Banqiao Youkukou Oyster Vermicelli 板桥油库口面线

Banqiao Youkukou Oyster Vermicelli (板桥油库口面线) is the thin-noodle soup of Youkukou (油庫口), a stall-turned-shop on Lane 188, Section 1 of Wenhua Road in Banqiao District (板橋區), New Taipei (新北市). A bowl holds handmade vermicelli with fresh oysters and stewed intestine, and the shop is known for serving it with a freshly grilled sausage.

Where it comes from

The shop was started in 1986 by a married couple who had made handmade vermicelli in a noodle factory for 15 years; they took over a roadside stall beside the oil depot and sold from a tricycle cart. The name means 'oil depot entrance': the stall stood by the Banqiao oil depot of CPC Corporation (台灣中油), on the site now occupied by Zhongshan Junior High School (中山國中), and Youkukou was registered as a trademark in 1995. The shop settled at its present address in 1996 and is now run by the second generation.

Ingredients

According to the shop, it uses only handmade vermicelli, cleans the intestine and oysters on the day, and does not keep unsold oysters overnight. It says the stock is simmered fresh every day rather than made from a concentrate packet, and that the fried shallots, chilli sauce and chilli oil are made in house.

How it is eaten

New Taipei City's tourism website describes plump oysters and well-stewed intestine over handmade vermicelli, which diners can season further with chilli sauce or black vinegar. It also notes that one bowl of vermicelli with one grilled sausage is many regulars' standard order. The shop contrasts this with the more traditional pairing of oyster vermicelli with stinky tofu, and its founder recommends eating at least half the bowl first, then the sausage, and finally the two together, so the sausage does not mask the smell of the noodles.