This is a small little hole in the wall restaurant serving up some traditional Taiwanese dishes. We came on a weekday afternoon right before the busy lunch hour - it was packed 30 min after we arrived! The gentleman (owner?) greeted us and provided us with some suggestions on their best sellers. During our dining experience, he was a little loud with shouting instructions to the kitchen and we did feel a bit rushed to finish our meal and not occupy the table with diners lining up. I ordered the beef noodle soup, and the noodles were prepared well (good texture and not soggy) and the soup had a slight but not overwhelm sour taste from the preserved vegetables. The beef wasn't as tender as it could be, but it wasn't chewy or tough to eat. Prices are reasonable at around $20 after tax and tips. While it wasn't the best or most authentic beef noodle soup I've had, it does hit the spot if I'm craving Taiwanese food downtown or want a hot bowl of noodle soup on a cold day. read more

Big Bowl Rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A small self served Taiwanese eatery. I come here when Ramen Gojiro next door is too crowded and I do not want to wait. I think most people do that so it also gets filled up during the lunch hour rush. The food is ok, nothing special. The price increase makes it even less appealing. I don't know why there is chili in my Taiwanese beef noodle soup. I don't like spicy soup. Lucky I am ok with spice but I wish it is stated in the menu? So if you cannot take spicy food, check with them before ordering. The beef noodle soup is tasty as I do like the addition of pickled vegetables in it, giving a bit of tartness. The beef is tender though the quantity is very little. More noodles than meat ratio. The combo is totally not worth it now that the price has gone up to about $13. If you want rice and noodle for lunch, I think Peaceful Restaurant across the street is a better bet. At least the portion is bigger. read more

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A very poorly named hole in the wall as they do not serve rice. Their rice cooking facilities are "broken" and based on other reviews, they've been broken for a long time. That said I came here wanting soup anyway. Service was curt but pleasant. I got a soup and egg roll combo, but the egg roll was small and bland. Just pass on the combo. The soup was delicious and probably my favorite Chinese beef noodle soup that I've ever had. It was a deep beefy flavor but not greasy or gritty at all (which actually might be a negative for some). The meat had some grisly bits (expected) but was super tender. Noodles were perfectly cooked, not too hard but not too soft. I think it needed a couple chunks more of beef or more vegetables but the portion is good for the price in the very expensive downtown Vancity. Cash or debit only. read more

Big Bowl Rice - Beef noodle soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Fine for basic beef noodle soup. It's not as great as some mall stalls. Small and family owned. Price is average. Maybe a revisit for me.

TL;DR 5 stars for taste, minus one for slow service and minus another for price value. My sister and I hurried into Big Bowl Rice on the snowiest Sunday Vancouver has seen in its recent years. Lured in by the thought of a steaming bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, we quickly placed our orders and sat in eager anticipation. The restaurant was only half full; there were maybe 4 other parties. However, we were pretty disappointed with the fact that it took over 45 minutes for our food to come out. Everyone else in the restaurant got their food before we did. But when it did, boy oh boy, the soup was hot and wonderful. The beef noodle soup had a perfect little kick of heat, and the beef was tender and flavorful. The noodles were perfectly chewy, and the cabbage was juicy. The chicken nuggets were also well-spiced, maybe to the point of being slightly too salty. One qualm I have is with the wonton noodle soup. I believe it was just under $8, but it contained only six little wontons. It was mostly cabbage, which would have been fine if I was paying less for it. The light fermented soybean flavored broth was nice though. May come again if I'm in a pinch but definitely not if I'm in a rush. Perfect for a cold winter day though! read more

Big Bowl Rice - Mostly demolished wonton soup, beef noodle soup, and chicken nuggets - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This noodle place is located in downtown, but it is very close to BCIT and some schools. Their pricing is considerably at a cheaper range. Obviously, the target markets are students or people who work in the neighbourhood that do not want to spend too much on food. I went here for lunch on Sunday. It was very interesting that the restaurant used two chairs to block the entrance, but the restaurant was open! I asked the owner about it. She said they only served noodles, but not rice and any other things. It was just strictly noodles. I said sure and I only wanted to try their beef noodles in soup. She let me in. I did not really look at the menu and placed an order of the beef noodles in soup. The chef there cooked quickly. A bowl of beef noodles in soup arrived at my table. The presentation was just like the way I cooked and served myself at home! Their beef was very tendered and it was cut into small cubes. The texture of the noodles was just about right that it was not too soft or too hard. The menu did not say the soup was spicy. I expected it was not spicy, but it was actually a bit spicy! Not bad. The interior design of this restaurant is not attractive or upscale. The pricing is cheaper in downtown, so it is fair enough that the interior design or cutlery that they use is just okay. I would like to use the word "canteen" to describe this restaurant. read more

