[Kaohsiung, Taiwan] - 港園牛肉麵/Gangyuan Beef Noodle Soup

Not much makes me happier than an amazing bowl of beef noodle soup. There are two that I really love in Kaohsiung: 港園 and 牛老二. At 港園, their star is the clear broth beef noodle soup. 

For those who are just learning about beef noodle soup, there are two kinds. 

The first type has a darker broth which has soy sauce added and can be often referred to as 紅燒牛肉麵, or "hong sau." This kind can also be found listed as 四川牛肉麵, or "Szechuan niu rou mian." This is based on the Szechuanese people who fled to Taiwan after the war. Wanting that taste of home, they did what they could with local ingredients. So, while the main basis of beef noodle soup in Taiwan is the Szchuanese style from China, it has developed and become a star in its own right in Taiwan. The history of it all is a bit complicated, but worth digging and researching. The best websites seem to be in Japanese, but if you are lucky enough to find a print book, those are even better!

The other kind, pictured below is the clear broth, 清燉, or "qing dun." This broth is said to be lighter in flavor, but at 港園, I feel that the flavor is still very beefy and full. It's just that there is less distraction from the beef (no soy, no bean paste, no tomatoes). I don't know that I could pick one over the other because both when done at this level, are amazing. If you haven't tried the clear broth yet, I highly recommend it!

Maybe it seems weird, but the best stewed pig feet I have ever had are from 港園. The meat is so tender, the skin so full of bounce, and that flavor... I still think about it. I feel like most places stew in generally the same ingredients, but here, it's more vinegar based and isn't as sweet. It went in the direction of a good, not too sweet adobo (Filipino adobo, to be more specific). Honestly, everything we ordered was delicious and had no trouble finishing everything. Have you been here before? What did you think? Does it make your top 5 in Taiwan?

Clear broth beef noodle soup/清燉牛肉麵

Stewed pig feet - seriously the best I have ever had!

Honeycomb tripe

Pig ears, pickled cucumbers, seaweed.

Spicy chili sauce and a garlic based sauce


Their simple but amazing menu

Store front

Address:
No. 55, Dacheng Street
Yancheng District
Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803

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