劉山東小吃店

The well-known old restaurant for beef noodles in Taipei is located near Taipei Main Station and was recommended in the inaugural 2018 Michelin Guide Taipei as a Bib Gourmand. Its reputation has already reached foreign tourists, and even during off-peak hours on weekdays, one must still join the queue with visitors from various countries and order in advance. Once seated, diners are expected to settle the bill when the food is served.

The dining space is somewhat small and feels cramped, but the air conditioning is comfortable and cool, allowing one to enjoy hot soup in the sweltering summer without breaking a sweat.

I ordered the clear-stewed beef noodles. There were plenty of beef chunks, but they were not tender; rather, they had a bit of a chewy problem. If this were a foreigner's first introduction to beef noodles, it might not pass as satisfactory. However, the thick noodles performed well; they weren't overly chewy, but they could absorb the flavor of the beef broth. The broth itself was tasty and fresh, though slightly oily, making the overall quality quite good.

On the table were the common pickled vegetables and the restaurant's special fermented black beans, but I personally don’t like that flavor, so I didn't try it.

I also ordered the braised tofu skin, which was perfectly infused with the sauce—not too dry or too wet—highlighting the bean flavor quite nicely! However, it was slightly salty upon first bite.