Mai Mien Yen Tsai

Review

Mai Mien Yen Tsai is tucked away on Anxi Street in Dadaocheng. TVBS reports it has been in business for more than eighty years, and the Michelin Guide describes it as a small noodle shop run by the third generation, serving traditional Taiwanese brunch: oil noodles and rice vermicelli with assorted cuts. It is on the 2026 Michelin Bib Gourmand list and is one of the old shops locals around Dihua Street often recommend.

The broth is simmered from whole chickens, pork and offal, and the guide calls it clean and sweet. The noodles are yellow Taiwanese oil noodles with bean sprouts, chives and fried shallots, finished with sweet chili sauce, at NT$20 a bowl. The signature braised pork has crisp, fragrant skin and tender meat, and the guide notes it is only served after 10 a.m.; white-cut chicken and cuttlefish are other regular favorites.

Praise centers on honest prices, springy noodles, crisp braised pork and an unpretentious old-shop atmosphere, and many say a bowl plus a few sides costs less than expected. The main complaint is the lack of a price list: the owner portions and prices sides by party size, which first-timers can find opaque. Popular sides sell out later in the day, and a few people find the pork not crisp enough.

It opens daily 07:00–14:30, cash only, with no menu or price list on site; just tell the staff how many people you are and what you would like. Expect a queue around noon, though tables turn over fast and a 5–10 minute wait on weekdays is typical. The nearest MRT is Daqiaotou Station, about a seven-minute walk from Exit 1; the lanes are narrow, so driving is not recommended.

It suits anyone wanting an old-school Dadaocheng brunch or a solid meal before exploring Dihua Street. Come after 10 a.m. if you want the braised pork. Solo diners can order dry oil noodles with braised pork; groups of two or more can add white-cut chicken and cuttlefish and let the staff choose the sides. If you avoid spice, ask them to leave off the chili sauce.