One of the landmarks of Ximending gourmet is old shops. As long as they have been operating long enough, you basically won’t step on any landmines, because the rent for shops in this area is high, so many new shops have decorations but zero flavor. To eat delicious food in Ximending, the traditional gourmet old shop 元之寶拉麵湯餃館 is a pretty good choice. The beef noodles have large chunks of meat with many options, the flavor is fragrant and spicy enough to stimulate the taste buds intensely. If you like strong flavors, you definitely can’t miss it!
Address Taipei City, Wanhua District, Hankou Street Section 2, Lane 34, No. 13
Phone 02‑2375‑5862
Business Hours: 11:30 – 21:00
Closed: Thursday, Sunday
Nearby MRT Station: MRT Ximen Station (about 5 minutes walk)
元之寶拉麵湯餃館 opened in 1985 and has nearly forty years of history. The retro feel of the shop is super nostalgic, and just the atmosphere makes you feel it must be really good.
After forty years of inflation, 元之寶 prices have reached NT$165 for a bowl of beef ramen.
Each option has two prices, the upper price is for large bowl and the lower is for small bowl. There’s also stinky ramen that’s really memorable.
The braised soup base is full of aroma. Even the mild spice level is enough to make Dong feel hot all over, but it’s super satisfying to eat!
The three-in-one includes tripe, tendon, and beef, with generous portions! The small bowl is this full.
The beef tendon is really delicious!
It’s smooth and tender, easy to bite through but with a bit of chew. Each piece is large, making it very satisfying to eat.
The beef isn’t too tough. Soaked in the soup, the large chunks are very satisfying to eat.
You can taste the beef fibers, and each piece still has a bit of tendon~ really delicious.
The tripe portions are large, but there’s still a slight offal taste. If you’re sensitive to that, it’s best to skip it.
But if you like tripe, you should still enjoy it because the texture is quite good, with some thickness for chewiness and a bit of crispness~
元之寶拉麵 noodles are more like Taiwanese-style ramen, thicker and chewier, the kind that makes your mouth sore after eating too much~
But it gives a good sense of fullness. After eating, you’re stuffed. Eating it hot with the spicy soup feels amazing, but it gets a bit greasy when it cools, so it’s best to eat it fresh on the spot.
There are many side dishes available to order a la carte.
Dong really likes the braised tofu at beef noodle shops. The tofu is blanched in the braised soup base and carries the beef fat flavor—super tasty!
This side dish is worth trying~ Many people simply order dry noodles with a side dish for a delicious meal.
In fact, 元之寶拉麵湯餃館 has already become the designated old-shop beef noodle spot for many gourmets in Ximending. Its flavor differs from the well-known 富宏牛肉麵 and 建宏牛肉麵. It belongs to the strong-flavored, fragrant and spicy category with higher meat tenderness and fat content. If you’re looking for strong flavors, 元之寶 beef noodles is definitely one of your Ximending food options!