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I'm Taiwanese, and I'm not sure if this really tastes like Taiwanese food. I ordered combo 1, which comes with beef noodle soup and a fried chicken wing. Beef noodle soup - the broth was sweet and spicy which you may or may not like (I didn't like the sweetness), noodles a little mushy, and the beef was very tender but fatty Chicken wing - this was so crispy! It was a little too salty for me, but otherwise a perfect wing. The crunch was satisfying. The inside of the restaurant is a lot nicer than the outside, but in the middle of April, it was so hot inside with the door closed. I sat there sweating while waiting for my food lol read more

Big Bowl Rice - Beef noodle soup takeout - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I was here for a lunch yesterday after some X-Mas shopping in Pacific Center. I've been wanting to try this place because of their beef noodle and daily specials. BBR is a small restaurant, but I was able to find my table for solo dining. Customers were mostly Chinese student and elders who wanted some Chinese comfort food. So I got Combo A Taiwanese Beef Noodle with chicken wing ($11.50) , and I really liked Beef Noodle as it was full of flavours. It had lots of veggies and some beef chunks (meat was tender and delicious). As for noodle it was undercooked and I would've liked my noodle to be softer. Chicken wing was fresh and delicious. Water is self-serve and wifi is available under #Telus. Cash and debit only. read more

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Ha! I can only assume the 10 people that left an average 4 star review just have never been to Taiwan or had authentic beef noodle soup. So disappointed that I was led astray again by Yelp! The beef noodle soup broth isn't as dark or rich as others and the flavor isn't that great. Noodle texture was good though - not over cooked. I'd give this bowl 2.5 stars. Unfortunately, when we asked for chili oil, a staple condiment for beef noodle soup, we were given a tiny spoonful. When I asked for more, the lady looked annoyed and said "just a little bit." Wow, just wow. We probably got in total less than a teaspoon of chili oil. So stingy! You may be able to get a big bowl of rice, but don't expect much chili oil - it's precious like gold here. Lol! Won't be back! read more

I love my ramen and pho so I decided to branch out and see what this place was about since I pass it all the time. Not the kindest lady that asked me to sit at the table but maybe that's the culture. First thing I notice is that half the menu is black out with tape. Then I see a sign on the wall stating that the frying facility is broken. And the sign is old so they just haven't bothered fixing anything. You can only order items that are boiled, steamed or deep fried. So there goes the big bowl of fried rice. Then I notice they will not offer you water, you must purchase it for $1.50. I finally ordered and I got combo B the beef noodle soup and spring roll for $11. When noodle soup arrives I always try the broth first. The first thing that came to mind was cinnamon! Maybe this is normal in Taiwanese cooking. The beef was very tender but slightly fatty. The only topping is bok Chou and cabbage. The noodles were ok, they reminded me of fettuccini. It's only the dude in the kitchen whom I guess is the husband so service can be slow. They have a tv showing Asian movies to watch while you wait if you can understand what they are saying. It was an experience but I won't be back, I couldn't adapt my taste to the sweet spicy broth and I can't give up all the good toppings that come with my ramen. read more

Big Bowl Rice - Spring roll - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Ordered their chicken nuggets for the very first time for take out. It cost $7.95 + tax but they look like a half order to me... read more

Big Bowl Rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The name of this place is confusing! They do surprisingly good Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The broth was flavourful with bits of pickled vegetable (love that shit). The noodles were bouncy, thick and perfectly cooked to el-dente. The beef was suuuuper tender with the fat and grisle trimmed off. Topped off with a couple of baby bok choy. I got the beef noodle soup + springroll combo for $11. I'd skip the springroll next time as it wasn't very impressive. Ambiance isn't the best. It's run by a Chinese couple who bickered loudly back and forth in the kitchen. Good place to slurp back a bowl with your headphones in and Netflix streaming on the phone. Cash or debit only. I'll definitely be back to satisfy those beef noodle cravings. read more

ok service/ order at counter decent Taiwanese food around this area over priced Taiwanese food but then of course for this area they can charge that much if i had to choose 1 dish: taiwanese beef noodle soup spicy would i go back? yes read more

