A Warm Bowl of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup on a Cold Winter Day 🍲
It’s said that Taiwanese braised beef noodle soup was brought to Taiwan by Sichuanese veterans who followed the Nationalist army, so it carries a hint of spiciness 🌶️. The beef shank is stewed until tender, then stir-fried with fermented bean paste—rich, aromatic, and flavorful (unlike the completely non-spicy Shanghai version). Although I’ve never been to Taiwan or tried authentic Taiwanese beef noodles, this place completely met my expectations 🥢💫. I originally just wanted to find a random spot to avoid rush hour traffic and grab dinner, but I didn’t expect to find such a satisfying bowl of steaming hot noodles in such an unassuming place—tender beef, rich broth, and refreshing side dishes 🥬✨. The setup here is interesting—it feels like a mini food court with four fast-food vendors sharing one space 🍽️. The environment is clean and bright, right near the highway entrance. There aren’t many dine-in customers, but takeout orders are constantly pouring in 🚀, so wait times can be long during peak hours. 🍜 Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup The broth has a noticeable sweetness from vegetables 🥬 and a collagen-rich thickness. The beef uses slightly gelatinous shank meat, stewed until soft and moist. Toppings are abundant: sweet and sour pickled mustard greens, minced preserved vegetables, caramelized shallots, and a tomato-based red broth 🍅 that forms a glossy layer over chewy handmade noodles. Mildly spicy—acceptable for those who don’t eat spicy food, and just a light drizzle for spice lovers 🌧️. The beef 🥩 portion is generous; it may not look like much at first, but it’s all hiding underneath—the more you eat, the more you find! 🍲 Dan Dan Noodles Perhaps because the beef noodles were too impressive, the Dan Dan noodles seemed plain in comparison. The minced pork was a bit too salty, but the portion was large. One great detail: unlike the thin noodles in the beef soup, the Dan Dan noodles come with hand-pulled wide noodles—thoughtful touch! 🍗 Taiwanese Fried Chicken Three pieces: two drumsticks and one thigh. Overall just okay—seasoning was nice (like pepper salt with sugar), crispy skin, but not very flavorful and had a slight chicken odor. 💧 Free bottled water included Average per person: $25 💵 Environment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🅿️ Parking: Easy Drunken Kitchen 📍 2435 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 #SaltLakeCity #Utah #HiddenGem #WinterComfortFood #AffordableFeast #WeekendEats #FoodieHighDemand #WarmAndHearty #100RestaurantsChallenge #MyFoodDiary
