TravelPlacesGuide
By Quynh Mai  June 15, 2024 | 11:00 pm PT
A Taiwanese chef runs a beef noodle shop in Saigon, offering a fresh spin on classic Taiwanese beef noodles, fusing tradition with local Vietnamese tastes.
Beef noodles, a staple of Taiwanese cuisine, represent its culinary evolution over generations. According to the Michelin Guide, they are a must-try dish.
Taiwanese beef noodles are available at nearly 10 restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. One such restaurant, "A Bowl of Noodles," opened in late 2023. This small shop is located at 39 Nguyen Son Ha Street, District 3.
The shop is run by Tsao Shu Yen, also known as Jojo, who has over 20 years of culinary experience in Taiwan. After eight years in Vietnam, she noted that Taiwanese cuisine tends to be more bland and less sweet than Vietnamese cuisine.
Partnering with Vietnamese chef Nguyen Thi Hong Thuy, they developed recipes that blend traditional Taiwanese flavors with Vietnamese preferences.
Designed in a neo-classical bistro style with an open kitchen, diners can watch their Taiwanese beef noodles being prepared. The restaurant’s decor, conceptualized and hand-drawn by the owner, aims to evoke the atmosphere of small Taiwanese eateries.
All noodle-making steps are done by hand, with most ingredients imported and processed daily to ensure freshness. A bowl of beef noodles features over 40 ingredients, including beef, noodles, pork, shrimp filled dumplings, and spices like yellow bean sauce, cinnamon, anise, and cardamom.
Fresh, thick noodles are a hallmark of Taiwanese beef noodles. The dough is prepared daily. Upon ordering, noodles are blanched for 4 to 5 minutes and served with a beef soup stewed for five hours. The dish is finished with eggs along with pickled radishes and pickled mustard greens.
The main flavors come from beef and a spicy sauce made from Taiwanese yellow beans. It took the owners around 6 months to source quality beef shank from Australia, alongside other local fresh ingredients to maintain affordable prices.
Besides beef noodles, the menu includes Zhajiangmian - noodles served with fried bean sauce, fried chicken noodles, or dry char siu noodles. Side dishes range from VND38,000 to VND48,000 ($1.50 to $1.90), while noodle dishes range from VND68,000 to VND98,000 ($2.60 to $3.80) per bowl.
Open from 11a.m. to 8:30p.m., the store serves around 100 to 150 meals daily, limited by seating capacity. About 60% of customers are Vietnamese, and 40% are tourists from Taiwan, mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Russia.
Misha and Tanya from Russia stumbled upon the shop during their Southeast Asian travels and enjoyed the "rich and satisfying taste" of the noodles.
Ling Zu (blue shirt), a visitor from Taiwan, was introduced to the shop by a friend during her travels in Vietnam. According to her, the beef noodles here are different than at home: "The most obvious change is the more flavorful broth and the smaller serving size per bowl."
However, the restaurant still retains some traditional characteristics of the dish, such as pickled mustard greens, tofu, and herbed eggs with sauce.
Vo Thi Hong, 68 years old, from Ho Chi Minh City, and her husband have been visiting the restaurant since it first opened. Having eaten beef noodles in Taiwan, Hong noted that the beef noodles at this restaurant retain the Taiwanese style of presentation but are seasoned with additional spices to enhance the flavor, making them suitable for Vietnamese tastes. Her favorite dish is Zhajiangmian with a sauce containing onions, potatoes, and minced beef.
Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong (black shirt) discovered the restaurant via social media. She commented that the bowl of beef noodles had a faint aroma of Chinese herbal medicine, and the char siu meat and chicken were sweetly marinated, which she enjoyed the taste of. However, she found the shop space too small and the inability to make reservations inconvenient for customers who don't have much time.
The restaurant accommodates about 25 guests at a time, ideal for couples, families, or small groups.
Due to its limited seating and location on a small street, diners may need to wait for a table during peak hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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