Chiu Family Squid Rice Noodles

Review

Chiu Family Squid Rice Noodles sits at No. 251, Section 3, Guohua Street, and is one of the queue snacks named most often around Guohua Street and Yongle Market. The shop has built its reputation almost entirely on one bowl of baby squid rice noodles, and bloggers and travel round-ups place it alongside nearby rice pudding and gua bao stalls as a must-queue stop on Guohua Street, drawing both tourists and locals.

The star of the bowl is the squid. It is cut thick, with a crisp yet springy bite, and one blogger stresses that it is nothing like chewing a rubber band. The broth leans on seafood flavour, sweet and clean, and most people find no extra seasoning is needed. The noodles are the thick rice noodles common in Tainan, firm in texture and good at soaking up the broth, and one bowl is a comfortable portion for most diners.

Fans praise the fresh, bouncy squid and the sweet broth, and say that although the line is long it is well organised: you queue to order and pay first, and staff then assign a table. Critics find the broth a little salty and the seafood taste strong, so it may not suit people who dislike fishy flavours; others mention that the noodles are cut short and hard to slurp, and that there are no drinks and no toilet inside, so plan ahead.

Hours are roughly 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays. Dine-in waits are often about thirty minutes and longer at lunch peak, while after 2 p.m. is usually easier. On price, the same blog post first gives NT$120 a bowl and then mentions a rise to NT$130 from June 2026, so sources differ; check before you go. The new shop is bright, spacious and air-conditioned; there are private paid car parks nearby, but weekends are busy, so a scooter or walking is easier.

Good for anyone who loves seafood noodle soup and wants to try one of Guohua Street's famous queues. A single bowl of squid rice noodles covers the essentials, and you can add a little pepper to taste. In a group, one person can queue to order while the others pick up rice pudding or shaved ice nearby before meeting back.