Taiwan’s beloved dish, Beef Noodle Soup, can be found in major towns and cities across the country. However, in Taipei, the variety of beef noodles to choose from is a matter of personal preference. Do you prefer a heavier or lighter broth? Thinly sliced beef or robust chunks? Flavoured broth, like spicy or tangy tomato?
Where is the best Taipei beef noodle soup in Taipei?
I recommend trying the beef noodle soup at Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodle in Taipei.
Why is beef noodle soup so popular?
It is popular due to its rich and savoury flavour, tender beef, and comforting nature.
What is beef noodle soup?
Beef noodle soup is a popular dish consisting of beef, noodles, and a savory broth.
Have no fear, this post is here to guide you through 10 exceptional options for Beef Noodle Soup in Taipei. I’ll go through diverse broths, variations, and carefully outline the characteristics and distinctions among the bowls of beef noodles found throughout the capital. This guide aims to assist you in navigating the rich and varied landscape of Taipei’s beef noodle offerings, but most important to note is that they are uniquely delicious in their own right.
Table of Contents
紅燒 Spicy Soy Braised Broth Beef Noodle Soup
I believe it’s important to clarify my definition of 紅燒 as a spicy soy-braised broth. 紅燒 is typically a cooking method that results in the meat having a deep red flavour. This is often achieved using a red pigment such as paprika or chili. However, when discussing 紅燒 in relation to beef noodles, we are referring to the inclusion of soy sauce and a spicy fermented bean paste. The addition of these ingredients gives the meat a subtly spicy taste and a rich soy flavour.
牛肉麵 雞湯 Taiwan Beef Noodles · Chicken Soup
In addition to offering up a delicious beef noodles here, they also offer up a rather good chicken soup, too. However, we are here for the beef, so let’s get stuck in.
This restaurant specialises in a lightly spiced, 紅燒 spicy soy-based broth. The depth of flavour is impressive, and the variety of ingredients in their beef noodles is sure to inspire. Here, you can find the traditional Beef Noodle Soup, beef tendon, half beef and half beef tendon, beef stomach, and a combination of beef, tendon, and stomach. I highly recommended you to try the combination; make sure to order 大三元牛肉麵. Don’t forget to accompany your meal with plenty of those side plates; they are unmissable.
Some of the best side plates they have here are the pig blood cake, dried tofu, and tofu skin. No matter how many you order, they will cut them up and prepare them beautifully on a dish with a scattering of green onions and perhaps a dash of that thick soy sauce we all know and love.
You must order:
大三元牛肉麵 dà sān yuán niú ròu miàn – Beef noodle soup with a combination of meat
天下三絕 牛肉麵/紅酒 Tien Hsia San Chueh
Expect a step up in class with this Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded contender for one of the best Beef Noodle Soup Taipei has to offer. Perfectly balanced rich 紅燒 beef soup is paired with expertly cooked thick noodles and copious amounts of yummy beef. The beef here is cut thick, which allows for a really good bite and the beef flavour to shine through.
The Signature Beef Shank Beef Noodle Soup should not be missed here. Similarly, the Signature Beef Noodle Soup with beef tail, beef shank, beef tendon, and round heel muscle has everything you would ever want from a beef soup restaurant and should absolutely not be missed!
If this place is going on your list of places to eat but you don’t want to go through the potential hassle of confusing your order, then consider booking ahead of time so that you can just turn up to the restaurant having already paid, and enjoy your meal without any possible confusion.
Click this link to get the bowl of Beef Noodle with Red Wine at Tien Hsia San Chueh
You must order:
天下三絕牛肉麵 tiān xià sān jué niú ròu miàn – The (self proclaimed) best beef noodle soup in the world
竣師父牛肉麵 Master Jim Beef Noodle
Heavy vegetable flavours are the feature of the day here at Master Jim Beef Noodle Soup Taipei in this complex broth. The big chunks of carrot in here give a perfect sweetness to the broth that counters the salty spiciness of that fermented bean paste excellently. The thick cut beef and the perfectly braised tendon, however, are the stars of the show, making the Braised Beef and Tendon Soup unmissable. Here’s my recommendation when ordering on the menu for the noodles: Sliced noodles (wide), Firm. The firmness here is all about the noodles. They should always, always, always retain bite and integrity, otherwise they’re basically just dough.
