Liu Shandong Beef Noodle Soup - The Best Bowl in all of Taiwan!

I’ll be honest, I accidentally stumbled upon Liu Shandong while looking for a great place to eat Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Little did I know that I have found an eatery that is claimed to be the best beef noodles in Taipei!

I’ve only had beef noodles once in my life (at a different shop) and that was with my father on a previous trip to Taiwan in 2018. My dad absolutely loved it and it has since become his favorite dish. Let’s see if Liu Shandong Beef Noodle Soup can recreate those delicious memories :)

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Famous Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

liu shandong beef noodle soup — *Liu Shandong has been here for over 70 years!*

That’s right, this little eatery that’s hidden in the tight alleyways Taipei’s Zhongzheng district, is well loved by the locals an is known to serve the best Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup.

The Noodle Soup is so good in fact, that Liu Shandong had been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand for Taipei’s Michelin Guide!

Another thing I’ve learnt is that Liu Shandong was first opened in 1951, right after the end of the Second World War, so not only are you eating the best beef noodles in Taipei, you are also eating a piece of history.

Also a tip, I advise you come early because as soon as the restaurant opens, it’s gonna be packed full of people. Plus there is little seating, when I went I had to share a table with another group.

Liu Shadong Beef Noodles Menu

liu shandong beef noodles menu — *A simple yet concise menu*

Liu Shandong’s menu is simple with only a few noodle dishes and a few side dishes. Of course the beef noodles are front and center here with 2 main options:

Pure Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Braised Beef Noodle Soup with clear broth
Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Braised Beef Noodle Soup with a rich beefy broth

There are some other noodle dishes such as ones with pork chops, or a thick minced pork sauce. But no doubt the Braised Beef Noodles is what everyone goes to Liu Shandong for.

Liu Shandong also has some side dishes available like:

Fried Pork Chops
Dried Tofu
Pickles
Cold Cucumbers
Marinated Bean Curd

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles Pricing

The pricing at Liu Shandong is more than fair and quite cheap as well. A bowl of either versions of the Beef Noodle Soup will go for 160 TWD, roughly 5 USD.

With side dishes coming in at 20 TWD for each side dish, around 0.60 USD.

As someone who came from Thailand where a hearty bowl of noodles here cost around 2.50 USD, these beef noodles are well worth it, not even mentioning that the portions are huge and satisfyingly filling.

Braised Beef Noodle Soup

liu shandong taiwanese beef noodle soup — *I’m craving these noodles as I’m writing this*

Unfortunately my dad wasn’t with me on this trip, in his place is my girlfriend. I ordered the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. Another thing I need to mention is that these beef noodles are Shandong Style Beef Noodles Soups, after the hometown of the owner.

When my bowl was served my face literally lit up with joy, it just looked and smelled so beautiful with all the meaty chunks of braised beef in that rich flavorful broth.

The first thing I did was to taste some of the broth, the broth was a bit salty, beefy, and complex in flavor. Despite the richness of the flavor, it didn’t feel fatty or oily at all, it was really clean and smooth. A great start to this bowl of beef noodles.

taiwanese beef noodle soup liu shandong — *Possibly the most tender chunk of stewed beef I have ever put in my mouth*

The beef was tender as heck. I can literally just bit it with my lips and it would break. There wasn’t that much fat as all the fat has rendered into the broth while the beef was stewing.

The beef wasn’t just tender, it is also flavorful as Liu Shandong uses beef breast instead of beef shin which other restaurants use, beef breast is more intense in flavor.

The noodles were THICK, which I love. Almost similar to Udon noodles, these noodles take about 15 minutes to cook due to their thickness, but when you’re eating them, they soft and a little chewy.

The texture of the noodles were also rough, unlike udon, so it’s not slime-y and it pairs well with holding in the rich flavor of the broth.

The noodles are very very filling, I usually have no problem filling my stomach with food but this Liu Shandong’s bowl of Beef Noodle Soup was a worthy challenger.

The Braised Beef Noodle soup is delicious, while not mind blowing, it is still very good.

Pure Braised Beef Noodle Soup

My girlfriend on the other hand, ordered the Pure Braised Beef Noodle Soup. The pure version was very different actually.

Aside from the obviously pure broth, which was clean and quite bland by the way, the beef was also a different cut and is more chewy and less flavorful than the regular braised beef noodle soup.

However, while this version wasn’t for me (and my girlfriend), I do see the appeal for people who would like a cleaner and healthier version.

Beef Noodle Soup Condiments

If you want some more flavor with your beef noodle soup, Liu Shandong gives you some condiments on your table to spice up your noodles. Classic condiments like chili black beans, chili oil, soy sauce, and chili paste.

I personally like to add chili oil as it creates another dimension of spicy flavor.

Conclusion

Pros

The Braised Beef Noodle Soup were delicious and perfect on a cold rainy day
Prices are very cheap and affordable
The portions were huge and very filling

Cons

A lot of people and the wait times can be long
Not a lot of seating, and you’re kind of pressured to eat quickly so other people can eat as well…

Overall I recommend you come to Liu Shandong Beef Noodles, the food was great, the price was great, and the portion was really great. While I didn’t like the pure noodle soup, I won’t hold that against my ratings as it’s just a personal opinion.

What I do have to say though is that, the seating is terrible, there are only 6 tables and it’s very cramp, plus the lines are long. Liu Shandong has been in business for well over 70 years now, they could at least expand the restaurant a bit to accommodate more customers…?

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles | 8 / 10

Phone: +886 2 2311 3581

Location: No. 2, Lane 14, Section 1, Kaifeng St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Opening Hours: 8:00AM - 8:00PM | Mon - Sun

Pricing: 160 TWD | $

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