09/07
2026 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival
“2026 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival”
King of Taiwan: Nationwide Battle for the Taiwan Beef Noodle Champion
Southern Regional Preliminary Round Opens on September 7
— Family Traditions and Creative Innovation Intertwine in the Battle for a Place in the Grand Finals —
To promote Taipei’s specialty beef noodle industry, now in its 22nd year, this year’s “2026 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival” is themed “King of Taiwan: Nationwide Battle for the Taiwan Beef Noodle Champion.” For the first time, the Freshly Prepared Category Braised and Clear Broth competitions have been expanded to include regional preliminary rounds in Northern and Southern Taiwan. Applications from restaurants across Taiwan were highly enthusiastic, with a total of 112 entries in the Freshly Prepared Category across the Braised and Clear Broth divisions. Of these, 30 restaurants were shortlisted in the Southern Braised Division and 14 in the Southern Clear Broth Division. The Southern Regional Preliminary Round will be held on September 7 at Tung-Tung Banquet Hall – Huaping Wedding Venue, where noodle specialists from central and southern Taiwan will be the first to showcase their skills. Contestants are bringing family recipes and cross-disciplinary techniques to the table, carefully simmering premium ingredients such as top-grade U.S. beef shank center cuts and beef short ribs as they compete to present the strongest bowl of beef noodle soup.
The Taipei City Office of Commerce stated that the city government has long promoted the beef noodle industry, using subsidies to support independent business development and enhance competitiveness, while continuously organizing competitions to encourage local beef noodle restaurants to refine their culinary skills and create unique, delicious beef noodles. To date, the event has attracted nearly 2,000 cumulative restaurant entries and produced numerous champions, successfully bringing Taipei’s beef noodle cuisine onto the international stage. This year also introduces major innovations to the competition format. In addition to expanding the event with cross-regional preliminary rounds on September 7 and September 11, the festival has introduced substantial prize money to be awarded during the finals. These added measures are intended to promote further growth and business opportunities for the beef noodle industry.
The Southern Regional Preliminary Round features a strong lineup, with each competing dish distinguished by its ingredients and cooking techniques. For example, Lao Pang Traditional Beef Noodle Soup draws on family culinary heritage, using carefully selected Kagoshima Japanese Black Wagyu beef shank center cuts to create a classic scallion-braised flavor profile. Chiu Hsiang Yi Wan insists on premium beef shank center cuts to highlight the pure aroma of the meat and the depth of the broth. Wu Jia Shih Chung Ju Yi incorporates Italian and French culinary methods, pairing U.S. beef shank center cuts, beef tendon, and tripe to present rich layers of texture and flavor. In addition, the Grand Lily Resort Hotel, winner of numerous accolades including Asia-Pacific Top Ten Famous Restaurants and Asia-Pacific Top Ten Signature Dishes, has also joined the competition, bringing together cross-disciplinary culinary talents to compete on the same stage.
Following today’s Southern Regional Preliminary Round, the judging panel selected the teams advancing to the grand finals (see attachment), while the Northern Regional Preliminary Round will take place next on September 11. Ultimately, 30 outstanding teams from the two regions will advance and gather at the Promenade Plaza of Yuanshan Expo Park in Taipei from October 9 to 11 for a three-day grand final, where they will compete for the title of “Taiwan Beef Noodle Champion” and prize money of up to NT$200,000. For more event information, please visit the Taipei Beef Noodle Exchange and Development Association Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TPEBEEFNOODLESOUP/) and the Taipei City Office of Commerce “I’m Business Ya” Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tcooc/).