At Du Hsiao Yueh, One Can Have a Taste of Old Taiwan Right in Manila
The restaurant from Tainan, Taiwan was originally established by a local fisherman in 1895.
Du Hsiao Yueh
Branches at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay; SM North Edsa, Quezon City; and SM East Ortigas, Pasig
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DuHsiaoYuehPH
(SPOT.ph) Given the colic waters off Taiwan, the nation’s seafood supply moves with the seasons especially as fishing is dangerous during chunks of the year. In lieu of this, Yu-Tou Hong, an enterprising fisherman in Taiwan’s historical capital of Tainan along the country’s western coast, found a way to sustain his livelihood during the rainy season from July to September.
Using available ingredients such as prawns (easier to catch being closer to shore), wheat noodles, coriander, and a secret meat sauce made from minced pork, Hong crafted a dish that came to be called danzi noodles, also known as ta’a-mi. He sold them on shoulder poles hoisting a lantern with Chinese characters spelling “noodles (mian) to pass (du) the slow months (hsiao yueh).”
Eventually, the demand for Hong’s noodles was such that it became his main livelihood, and from there, in 1895, Du Hsiao Yueh was born.
Tainan today has largely preserved its coastal wetlands with many open as eco parks, supporting both traditional and modern livelihoods, and thus ensuring a healthy and fresh supply of the prawns which play a central role in danzi (also spelled danzai) noodles.
Du Hsiao Yueh (DHY)’s flagship store in Tainan sits across such nature reserves, still serving its famed noodles. Yet, one doesn’t need to travel across the Luzon Strait to experience this. SPOT.ph dropped by the Mall of Asia branch, which opened in November 2024. There are also branches in SM North EDSA and SM East Ortigas.
Also read: The SPOT.ph 50 Great Restaurants of 2024: Best of Manila and Beyond
What to try at Du Hsiao Yueh in Manila
The kitchen is strategically located by the storefront, much like food stalls around Taiwan’s walking streets, where a glass panel showcases the spectacle of carefully-prepared food in hopes of enticing hungry pedestrians. The store’s interior, however, takes a more relaxed, cozy, and private ambiance: Yellow lights, wood paneling, and all, showcasing Taiwan’s Han Chinese and Japanese sensibilities.
Naturally, we tried a bowl of the Danzi Noodles (P248) that made them.
Fresh shrimp crowns each bowl, to blend with the minced pork with a garnish of herbs and scallions. The egg noodles soaked in the garlicky broth are meant to be eaten last all as a mild offal taste wakes the tastebuds again owing to a calculated amount of diced liver tossed in. It was a case study in umami perfected: Complex sans cloying.
Eat it fast, while hot—but not too fast, let the broth’s layered flavors unfurl, let it bring comfort. We may not be fishermen, but one can see why it’s a perfect bowl for rainy season evenings.
If soft, warm mood lights could be turned into soup, it’s this!
Here, most of the ingredients are sourced locally, except for the minced pork, which is produced by Du Hsiao Yueh’s sister company Fanchuan, founded by one of Hong’s sons to ensure the family business had a consistent supply—and quality—of this much-important ingredient in their now-famed noodles.
Some might note the smaller serving relative to other noodle bowl dishes, but that’s because it’s often eaten as a snack, or, paired with the many dim sum and Taiwanese street food selections available.
There was still broth and some noodles, and my chopsticks hungrily nicked some Pork Siomai (P288/5 pieces) and Hakaw (P248/five pieces) as these large pot stickers paired really well with the danzi. The siomai was made the traditional way, topped with roe and a meat-to-wrap ratio leaning heavily to meat! The freshness of the prawns in the hakaw meanwhile sings.
I really spaced out my bowl of danzi, knowing what lay ahead, and the remaining soup-and-noodles helped prime my tastebuds between slices of crispy, savory Breaded Chicken Chops (P388, sharing, solo option available) and grilled Taiwanese Sausage (P308), the serving balanced by fresh greens.
There really is something that clicks when pork is paired with seafood, huh?
Halfway through this merienda-turned-multicourse meal, we had Taiwan’s iconic Oyster Omelette (P348) as a sort of second appetizer. Here, one could really tell that DHY took pains to source the freshest seafood in town. The oysters were then balanced by the doneness of the egg. It goes without saying, mouth-watering as it looks, those with sensitive stomachs shouldn’t eat fresh seafood on an empty tank!
By now, I had thoroughly finished my bowl of danzi, just in time for a batch of Xiao Long Bao (P388/10 pieces), the soup flavorful, a true fish stock reminiscent of some of the best lakeside pesa served in the towns surrounding Laguna de Bay. It’s interesting to note that this dish is presently exclusive to Philippine branches of DHY.
No matter how full you get, if the food’s good, a second course somehow gets wolfed down: We paired bowls of Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice (P258) with herbed, earthy, smoked, and spiced Three Cup Chicken (P458) served in a clay pot; and a zesty, full-bodied Miso Pork (P298/solo, P538/sharing).
Some Filipino diners might find the food lacking in saltiness or sweetness, but such is the Taiwanese flavor profile, full of faith in the freshness of harvest and catch. Salt and condiments like fish sauce, Lao Gan Ma, and black vinegar (I highly recommend pairing the last two) can always be had upon request.
Dessert wasn’t just the cherry on top, but could arguably be one of Du Hsiao Yueh PH’s best-kept secrets. We had just one item, but it was more than enough to close a most hearty meal: The Buchi Choco (P148). De rigeur at this point in Southern Chinese restaurants, DHY’s spin on this sesame rice ball shows a new realm of possibility.
Aside from a mantle of chocolate coating—teasing towards—the sesame-and-rice paste, the center, which normally has custard, used Snickers with nuts. Whoever baked this probably should teach a juggling and balance class as despite the description, the snack wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, just right to close a very savory meal.
Sipping some water, I closed my eyes, and the flavors lingered in a most welcome way. For a second, I thought I was back in Taiwan, the bustle of foot traffic and ambient noises of a lively street merging between Seaside Boulevard and Ximending, memories dancing with the present moment, the two indistinguishable all thanks to a comforting bowl of noodles and the dishes surrounding it.
Photos by Jason Tan