Qie-a Noodle with original taste

    Hsiao, owner of  Temple  Front Qie-a Noodle, Luchou Qie-a Noodle became popular since Hsiao’s uncle. There were a Qie-a Noodle every three steps at present, but each one’ flavor was quite different. Mr. Hsiao’ master was the origin of Luchou Qie-a Noodle, which was passed on to the fourth generation now, whose relationship was master and apprentice instead of father and son. Currently, Temple  Front Qie-a Noodle ran their business in brotherhood partnership. They were all by themselves without hiring anyone, but generous as they were, they were willing to teach others unconditionally only if they wanted to learn.

      Having retired from army, Mr. Hsiao had been selling  Temple Front Qie-a Noodle for more than 20 years. The biggest feature of his noodle was that he never added MSG, and both the soup and chili sauce were made by old methods traditionally, never changed ever. The soup was stewed by 3 sheets of meat, which made the soup taste sweet. In another way, only enough quantity of meat could make it sweet.” Bones have flavor, but not sweetness.” He said. The majority of his customers were old men, who were weak and sick, given which he never used big bones to stew, cause “they were fairly bitter” in western medicine, unless added some MSG. The 3 sheets of meat had fixed supply and he selected all the meat personally, persisting in best meat. He preferred local pig to feed pigs, because the first one’s meat was good and sweet because of drinking spoiled water. In order to ensure a good original taste, he had liver sold, with a good texture, on which he had had a painstaking research without any chemical treatment.

       Hsiao sold  Temple  Front Qie-a Noodle at  Temple  Front  in 1980 or so, but didn’t go on to do it for 6 months, due to Yung  Lien  Temple’s rebuild. Quite a few different Temple  Front  Qie-a Noodle came out in 6 months, after which he rented a room to begin with this business on  Sanmin Road. A lot of patrons inquired that why he did not do it for such a long time, that they missed the special taste. Shortage of patrons, he didn’t do it for 6 years, but switched to do hardware business with his brother, afterwards.

       All patrons were acquaintances, old people mainly, passers-by seldom. The patrons were coming far from Tianmu, Banchiao, Wanhua and Sanchung. One of then, who lived in Japan, would came to dine every time he came to Taiwan or returned to Japan, where he could no more find it. There had once been an old man, taking his grandson, who insisted on eating a bowl of noodle or refused to leave. There had even been a pre-education class of Qiao University, whose students missed the flavor so much that they looked for everywhere for a long time until they got it, when they came back to Taiwan overseas.(He changed the location because of Yung Lien Temple’s reconstruction.) Many patrons would come back to dine, talking about eating noodle at   Temple  Front, which made him very happy and warm.

      Mr. Hsiao had to get up at  3 a.m., adding goods and doing preparations, and then he started to sell at 6 or so and closed at 4 p.m. He never kept overnight soup, so he had to get up to make soup. The key to his management was “to make customers eat healthy”, who would come continuously, as a result.Remember   Temple  Front Qie-a Noodle stall is closed on the 3rd and 17th of each month of the lunar calendar. Pay attention to the date if you want to go to.