Most Expensive Beef Noodles in Taipei
Asian America Daily - in under 5 minutes
What's happening in Asian America? Go a daily email to stay informed, educated, and entertained.
Beef Noodle Soup is probably the almost iconic dish in Taiwanese Cuisine. While it was first created by the Hui people, a Chinese Muslim ethnic grouping during the Tang Dynasty, the red braised beefiness version was created past veterans who fled from mainland People's republic of china to Taiwan subsequently the Chinese Civil War.
In most places in Taiwan, yous'll rarely find a bowl priced over 240 New Taiwan dollars ($vii.eighty). However, 1 shop in Taipei has made headlines for charging up to ten,000 New Taiwan dollars ($329) for a bowl of beef noodle soup.
Afterwards wondering what kind of an idiot would pay and so much for a bowl of noodles, I did the almost logical affair: Travel all the way to Taipei, pay $329, and attempt it for myself.
Niu Ba Ba, which translates to Cow Daddy, is located in the Neihu District of Taipei. I stayed at a major hotel that was just a 15 minute car ride to the eating place. Afterward telling our Uber driver what nosotros were nigh to do, he was astonished.
"Wow, 10,000!? I tin can eat for a whole calendar month with that corporeality of money!" he said, while probably silently judging me.
We had made reservations a day before since they don't accept walk-ins. Upon entering the restaurant, we were surprised at how empty it was. There were only iv tables and we were literally the only customers.
Soon, a young man came out and gave us our seats. He turned out to exist the owner's son who'due south currently the manager at the eating place. About five minutes after, Chef Wang Cong-yuan, the owner, came out to greet us personally.
Despite my poor Mandarin skills, Wang was warm and welcoming. Y'all can hear the passion in his voice when he talks about his food. Despite beingness 68, the homo doesn't expect a mean solar day over 50 and has the free energy of a 20-something-year-sometime. He was gracious enough to show united states his kitchen and storage room before we sat down to swallow.
Prior to getting into the restaurant business, Wang worked 27 years in construction before launching Niu Ba Ba in 1990. However, success didn't come up immediately. The flavors of his beef noodle soup weren't right and customers didn't like it. Things got and then bad that Wang'south partner backed out after just xi days.
Despite these setbacks, Wang was determined and spent the next few years improving his recipe.
"Subsequently three to five years, I felt information technology was quite practiced already compared to other noodles soup makers," Wang told NextShark. "But it took me 15 years to gain approval and recognition from others."
And recognition Wang has gained indeed, drawing customers similar Michelin-starred French Chef Jean-Michel Lorain Michel, Martial Arts Fable Jackie Chan, and Academy Honour Winning Director Ang Lee, among many more.
The menu has viii beef noodle soups available: #1 is the "Beef Begetter Beefiness Noodle Soup" existence the cheapest at 500 New Taiwan dollars (roughly $16) and #8 is the coveted "Presidential Beef Noodle Soup" at 10,000 New Taiwan dollars.
To compare them, we ordered the #1, #half dozen, and #viii. We were told that #6, priced at 1500 New Taiwan dollars ($49) is i of the more pop options and would take you 80% of the style through to the "Presidential Beef Noodle Soup."
We were offset served some appetizers including peanuts, cabbage, and seaweed. All of them tasted very good, specially the peanuts, which was probably the all-time I've ever had.
"Our peanuts t ake u.s.a. three days to prep," Wang said. "O ur small side dishes expect very simple, but it'due south a complicated procedure for every dish."
When the dishes finally arrived, we tasted #1 get-go. Overall, it was a solid basin of beef noodle soup and I had admittedly no complaints nigh it. I wouldn't say there was anything particularly special about it. The broth was fragrant and definitely more flavorful than most of the other places where I've had information technology. The meat was also pretty basic and tough similar most beef noodle soups I've had.
Presently after, we moved onto #vi. First crafted in 1995, this dish was the nearly expensive beefiness noodle soup in Taiwan. Over time, the more superior "Presidential Beef Noodle Soup" took its place. The broth here was definitely more than bold and flavorful. The quality of the meat was a dark and day difference compared to #one — every piece pretty much melted in my mouth. If I were to compare it to the other beef noodle soups I've had, I would say this definitely tops the list of some of the all-time I've ever had.
However, we weren't nearly done yet. It was time to move onto the grand finale, the coveted "Presidential Beef Noodle Soup," the most expensive bowl of beef noodle soup in the world.
"The noodle soup y'all got requires three layers of broth — the #1 has but one layer," he said.
The dish has three dissimilar broth layers fabricated from six different types of stock. Each layer of soup is made individually and is distilled from beefiness bone, tendons and tenderloin. After that, information technology's seasoned with soy sauce, rock carbohydrate, five spice and nothing else.
"We proceed everything as natural as possible and allow the flavors speak for themselves," Wang said.
The presentation itself was pretty bones, apart from the fact that it'southward served on a $600 partially gold-plated basin. Wang brash united states to taste the outset layer of the soup past taking a spoonful from the top.