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I don't understand why they aren't getting lineups out the door. They have excellent Taiwanese beef noodles. Amazing beef broth, absolutely no MSG, and I can even taste the subtle sweet vegetables they boil for hours. Chewy al dente noodles with good quality beef that is not too chewy and not too fatty. I could drink the whole bowl of beef broth and not get thirsty. Their street snacks such as chicken wings, curry fishballs, preserved eggs with tofu are all decent too! Very reasonably priced! You can't get anything like this in Downtown. So silly people who are lining up for Gojiro Ramen that is right beside Big Bowl Rice or waiting for your Pokerrito across from it, do yourself a favor and head in there! read more

Phenomenal Taiwanese beef noodle soup. And I do not say that lightly or underestimate the gravity of those words. This place is not beautiful, nothing fancy, and truly looks like a ragged hole in the wall from the street, but the soup is excellent. Can't believe it took me this long to find. One of the new faves now. read more

Big Bowl Rice - Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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First appearances were not encouraging. It was early dinner time, so air con wasn't turned on yet. The place looked deserted. They didn't tear off the receipts after each transaction so a long tail of receipts hung off the machine on the counter to coil up on the floor. Hole in the wall that I would not bring a girlfriend to unless she was a diehard taiwanese cuisine afficionado. Prices are fairly low. I'm always a bit surprised to see low prices for food in downtown. I realize they're catering to the international students, but seriously, if a foreign student has enough resources for international tuition fees and housing costs in Vancouver, they can pay more than $7 for a plate of food. I just had the beef noodle combo with curry fish balls. It wasn't necessarily the best I've had in Vancouver, but it was probably one of the most authentic. Starting with the smell. As soon as the bowl of noodles was brought in front of me, the smell of beef noodle soup wafted up bringing memories of Taiwan, what it used to be, as a little island nation in the middle of nowhere. I remembered the late night midnight snacks, warm breezes, sitting out on stools tasting delicious xiao zhi street food. The soup was really tasty. As per their claims, I don't think there was any MSG in there. Not oily, there were barely any oil droplets on the surface. The beef was tender and appropriately portioned. I hate those gigantic chunks of beef that some noodle shops put in there. It's just a hassle to eat. The noodles were delicious, at the right level of "chewy" or QQ. I'm not sure if they were fresh made or dried. But who cares, they were delicious. Everything was authentic, from the taste of the soup to the noodles to the stewed beef. Not necessarily the best, but very good and worth the trip for fans of taiwanese beef noodle soup. The curry fish balls were also quite good. I liked the sauce. It had burnt shallots in there, which is a very taiwanese flavor that I don't see as often in other places. read more

Love the Hainanese Chicken rice here. It comes with a daily soup and two dips on the side. Really good for lunch. The steamed pork spareribs on rice is also one of my favourites here. The ribs are really tender and the soy sauce goes really well on the rice. read more

First time here... and it might actually be new'ish. I was feeling like a burger... wife wanted something other than "burger, Mexican, BBQ" (sigh... my favs). So... off to a Taiwanese noodle place. I'm not one to frequent a Taiwanese noodle place... the wife is Japanese and we end up at ramen and udon places way more often than other Asian restaurants. So... unfamiliar with a lot of the soups, I tried the restaurants main staple... beef noodle soup. Lots of beef in here, and they advertise seasonal veggies (not much veggies in there, so I guess not much in season, or maybe that's typical... again, I'm new to this kind of place). The broth was nice... lots of star anise, and the cilantro that was sprinkled on top really worked well together. The noodles were a little clumpy, but they had a great 'chew' to them. I hate it when you get a noodle soup and the noodles are just an overcooked mush... this place was hitting the noodle cook time really well. I also ordered some BBQ pork fried rice (had to get my BBQ somehow!)... and it was really good. I think I preferred it to the soup (the soup was still pretty good). Would I go back again... sure... if I was in the neighbourhood, hungry and feeling like soup or fried rice... I'd be back in there! read more

Big Bowl Rice - Beef noodle soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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It's hard to believe coming from me, but for the taste/value and being in dt where there isn't much affordable options, BBRK serves its purpose. Extra star for worth a repeat visit, esp. if you're sick of the food court nearby @ Pacific Centre. Ordered their signature beef noodle soup, and while we're not talking Triple A Canadian beef, it's more than decent, and best of all, tender. And if i'm going to compare to quantity, it's worth about 2 packs of instant noodles lol. A warm meal for $8.5. Located a block away from the 7/11. read more

Small place in downtown Vancouver. It seems to be family run, excellent service, The food is fresh and flavourful. Great prices on combos, excellent value for money. I would definitely go there for lunch and want a good wonton and rice combo. Very yummy read more

Beef noodles here was amazing!! It's not as good as in Taiwan but it was still really good. We also ordered chilly wontons, recommend this!!!! Definitely will come back again! read more

