Yong Kang Beef Noodles 永康牛肉麵

Profile

Address:   台北市大安路一段75巷9號1樓           
                   No. 9, Lane 75, Section 1, DàĀn Rd, Da-an District
Phone #:  02-2711-6298
Website: http://beefnoodle-master.com/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5

Decor:  4 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Recommendation: Slightly above average beef noodle soup, but pricier.

Review

Yong Kang Beef Noodles is a 40 year old beef noodle restaurant established by a veteran from the humble begginnings of a beef noodle stall. They feature authentic Si Chuan style beef noodle soup that is on the spicier and heavier that the average beef noodle. Their prices average 160 NT per bowl of beef noodle with their signature half meat half tendon beef noodle soup priced at 180 NT. The restaurant interior is above average in comparison to other beef noodle soup joints, and the service is better than average as well.

The interior is very clean with tables spread out with sufficient space so that you are not squeezing by everyone. The chairs they use are classier looking stools than the metal ones that you normally find at most beef noodle soup shops. They also have an attendant mannning the store that brings you your utensils, your order, and certain condiments. I don't remember any other beef noodle shop that brought these things out individually, because each table usually contains most of these items already. The interior design and quality of service was above average. 

I ordered their signature dish: the half meat half tendon beef noodle soup. The half meat half tendon beef noodle soup was definitely unique. Instead of giving you slices or chunks of beef and tendon, this restaurant provides flanks of each ingredient in generous portions. The soup base was very bean sauce/soy sauce/hot sauce heavy. However, the hot sauce was not as hot as they forewarned, but just gave a gentle heat wit each bite or slurp from the bowl. I enjoyed the tender and thoroughly braised beef and tendons. The soup was a little too heavy for me to finish, but I still liked the deep notes of black bean sauce and cow. I was a little disappointed with the noodles though, because it seemed like it was not custom made at the store, but bought or outsourced from a different location. The strands were too evenly made and sleek to be made from hand. The Q factor of these noodles were very confusing, because it was neither very Q or not Q enough. It rode the fence on being too soft. Overall, this bowl was a tasty bowl of beef noodle soup, yet somehow i did not find it to be as good as I hoped it could be. If the noodles were better, I think I could have gave this a 5 out of 5. Also, the price of 180 NT against a price of a same quality or better bowl could be found at around 80 NT elsewhere. However, 180 NT may be reasonable given Taipei real estate prices. All in all, this east side location of this famous beef noodle restaurant is a safe spot to get reasonably good quality and traditional food in a clean modern environment.