"The first layer will gustation completely dissimilar from when you put your spoon all the way downwardly and gustatory modality all iii layers," he said.
The kickoff layer was succulent and tasted like premium quality beef broth, just not every bit bold as I expected. Then I dipped my spoon down to the bottom equally Wang advised and tried all three layers. He was right, there was definitely a symphony of flavors that is difficult to draw. The beefy season was so rich that you could feel information technology nigh stain every corner of your oral cavity, nevertheless it was clean enough that your palate wasn't drowned in it so y'all could bask each new bite.
I should note, however, that the season of the broth is zero revolutionary — Wang simply sourced all the best quality ingredients for a remarkably simple recipe.
One of the hallmarks of the dish is that each bowl has four different cuts of meat, imported from Nihon, Australia, the United states, and Brazil. All are premium cuts, including Wagyu beef from Australia and Nippon.
Each blazon of meat is prepared differently to make certain they are cooked to perfection. He cuts each piece against he grain and in specific shapes to ensure the best taste. And then he uses a special technique that involves tiresome-braising each piece for over three days, then freezing them individually over night so they can residual in betwixt. The whole process takes near one week.
"I recommend every slice be separated into two bites," Wang brash. " Take a bite, and and then another, every piece should exist eaten this fashion."
In that location can only be one style to describe how the meat tasted: Flop.COM. Each slice practically melted in my mouth without any effort. The beef was infused with flavor and spices from Wang'due south braising technique. Every bit someone who typically leaves the beefiness uneaten because it's too tough, this was absolutely life changing. In fact, I'll go as far every bit to say it'due south the best I've ever eaten.
The noodles seemed pretty normal to me, definitely better tasting in terms of texture and season. However, I was slightly disappointed when Chef Wang told me they weren't handmade in-house, merely from a vendor they order from. I don't know if that'southward a big deal, but I was expecting more than from a $329 bowl of noodles.
Despite what near people might think, the recipe itself is really not actually a underground. In fact, Wang says pretty much everyone of his staff members knows the process.
"Anyone can practice what we're doing, but not everyone is willing to really do all the piece of work it takes to make a bowl," he added.
Equally for the whopping price tag for one basin, Wang says that the cost was really left bare for over a decade. He wanted to let the customers decide how much they should pay. As fourth dimension went on, Wang started experimenting with different prices.
"500 New Taiwan dollars ($16.42) was the lowest price I've been offered, the highest has been 30,000 New Taiwan dollars ($985),"Wang said."I one time tried charging 100,000 New Taiwan dollars ($iii,284), just no one bought information technology."
Eventually, Wang sought the advice of a three-star Michelin chef, politicians, and celebrities who frequented his establishment. Most of them suggested pricing in the range of 10,000 New Taiwan dollars, which became the official price in 2007.
Wang is non simply a Beefiness Noodle Soup expert, simply he'southward too proven himself to be a smart businessman with how he runs his business. Before settling in his current location, the original restaurant was at a place that could feed upwardly to 1,000 people a day. Nevertheless, he realized that equally he had more customers, his labor and supply expenses increased, which thinned his margins.
He came upward with an thought: He began raising his prices on his cheaper items until less people showed up. In one case he came up with the right price point, he moved into a smaller venue with but four tables. This immune him to serve the highest quality product and cut down on labor costs while maintaining great margins.
"I want the to have best beef noodles soup restaurant in Taiwan," Wang said.
Despite all the success, Wang says he's far from wanting to retire. While his son currently runs daily operations, Wang nevertheless gets upwards early on in the morning to make the broths to stay active and salubrious.
And then, is Chef Wang's "Presidential Beef Noodle Soup" worth the cost tag? Honestly, I personally don't think and then. I hate saying that because Wang was such a good guy and was so generous with his time with us. Don't become me wrong, this was definitely the Best beef noodle soup I've ever had. The goop was seriously addictive and I couldn't stop drinking information technology.
However, I but can't tum paying such a loftier amount for a basin of beef noodle soup. Remember virtually it: $329 is even more than a 20-course omakase at Chef Jiro Ono's sushi bar or a full tasting class at any L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon location in the earth. If I had to personally price it myself, I would maybe pay $75.
I volition definitely exist dorsum for the more than affordable items, but I'thousand non certain if I'll be ordering #eight again anytime soon due to the price. Nonetheless, in that location's admittedly no uncertainty of the corporeality of endeavor Chef Wang puts into each bowl of his noodles. His passion for his craft is unparalleled and his motto of quality of quantity is something every chef should strive for.
Location:
Niu Ba Ba Beef Noodle Restaurant
No. 149, Department half-dozen, Minquan E Route,
Neihu Commune, Taipei City, Taiwan 114
Source: https://nextshark.com/niu-ba-ba-taipei-most-expensive-beef-noodles/
0 Response to "Most Expensive Beef Noodles in Taipei"
Post a Comment