Like its strange name, this restaurant is run by a strange guy with an obsession for beef noodles, wine and espresso coffee. Basically, these three items are the main fare at this small house -- a bizarre combination, but incredibly good taste.
The beef noodles here come in very big portions. The beef, unlike the three to five pieces of meat in most beef noodle places, is a large tenderloin. Accompanying the beef are thick, chewy pulled noodles in stock that's been simmering for a noticeable amount of time. Owner Yeh Ching-fang (葉清芳) has made his own bowls and spoons for you to use. The pottery is heavy, thick and solid, very much reflecting Yeh's artistic style. In fact, all the tableware is hand-made by Yeh.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Yeh is truly romantic about his small eatery. He was a photojournalist for the China Times for 17 years, where he served as a correspondent in Hong Kong, Later he went to Paris to study painting. A few months ago he decided to quit the China Times and set up this quint restaurant in a narrow lane adjacent to a small temple on Roosevelt Rd. "This is a place where I can cook during the day, and do my painting at night," Yeh said. Currently, he's preparing for an exhibition in November.
The decor at the eatery is like a colorful playground, not an ordinary noodle house. The floor is a multi-colored pebble mosaic. At different corners of the house you can see dried roses casually hanging on the wall. And of course there are Yeh's paintings. By the entrance are two of Yeh's self-portraits. And in the middle there is a bold display of a man and woman making love in Yeh's own brand of abstract expressionism. Don't spill your noodles admiring this painting!
"I want to make people know that eating a bowl of noodles can be an enjoyable thing," said Yeh. He has two reasons to combine noodles with wine and espresso. First, they are his favorite tastes. "Also, having coffee and wine can make you stay a little bit longer, and chat a little more," said Yeh. Staying for a chat with Yeh has its advantages as he's likely to treat you to more wine and play his Rolling Stones or Tom Waits albums really loudly.
The house wine at Fang Fang is Pine Brook 1998, California, and only NT$60 a glass. And if you order the noodles and espresso as a set, then the coffee only costs NT$10. If you're not a fan of soup noodles, try Yeh's innovative pig leg dry noodles (乾拌豬手麵), which come in a fragrant peanut sauce with secret seasonings blended in.
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