If you’re near Dingxi MRT Station, Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup is a must-visit. Just a five-minute walk from the Dingxi MRT station, this cosy neighbourhood restaurant offers hearty, flavorful bowls at an unbeatable price of $150 or less. To put that into perspective, most Taipei Beef Noodle Soup restaurants charge $200 as a standard!
Taiwan’s beloved dish, Beef Noodle Soup, is a staple in neighbourhoods across the country. In Taipei, the choices are endless, reflecting personal preferences, but if you haven’t had the chance to check out Yonghe Beef Noodles yet, then you are missing out. Whether you want to savour a lighter broth or a heartier one, the options are abundant. If you are on the lookout for tender slices of beef or robust, flavourful chunks, or perhaps a broth infused with spice or tangy tomato, it’s just about as customisable as any bubble milk tea drink order!
Why is Beef Noodle Soup so popular?
Its popularity comes from the perfect balance of tender beef, comforting noodles, and a rich, savoury broth. It’s an iconic dish that consists of slow-cooked beef, chewy noodles, and a deeply satisfying broth that varies from stall to stall, making each bowl a unique experience.
Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup stands out as a Yonghe beef noodles institution for its authentic flavours and unbeatable value. Whether you’re a seasoned local or a curious traveller, this spot guarantees a comforting and delicious taste of Taiwan’s culinary tradition.
Table of Contents
A quick cross of the main road opposite Dingxi MRT station’s exit 1 and a dart down the small Xinyi Rd, you’ll find Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup restaurant. You’ll often find a short line outside the restaurant, but don’t let this put you off lining up as you must line up whether you want to eat in or take out.
Another important thing to note here is that everyone in your party must line up at the same time to be seated by the time you reach the front of the line. While this can be a hassle for that one friend who is always late, it’s of great benefit to the business owner and also the other customers whose friends can tell the time and appreciate punctuality.
The seating space inside this Yonghe beef noodle classic is limited, and most seats are packed in quite closely, but it’s great for a quick, filling bowl of beef noodle soup.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Yonghe Lao Huang 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 Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup
While waiting in line you can begin to get your order ready. The menu is simple and to the point - something a true foodie really understands! If a restaurant really is good at the food that it produces, then the menu should be small and concise, enabling it to truly put both heart and soul into every dish. Is this something unique to Yonghe Beef Noodles? Or is this something that Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodles simply finds that it works for them? Either way, I am happy to see it!
From left to right, the menu reads as follows:
- Small bowl of beef soup
- 牛肉湯小碗 - niú ròu tāng xiǎo wǎn
- Large bowl of beef soup
- 牛肉湯大碗 - niú ròu tāng dà wǎn
The four verticle lines furthest to the right are the types of noodles that you can order. They are as follows:
- Glass noodles
- 冬粉 - dōng fěn
- Thin noodles
- 細麵 - xì miàn
- Thick noodles
- 寬麵 - kuān miàn
- House special noodles
- 家常麵 - jiā cháng miàn
Whichever noodles you choose is down to personal preference, but I will always go for the thick noodles. This isn't because I think it's better bang for your buck or anything like that, but because I like my noodles with a bit of bite to them. I will never, ever choose glass noodles, and I will only sometimes get the thin noodles when the mood so takes me. However, when we got here and saw that the house special noodles somewhat represent a thicker version of the Italian-style tagliatelle pasta, I had to go for it.
We also happened to notice this weird and wonderful poster advertising Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup's 牛QQ Beef chewy bits - priced at $60 for 4 pieces. Intrigued, we also ordered that, too!
What We Ordered
Small Bowl of Beef Noodle Soup + Beef Chewy Bits
To call this a small bowl of beef noodle soup is something quite laughable. By no means was it small in any way. There are plenty of big chunks of beef in the bowl, all sat atop a generous handful of noodles. Decorated with some green onions, with the soup lurking deliciously around the edges - I was excited to get stuck into some of the best Yonghe beef noodles available!
The meat was the first thing that really struck me as being remarkable. The thickness of the cut, the generosity of the portion size, and the flavour of the beef were all amazing. It wasn't dry in any way, but simply fell apart in your mouth into a melting of fat and meat. The flavour was beefy, the texture was delicate, and it was savoury deliciousness with each bite.
Confused that our 牛QQ hadn't arrived, I started fishing around in my bowl and realised that we had each ordered a portion (4 slices, remember) or 牛QQ in our bowl of beef noodles. Chewy beefy tenderness came with each mouthful of this, and I was happy that I ordered it. While this did take each bowl closer to that $200 price tag of many Taipei beef noodle soup restaurants, the fact that we had added things to our bowl and it still didn't hit $200 is a staggering feat of genius from Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodles that will have me coming back again and again.
The noodz were also bang on the money. Thick, wide, chewy, soft, and plentiful. They had appropriately absorbed some of the rich beef soup that they were bathing in, but not so much as to make them soggy and claggy. I strongly encourage all to get the house-special noodles.
Finally, let's give a quick shout-out to Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup's actual soup broth. It's rich, it's salty, yet it's very nicely balanced with flavour. Sometimes you can leave a beef noodle soup restaurant needing a gallon of water to wash down the salty soup with, but I think that this Yonghe beef noodles classic had me feeling quite satisfied. Of course, it's not a light dish in any way, but I don't think it's an aggressively salty bowl at all.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? I would say that this is the best Yonghe beef noodle option in the area. While there are some incredible beef noodle soup restaurants in Taipei, if you're looking for a bowl that comes to under 200 per person, then this is a great shout. You could also follow it up with a short walk to Lehua Night Market for dessert afterwards, too!
What is the best dish? The beef noodles here at Yonghe Lao Huang Beef Noodle Soup are the stand-out dish because it's basically the only thing on the menu. But, even if it wasn't, I still think it would be difficult to beat this.
Are there other places like this? There are so many beef noodle soup restaurants dotted around Taipei, you can check them out in the post below:
Unveiling the Ultimate Taipei Beef Noodle Paradise: 10 Flavours, 1 Delicious Foodie Tour!