Late-night snacks in Tainan: The super-popular freshly butchered local specialty “Beef Soup”!

Text & Photos /San Gao Chi Han

The snack hub on Jinhua Road comes alive at night, with many shops staying open until midnight—making it a great spot for a late-night bite. Grab a few dishes here and you’ll leave satisfied.

Several popular stalls near Zheng’s Freshly Butchered Local Beef Soup weren’t all included in my list. I planned to hit Longxing Ice later—surprisingly, there were still quite a few people coming for ice even after 11 PM.

Zheng Jia &Ah JiangThe neighboring freshly butchered beef soup shop is run by relatives (now called Hu Zi Zhong Beef Soup), where the beef is pre-sliced~

The young owner is extremely polite. Usually, the nicer the staff, the more I end up ordering than I planned—that’s just how it goes. Dining mood really matters~

There’s only one type of beef soup here, mixed with lean meat and some fatty parts. The thick layer of fat floating on top may look greasy, but it actually isn’t.

The broth has a sweet aftertaste, reminiscent of ingredients like silverleaf desmodium used in chicken soup—I don’t know exactly what’s in it, but that’s just the impression. It has a quite unique flavor.

The beef texture is decent, but I really like the soy sauce they serve—it’s light, as if it’s meant for you to scoop and mix yourself. Add a bit of doubanjiang, and it makes a great beef dip.

As I eat the beef soup, more dishes gradually arrive: stir-fried cabbage with beef liver, and stir-fried Chinese broccoli with beef heart. The greens are cooked just right—moist, crisp, and lightly sweet, and the offal is well-cooked. Pretty tasty~

The beef topping for the rice… tastes a bit like homemade braised pork with radish—a lighter flavor with less sugar or soy sauce, and the fat-marbled meat is tender and soft from slow cooking.

After this meal, I plan to try another beef soup spot tomorrow. Still got three more snacks to eat tonight too！

Zheng’s Local Beef Soup
Address: No. 2, Lane 47, Section 4, Jinhua Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 6:00 PM – 9:00 AM

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