Yongchuan Beef Noodles (Zhongli Original)

Review

The Zhongli original of Yongchuan Beef Noodles is at No. 61-1 Minquan Road. In 1959 Liao Qing-yun, whose family came from Yongchuan in Sichuan, and his friend Wei Rong-an set up a stall beside Xinming Market. With no sign, customers called it Xinming Beef Noodles; the second generation, Wei Tai-hu, later renamed it Yongchuan to signal steady continuity. After some sixty years, it and Xinming Original next door are often named together as Zhongli's defining beef noodle shops.

The signature is Sichuan-style braised beef noodle soup: oily, salty and spicy, with a clear chilli bean paste aroma. The beef is half-tendon, half-meat shank, paired with wide, thick flat noodles made fresh daily, and Supertaste has reported the broth is simmered for hours from a large quantity of beef bones. If you avoid spice there are clear-broth and tomato versions, plus chive dumplings and self-serve side dishes from the fridge, with pickled mustard greens to add yourself.

Fans love the authentic old-school flavour, round-the-clock hours and good value; many say a hot bowl after a late shift or a red-eye arrival is a rare treat. Critics find it too salty and oily, the noodles sometimes soft and the broth not hot enough, while some feel the room is basic, service and hygiene slip at busy times, and parking nearby is hard.

The shop says it is open 24 hours, year-round, with rare exceptions. Prices compiled online list Sichuan-style and clear-broth beef noodles at NT$160 each, tomato beef noodles at NT$170, meatless beef broth noodles at NT$80, ten chive dumplings at NT$70 and side dishes around NT$45 to NT$55; check in store. Dine-in guests get one free top-up of soup and noodles, while takeaway extras usually cost more. Mealtimes and late night are busy, and street parking is scarce.

It suits lovers of bold Sichuan-style beef noodles, night owls and visitors hunting Zhongli's old names. First-timers should order the Sichuan-style bowl; mild spice is already noticeable, and you can ask for more soup and noodles halfway through. If salt is a concern, choose the clear broth. Groups can add a plate of chive dumplings and some fridge sides, and compare notes with Xinming next door.