When the clock strikes 12 noon, the inner cavity gut goes "grrrrrrrooowl" and suddenly you need a fix of something.
You look around this stretch of road.
Hmmm... Mickey D's? Nah.
What are those interesting looking indoors restaurants on the 2nd, 3rd floor of this building? Dunno, but you would have to hike up the steps of them office buildings to take a peek....too time consuming.
Sushi? Could be shady....
Street food? Oh noes...you have to duck into the side streets and alleyways, and even those can be a risk taking adventure.
Then you fixate your eyes on a sign that says beef stew noodles 牛肉麵, and suddenly all common sense goes out the door.
It can't be that bad!
Saw this giant sign, and I figured, hey why not. It's somewhere up on the 2nd or was it 3rd floor of this old office building. When I get to the top, there's a sliding door entrance. It looks like a clean fast food joint, tables everywhere and friendly service. So you go up to the cashier, order what you want, and the food is brought to you on a tray.
Too bad I didn't consider the tomato beef noodles...would have tried that.
So I settled for the half beef flank, half tendon combo.
Looks good doesn't it? Well it better be for US$9 (circa NT$270). This was a large, and man I must have overpaid.
Definitely decent, but not the best I've had in town.
4 years later, I look this place up on the net.
They won one of the annual Taipei Beef Noodle Soup Festival competitions, like the #1 most popular beef noodles restaurant in town.
And then I found out that the owners somehow got people to vote for them online, many many many times, just to push themselves to the #1 spot and win. Ayeee yai yai.
饌王精品牛肉麵 (Chuan Wang Gourmet Beef Stew Noodles)
106大安區忠孝東路4段94號2樓 (2F, #94, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec.4, Taipei)
Tel: 2-2711-0388
Interesting. I actually ate there on the last trip to Taiwan and thought the were so-so partially due to the skimpy condiments.
ReplyDeleteSleazy on the owners' part to fix online voting, but then again vote fixing is nothing new (e.g., the island in the CCK days, Florida).
I saw your comments on GourmetKC and Jason bon Vivant's site before ~ I didn't really blog and didn't know you're based in Taiwan, where I go sometimes to visit my friends!
ReplyDeleteLet me add you on my blog now. :)
Kind regards,
HK Epicurus
Ain't THAT good... Had it once and wouldn't go back.
ReplyDelete@Wattacetti, the meal was pleasant from an out of towner visitor's perspective but since then I've had way better quality (and cheaper). Definitely very bad of them to fake the votes.
ReplyDelete@HK Epicurus, thanks! Those guys do excellent work in the HK food world and I like yours too!
@Peech, I'm being very kind. Chuan Wang's beef noodles is actually better than a lot of places in the USA, but I'm sure for Taipei it is average, and maybe below average. My favorite currently is 72 (Shandong clear broth milky white version). Hopefully I'll try the versions by Davod with the Persian herbs and spices.
I tried that place too. It sucked. I like 老山東 on the B1 of 萬年 plaza better..They paid people to vote for him (I second others saying too)
ReplyDeleteGlad I saw this review dude. I'm sticking with 72 and Lao San Dong for sure!
ReplyDeleteThanks KFP! I guess I will take my chances eating some random basement food court fare at Sogo than go back to 饌王. But yes, 老山東 and 72 are ass kickers!
ReplyDelete