Taiwan Food Atlas

Yuli Scallion Beef Noodle Soup

A construction crew's breakfast in the Rift Valley town — clear bone broth with thin-sliced beef
📍 Hualien · Minzu Rd, Yuli⭐ Notable · Noodles🔖 Rift Valley Beef Noodles / Scallion Bone Broth / Yuli Local Breakfast and Lunch

Yuli Scallion Beef Noodle Soup is a soup-noodle variation of Yuli Noodles from the noodle district in Yuli Township, Hualien, combining clear bone broth, thin-sliced beef, and a generous heap of scallion with Yuli's distinctively springy alkaline round noodles. The noodle district is concentrated along Minzu Road and around the train station, where a noodle-centered local food culture has developed over decades.

Yuli Noodles are said to have originated in the Japanese colonial era, when Japanese immigrants brought noodle culture to Yuli and combined it with local ingredients; later a chef from Fuzhou who came to Taiwan with the Republic of China government settled in Yuli and sold a thick noodle resembling oil noodles, which became known as "Yuli Noodles" for its springy chew. The dish originated in, and remains found only in, Yuli Township, Hualien County. In 2013 the Hualien County Government held a "Yuli Noodle Festival" to promote tourism in the county's southern region, listing 53 participating Yuli-noodle-related shops at the time; the township today has about 4 noodle-making operations and over a dozen shops selling Yuli Noodles. Scallion beef soup noodles are one of the common soup-noodle versions served at these shops; no official document confirming the specific founding shop or year for this version could be located, so that detail is left unconfirmed.

What are Yuli Scallion Beef Noodle Soup

Yuli Scallion Beef Noodle Soup is the soup noodle version from the Yuli noodle district, using the same alkaline round noodles as the dry-tossed variety — thin strands with real chew. The broth is simmered long and slow from pork bones and beef bones, coming out sweet and light rather than oily; the beef is typically shank or thinly sliced chuck flap, blanched to retain a rosy tenderness. The defining finishing touch is a large handful of fresh green scallions added just before serving. The result is clean and refreshing, with bright broth and tender meat — a completely different direction from the heavy, braised red-sauce beef noodles of northern Taiwan.

The Yuli noodle district is concentrated along Minzu Road and around the train station, where a decades-long tradition of noodle-centered local food culture has formed. Scallion beef soup noodles began as a practical breakfast and lunch option for farm and construction workers, later gaining visibility as tourism brought in more visitors. Yuli Township Office has incorporated Yuli Noodles into its official tourism promotion, and the old shops near the station typically have 20 to 30 years of history. On holidays, many visitors make the trip south by train from Hualien City specifically to pay homage to this "noodle mecca," and scallion beef noodles are almost always on the must-order list.

How to eat it the authentic way

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Rise early for the first broth of the dayMost old shops open between 6 and 7 a.m., and the first broth of the day is the clearest and sweetest. The crowd is heaviest before noon; on weekends, aim to arrive before 11 a.m. to avoid waiting.
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Ask for extra scallion, skip the chiliThe scallion is the soul of this bowl — when ordering, tell the shop to add a little more. For those who like clean flavors, skip the chili oil; the natural sweetness of the bone broth comes through best without it.
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Order both dry and soup noodlesThe local way is one bowl of the signature dry noodles paired with a bowl of clear beef broth soup. The dry noodles carry the soy-sauce fragrance; the clear soup delivers fresh brightness. Order small portions and you won't be overfull.
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Take the train and enjoy a quick stopThe noodle district is a five-minute walk from Yuli Train Station. Many visitors plan a brief stop in Yuli — finish eating, then catch the next train — making the timing easy to manage.

Local know-how

Verified endorsements

  • The Yuli noodle district is listed in the official tourism information of Yuli Township Office and is recognized as a representative food landmark in southern Hualien County.
  • Shops commonly have 20 to 40 or more years of history; scallion beef soup noodles appear on the menu at every shop in the district — no single establishment has an exclusive claim.
  • Yuli Noodles use specially made alkaline round noodles supplied by a local noodle factory; the texture is noticeably different from other noodle dishes found elsewhere in Hualien.

Practical tips

  • Most shops are closed on Monday or Tuesday; call ahead before making the trip to avoid a wasted journey.
  • Parking is scarce on weekends; use the Yuli Train Station parking lot and walk from there.
  • Some old shops do not accept card payment; bring cash to be safe.

Data source: Yuli Township Office tourism information, compiled from local food reviews. Photos will be replaced after Dio's on-site shoot.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Yuli Noodles originate?

They are said to have originated in the Japanese colonial era, combining Japanese noodle culture with the thick-noodle technique later brought by a Fuzhou chef.

How many Yuli Noodle shops are there in Yuli Township?

The township today has about 4 noodle-making operations and over a dozen shops selling Yuli Noodles; 53 related shops were listed as participants during the 2013 Yuli Noodle Festival.

Is scallion beef soup noodles the exclusive specialty of one shop?

No official document identifies a specific founding shop or year; it is a soup-noodle version commonly served across Yuli Noodle shops in the district.

Sources

🗺️ View on the map ← All Hualien dishes