Small Park Danzai Noodles

Over 70 years ago, a quaint food stall opened in a small park, and the stall's owner would sit on a tiny stool to blanch noodles that would be tossed in pork sauce or served in soup.Nowadays, that park no longer exists, but the owner (part of the 2nd- or 3rd-generation) still sits on a stool like the old days. The soup noodles are recommended — silky, al dente thin egg noodles in a flavoursome broth, topped with velvety shrimps and braised minced pork. RELATED: The Best Braised Pork Rice in Taipei and Taichung

For the first assessment this year, a total of 44 restaurants were selected, including 27 Bib Gourmand selections: A-ming Pig Heart Glass Noodles, A-hsing Porridge, Amei Restaurant, EPI Seafood House, Eight Treasure Shaved Ice Dessert, Luo Cheng Rice Cake, Po-Jen Store, Little Park Danzai Noodles, Traditional Tainan Feast, Zhu Xin Ju, and Dong Xiang Taiwanese and Seafood Cuisine and 17 Michelin selections: Bistro Alley, Principle, Di Yi Ding, Xinxin Restaurant, Zai Fa Hao, Gan Zhi Tang, Pankoko, Hunan Cuisine Salon, A-tsun Beef Soup (Bao’an Road), Lao Zeng Lamb, Jin Xia Restaurant, Jing Hua Milkfish, Feng’s Seafood House, Niu Wu Zang, A-yu Beef (Kunlun Road), Como en casa gourmet and Wang Ja Smoked Lamb, covering both old stores with decades of history and new innovative restaurants, enriching Tainan food culture with their culinary variety. All are welcome to come and have a taste!

Initially, when I saw danzai noodles in many stores in Taiwan, I didn’t really understand why this simple noodles is so well-loved. Then I learnt about the historical and cultural significance of this bowl of noodles. Also called “Peddler’s pole noodles” or “slack season noodles” or ta a mi in Taiwanese dialect, danzai noodles in the past was sold by noodle sellers who peddled their food using bamboo poles where the noodles and soup pots hung from.

This popular and simple dish originates from Tainan and consists of a a bowl of Chinese wheat noodles in a shallow light broth that is made from simmered pork bones, prawns, onion, spices and vegetables. The soup and noodles are served with coriander, black vinegar and garlic, and then topped with minced pork and prawns, and is usually sold in small portions to eat as a snack rather than a main dish.

Another Tainan specialty not to be missed is the Danzai Noodles. Danzai Noodles is nothing fancy - it is noodles served in a small bowl, characterized by their rich, savory broth, minced pork, shrimp, and a hint of vinegar. But the combination of flavours, along with the chewy texture of the noodles, makes a really appetising meal.

Often chosen as the dish to represent Tainan, danzai noodles are a warm comforting bowl of joy. A simple mix of oil noodles, lightly-flavored broth, minced meat, bean sprouts and topped with a shrimp, danzai noodles might be easy to make but are equally delicious and complex in flavor.

What is Danzai Noodles: thin wheat noodle with minced meat and shrimp in a flavourful pork and shrimp broth. Then garnished with bean sprouts, coriander and minced garlic. Originated in Tainan, this is a perfect snack as the portion of the noodle is quite small.

Danzai noodles, also called “slack season noodles”, in Tainan enjoy the same acceptance as pasta in Italy. This sensational, yet relatively simple, dish is an integral part of Tainan’s gastronomic history.

Danzai noodles were originally sold out of buckets on a bamboo pole slung over a shoulder. Today, a chef in Du Xiao Yue cooks up noodles while seated on a stool.

It consists of chewy wheat-based noodles in a meat and seafood broth topped with long-simmered pork and a lone piece of shrimp.