I used to live in Taiwan and this place made me feel right at home. Taiwanese beef noodle soup, fried chicken wings, curry fish balls and chili dumplings were perfect. Great value too! read more

Noodles are decent for the price downtown but nothing amazing. The place is small, kind of hole in the wall and seems a pretty old but has a large menu selection. I tried the "authentic" beef noodle soup with friends. The beef was delicious and tender but other than that I wouldn't call the dish authentic. The soup was not very rich but was a little spicy and the noodles didn't have the chewy texture usual handmade noodles usually have. I think you can get much more authentic beef noodle soup in a taiwanese eats shop in downtown, burnaby or richmond. The place is not too bad but probably would not come back unless I'm in the area craving a quick bite. read more

Change of owners!! Their beef noodle soup is no longer the same. The soup base and bland. I won't be coming any longer until they change back to their original recipe read more

It was late (almost 8pm) & it was raining & cold outside. As soon as I saw the sign for Taiwan beef noodle I headed straight into the shop. The owners r not TW (I think they r HK'ie) so the beef noodle soup doesn't taste very TW. A tad too sweet (hope it's not MSG) but overall the noodles & beef are all right. Not many people in the shop so I got 5 star service & attention ... Hmmm read more

Fantastic handmade noodles wonderful broth beef was very tender staff was friendly just enough spice

The atmosphere isn't the best, however after having eaten here, I'd be surprised if this place isn't faced with a constant swarm of take out orders during peak times. Very reasonable prices. The beef noodle soup is amazing. Super tender marinated beef chunks in a rich broth are a winning combination. The wonton soup is also pretty good. Definitely be back for the BNS. May opt to take out next time. read more

Loved the spicy beef and handmade noodles. Curry/rice dishes were also great. Don't be put off by the small dining room, the food is warm and hand made. Easily one of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the city. read more

Wanted to try this place because of the good reviews. Called in to ask if they accept credit card since a) a lot of Asian places don't take credit and b) I don't see that option listed on yelp. I called the place and a lady picked up. So I asked if they take credit card and all she said was "under 15, no time to talk to you. Bye" and hung up. I was going to order something to go if they did take credit card. I understand that you're busy, but that was some pretty bad customer service. I'm still interested in trying this place out but I'll just prepare cash next time. read more

Pre-ordered the number five Papa combo came with spicy tuna rolls spicy California roll and dynamite roll. It was enough for two people. Really good period comes with free miso soup for one, we shared it. All for only 995 unbelievable read more

food was bad it got my friends got sick don't go here ever again it came with horrible service too which was the downside

I live in downtown Vancouver and just stumbled into this precious restaurant which serves delicious taiwanese style beef noodle soup. They didn't use MSG and the soup is so tasty and not oily. The beef was very good quality and fresh and was cooked just right when they were still little chewy. Staff was very friendly and menus are not expensive. Whenever I feel like noodle soup, I go there now. I highly recommend this place :) read more

I have been to the restaurant many time, I ordered beef noodle most time. Since it is cheap and quick.Finally I found they used not fresh beef to cook, the beef has sore taste, and the vegetables are not freash too. I will never go to the restaurant again! read more

I lived in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan so I have tons of experience with these noodles and dumplings. This little place gets an A+ grade. The dumplings are fresh and the noodles are handmade. The soup broth is superb, and I have to say this is the best Taiwanese beef noodle soup I've had in Vancouver. The storefront is unassuming, but the results are absolutely worth it. read more

i had the beef noodle soup - delicious! fair amount of bok choy and very tasty, soft chunks of beef with perfect noodles. Great meal for 8.50, tho i know nothing about Taiwanese cuisine. National Geographic quiet in the background, pleasant service, homey feel. perfect end to a day at the library. read more

I have been here a couple of times over the summer. The restaurant sort of outta the way from where you typically find eateries downtown, but I must say the Taiwanese Beef Noodle is probably the best in downtown right now. The beef broth is aromatic and infused with a lot of spices especially star anise. Beef soup base is definitely the star in this dish - it is layered with flavours but without being too heavily oily. Beef is braised to perfection - flavoured beautifully and tender with the right amount of chew. My noodles were perfectly cooked here - el dente. which is how noodles in soup should be cooked - be it ramen or wonton noodles. Over cooking it really makes it mushy and under cooking it makes it really chewy. The dish is served with a side of spring vegetables and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro for a reasonable price of $8.50. Multiple combos are available so make sure you check those out if you want to stretch you dollars some more. Will definitely come back again and looking forward to see what other Yelpers think... read more