lao zhang beef noodle
老張牛肉麵

a solid choice for beef noodles

In a country of countless beef noodle soup places, the ones that have withstood the test of time are worth celebrating. Lao Zhang is one of these. Founded in 1958, this humble noodle shop started off as a street-side shack, gaining popularity among locals over the years and eventually opening a more formal restaurant just a short walk away in the Dongmen neighborhood, amidst the competitive foodie streets of Yong Kang.

Lao Zhang serves up the classic menu of options: beef noodle soup, some little side starter dishes (xiao cai), and steamed millet pork. They have three different options for the beef noodle soup, a dark soy braised beef that is a little spicy, a tomato and soy based broth, and a lighter stewed beef broth. They also have added a few other noodle options that use pork, for non-beef eaters.

In a country with endless choices of things to eat, Lao Zhang is a consistently solid choice. It might not be the most crowded spot on the block, but it has been around for long enough that you know they’re doing something right.

the details

AddressNo. 105, Aiguo East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Websitehttp://www.lao-zhang.com.tw/
Tripadvisorhttps://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g13811269-d6149237-Reviews-Lao_Zhang_Beef_Noodles_Diner-Da_an_Taipei.html
Hours11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00 every day
Price$-$$ – a “small” beef noodle soup is 220NT (~$7), and a large is $250NT ~$8), meat + tendon combos are a bit more expensive. 
Aestheticpretty simple restaurant with hints of traditional Chinese aesthetics

good to know

Go here for: beef noodles lol

Order this: beef noodles (the tomato broth is a popular choice, but they are all pretty good depending on what you prefer)

Amount of time to spend: casual meal, probably <1 hour, unlikely to be a long wait

When to come: any time is a good time

Getting here: take the MRT to Dongmen (red, orange) and use exit 5 following Lushui street until you reach the restaurant.

Other things to note: 

  • There is another longtime beef noodle spot on Hangzhou S Road, which is not the same even though it has the same name. It’s also quite popular and has been around since the 70s, with slightly cheaper pricing, (150NT or ~$5 for a small, $185 or ~$6 for a large beef noodle), but is a lot smaller. 
  • The small side dishes are self-serve

Last visited: April 2019

Last updated: August 2020

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