The Morning Battle of Tainan’s Delicacies: The Blissful Sweetness of Warm-Body Lamb Soup

Text and Photos /San Gao Eats Chinese

That evening, I suddenly craved lamb. In Tainan, besides the dominant beef soup, lamb soup also holds its own spot. While elsewhere you might worry about not finding any, in Tainan there are so many lamb shops to satisfy your cravings — the real dilemma is choosing which one~

I heard that Kun Lamb is pretty good, so I went with it tonight. The storefront had rustic lanterns hanging and an old stall with a single dangling bulb. Had it not been located on the first floor of a residential building but rather in a small country town, the old-timey vibe would’ve been even stronger.

Today, the person ordering wasn’t me, but [[. They just gave a few instructions — what to stir-fry, what meat, what lamb offal, what soup — and the menu hanging above could be ignored. Facing the fresh warm-body lamb ingredients, we just told the boss how we wanted it done, which was quicker. Customers filled the seats inside and outside the shop, and the wait for the food was especially long… Next door is Xia Family Fish Noodles, but I’m not particularly interested in fish noodles yet, so it’s not on my list~

First came a plate of stir-fried lamb with water spinach. The texture of the lamb was a bit coarser than I expected, and the flavor was not heavy, with a not-too-thick bean paste~

Stir-fried lamb offal with pickled vegetables — including lamb liver, lamb tripe, lamb intestines, and skin-on lamb. Everything had the right balance of tender and crisp textures, with appropriately mild salty and sour seasonings plus a hint of spiciness. It was quite appetizing and refreshing. Only the lamb offal lacked a bit of meaty flavor. Last time I visited Beigang, I tried an unnamed lamb joint where the stir-fried offal had this scorched, wok-hei aroma — I think I prefer that style more.

But I really liked the lamb soup. Though the clear broth also had pickled vegetables added, it was satisfying and smooth to drink, and the tenderness of the lamb was much better than in the stir-fried water spinach dish.

I ordered a bowl of plain rice, cooked just right, drizzled with a bit of lamb soup and pickled vegetables. I dipped the meat slices in the sweet oily sauce and ate them with the rice — delicious. The elderly lady at the next table was also enjoying her meal just as heartily~


Kun Lamb
Address: No. 341, Section 1, Fuzhong Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM, until sold out
 

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