Miaodong Qingshui Pork Rib Noodles

Review

Miaodong Qingshui Pork Rib Noodles sits in a lane of Fengyuan's Miaodong Night Market. Founded in 1969 and now run by the third generation, it's a well-known queue spot that grew from a street stall into a business with a branch in Dali and counters in the Chung Yo and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department stores. The "Qingshui" in the name has nothing to do with Qingshui District; it comes from the founder's name — though one source names the founder as Chen Qing-wang, while another says it was the owner's father, Chen Qing-shui, known as Uncle Qingshui. Sources differ.

The menu has only three items: pork rib noodles, pork rib rice noodles and pork rib soup. A 2026 write-up lists each bowl at NT$120, an earlier report gave NT$100 for the noodles and NT$90 for the soup, and bowls reportedly once cost around NT$60. The ribs are cuts with cartilage, marinated in garlic and soy sauce, deep-fried and then soaked in broth or steamed, so the coating turns soft and fluffy. Pieces with tendon are springy and flavorful and get the most praise, and the meat is mostly tender and sweet. The yellow noodles are thick and keep softening in the broth, so eat them quickly. Ribs are also sold on their own to cook at home.

Opinions are mixed. One report calls the broth rich and tasty with generous portions, while a blogger found it light — shallot oil but not greasy — and bold-flavor fans may find it underseasoned. On the downside, some lean pieces are dry and tough, some are overfried and hard, and the cartilage pieces are too hard for some people, so the texture varies piece to piece.

Hours are 11:30 to 23:00, so it works as a late-night snack. The original listing says it closes on Wednesdays, but another source says it opens every day, so check before you go. The dining room is only about 17 to 20 square meters with few seats, and sharing tables is the norm. Takeout and dine-in have separate lines — takeout on the left, dine-in on the right. Takeout comes chilled and needs reheating at home following the instructions posted on the wall.

Perfect for anyone wandering Miaodong Night Market who wants a bowl of heritage pork rib noodles. The pork rib noodles are the classic first order, rice noodles if you'd rather skip wheat; if you prefer the tendon pieces, it's worth asking.