Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

Phone: (604) 228-8765

Address :  #102 – 3313 Shrum Lane, Vancouver BC ,V6S 0B0

Hours: To be updated

Website:  http://www.chefhungnoodle.com/ubc_vancouver/eng/index.php

Date of Visit:  Feb. 8, 2013

Parking: Free parking around UBC Wesbrook Place

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle is a popular chain of beef noodle soup restaurants in Taiwan. Their specialty is their award winning signature beef noodle. A large selection of beverages such from teas to desert drinks is also available. I checked out their most recently opened Vancouver franchise at UBC Westbrook Place.

Snacks and Appetizers

Marinated Beef Wrap
7/10

 

• Braised beef shank, green onions, and cucumbers wrapped in a pan-fried wheat flour pancake.
• Could have done with some more filling.
• Overall portion was a fair amount.
• Could have arrived warmer 
• The cucumbers provided a nice refreshing contrast to the beef slices.

 

Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets
6.5/10

 

• Standard Taiwanese chicken nuggets found in most Taiwanese restaurants. Thigh meat marinated in five-space and soy sauce then deep fried.
• Arrived hot, however, it could have been crispier. 
• Centre was moist.
• Portion was on the small side
• Marinate was a bit strong

Mains

Champion  Beef Shank with Noodle in Soup
7.5/10

• This is the restaurant's signature dish, however, while good, I would consider it something you must try when you dine here. Your choice of noodles served chunks of beef shank, fatty beef slice, a quarter of a Chinese cabbage, all in beef broth and a side of pickles (suan cai).
• The braised chunks of beef shank were very tender, they must have been braised for several hours.
• The beef slices were also very flavorful, however, it derived most of its flavor from its fattiness rather than absorbing flavor from the broth.
• The beef broth was clear yet remained quite flavorful, although it was a bit weak in savouriness compared to some cloudier broths I've sampled in the past.
• The thick noodles I've selected had a nice chewy texture and was not overdone.
• While the dish was overall good, it doesn't have a strong competitive edge. The dish's portion was smaller and more expensive than similar beef noodle soups available from Chef Hung's competitors. 

Noodle Topped with Ground Pork Sauce
7/10

• Your choice of noodles topped with a mixture of ground pork and fermented soybean paste. The sauce it to be mixed together with the noodles before eating.
• The sauce contained bits of tofu as filler and it did took away from the dish.

SERVICE

• Overall service is good
• Servers speak English and checked on us a few times
• Some severs appeared inexperienced and forgot orders but were quick to retify any errors

ATMOSPHERE

• Clean and modern interior
• Kitchen was visible to the waiting area and appeared to be clean and organized
• Bathrooms were clean 

 

VERDICT

I found the my overall experience at Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle to be better than other Taiwanese beef noodle restaurants. Although the prices are significantly higher and the portions smaller, they make up for it with above average service, cleaner atmosphere, and consistently good food. Among the few number of dining options available at UBC, Chef Hung is one of the better places to eat. I would return to here for another bowl of noodles.