Huo La-a Noodles & Mi Tai Mu

Review

Huo La-a Noodles & Mi Tai Mu is on Bo'ai Road around Yuanlin Market. Reports also call it Huo Mi Tai Mu or A-Huo La-a Noodles, all the same stall. The 'Huo' comes from the first-generation owner, Lai Huo-mu, and a 2018 report said it had been operating in Yuanlin for about seventy years, a long-time brunch spot for locals. Several other la-a noodle stalls line Bo'ai Road, forming a small noodle cluster.

There are two signatures. The mi tai mu is a pure-rice noodle made in house; reports say the rice soaking and grinding start around 3 a.m., and the result is chewy and can be served sweet or savory. It is kept in an old water-jar style pottery vessel, reportedly kiln-fired in Shuili, a kind no longer made. La-a noodles are a Yuanlin specialty similar to cut noodles: pre-boiled and tossed in peanut oil so they don't stick, then topped with hot broth, celery, chives, scallions and fried shallots when ordered. The broth is simmered with pork skin, pork shoulder and intestines, light and sweet.

Diners and media generally suggest ordering a bowl of noodles with a mixed soup and a plate of assorted cuts, adding chili sauce, vinegar and garlic paste from the table as you like. One local way is half la-a noodles and half mi tai mu, mixed with sweet chili sauce and plenty of garlic. Note that mi tai mu clumps and loses its texture once it cools, and reports repeatedly advise eating it hot. Most coverage is fairly old, so recent information is limited.

In 2018 prices were NT$30 for soup versions and NT$35 for dry; the shop adjusted prices in 2025, so go by what is posted on site. Hours are given as 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in one source and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in another, so sources differ, though Thursday closures are fairly consistent. Parking around the market is hard, so walk or ride a scooter.

It suits anyone who wants a bowl of Yuanlin's own noodles for brunch. On a first visit, order dry la-a noodles with mi tai mu in soup, or simply have them half and half, plus a plate of assorted cuts with extra garlic paste.