A-Tian Clam Noodles

Review

A-Tian Clam Noodles is on Minzu Road, known as Changhua City's snack street. The shop has been passed down for about 50 years, many locals have eaten here since childhood, and reports say politicians and business figures drop by too. It is on the Changhua 500 Bowls list, and the storefront was recently renovated.

The broth is simmered daily from fresh pork bones, with plenty of clams and fried pork bits for aroma, then seasoned with garlic. It tastes sweet, rich and free of any fishy note. Sources differ on where the clams come from, some naming Wanggong fishing harbor in Fangyuan and others Lukang. A bowl of clam noodles is topped with more than 20 shelled clams, so there is no peeling as you eat, and the egg-enriched noodles are springy and hold the broth. The fried chicken roll is thin-skinned, crisp and not oily, with a firm filling of diced bamboo shoot and water chestnut, good with chili sauce. The pork rib noodles, rich in collagen and generous with meat, are also popular. There are dry noodles, clam soup, sausages and assorted meatballs as add-ons.

Reviews lean positive, and many say an hour-long wait is worth it. Older reports listed small clam noodles at NT$75, a chicken roll at NT$20 and a sausage at NT$15; no recent prices are published, so check on site. Some note that seats are hard to find at mealtimes and it feels crowded on busy weekends.

Closed Thursdays. Most sources give hours of 10:30am to 7:30pm, though others say 5:30pm or 8pm, so confirm before going. Lines are common at peak mealtimes, so avoid noon.

It suits lovers of seafood noodle soup who want a Changhua specialty. Order a bowl of clam noodles with a freshly fried chicken roll; with two people, add a bowl of pork rib noodles to share and compare the broths.