Lin’s Beef Noodles is an extraordinary beef noodle soup restaurant that prides itself on maintaining a traditionally rich, yet light soup. Each spoonful transports diners to a Taiwan of the past, where simple, delicate, unadulterated broth is left to sing in the bowl, surrounded by delicious chunks of beef (and beef tendon, of course!).
Lin’s Beef Noodles stands out with its intentionally succinct menu, a testament to their dedication to perfection. Choose from a select range of items, each meticulously crafted to showcase the artistry of Taiwanese cuisine. The star of the show is, of course, their renowned beef noodle soup. From the tender beef that melts in your mouth to the meticulously cooked noodles that provide the perfect texture, everything sings with comfort, tradition, and flavour.
Step into Lin’s Beef Noodles and go on a culinary adventure that both honours and celebrates tradition. As you appreciate every spoonful of their excellent beef noodle soup, let the aroma of simmering broth and the warmth of the restaurant surround and intoxicate you. It’s more than a meal; it’s an experience that captures the spirit and soul of Taiwanese cuisine.
Unveiling the Ultimate Taipei Beef Noodle Paradise: 10 Flavours, 1 Delicious Foodie Tour!
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Unremarkable in every way, but this all adds to the allure of this spot. Oftentimes you'll find that some of the most unremarkable-looking hole-in-the-wall restaurants/shacks serve up some of the best food in this city. Down a side alley out of Exit 6 of Guting MRT, you'll almost stumble across this side alley eatery as you follow your nose to the smell of slowly bubbling beef noodle soup.
The Menu at Lin's Beef Noodles
When you go in, you should tell the cook what you would like to eat - there are no paper menus here, so be prepared. Just as well that you're here. Check below for how to say items on the menu:
- Beef Noodle Soup
- 牛肉麵 Niú ròu miàn
- Beef and Beef Tendon Noodle Soup
- 半筋肉麵 bàn jīn ròu miàn
- Beef Tendon Noodle Soup
- 牛筋麵 niú jīn miàn
- Beef Noodle Soup (No beef chunks, just the broth with noodles)
- 牛肉湯麵 niú ròu tāng miàn
- Wanton Noodle Soup
- 餛飩麵 hún tún miàn
- Sesame Sauce Noodles
- 麻醬麵 má jiàng miàn
- Wanton Soup
- 餛飩湯 hún tún tāng
- Egg Drop Soup
- 蛋包湯 dàn bāo tāng
- Add Wantons
- 加餛飩 jiā hún tún
- Add an Egg
- 加蛋 jiā dàn
- Small Plates
- 小菜 xiǎo cài
Once you have decided what you want to eat, grab any of the small side dishes you see and take them to your table. Everything will be totalled up and the bill will be paid on the way out.
At your table, you will see this spicy beef sauce, and you should definitely be happy to see this! I'd, of course, encourage you to eat your beef noodle soup the way you feel most comfortable doing so. But after a while, if you want to mix it up a bit, you should definitely drop a spoonful of this spicy beef sauce into the soup. Stir it in and watch the fat and chilli melt into the broth and elevate it to new levels!
You'll also find these pickled mustard greens at your table. These are really popular in Taiwanese food. You'll find them in Taiwanese breakfasts, as well as a dressing for a beef noodle soup like this one. They add a mildly pickled flavour to your broth. I like them with my Taiwanese breakfast shao bing, but I'm not a big fan of them in my beef noodle soup as I find that they can sometimes sully the broth and get stuck in between my teeth...
What we ordered
Side Plate - Pickled Cucumber
小菜 xiǎo cài
I often pick up a plate of pickled something to pair with my beef noodle soup, so I was glad to see that Lin's Beef Noodles had plenty to choose from. My recommendation would be the cucumber, as it is refreshing (cucumber is something like 96% water, anyway) and the pickled nature manages to cut through the richness of the broth really nicely.
Tendon & Beef noodle soup (small) w/ wontons
半筋肉麵(小碗) bàn jīn ròu miàn (Xiǎo wǎn) + 加餛飩 jiā hún tún
Not one to do things by halves, I had to add wontons, pickled mustard greens, and the beef chilli sauce. I mean, c'mon?!
As everything sits in the bowl, swimming together and waiting for me to dive in, It's almost painful to take pictures as I smell the broth cruising through the air. However, I wasn't too worried about the dish getting cold, as the bowl is one of those double-walled metal bowls that retains heat better than most.
The Noodles
The noodles here at Lin's Beef Noodles are thick, not soggy, not crunchy, but just right. They might not be the best noodles you may ever taste, but they are still really good. They have managed to absorb some of the broth that they sit in, without allowing the edges to become soggy, which is no mean feat.
The Beef
The cut of beef used in Lin's Beef Noodles is beef shank. Its collagen-rich connective tissues yield a broth infused with deep, savoury flavour and a luxuriously gelatinous texture. Remarkably, despite its initial toughness, beef shank becomes tender through slow cooking, effortlessly shredding or slicing to create that melt-in-your-mouth experience you want from a good bowl of beef noodle soup. The collagen's contribution to the broth's slight gelatinous quality enhances the mouthfeel, embodying the hallmark of a satisfying beef noodle soup.
Personally, I much prefer chunks of beef shank in comparison to slices of beef. I appreciate the chunky, silky smooth feel as I bite down and feel that fat melt into the meat. But that's not all!
What about the beef tendon, I hear you ask? Well, lurking in the background there you will see it sitting pretty in the bowl.
In my haste to chow down, I took a far-too-blurry picture, and for that I (sort of don't, really, as it was delicious) apologize. What I can say is that it was silky smooth on the outside, but as you bite down you meet a slight resistance in the tendon that is magically imparted with this deep, rich beef flavour.
The Wontons
3 of these wantons are what you'll get in the bowl, which feels like a bit of a steal with their low cost to add to the bowl. I'd encourage you to get them if you're hungry, but in all honesty - you're not missing out if you don't get them. I didn't think they had an awful lot of flavour, really. But, I am glad that I tried them.
The bottom line
Is it worth it? It's an inexpensive lunch spot for a bowl of hearty beef noodle soup. So, yes, it's worth it.
What is the best dish? The Beef and Beef tendon noodle soup is where it's at. I won't bother with the wantons next time, but I will definitely pair my meal with that pickled cucumber again.
Are there any other places like this? It's no secret that there are many beef noodle soup restaurants around Taiwan. I think that Lin's Beef Noodles is an excellent example of a traditional Taiwanese restaurant that has barely changed over the years (for the better). But, if you're looking for more excellent beef noodle soup restaurants to compare it to, I highly recommend:
Taipei Restaurant – 劉山東牛肉麵 Top quality Beef Noodle Soup at LiuShanDong.