Warm Beef Hotpot Alert in Tainan: Netizens Recommend “Very Beef” in Xinyi District

Text & Photos /Paperclip. Food Photography Joy

Still not satisfied after having beef soup in Tainan, I met up with an old friend on the night before my trip abroad to try some beef hotpot. We had previously gone together to Yonglin Beef Pot on Fuxing North Road—a place famous for serving fresh, same-day-slaughtered warm beef from Tainan, which really did taste great, and you could even cook the final broth into congee. This time, at “Very Beef,” they also serve warm beef, and online reviews are very positive. I just wonder how it compares to Yonglin?

Very Beef is located near the intersection of Xinyi Road and Songde Road. The nearest MRT station is Xiangshan Station, Exit 3. In reality, it’s still about a 5–10 minute walk from the exit. The area isn’t very bustling, but even on a weekday evening, it was packed. Some were there for group hotpot meals, but most were like us—just two people sharing a pot, chatting over food.

The two of us ordered a small pot base, which already includes basic seasonal vegetables such as cabbage, daikon radish, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, and corn. In addition, we ordered the store’s recommended signature premium yellow beef and beef tendon, along with a stir-fried rice with pork belly and a side of seasonal vegetables—we chose baby bok choy. Moreover, liking the shop’s Facebook page and checking in earned us a portion of tender beef paste, so we got that too.

The small pot base already looked generously packed with vegetables, and I thought it seemed rather oily—probably cooked with beef bones. My friend said it tasted quite sweet, and the flavor was already well-balanced for eating. He remembered that at Yonglin, the soup was also simmered with vegetables, but it was much lighter and only became richer after longer cooking.

The tender beef paste arrived first. The server offered to put it in the pot for us, but my friend said let’s do it ourselves—he was being considerate, thinking I’d want to take photos ^^ Very Beef’s tender beef (the shop offers both tender beef paste and tender sliced beef) is marinated with kiwi and pineapple juice, whose enzymes break down the beef fibers to tenderize the meat, resulting in an incredibly smooth texture.

The beef paste can be cooked a bit longer. The server said it’s ready when it floats, but we noticed these beef balls were floating the whole time, so we cooked them a little longer.

The texture was bouncy, the seasoning just right—it was genuinely tasty. But later on, I actually felt it was the most plain among all the beef dishes we ordered that day.

This is the premium yellow beef, a type of warm beef. The shop sources their beef from Shansheng Ranch in Shanhua, Tainan. Currently, they offer two types of warm beef. The staff mentioned that the premium yellow beef has rich marbling, while the other type is leaner.

The beef is sliced extremely thin, so you can cook it slowly piece by piece and enjoy it for a while. Be especially mindful that such high-quality beef should only be cooked for a maximum of 8 seconds (there are reminder notes on the table). At first, we didn’t notice and misjudged the timing on the first couple tries. It wasn’t overly tough, but it lacked that fresh umami. However, after two or three rounds, my friend figured out the best way to cook it.

No need to count seconds—no matter how many slices you put in at once, spread them out on a spoon, then ladle hot broth over them twice before quickly lifting them out. The meat will be slightly pink—that’s the perfect moment to eat.

This way, the beef not only has that sweet, beefy flavor, but despite being thinly sliced, it still has a bit of chew.

Beef tendon is the connective tissue attached to the muscle on the cow’s back. It’s already cooked when served. Since it’s quite durable, we actually threw all the beef tendons into the pot from the beginning.

Some parts of the beef tendon have meat on one side and tendon on the other. That piece was a bit tough but still acceptable.

This piece was excellent—even after such long cooking, it remained tender. Though the fine beef fibers can easily get stuck between your teeth, it’s truly a must-order dish, highly recommended.

We cooked the baby bok choy last. By then, we had already drunk several bowls of broth. The hotpot broth really deserves praise—not only does it have the sweetness of vegetables, but also the flavor of beef. Even knowing it’s not the healthiest, we couldn’t help but drink bowl after bowl. My friend said, “Why go all the way to Tainan? You can get great beef and broth right here.” I couldn’t agree more.

Almost forgot to mention the pork belly stir-fried rice. Although this place specializes in beef, the pork stir-fried rice is no less carefully made. It’s fragrantly stir-fried (meaning the flavor might be slightly heavy and a bit oily), and the rice is chewy—very good.

The whole meal came to exactly 1000 NTD, plus a 10% service charge. We both agreed it tasted better than Yonglin Beef Pot, every dish was flawless, making us want to come back again.

[info]
Very Beef Hotpot
https://www.facebook.com/veryverycow
No. 34, Section 6, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
02-23461999
17:00–2:00 (Closed Mondays)

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