Chiayi Huang's Cold Noodles & Cold Meatballs

Review

Chiayi Huang's Cold Noodles & Cold Meatballs is at No. 6 Xingzhong Street in the East District. Storm Media's Chiayi food roundup says it has been open for more than half a century and is now run by the third generation, a cold-noodle shop locals grow up eating; NOWnews also lists it alongside several turkey rice shops in its Chiayi recommendations. The name spells out its two signatures: cold noodles and cold meatballs.

The noodles are the wide, flat kind common in Chiayi, springy in texture, dressed with sesame sauce and a mayonnaise-style white sauce plus garlic paste, sweet with a garlicky edge, and there is sha-cha chili sauce on the table to add yourself. The cold meatball is a ba-wan steamed and then cooled, with a translucent, bouncy skin and a filling of bamboo shoot and minced pork, served with the same sauce as the noodles. Storm Media lists a small bowl of noodles at NT$35, and some diners add century-egg tofu.

Fans praise the chewy noodles and the balanced sweetness of the sesame sauce, finding it simple-looking but very satisfying and one of the defining Chiayi cold noodles; some love the punch of the garlic. Critics say it is only noodles, cucumber and sauce, which can get monotonous, and that the cold meatball skin is thick with little filling, an unusual texture for those used to hot ba-wan. The shop is small, and weekend queues are long.

Online listings show hours of about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Mondays, while Google shows it closed on both Monday and Tuesday; sources differ, so check before you go. Weekend afternoons are busy and seating is limited, so takeaway is a good option if you are short on time. The shop is on Xingzhong Street near the southern end of Wenhua Road, with mostly street parking nearby; a scooter is easiest.

Good for anyone comparing Chiayi cold-noodle styles or who likes a bold, garlicky sauce. First-timers can order a small bowl of noodles and one cold meatball, adding a little sha-cha chili sauce if it tastes mild; century-egg tofu makes it more filling. Expect about NT$35 to NT$100 per person. Its flavor differs from Cold Noodles & Four-Flavor Juice in the West District, so trying both in one day makes a fun comparison.