No Name Noodles

Review

No Name Noodles is at No. 69 Shifu Road in the Central District, within walking distance of Taichung Station. Its low-key storefront is easy to miss, and the Second Market and Miyahara are close by. Michelin says it has been open for more than seventy years over three generations, serving home-style Shanghai noodles made by a noodle factory to the family recipe without chemical additives, and it has been a Bib Gourmand for many years.

Michelin and bloggers both recommend the pickled vegetable noodles (about NT$75): the soup is not oily and the pickles are not too salty, light and appetising. The thin noodles have bite but soften quickly, so some suggest asking for them firmer, and a small bowl is close to a large one at ordinary shops. The pork chop is unbattered and served separately from the soup; some call it fresh while one writer finds it rather dry and dense. In the zha jiang noodles the sauce, with carrot and dried tofu, sits at the bottom and balances sweet and salty, so stir from the bottom up; the dan dan noodles open with sesame and finish with heat. A side-dish cabinet offers preserved mustard greens and many other small plates, to eat in or take away.

Bonus points go to the free pickled scallion lengths and stir-fried chilli; the scallions are slightly sour and crisp, and the house sour plum drink is a popular match for the noodles. One blogger praises the friendly staff who do not rush you to order. Others, however, find prices higher than at ordinary noodle shops, and opinions differ on the noodle texture.

It opens only from 7 am to 1:30 pm and is often full even on weekdays, so arrive before 11; when it is full you can wait under the arcade. The street outside is one-way and parking is hard, and Michelin says cash only. Sources differ on closing days, some saying only Sunday and others Sunday and Monday, so check before going.

It suits anyone after an old-school Shanghai brunch. On a first visit, order the pickled vegetable noodles or the pork chop version with a sour plum drink, pick a plate of preserved mustard greens from the cabinet and add the free pickled scallions.