taipei beef noodle soup restaurants, but what makes this one so special?
The versatility of beef noodle soup has allowed it to evolve, bringing influences from various cultures while maintaining its essence as a warm and comforting dish to be enjoyed throughout the year. From street vendors to upscale restaurants, beef noodle soup remains a beloved staple that offers a glimpse into the heart of Taiwanese culinary traditions, and right here is one of the best beef noodles Taipei has to offer.
Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup stands as a testament to the enduring love of traditional Taiwanese cuisine, but embraces innovation and even brings in an extensive array of different whiskeys that you should absolutely look to accompaniment. Named after the owner’s mother, Lai-Chin, Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup is rooted in family heritage and a passion for quality ingredients thoughtfully put together with care and attention to the finer details. The restaurant’s commitment to excellence is evident in every bowl, from the carefully aged, grass-fed beef absent of GMO corn beta-agonists, to the meticulously crafted soup base infused with Chinese herbs and spices for a total of 36 hours. Yes, beef soup that is simmered for 36 hours!
Beyond its classic clear broth, Shiyu also offers hearty tomato beef and fiery spicy beef noodles that can be served with or without soup. Each bowl showcases the dedication to innovation while preserving the essence of traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup anchored in the owner’s mother Lai-Chin’s memory. Focused on freshness, authenticity, and exceptional taste, Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup has rightfully earned its reputation as a must-visit destination for any discerning foodie exploring Taipei and looking for quintessential beef noodle soup in an attempt to connect with this incredible island’s rich history.
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Unveiling the Ultimate Taipei Beef Noodle Paradise: 10 Flavours, 1 Delicious Foodie Tour!
Less than 10 minutes walk from Songjiang Nanjing MRT station (check out this Google Map link for directions) on Jianguo North Road, you will come to an apartment building at No.66. As you head up 1 flight of stairs you will appear at the door to Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup's restaurant and enter into a time-gone-by atmosphere.
Your eyes will probably be drawn to the medicine-cabinet-looking bar and reception area fully stocked with a bar akin to that of a 5-star hotel. You may also notice on the right as you walk in that they also infuse their own alcohol on-site, which is very exciting for a restaurant famed for its beef noodle soup.
Antique clocks and other interesting articles can be found dotted all over the walls of Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup restaurant, and you'll also notice that not all tables or chairs are one of the same. The senses are intrigued from the moment you walk in, so you know you're not just here for delicious food and drink, but you're also here for an experience.
If you aren't sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup
4 dedicated beef noodle dishes, with the Spicy Dry Beef Noodles coming without a soup. We saw someone order these and they looked great, but we had already ordered too much. There's always next time!
The whisky offerings here are enough to draw in whisky aficionados alone. I will definitely be back (when I am not driving, like I was this time) for a whisky pairing with my meal.
What We Ordered
Shiyu Braised Assortment
Described on the menu as New Zealand and Stralia grass-fed beef with organic soy products, this was far more exciting than I had hoped for based on that description.
We have strips of chewy tofu, braised beef stomach, braised hard-boiled eggs, braised king oyster mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, edamame, and even some pork thrown in for good measure.
This should definitely be shared between 2-4 people, depending on your level of hunger and also what else you decide to eat. We shared between 2 and we also ordered a bowl of beef noodle soup each, too. It was a considerable amount and may have been better shared between 3, but we coped.
Everything on the plate is great, but I would say that the two things that caught my attention more were the braised king oyster mushrooms and the beef stomach. It's notoriously difficult to get flavour into king oyster mushrooms due to their texture, but these have clearly been braised for such a long time that the braised flavour has inevitably seeped in. This results in a flavour explosion in your mouth when you bite down, but you can still discern that it is a mushroom, too. The beef stomach is peppery, fragrant, and delightfully chewy. Strong beef flavours come through, and it pairs beautifully with the drinks on offer at the bar.
Lai-Chin Clear-Broth Beef Noodles
After reading about the origin of this beef broth, it felt rude not to order it. Steeped in family tradition, this broth sang with flavours rich in beef and fragrant aromatics. There are some goji berries thrown in there to elicit a sweetness, and the broth perfectly balances between rich and sweetness, if anything leaning more towards sweetness than richness.
The noodles are handmade and are good. I don't know if it's a compliment to say that they neither looked nor tasted handmade, though. They had great seasoning to them and brought the carbs that we all crave when chowing down on our favourite bowl of Taipei beef noodle soup.
The chunks of beef were right on the money. Clearly selected for the balance of lean and fatty meat, and cut to be the perfect mouthful in each chunk, they sucked in the juices and essence of that clear broth in homage to momma Lai-Chin. The clarity of the broth is inspiring. There was clearly a long process of refinement and testing that has gone into a 36-hour simmer with a dozen Chinese herbal spices as well as onions and vegetables. It's a triumph of flavours.
Tomato Beef Noodles
When I look to eat a perfect bowl of Taipei beef noodle soup, I invariably look for a tomato base. Some would call that sacrilege, but I quite frankly don't care. There's something that tomato does to a beef broth and those chunks of beef that I just can't get enough of. It could be the tangy element that they bring, it could be the sweetness, maybe even the texture. Or, it could just be a mix of all of the above.
This beef broth with tomato is balanced beautifully and hits the mark with rich tomato coming through in abundance. The broth still maintains its clarity, but brings bags of flavour with it as it does so.
A different cut of beef is used in the tomato beef noodles than in the clear-broth beef noodles. I have absolute faith in the owner that through trial and error, there is a clear reason for this. I really liked the beef in these tomato beef noodles, and it came with a texture not dissimilar to a delicate beef jerky. That is to say that it was intensely beefy, and came with a mild sweetness (probably brought in through the tomato), that I just loved.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? When looking for a great bowl of Taipei beef noodle soup, you should definitely consider Shi Yu Beef Noodle Soup. Come here in the evening, get a bowl of their incredible soup, and pair it with a whisky for good measure. I'll see you there!
What is the best dish? The stand-out at Shi Yu beef noodle soup, in my opinion, is the clear-broth beef noodle soup. There are many Taipei beef noodle soup restaurants that stick some beef in a bowl and put a lightly simmered beef bone broth over the top, but Shi Yu beef noodle soup's dedication to flavour and responsible sourcing of ingredients really shines through.
Are there other places like this? You're likely to find a beef noodle soup restaurant on almost all roads in Taipei. But, you're unlikely to find one anywhere with this atmosphere, innovative collaboration with whisky and other drinks, that is this responsibly put together.