Lin Dong Fang Beef Noodles

Review

Lin Dong Fang sits at the corner of Bade Road Section 2 and Andong Street. A 2018 report said it had been around for over thirty years and was run by the second generation; it has moved a few times, yet many Taipei locals still treat it as the byword for beef noodles. That year it made Taipei's Michelin Bib Gourmand list, and it later opened a branch in Hong Kong. Sources differ on whether it remained on later Bib Gourmand lists.

The menu is simple: one broth, one flat noodle, topped with beef, tendon, tripe, half tendon and half beef, or plain. The broth is simmered from plenty of beef bones, offal and vegetables with a few Chinese herbs and no chili bean paste, so the ingredients' sweetness comes through; it sits between braised and clear styles. The shank and tendon are braised through, firm yet tender. Beef noodles cost NT$210 small and NT$240 large, and half tendon half beef NT$260 small and NT$310 large. Portions are big; even a small bowl is filling.

Diners' favorite extra is the well-braised tofu, along with the table's chili beef tallow and garlic chili, which change the broth completely. Late hours and fast service are pluses. On the downside, some say the flavor isn't what it used to be and the broth is salty, some staff seem cold, and seating is upstairs with no elevator.

It opens 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.; current listings show no fixed day off, though an older report said closed Sundays, so check before you go. Lunch and dinner are the busiest; late at night there's usually no wait. It is about a twelve-minute walk from Exit 8 of Nanjing Fuxing MRT Station, and parking nearby is tricky.

It suits anyone craving late-night beef noodles or a lighter, herb-scented broth. First-timers can order a small half tendon, half beef bowl with a plate of braised tofu, taste the broth plain, then stir in a little chili beef tallow; big eaters can upgrade to a large bowl.