[Tainan, Taiwan] - 黃記鱔魚/Huáng jì shàn yú
I also posted a shorter blurb about this in my Tainan Travelogue back in January. Since I figured not everyone would want to read the entire thing or even skim to find this entry, I am making a short separate entry just for Huangji.
There is another eel noodle place that I prefer, but my cousin mentioned that their taste isn't the same anymore and that the quality went down (recently posted about it here). She suggested I try Huangji instead since her friend had gone recently and said it was really good. I was pretty excited to try it. I don't always have time to make it to Tainan, so there is more time spent thinking about this eel versus me actually eating it. Yes, in case you weren't sure, I travel for food.
While the eel was perfect with that crisp bite, and the sauce/soup just right, the noodles were a bit overcooked and too soft for my liking. It is also hard to find a place to sit here. It's at the corner of a busy market with other shops so figuring out where to order if you aren't local is a bit tricky, and all of the vendors' customers who don't want it to go all sit in the same communal area. I ended up standing there trying to figure out who the owner was to order before someone else from another stand asked if I wanted to order some sticky rice. After that, she told the eel noodle folks that I wanted to order some.
This place is pretty gully, so if you know you can't handle it, skip it. I ended up not finishing my noodles while happily devouring the fish. Next time I'm in town, I'll be trying the old place I used to go to and hope that my cousin is wrong. I need the noodles to be at the same level as everything else!
There is another eel noodle place that I prefer, but my cousin mentioned that their taste isn't the same anymore and that the quality went down (recently posted about it here). She suggested I try Huangji instead since her friend had gone recently and said it was really good. I was pretty excited to try it. I don't always have time to make it to Tainan, so there is more time spent thinking about this eel versus me actually eating it. Yes, in case you weren't sure, I travel for food.
While the eel was perfect with that crisp bite, and the sauce/soup just right, the noodles were a bit overcooked and too soft for my liking. It is also hard to find a place to sit here. It's at the corner of a busy market with other shops so figuring out where to order if you aren't local is a bit tricky, and all of the vendors' customers who don't want it to go all sit in the same communal area. I ended up standing there trying to figure out who the owner was to order before someone else from another stand asked if I wanted to order some sticky rice. After that, she told the eel noodle folks that I wanted to order some.
This place is pretty gully, so if you know you can't handle it, skip it. I ended up not finishing my noodles while happily devouring the fish. Next time I'm in town, I'll be trying the old place I used to go to and hope that my cousin is wrong. I need the noodles to be at the same level as everything else!
Looks like a good bowl...
The menu
These two are holding down the fort. The eels are red and scary but cook to a more mellow tan color and taste great!
No. 46, Section 3, Minquan Rd,
West Central District,
Tainan City, Taiwan 700