You must order:
紅燒牛肉麵 hóng shāo niú ròu miàn – House special Hong Shao beef noodle soup
清燉 Clear Broth Beef Noodle Soup
Next we move on to the 清燉 soup, which is the clear broth. Essentially this is a broth without the fermented bean paste and much less soy sauce. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that it is much less salty than the 紅燒 counterpart. Some would say that those extra ingredients add more depth of flavour, but there’s certainly something to be said for a lighter soup, especially for lunch.
劉山東牛肉麵 Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
While Liushandong also has a really good 紅燒 broth, their 清燉 clear broth is really good, too. The depth of flavour in this clear broth is intense, considering the fresh lightness of it all. The beef here is a different cut, and is flecked throughout the bowl here and there. The flavour of the meat itself is really good, if not slightly more on the salty side. The noodles here are really chewy and filling and the whole bowl is a masterpiece in what Beef Noodle Soup Taipei restaurants should be aiming for.
The tofu here at Liushandong is really top drawer. It’s fluffy, airy, and heavy with the tofu flavour. Due to all the air pockets inside and the way in which it is cooked and cut, it takes on lots of that beef broth if you dunk it right on in your beef soup, too. The peanuts are delicious, too, and certainly worth ordering. Liushandong is also perfectly situation right behind Taipei Main Station, too, so if you’re only here for a short time then this is a must eat.
Taipei Restaurant – 劉山東牛肉麵 Top quality Beef Noodle Soup at LiuShanDong.
You must order:
清燉牛肉麵 qīng dùn niú ròu miàn - Clear broth beef noodle soup
清真中國牛肉麵食館 Halal Chinese Beef Noodles (Da'An)
In the Michelin guide for several years now, Halal Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Taipei should absolutely be on your list of places to try 清燉 clear broth Beef Noodle Soup. The fragrance and the flavour that comes off each steaming bowl of delicious beef is amazing. You'll get several different cuts of beef in your bowl, including tendon, neck, and some shoulder. Each cut is just as good as each other, but the contrast of texture is what makes this bowl so special. As you finish your mouthful of food you'll get that incredible beef coating on your lips, luring you in for more.
The plates of cold cut meats are also prized here. Get some beef and some beef stomach cut up and served up for you to enjoy as a group to savour the chewy and delicate flavours. It's totally worth it.
You must order:
招牌清燉牛肉麵 zhāo pái qīng dùn niú ròu miàn - House special clear broth beef noodle soup
番茄 Tomato Based Beef Noodle Soup
A tomato-based Beef Noodle Soup introduces a unique twist by incorporating a tangy and slightly sweet broth enriched with tomatoes, adding that extra layer of umami flavour to an already amazing broth. While traditional Beef Noodle Soups emphasize rich, savory profiles, the tomato-based version adds a refreshing acidity, offering a contrasting alternative if you are seeking a different taste experience in the realm of Beef Noodle Soup in Taipei.
合歡刀削麵 Héhuān Dāoxiāomiàn (Hehuan Knife Cut Noodle Restaurant)
Not only does this tomato based Beef Noodle Soup bring the incredible tomato broth to the world, but it also brings the wonderfully thick hand cut noodles to your bowl, too. Carefully cut to order from a big block of dough straight into the boiling water, these noodles right here are celebrated for their chewiness, and are a marvel.
However, we are here for the tomato infused Beef Noodle Soup, so let's get right to that. Not only will you get the complexity of the acidic tomato coursing its way through the clear broth here. But you'll also get big chunks of flavourful tomato throughout the broth, too. They pair so beautifully well with the thin cut slices of beef. If you prefer a thicker cut of beef, then their 紅燒 soy braised Beef Noodle Soup is also pretty good, but I implore you to give this tomato Beef Noodle Soup a go, as I think you'll be impressed.
You must order:
番茄煮牛肉麵 fān qié zhǔ niú ròu miàn - Tomato broth beef noodle soup
甘記蕃茄刀削麵 Ganjì Fanjia Dao Xiao Mian
Beef soup tends to just get that little bit more flavourful and complex with the addition of tomato. At this spot right near Songjiang Nanjing MRT station you'll be greeted by an old-school fronted restaurant that emanates beef noodle smell through the air of the surrounding streets and alleyways.
So much of the menu here is noteworthy, but we are predominantly here for the tomato broth beef noodle soup, and my gosh it is good. The tomatoes are cooked slightly longer in the broth than the ones from Héhuān Dāoxiāomiàn above, and the broth significantly benefits from this. The flavour of the tomato melts into the broth just that little bit more. Similarly thick noodles adorn the bowl, with thick chunks of beef nestled in amongst the tomato and noodles in the bowl.
