Wenchang Zhajiang Noodles

Review

Wenchang Zhajiang Noodles is on Wenchang Road in Yilan City, in the old town near the City God Temple. Supertaste describes it as a local old-style noodle shop with about thirty years of history, and it is a name Yilan people often bring up when talking about zhajiang noodles. The sign notes that it has no branches.

The menu is mainly noodles and soups. The bean-sauce noodles are the signature, with a dark, faintly sweet sauce that coats the noodles once tossed. Another popular choice is noodles with crispy fried pork chop, which some people come specifically for. For soup, wonton soup or wonton-and-fishball soup is the usual pick, and for many a bowl of dry noodles plus a bowl of soup makes a meal. Reports all mention big portions; even the small bowl is generous, so lighter eaters should start small.

Diners often praise the low prices, large portions and quick service, the light, tasty wonton soup, and the old-school feel of watching the owner cook non-stop at the stove. Criticism includes a sauce some find too mild, thick and thin noodles occasionally mixed together, and queuing in the sun at noon, though tables turn over fast and most say they are seated within twenty minutes.

According to the shop's info page, it opens from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closes on Tuesdays; go by what you find on site. It is often full even on weekday afternoons, so come at breakfast time for a shorter queue. The shop is a traditional, compact noodle house, parking nearby is mostly on the street, and the easiest way in is on foot from the City God Temple area.

It suits anyone after cheap local noodles or a savoury breakfast, and fits nicely into a morning around the City God Temple. First-timers can play it safe with a small bowl of zhajiang noodles and a wonton soup; bigger appetites can add the crispy pork chop noodles. Adjust with the chili and vinegar on the table.