Yongkang Knife-Cut Noodles

Review

Yongkang Knife-Cut Noodles is tucked into Lane 10 of Yongkang Street and is familiar to locals and visitors alike. At the entrance you can watch a machine shave the dough into ribbons of noodles, and passers-by often stop to take photos. It is less famous than the big-name beef noodle shops at the end of the lane, but it still draws mealtime queues.

The knife-cut noodles are thick, thinner at the edges and thicker in the middle, springy and chewy, and they soak up the broth well. The signature tomato beef noodle soup has the gentle sweetness and tang of tomato, the beef is braised until meltingly tender, and the tendon is soft and bouncy. The zhajiang noodles come with plenty of savoury meat sauce and show off the noodle texture best when eaten dry. Dumplings, hot and sour soup and a range of self-serve side dishes are also available.

Fans say the noodles are the highlight, the broth is not too salty, and the beef comes in big, plentiful pieces; a large bowl can feed two. Complaints include a Chinese-only menu, queues at peak times and few vegetables in the bowl; some diners found the sesame-sauce wontons disappointing in flavour and filling.

Lunch runs roughly from 11:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 17:00 to 20:30, and it is closed on Thursdays. A large beef noodle bowl is about NT$280 and a small one about NT$240. It fills up at mealtimes, so avoiding noon makes it easier to get a seat. It is about five minutes' walk from Dongmen MRT Station, and parking nearby is difficult.

It suits fans of thick, chewy noodles who want a different take on beef noodles, and anyone looking for a less touristy noodle shop on Yongkang Street. First-timers should order the tomato beef knife-cut noodles, with a companion trying the zhajiang version for comparison, plus a side dish or two. Light eaters will find a small bowl plenty.