Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The much-awaited 2009 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival is just around the corner! Featuring a number of fantastic events, residents and visitors alike will get a taste of "The Michelin Guide – Taiwan version" , take part in "The Beef Noodle Chef Contest", and witness all the actions in the "County VS. City Cooking Tournament". This annual event also includes a "Celebrity Cooks" session – bringing highlights to the carnival, as well as "Beef Noodle All Stars" and "Beef Noodle Culinary Class" for dedicated gastronomists and inspired cooks.
The Taipei City Government initiated the annual Taipei International Beef Noodle (Newrow Mian) Festival in 2005. Since the first Beef Noodle Festival, chefs and restaurants in Taipei city have been sharpening their cooking skills in order to compete against fierce competitors from around the island. The popularity of this annual event not only helped to refine this excellent dish; the publicity provided by the event has also created countless business opportunities for local restaurants and encouraged owners and chefs alike to upgrade service qualities. The love for beef noodles has turned the island’s capital into a must-visit culinary Mecca for gastronomists, and this once common traditional dish is now a fine recipe worthy of its name as a unique culinary delight that truly represents Taipei.
Finally, a special note on the scale of this year's event: for the very first time, Taipei city is making this splendid fiesta an international event. We will be hosting the "Taiwan & Macau Beef Noodle Exchange Carnival" at one of the major tourist spots in Macau – the Macau Fisherman's Wharf. A number of Taipei's most acclaimed beef noodle restaurants will take part in this gala. The carnival will bring on food bon vivants from around the world to taste the delectable noodles cooked in Taiwanese style. It will also be a great opportunity to promote Taipei through international media coverage as this local relish thrives on the international stage.
【2009 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival Events】
◎ "Taiwan Version of Michelin Guide" - Store Survey Evaluation (2009.08.15~2009.08.30)
The organizer invited food critics, scholars, gourmets, media, and international judges to conduct closed evaluation to decide the stores offering excellent quality cuisines.
◎ Taiwan Macau Beef Noodle Exchange Carnival (2009.10.16-18; Macau Fisherman's Wharf)
Collaborating with the central government's "Taiwan Travel Year" campaign, Taipei will be promoting 'culinary tourism', inviting reputable beef noodle stores from past/current years to set up booth at the road show in Macau.
◎ Beef Noodle Chef Contest (semi-finals: 2009.11.14; finals: 2009.11.22).
The competition is divided into different categories, including stewed in clear soup division, stew in soup with soy sauce division and creative division. Chef contest will be conducted for each division to determine the top beef noodle-cooking experts.
◎ Taipei International Beef Noodle Carnival (2009.11.21-22)
All-Stars Exhibition: We will invite beef noodle shops rated as "excellent" to attend the beef noodle Carnival.
Municipality 'PK' tournament: Chefs and experts specialized in cooking beef noodles from a number of municipalities will be taking part in a fierce competition against Taipei city representatives.
Celebrities Kitchen: Chefs in charge of state banquets will offer participants tips on how to select the ingredients for beef noodles and how to make the soup base.
Beef Noodle Cooking Class: Beef noodle experts will teach participants how to make great-tasting beef noodles.