Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle in Ximending neighborhood of Taipei

Crowds out front of Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle in Taipei, Taiwan

Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle in Taipei’s Ximending neighborhood is hard to miss. You can always tell which places are popular by the number of people waiting outside. Just look for the long line and crowds of people standing around in the street with bowls of flour-rice noodles.

The restaurant, more of a street stall in a building, seemed busy at all hours of the day. From opening to closing, locals and tourists flocked here for the cheap and filling bowls of rice flour noodles.

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Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle Menu

The menu at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, Taipei, Taiwan — The menu at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle

I don’t think you could find a more simple menu than the one at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle. If you are one of those people who can never decide what to order at a restaurant like me, you don’t have to worry.

There were two options: a small bowl (55 TWD or about $1.85) or a large bowl (70 TWD or about $2.53) of noodles.

In addition, for 140 TWD, or about $4.73, you could take home a bottle of chili sauce.

Pay on the right, get your bowl on the left

When I arrived at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, I was confused about where to stand or how to order. There were people everywhere. Some were in line, a few were loading up on condiments, and everyone else was standing around eating.

I joined the long line extending from the restaurant into the street. It turned out I was in the right place. After a few minutes, I reached the front, handing my money to the cashier.

Serving bowls of rice noodles, Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle in Taipei, Taiwan — Serving bowls of rice noodles

The line continued to the left from the cashier. Standing over a large steaming pot, a worker scooped bowl after bowl of rice noodles and handed them to hungry customers.

Condiment station with chili oil, garlic, and vinegar

After getting my bowl, I stopped at the small station, near the cashier, to add chili oil, puréed garlic, and vinegar to my soup. I enjoyed how the vinegar added an acidic component to the dish.

Flour Rice Noodles

Only one thing on the menu, Mee Sua, Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, Taipei, Taiwan — Only one thing on the menu, Flour Rice Noodles

Since I was working my way through Ximending, trying as many foods as possible, I settled for a small bowl of Flour Rice Noodles (55 TWD or about $1.85).

Although the bowl might have seemed small, it contained a generous amount of rice noodles, pig intestines, and cilantro in a steaming hot broth.

The thick golden brown broth was the star of the dish. It was rich, salty, and smoky with a strong dashi flavor. Each bite had delicious flavors of the ocean.

Floating in the broth was a generous amount of rice noodles that almost melted into the broth. The noodles were silky and tender without much texture. Though thin, the noodles soaked up the salty seafood flavors of the broth.

I’ve never been a fan of tripe, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the pig intestines floating in the soup. Each piece of the oily meat was an interesting mix of chewy and tender bits. Some pieces were tougher than others. I enjoyed the chewy texture, which complemented the soft noodles. The flavor of the pork was slightly gamey without being too intense.

Topping off the bowl of rice noodles was fresh, aromatic cilantro. Everything tastes better with cilantro. The herby flavors complemented the taste of the intestines and strong salty broth.

Cheap, filling, and delicious.

Service at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle

At Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle, I Waited in line, paid, and picked up the bowl. Not much else to it.

Conclusion

While wandering around Ximending, I was surprised by the number of food options. Some of my favorite foods can be found here, including Jin Feng and Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken. Yet, Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle stood out in a sea of street food stalls and restaurants.

There might not have been any tables or places to sit, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It doesn’t get better than eating a delicious bowl of rice noodles with hundreds of people in the streets of Taipei.