Chuanzhai Alley Canteen - Chongqing Noodles and Hot and Sour soup

After stepping off the Beitou MRT, I looked for a spot to work. Coffee shops like Louisa and Starbucks were familiar options, but I was unsure what to eat.

So when I saw Chongqing noodles, I was intrigued. I’ve had these hot-and-sour noodles at Face Off, which I need to visit again. So I was intrigued to see on Google Maps this place right outside the Beitou MRT, but also that it was tiny, literally only 4 seats available. I walked by and checked it out, and there was a couple leaving right then. So, without really knowing what I was going to order or even what was on the menu, I walked in, grabbed the clipboard and a pen, sat down, and did some Google Translate on the menu.

So I settled on the hot-and-sour vermicelli soup and 10 red oil wontons. I normally get the regular noodles, but for some reason I saw 米mǐ and thought rice noodles sounded good. I’m glad I did; these noodles were like nothing I’ve had before. They were bouncy, springy, chewy, but also somehow soft and a little slippery. It was hard picking them up with the chopsticks; I dropped more than a couple, splashing oily soup in my face. I would definitely order these types of noodles again.

I ordered the 大辣dà là, most spicy, but in true Taiwanese terms, it wasn't very spicy for me. Same with the wontons. Chongqing, being in Szechuan province, means these dishes would have been MUCH spicier in their original locale, but accommodating the Taiwanese palate means easy on the spice.

The flavor, though, wow. Food like this, that is salty and savory, but also has enough sweetness and a bunch of sourness with some spiciness, really hits on all fronts. It’s what makes Thai food so good; it hits all our flavor senses. The soup had cilantro, pickled greens (not sure what kind), ground meat, and spring onions. The cilantro really works with the vinegary sourness. The chili oil rounds out all the flavors, making it savory and delicious.

The wontons were honestly lacking after the soup. I’d probably skip the wontons next time. They had the same chili oil, but I think without a vinegar or sour component, it just tasted rather flat after the soup. I wonder how they would have tasted on their own, probably better.

Honestly, I think I may go back next week. A true hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has amazing soup.