Among the half-dozen or so beef-noodle shops that line Yongkang Street, this small, white-tiled corner restaurant is the most famous — open continuously since 1963 and frequently named in Taipei's various beef-noodle competitions among the top three in the city. The signature dish is the classic Sichuan-style red-braised beef noodle soup (hong shao niurou mian): a deep, gently chilli-spiked broth, slow-braised chunks of shin and shank, hand-cut wheat noodles.
A bowl runs around NT$280 and is enough for one. The pickled cabbage and chilli oil on every table are part of the experience. The shop is cramped, queues form at lunch, and the wait is rarely more than 20 minutes. Cash only; closed for a couple of weeks each Lunar New Year.