Local’s guide: The hidden old shop “Nameless Yuanzi Soup” that locals have grown up eating

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

When it comes to Qingshui in Taichung, the first things that come to mind for me are Wangta Rice Cake, A-Cai Rice Cake, and Gaomei Wetlands—these three local specialties that most tourists visit the area for. However, I actually love Qingshui’s night view the most among all of Taichung. But aside from these, there are still many delicious foods known only to locals in the coastal areas (like Qingshui and Shalu). Thanks to a local from Shalu, although we drove all the way to Ziyunyan in Qingshui, we weren’t planning to eat Grandma’s Tapioca Ice or rice cake. Instead, we stopped at the entrance of a lane on Guangfu Street. Looking left and right, I didn’t see any signs, but I decided to head down the alley—and only then did I discover a super-hidden gem that locals have been eating at for twenty or thirty years: [The Nameless Yuanzi Soup].

This is an alley you might not even notice when riding a bike past it, and you probably wouldn’t particularly want to walk into it either. But once you stand at the entrance of Guangfu Street, you’ll spot a small sign that says “Yuanzi Soup,” along with one for barley tea. As for the address, I’m guessing it’s probably this red-brick wall sign, haha → ‘No. 23, Guangfu Street, Zhongxing Li, Qingshui District, Taichung City.’ But I’d recommend searching for No. 52, Wenchang Street, Qingshui District, on Google—it’s much easier to find. The lane next to the pharmacy in the photo is the way in, Up！

The storefront looks like a low, old red-brick bungalow, with a steamed bun machine and a shaved ice machine at the door—but they don’t sell either of those here. The interior setup is very homey, or I could say it’s pretty ‘messy’ XD. There are almost no visible indoor seating spots, but somehow there are still four to five seats for dine-in, roughly in front of the TV. My local guide said it’s been like this for over twenty years and remains just as messy, if not more so than before.

If you’re someone who cares a lot about cleanliness and tidiness, I wouldn’t recommend coming here (I’m the adaptable type, XD). Of course, there’s no air conditioning inside, just simple electric fans, and it’s slightly stuffy (after all, the kitchen is right next to the seating). So it’s pretty normal to drink here and end up drenched in sweat. Otherwise, you can just take it to go and enjoy it at home with the air conditioning on, Up！

Then next to that is the kitchen and the area where the sweet soups are made. Just tell the boss what you want, and they’ll cook it fresh for you on the spot. The prices are actually very cheap—I’d say you only realize how affordable it is after the sweet soup is served. Even after the price increase, the most expensive item is only 40 NT for the signature Red Bean & Peanut Glutinous Ball Soup. And it’s super generous with ingredients—I highly recommend giving it a try.

[Signature Red Bean & Peanut Glutinous Ball Soup │ 40 NT │ Warm]
If I didn’t mention the glutinous balls, you might think that just the bowl full of red beans and peanuts would still be reasonably priced at 40 NT even in the city. But this bowl also comes with five decent-sized stuffed glutinous balls—something you’d probably only find outside the city. However, even in the hot summer, the glutinous balls aren’t served cold—only hot soup is available. But the boss is quite thoughtful—the sweet soup is already pre-cooled to a slightly warm temperature when served, so it won’t make you break into a sweat.

The plump glutinous balls have a chewy, sticky skin, filled with a ‘very solid’ sesame peanut filling, which is different from what you usually get. Most store-bought sesame fillings burst out like flowing sand when you bite into them, but here the sesame filling is dense and compact, mixed with little bits of peanuts. The glutinous balls are handmade by the boss. The aroma is really quite good—it’s surprisingly delicious. And there are five of them too—where else can you find such a sweet soup with generous ingredients? Honestly, the environment becomes not such a big deal, especially with the smooth red beans and soft-boiled peanuts. It’s definitely a sweet soup that’s been selling well for over twenty years for a reason.

[Mung Bean Soup │ 20 NT]
This bowl of mung bean soup isn’t anything too surprising—it’s just that there’s a generous amount of mung beans, and the sweetness is mild, not overly cloying. The beans aren’t cooked until they’re mushy—you can still see their shape clearly, but they’re soft and tender. The soup has a slightly cool touch.

It seems only the mung bean soup is available cold in the summer, and it’s quite refreshing to drink. I actually really like it, and I think it would be even better if they added more fried dough twists. Purely personal preference, though—this little shop is all about keeping it simple and honest.

They seem to offer delivery too, because when we first arrived, we saw the boss making over ten cups of sweet soup and delivering them by bicycle. But I didn’t see any shop information inside, so I have no idea what their phone number is. Luckily, I found out their business hours, though the location is really hard to find. If you’re interested in coming, you might need to spend some time finding where Guangfu Street is.

◎ Shop Introduction: [Nameless Hidden Yuanzi Soup Mung Bean Soup Guangfu Street │ Qingshui District]
◎ Address: No. 52, Wenchang Street, Qingshui District, Taichung City (lane next to the Chinese medicine shop)
◎ Phone: 04-2622-8097
◎ Business Hours: 07:30 AM – 06:00 PM
◎ Special Note: Closed on Tuesdays, the location is really hard to find—recommended to ask locals

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