The flavour of this broth is wonderfully intense, and is perfect for those colder days in the capital.
You must order:
番茄牛肉麵 fān qié niú ròu miàn - Tomato broth beef noodle soup
The Best of Both Worlds
If you are a lone-gun Beef Noodle Soup lover, then you might benefit from the above differences in broth style. However, if you're going with other people, then you might be more curious about where you can some of the most amazing bowls of Beef Noodle Soup Taipei has to offer.
林東芳 Lin Dong Fang
Lin Dong Fang is an institution in Taipei. Only a few years ago was it a shack at the side of the road, but since moving to their new restaurant just a few doors down, the atmosphere and environment is so much cleaner and more welcoming. Their beef noodles haven't changed for years, and there's a good reason for that.
There's no difference in broth here, they are all more of a deep 紅燒 soy based broth compared to that 清燉 clear broth type. There's a good amount of flavour in that broth, and the quantity of beef is pretty good, too. It's more on the expensive side for Beef Noodle Soup, but the history and the decades of flavour cooked into each bowl tell you why. Undoubtedly the best bowl of beef noodles on the menu here is the tendon & Beef Noodle Soup.
You'll get a portion of beef and also a portion of tendon in the bowl. The contrast of textures is incredible, with the tendon bringing a silky bite and the chunks of meat bringing a hearty beef flavour.
The link below will allow you access to special package deals at Lin Dong Fang. They're totally worth it.
Special Package Link for Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodle Soup
Taipei Restaurant – Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodle Soup 林東芳牛肉麵 Is Easily One of the Best!
You must order:
半筋半肉麵 bàn jīn bàn ròu miàn - Tendon & Beef noodle soup
林記牛肉麵 Lin's Beef Noodles
Lin's Beef Noodles are hidden in a back alley just off the main road at Guting MRT station. This unassuming restaurant is quite small, but is absolutely worth paying attention to. Their broth is on the lighter side, and really benefits from the addition of pickled vegetables. They even have little soup wontons that you can add in the soup, which you should really make sure to capitalize on.
Thick cut delicate beef sits next to expertly cooked noodles at Lin's, with some of my favourite flavours in the city. The beef tendon is a must order.
While they have an array of delicious small plates, pickled cucumber is more-often-than-not my go-to order. The fresh crunch and slight sourness pair so nicely with the fresh chilli and the deep flavours of the beef soup. It cuts through the heavier beef flavour a little, and really brings out the quality of this restaurant.
Taipei Restaurant – 林記牛肉麵 Lin’s Beef Noodles, Some of the Best Beef Noodles Around!
You must order:
半筋肉麵+餛飩 bàn jīn ròu miàn+hún tún- Tendon & Beef noodle soup + soup wontons
老山東牛肉麺(萬祥號麵莊) Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles
Wanhua is home to many amazing restaurants. Just south of Ximen, Wanhua benefits from a slightly older generation of inhabitants, with some amazing flavours scattered all over the area. Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles has been here for decades, and will most likely continue to be here for decades to come with many years of recommendation in The Michelin Guide cementing its place in the community. The beef broth here makes it one of the best bowls in the city, and that alone is enough of a reason to get yourself here.
The 3 treasures bowl is my go-to here, with chunks of beef, tendon, and tripe all in the bowl waiting for you. The noodles are expertly cooked, and come in on the wider side of a noodle, without being too thick or dense. The broth is a deep rich flavour throughout, but goes so nicely with the copious amounts of ingredients it surrounds in the bowl.
You must order:
牛三寶 niú sān bǎo - 3 treasures (beef, tendon, and tripe)
My Favourite Beef Noodle Soup Taipei
There are so many to choose from, that choosing one stand-out bowl is quite the task. However, I think my favourite bowl in the city has to be 劉山東牛肉麵 Liu Shandong Beef Noodles. The broth is perfect, the noodles are really well cooked, and the beef is right on-point. Not only that, but the side dishes are all really good, and the atmosphere is top quality.
The Bottom Line
If you don't have a regular Beef Noodle Soup restaurant in Taipei, this article should enable you to narrow it down just that little bit more. Whether you're looking for the heavy broth type of the 紅燒 soy based broth, the 清燉 clear broth, or the 番茄 tomato based broth, Taipei really has it all. Truth be told, you can't go too far wrong with any of the bowls scattered around, but there are some that are worth travelling for just that little bit more.