Menqian Yin Wei Beef Noodle - The Ichiran of Beef Noodle Soup

Many months ago, I saw a familiar sight on Instagram: a restaurant serving bowls of soup in single stalls, with the kitchen and servers hidden behind a bamboo curtain. But this one looked different. It had Ichiran's style, but it felt distinctly different. Then I saw the soup within the bowl, a glorious-looking beef noodle. Needless to say, it’s been on my wishlist for a long time now.

Recently, I was back in the Ximending area, walking around looking for a cafe to work from, but I had to grab something to eat first. I pulled up Google Maps and saw it: 門前隱味牛肉麵, open all afternoon, and just before 3 pm, Maps showed it wasn't very busy. On Google Maps, the romanization is used: Menqian Yin Wei Beef Noodle Restaurant. However, it seems like the shop calls itself Wumamii on Instagram, their website, etc. Either way, I was excited and made my way over. This restaurant started as a 5-seat place when it opened in Banqiao in 2018. That original location closed in 2022 due to a building code dispute, apparently with two years of reservations booked. They reopened and now have 3 locations: one in Sanchong, one in Ximending, and one in Taichung. They also provide more seats in each location now. Even still, during lunch and dinner, there can be a long lineup at this place. So when I arrived and got a seat right away, I was extremely happy.

This restaurant is famous for being Ichiran-style, although that is unique to this location. The shop in Sanchong is more like the original: six seats close together, with the chef making the soup in front of you. That one also requires a reservation, and you may need to wait a month for that reservation. They are all famous because of the broth. It’s reused every day - they continuously add the ingredients and carry the leftover broth forward into the next batch. Other than hearing it’s delicious and knowing it’s Ichiran-style, I knew little about this place, so I took a few minutes to go over all of the options. One thing to note: while it’s a beef noodle soup, they mention they include both chicken and pork in the broth. You get a QR code and order on your phone. They offer a house broth and a mala spicy version. They also have plenty of sides to choose from. You can buy sets with the side dishes picked out for you, but I chose just the soup and picked my sides individually. Each set meal with sides comes with a duck blood dish, so I opted to choose my own. Since I was going spicy, I chose the pickled green mango, which comes chilled and with ice on top to keep it cool. I also got the spicy glass noodles, which seem like one of the most recommended sides.

The mango came out first, so I waited to try it. The spicy glass noodles came next. I tasted it, and they’re packed with spicy umami flavour. Then the soup came out, with a 小心 warning, as you have to take the soup down off the ledge to start eating it. One funny thing I noticed that differed from Ichiran was that at Ichiran you never hear a peep from the back room (at least the times I’ve been). It’s very Japanese: quiet and respectful. Now, I’m not saying that hearing the staff in the back talk, make a little noise, and crack a joke and laugh is disrespectful. But it’s more noise than I expected from an Ichiran-style restaurant. But it’s also one of the things I think most people like about Taiwan: the people are friendly and have a sense of humour.

Anyways, on to the main attraction, the beef noodle soup. Wow, is all I have to say. Ok, that’s not true, but it was my first thought. I’m sure the fragrant, spicy components help deepen the flavour, but even so, the broth is loaded with savoury, salty hits. I’ve had some pretty plain beef noodle soups, and some intense ones. This one is near the top of how much flavour you can pack into a spoonful of broth. I found the spice level to be pretty decently hot. A level above what I’ve had at almost all other beef noodle joints that have a spicy option. The beef was well braised; the first piece I ate had some chew to it, not chewy at all, but just a bit of snap. Following pieces were softer, and I’ve seen in local reviews that some thought the beef was too soft. I could see that with the final piece I had, but I didn’t mind any piece; I thought they were all delicious. The tendon is some of the softest I’ve tried. It held together with the chopstick, but somehow melted away in my mouth. Barely any chew to it, so it’s obviously also been simmered much longer than many other beef noodle places will. The carrot and daikon were similarly soft; I haven’t had many beef noodle dishes with carrot, but I think it worked. The wide noodles were chewy, springy, just the right texture, and helped slurp up a bit of broth with them.

The mango and glass noodles both paired so well with the soup. In case it’s not apparent, this is now one of my favourite beef noodle places. As I write this, I can’t wait to go back again. As you can imagine, being a beef noodle “destination” spot, it’s on the higher end of price. But not ridiculously so. Although many local reviews mention the CP being low, as in, even though the quality is good, the price is a little too high. Honestly, I don’t know if I can agree with that. Of course, there are still plenty of highly rated beef noodle places I still need to try; I didn’t grow up here and don’t have the same depth of experience locals do. The soup cost NT$309 (US$9.74), the glass noodles NT$59 (US$1.86), and the mango NT$39 (US$1.23), plus everyone’s favourite 10% service fee, bringing the total to NT$448 (US$14.12). I don’t think it’s a super high price, but at NT$309 it's on the high side for beef noodle soup. However, I think the flavour, quality, and unique setting easily make it justifiable.

One thing I want to point out about these super popular restaurants: living in Taiwan, I have the luxury of being able to walk in randomly on a Tuesday afternoon and not have to wait in line. If there is a long line-up, I can try another day. If you're coming to Taiwan on vacation, you may not have the chance to try another day. But that’s where discernment is needed on your part. For me, I don’t think any food is worth a two-hour wait. For some people, a two-hour wait builds anticipation, and obviously the hungrier you are, the better everything tastes. Other people will just be annoyed by a two-hour wait and will be extra critical of the food. I fall somewhere in the middle, but leaning towards the latter; I’ll be annoyed if I had to wait that long for food.

If you want to check out Ichiran of beef noodle soup, I fully recommend it, but try to go a little later in the afternoon to avoid lineups. I can’t say how long a wait is worth it. However, I can tell you, I cannot wait to dig into another bowl.