Xi Shi Shantou Restaurant (Main Shop)

Review

The main shop of Xi Shi Shantou Restaurant is at No. 70 Xi'an Street in Hsinchu's North District, in the central market area and only minutes from the City God Temple. Supertaste reports that it has been running for more than fifty years, begun by the previous generation after they moved from Shantou in Guangdong, and that four brothers now run the main shop plus branches in Zhubei and on Beida Road. The News Lens also names it in a feature on Hsinchu market food as a decades-old sacha beef restaurant.

The signature is the house sacha sauce, whose recipe, Supertaste says, reportedly uses more than eighty ingredients. The mainstay is a sacha hotpot with fresh, never-frozen beef sliced to order and swished for a few seconds before dipping in sacha; the other must-order is sacha beef fried noodles, handmade yellow noodles tossed with plenty of beef. The News Lens also mentions stir-fried tripe with tomato and handmade fish dumplings. Supertaste printed prices of NT$80 for the beef fried noodles, NT$70 for beef ball soup and NT$300 for a two-person hotpot; these come from an older report, so check current prices in the shop.

Fans say the beef is fresh rather than frozen, the sacha broth is not too salty, the noodles have plenty of wok aroma, and even solo diners can be content with a bowl of beef soup; many locals grew up eating here with their parents. Critics find the beef lean and quick to toughen if overcooked, and not worth queuing for; others mention a dated interior and prices that are not cheap. Lunchtime hotpot often means a queue, but noodles and soups usually arrive fast.

According to online information, it opens roughly 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and closes on Thursdays, though sources differ, so check before going. It sits inside a traditional market with narrow lanes and little parking, so use a paid car park nearby and walk. The house sacha sauce is sold to take away and is a popular souvenir.

It suits sacha lovers and anyone wanting fresh beef, or visitors to the City God Temple and central market looking for a hot sit-down meal. Two or more should share a sacha beef hotpot plus a plate of beef fried noodles; solo diners can order the noodles with beef ball soup. Swish the beef for three to five seconds for the best texture. Expect about NT$150 to NT$400 per person.