It is the dinner time after our Wednesday badminton, which I always look forward to just as much as the game! This week, we are trying a new Taiwanese noodle joint in Richmond, apparently known for their $20 beef steak noodle soup. When the pricey beef noodle soup was mentioned, I instantly thought of RedBeef Noodle Kitchen in Kits with their $20 noodle soup bowl topped with thinly sliced, marbled Angus beef, which I adored. However, we soon found out that the premium beef noodle soup here actually features a full piece of steak!
The spot is located on Ackroyd Rd, taken over a short-lived Yunan style rice noodle restaurant. Richmond folks are more likely to refer this as the former Nando’s Chicken location. The dining room pretty much has inherited the noodle place’s decors with the ancient Chinese style.
The menu is quite extensive, covering almost anything you could think of at typical Taiwanese restaurant – Beef Noodle Soup, Popcorn Chicken, Fried Pork Chop, Marinated Pork Belly, and even bubble tea!
The food arrives quickly. Being the item #1 on the menu with a whopping price, the Uno Beef Steak Noodle Soup ($19.95) was presented with a decent-sized steak pre-sliced and topped with all the typical Taiwanese beef noodle toppings: some greens for freshness, some preserved cabbage for extra flavour, and some bean sprouts for extra crunch. The steak, which looked to be strip loin, had a legit flavour, given that it was fresh, seasoned lightly, and grilled properly.
Unfortunately, there was quite a bit fat left not rendered off and the silver skin was left on as well. Am I supposed to bite off the silver skin or chew on it? This is awkward!
The rest of the noodle soup was great, however. The broth was full-flavoured but not overly rich. The wide noodle had a bit of a chew, and it was a perfect texture for me. You can also choose thin noodle, ramen noodle, or vermicelli. But with such a flavourful broth, the wide noodle would do a better job showcasing it.
For the rest of the popular beef noodle soups, you can choose the Beef Shank Noodle Soup ($12.95), the Shank and Tendon Noodle Soup ($13.25) or the Trio Beef (Shank, Tendon, and Tripe) Noodle Soup ($13.75), all depending what you feel like for the texture of the beef. Everyone at the table truly enjoyed the soup and the noodles. Jac got the Popcorn Chicken with Noodle Soup ($12.50) on the side, and she was pretty happy to find the chicken crispy and the noodle soup flavourful. She also ordered one of the classic Taiwanese drinks, the Grass Jelly with Fresh Milk ($6.50), but was not happy about it as it was too sweet for her. I guess it’s always safer to get this kind of drinks at a Taiwanese dessert tea house.
Final thoughts:
I could have given this dinner experience at Uno Beef Noodle 4 stars as everyone at our table (6 of us) was happy about their food except 2 things. The most expensive item, the Uno Steak Noodle for $19.95 showed the good qualities like other noodle dishes – the soup well brewed, the noodles with a great chew, and the great flavour combination, but the main ingredient, the steak, kind of fell short. The beef was fresh and cooked properly but the piece had too much fat left not rendered off and the silver skin was left on. Am I supposed to chew on that? The other disappointment was the Grassy Jelly Drink with Fresh Milk ordered by one of us. She found the jelly too sweet. However the rest of the food was satisfactory. I would come back here for their regular beef noodle soup, which seems very decent in size and flavour.
$-$$
rating: 3/5
御牛堂 Uno Beef Noodle
8231 Ackroyd Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 3K8
(778) 297-9688
