As the winter chill looms, Ma Shan Tang (麻膳堂), where spicy noodle soups and dumplings are served up in a shop that looks like a contemporary Japanese bistro, is a lunch locale to keep in mind if you’ll be in Taipei’s East District (東區).
Come dressed warmly — lines of people out the door have been the norm since Ma Shan Tang opened in July. On several recent visits, the place was packed with neighborhood office workers even after 1:30pm.
Also in the restaurant’s favor are reasonable prices, with noodle soups costing between NT$120 and NT$140.
Photo: David Chen, Taipei Times
The shop’s specialty, spicy beef noodle soup (麻辣牛肉麵, NT$140), comes loaded with generous amounts of thin beef slices, long strips of fried tofu and duck blood tofu. The bowls are topped with freshly chopped bean sprouts and green onions. Pork, or lamb, is available instead of beef for the same price.
The broth strikes a nice balance between its spicy bite and a subtle flavor that’s both savory and sweet. The chili and spice-laden concoction lit up the taste buds and gave me a slight buzzing sensation at the top of my head, but the spiciness was tolerable. A bowl without noodles is NT$120 and goes well with pork and egg-fried rice (肉絲炒飯, NT$70), or plain boiled dumplings (原味水餃) or the tasty pan-fried dumplings (鮮肉煎餃), each of which comes in sets of 10 for NT$60.
The beef and rice noodles with clear broth (清燉牛肉細粉, NT$120) were a disappointment despite the deliciously tender beef shank slices. The broth was watery and bland.
Ma Shan Tang’s shopfront capitalizes on the popularity of Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐), with stacks of steaming bamboo baskets of shrimp dumplings (蝦仁蒸餃, NT$90) on display by the window.
The atmosphere feels upscale for a noodle joint, but it’s still casual enough. The wood floors, gallery lighting and carved chopsticks give off a relaxing, almost Zen-like vibe. And, thankfully, there are no TVs blaring out cable news. Instead, the shop plays music from a refreshing mix of Western artists (Lisa Ono, Frank Sinatra, the Gipsy Kings), which went down well with the spicy noodles.
Ma Shan Tang is located near Exit 2 of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT Station (國父紀念館捷運站).
Address: 24, Ln 280, Guangfu S Rd, Taipei City (台北市光復南路280巷24號)
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