建宏牛肉麵 Jianhong Beef Noodles

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (Average)

Address: No. 45之6號, Luoyang St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/phfAvzQ8n4fTY9BF7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

牛肉面 (Small) = TWD110 (S$4.50)

No Service Charges

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.

So after eating the Amazing Michelin Rated 劉山東小吃店 Liu Shandong Beef Noodles that I reviewed previously, 😋 I told myself that I want to try another one that is Not as Famous to ensure that my Judgement was not Clouded because of its Brand Name. 🤔

As I Explored Around, I came across this Quiet Neighbourhood interestingly with alot of Beef Noodles Stalls 🐮🍜 side by side each other. So Interesting, why is this Particular Street so Filled with Beef Noodles? 🤔 Aren't they competing with each other for Business? I randomly chose a Stall to give it a Try.

The Place is run by 2 Men, one of them being Noticeably Older. Very Chill and Friendly Owners, and a Very Relaxed Vibe, the 2 of them were conversing and chit chatting in Hokkien. 😄 It was interesting to sit and listen to them Chit-Chat. 😄

The Whole Place gave me a Very Hong Kong 小吃店 type of Vibe at the Side of a Street. 🇭🇰 There weren't much Customers around at 9.20am on a Monday Morning. 🌞 It took about 5 Mins for my Dish to be served up.

The Interesting Condiments they have in this Place

They have 3 Very Unique Condiments in this Place.
One is a Chilli, the other is a Bright Orange Powder Paste, and a Dark Red Powder Paste. 🤔

Chilli Condiment 🌶️

This certainly has a Taucheo Bean Paste Base. 🫘 In fact this Taucheo Base is a Very Common Default Base that I would find out as I ate more in Taiwan. 🇹🇼 Its Very Salty. There is also some type of Veggie Veggie type of Spiciness that I am Very Unfamiliar with. 🤔 This tastes like nothing we have in Singapore.

Bright Orange Powder Paste

This has a Light and Sticky Niam Niam Texture when mashed together in your Mouth. 🤔 Abit of Spicy but also not very Spicy type. 🌶️ Again a Very Unusual Condiment that I have never eaten before. No idea what this is made of. 🤔

Dark Red Powder Paste 

This tasted like Chinese Styled 红油. 🌶️  It is Spicy but doesn't bite hard although it does linger abit. This one I think i've eaten before in Singapore somewhere but don't remember where. Probably some China Restaurant I'd imagine. 🤔

牛肉面 (Small) = TWD110 (S$4.50)

Even for a Small, this was still a Very Big Bowl of Noodles 🍜 served in a Big Plastic Bowl.
Appearance-Wise didn't look much Different from the one at Liu Shandong. 🤔

The 1st Taste of the Beef Broth immediately felt Very Much Less Intense Beefiness. 🐮🤔 I mean its still Beefy, but very much less so compared to Liu Shandong. 🤔 The Taste of the Broth also leans more towards Sweetish rather than Savoury. 🤔

There were 6 Pieces of Braised Beef 🐮 with about the Same Bite-Sized Cut. 🍖  While this is a Decent Tasting Beef, it was Definitely More Meaty and Not as Soft and Tender. 🤔

The Noodles used here also looked like Japanese Udon Noodles, 🍜 but I feel this was the Weakest Link in the Dish. 🤔  One bite of this, you can tell it is Noticeably Firmer and Almost Certainly Came from a Package. 🤔 The Amount of Noodles is Acceptable and Filling for the Price even for Small though.

Eating Everything Together was Acceptable, but also Unremarkable. 🤔  Adding the Condiments didn't improve or degrade the Dish. 🍜 This tastes exactly like something you'd find in a Regular Hawker Centre. 🤔 Its Decent Tasting, but it also tastes like any other Regular Taiwanese Beef Noodle out there. 🤔 Unfortunately, this wasn't a Hidden Gem.

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At the Price of TWD110 (S$4.50) for this Small Bowl of Beef Noodle is an Acceptable Price although I cannot say it is Particulary very Cheap. 🤔 The Amount of Ingredients given and the Price feels almost Equal to something I'd get in Singapore. 😅 At Half the Price, it is certainly More Affordable than Liu Shandong's Price of TWD220 (S$8.90) though.

Having said that, there are alot of things that I feel is Noticeably Lower Standard. 🤔 The Broth was Very Noticeably Less Beefy, the Braised Beef Pieces were Not as Soft Tender, 🐮 and the Main Culprit the Noodles very obviously tasted like its from a Package. 🍜🤔

Don't get me Wrong, this is Not a Trash Bowl of Beef Noodles. 🙅‍♂️ It is Decent Tasting, Affordable for the Amount you're given and will Fill You Up. 👍 Culinarily however, you can see Traces where it doesn't match up to a Higher Standard especially when using a Typical Noodle Package. 🤔 The Beef Pieces also weren't Super Tender which means they weren't in the Pot for Very Long. 🍲

This is a Bowl of Beef Noodles that with some Basic Culinary Knowledge, anyone will be able to cook using Supermarket Package Noodles. 🤔 The Beef Broth is Decent but not Super Beefy, and I reckon can be Achieved by Boiling a Couple of Beef Bones. 🐮🦴

I'm sorry if I sound like I hate this Beef Noodles but I'm not. 😅 Its just that this is Not a Gourmet Level of Beef Noodles. 这碗牛肉麵是来吃饱的, 不是来吃爽的. The Amount of Food you're getting for the Price is Decent but is really meant just to fill up the Belly which it does very well. 🍜👍 It's a Friendly Place and the Stall Owners are Nice. 😄

But having said all that, to me this is still an Average Tasting Beef Noodles Soup. 🍜🤔 I thought the 3 Condiments were More Interesting than the Beef Noodle Soup itself. 😅 As such, I'm afraid I cannot give anything higher than an Average Score for this one. 🤔