Lao Jie Ban Tiao

Review

Lao Jie Ban Tiao is at No. 31 Miaoqian Street on Beipu Old Street, within walking distance of No. 39 Leicha and Tsou Chi Cai Bao, and it is the ban tiao shop many visitors think of first when exploring the old street. The shop is a converted old house with irons, mooncake moulds and other everyday objects of the past on the walls, giving it a rustic, nostalgic air, and Supertaste has repeatedly put it on its Beipu must-eat lists.

The noodles are handmade, soft, springy and slippery, and the broth is simmered from pork bones for three to four hours. Dry ban tiao tossed with fried shallots and minced pork is the most ordered dish; dry wontons are another signature. The menu is broad, and Hakka dishes such as pork belly with preserved mustard greens, stir-fried intestines with ginger, bitter melon with plum and fern shoots are often recommended. It suits groups sharing plates, and a little over NT$100 per person is enough.

Fans praise the fair prices and generous portions, chewy, flavourful dry noodles and Hakka side dishes that go well with rice, and foreign travellers find it a good introduction to Hakka food. Critics find some dishes salty and the broth ordinary, note crowds and long waits at peak times, and say service gets rushed when staff are busy.

Supertaste has reported that dry ban tiao costs NT$65 and the preserved mustard pork NT$250, while an earlier report listed dry noodles and dry wontons at NT$50 each; prices have risen over the years, so check on site. Online listings show about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and to 6 p.m. at weekends, closed Wednesdays. Around noon is the busiest; arriving a little early or after 2 p.m. makes seating easier. Parking on the old street is hard, so use a lot on the edge.

Good for first-timers on Beipu Old Street wanting an authentic, affordable Hakka meal, and for family outings. Two or three people can order dry ban tiao and dry wontons, plus preserved mustard pork, fern shoots and stir-fried intestines, for a taste of Hakka classics.