Best Noodles in Taipei—Noodles Lee Review: Menu & Price
Best Noodles in Taipei—Noodles Lee Review: All-You-Can-Eat
The biggest feature of Noodles Lee is the all-you-can-eat side dishes and drinks. As one of the best noodles places in Taipei, it is a popular and affordable choice near Zhongshan Station. The combo meals start at NTD$240 and allows you to fully enjoy the side dish buffet.
When we went to Noodles Lee, there were 9 side dishes to choose from: 'Vegan Chicken' (It's actually a type of Taiwanese bean curd, it's not even made to resemble chicken), green papaya salad, julienned bamboo, small dried fish and tofu, Taiwanese kimchi, five-spice bean curd, broccoli salad, vinegar black fungus, and cucumber salad.
My personal favorite is the Taiwanese kimchi. Unlike the red and hot Korean kimchi, Taiwanese kimchi is not spicy, rather sour, and commonly served with stinky tofu. Noodles Lee's Taiwanese kimchee has a rich vinegar flavor that's very fragrant and tangy. It's refreshing and appetizing, especially during Taiwan's hot summers. I also enjoyed the other vegetable dishes. The broccoli has a savory garlic flavor and goes great with the chili oil sauce of the Sichuan wontons. Many shops make their cucumber salad way too bland, but Noodles Lee's version is zesty, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet. When paired with the sesame sauce of the Sichuan Spicy Sesame Noodles, it creates a delightful contrast of fresh and rich flavors. The cucumber is marinated just right, retaining its perfect crunchy texture.
The julienned bamboo salad is my friend's favorite, it's slightly sour, slightly spicy, and well-seasoned. He particularly enjoys Southeast Asian cuisine and was delighted to see the green papaya salad. The crunchy green papaya paired with cherry tomatoes create a delightful mix of sour and sweet flavors.
Every side dish at Noodles Lee is outstanding. The vinegar black fungus is paired with ginger shreds, and the black fungus is cooked to perfection, retaining its crispy texture without becoming sticky. The five-spice bean curd has a rich soybean aroma with a hint of star anise and cumin.
Best Noodles in Taipei—Noodles Lee Review: Mala Beef Trio Noodles
One of the signature noodle dishes at Noodles Lee is the Mala Spicy Beef Noodle, and this time I had the Mala Spicy Beef Trio Noodles, which uses the same broth base. This is called the 3 treasures of beef in Chinese. It's a lavish dish with beef, tendon, and beef tripe–the stomach of cows.
Of course, one of the highlight at Noodles Lee is their noodles. The thick, hand-pulled noodles have a perfectly chewy texture that stays al dente even after soaking in the soup for a while. The generous amount of noodles and meat made the meal very satisfying. I was full after just one meal, and couldn't have dinner that day. It truly is an excellent value for money.
What impressed me the most about Noodles Lee's Mala Beef Trio Noodles was the super tender beef tripe. The ones I've had in the past are often tough and rubbery. However, at Noodles Lee, the beef tripe has a slightly crunchy texture on the surface, while the rest of it is as tender as braised beef. The smooth muscle of the stomach walls contain less fiber and is therefore extremely soft.
Many beef noodles have meat that feels dry and hard, even though it's soaked in the soup. But the meat in Noodles Lee's Mala Beef-Trio Noodles is perfectly tender and soft. The beef tendon is also braised to perfection and my teeth easily sank into it with just the slightest touch.
The combo comes with wonton in chili oil, which has a well-balanced sour and spicy taste. Like the broth of the Mala Beef-Trio Noodles , the wonton in chili oil is not greasy at all, the sauce is not overly oily or sticky and there's no thick layer of grease floating on the surface, making it a delightful and enjoyable dish. The wontons are firm and generously filled with meat. Though the wrap of the wontons are thin, it still has a nice firm bite to it. The leftover sauce from the wontons is great for dipping the vegetable side dishes, and also pairs well with some noodles.
Best Noodles in Taipei—Noodles Lee Review: Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken
One of Noodles Lee's signature dried noodles is the Sichuan Spicy Sesame Noodles with Beef. My friend chose the Sichuan Spicy Sesame Noodles with Smoked Chicken, which comes with the same sauce. The flavor of the Sichuan Spicy Sesame Noodles is quite unique. It combines sesame sauce with Sichuan chili sauce, creating a sweet and spicy taste with a hint of numbing sensation. The tossed noodles are garnished with shredded egg crepe, cucumber, and half a soft-boiled egg. The semi-liquid yolk of the soft-boiled egg is rich and smooth, making it extremely satisfying mixed in with the noodles. I believe this is a must-try dish for the summer!
I'm usually not a fan of chicken skin, but the skin of the smoked chicken at Noodles Lee is soft with a slight crunch, reminiscent of a cartilage-like texture. Combined with the chewy noodles, soft egg crepe, and crunchy cucumber, it creates a delightful mix of different textures. The rich sesame sauce complements the refreshing cucumber, and the smoked chicken adds a subtle smoky aroma, providing a multi-dimensional surprise. Additionally, I found that adding the sauce from the wonton in chili oil to the Sichuan Spicy Sesame Noodles with Smoked Chicken gives it a slightly tangy and spicy flavor, making it even more appetizing.
Besides the wonton in chili oil, the Tossed Noodle combo can also be paired with Wonton Chicken Soup. The soup base has a Taiwanese taste profile. The chicken broth is light, topped with scallions, and the prominent flavor is the white pepper. Although I didn't see any celery, I sensed a subtle celery aroma. Though this dish uses the same wonton as the wonton in chili oil, they managed to create an entirely different flavor for the soup. In the wonton chicken soup, you can distinctly taste the savory pork filling.
Best Noodles in Taipei—Store Info
Store name: Noodles Lee ZhongShan Branch
Address: No. 3, Lane 6, Alley 18, Nanjing West Road, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2558-2488
Instagram: https://instagram.com/noodleslee_tw
Facebook fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089381235370&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Take-out: Uber Eats
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