Liu Shan Dong Beef Noodles ★ 4.4
Why locals love it: 1949 Shandong-lineage beef noodle counter on Kaifeng Street near Taipei Main, tiny street-level room locals defend.
Tip: Open 08:00 to 19:30, closed Sundays. Cash only.
Rong Rong Yuan is a sichuan and hunan restaurant in Zhongzheng, Taipei.
Rong Rong Yuan is the 1949-wave Sichuan-Hunan counter that fills its dining room every Taipei lunch. Bib Gourmand, mapo tofu the canonical Taipei version.
Why locals love it: A 1949-wave Sichuan-Hunanese counter tucked off Hangzhou South Road, mapo tofu and dan dan canon for locals who skip the Yongkang queues.
Tip: Walk-ins only; turnover is fast.
Address: No. 26, Section 1, Hangzhou South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100
Why locals love it: 1949 Shandong-lineage beef noodle counter on Kaifeng Street near Taipei Main, tiny street-level room locals defend.
Tip: Open 08:00 to 19:30, closed Sundays. Cash only.
Why locals love it: Sidney Kao's specialty filter counter near Taipei Main has been pouring 12 single-origin lots since before Taipei had a third-wave scene.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash and mobile pay; bring patience for filter.
Why locals love it: A 1931 Japanese professor's house in Da'an now serves Showa-era set lunches on tatami floors, hidden in a residential lane off Qingtian Street.
Tip: Phone reservation required. Closed Mondays.
Why locals love it: A 1920s Japanese timber house turned into Taiwan's pro-democracy gathering place and now serves aged oolong from the cellar.
Tip: Open 10:00 to 22:00, closed Mondays. Reservation by phone; two-hour minimum.
Why locals love it: 1949 Shandong-lineage beef noodle counter on Kaifeng Street near Taipei Main, tiny street-level room locals defend.
Tip: Open 08:00 to 19:30, closed Sundays. Cash only.
Why locals love it: A standing-counter mianxian stall in Ximending that draws second-bowl regulars from the surrounding pedestrian streets, since 1975.
Tip: Cash only. Pile on chilli and black vinegar from the condiment table.
Why locals love it: A 60-year halal beef-noodle counter tucked in an alley off Yanji Street, Northern-style dumplings and lazy-susan dining.
Tip: Open 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:30, closed Mondays. Cash only.