The adorable "Meatball Red Bean Soup" — can you bear to eat it?

Text and photos byBoge
After learning that YouYou started selling meatball red bean soup in autumn and winter, I came over right away on a holiday for a taste. The meatballs were just too cute, after all~~~

Since they didn’t photograph well in the cup, a kind staff member lent me a small bowl so I could take pictures more easily. I’ve visited several times, and those two sisters remain just as warm and enthusiastic — their service attitude is super nice and friendly.<

Each large cup is packed with red beans, soybeans, and handmade dumplings. The red beans are cooked in a pressure cooker to keep them plump and whole, which is why they even bought a special pot for it.

And the handmade dumplings are even cuter. The staff said they wanted them smaller than the ones you usually find in stores because they thought that would be more magical, so they insisted on rolling them by hand to the perfect size. Despite being small, the chewy texture is still there — absolutely delicious.

As the weather gradually gets colder, Japanese production of certain sauces has stopped, so if you want to try them, hurry up!!!

One cup is packed with fillings that make up over half the cup. Since they’re handmade in limited quantities, you might miss out if you come too late~~~ Better get here early^_<

First Visit

While writing this article, Boge did the math and realized this was actually the third time in three weeks that I’d been to this street — averaging once a week!!!

When visiting Shennong Street on holidays, you’ll often see travelers strolling leisurely, admiring the classic old streets and carefully capturing the unique look of each building with their cameras. It’s also one of those proud moments for Boge, being from Tainan. This time, while walking around Shennong Street with a friend, we discovered a new cute little stall located right across from Taigu Coffee, its vibrant ocean blue hard to miss.

Looking at the prices, every cup is a flat NT$50. On such a hot day, I couldn’t wait to grab one for a cool treat.

After buying one, I immediately snapped a photo with my phone and posted it on Facebook, pretending I was in Japan. The background really does look like it if you don’t look too closely~

I ordered the mango flavor.

The Japanese-style cup is super cute, and the handmade cookies on top are freshly made daily by YouYou. They feature their signature cat design, decorating the dessert and making the whole cup even more appetizing. The ice texture is somewhere between shaved ice and crushed ice — closer to crushed but with an even finer, smoother feel.

Boge highly recommends the mango flavor, made with fresh mango purée paired with cubed pineapple. The combination is absolutely refreshing. Sometimes you just want ice to cool down, not necessarily a second serving.

But that day, Boge was truly charmed by this mango-flavored treat — the dessert didn’t just feel like a sweet, but like a full meal I wanted a second helping of.

So I immediately ordered another flavor to try.

The second cup was winter melon flavor.

The winter melon flavor also included agar jelly, both great cooling ingredients. The first bite of winter melon might taste a bit too sweet, but dig a little deeper and mix it with the agar jelly, and it balances out. So if you get the winter melon flavor, pairing it with the agar jelly is recommended to tone down the sweetness.

Besides desserts, they also sell simple drinks, and notably, offer free barley tea!!!

Even if you’re just passing by, you can grab a drink. No need to worry about carrying a cup around afterward since there’s a trash bin to dispose of it. And no sticky hands after eating ice, because there’s a sink to wash your hands.

The staff are two very sweet and enthusiastic girls. When buying ice cream from them, their smiles were so warm they could melt even this girl’s heart~~~~><

There are also benches where guests can sit and enjoy this refreshingly cool treat. If you’re ever near Shennong Street, take a few extra steps to this unique little shop. Come experience the warmth of Tainan people and taste some truly delicious ice treats — the mango flavor is definitely worth a try.

◎ Tainan. You.You tomotomo ◎

%┑ Location: No. 18, Shennong Street, Tainan (you can walk directly along Shennong Street, located at the intersection of Shennong Street and Kangle Street, right across from Taigu Coffee)

%┯ Business Hours: Weekdays 13:30–20:00; Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00

%┕ Closed on Thursdays

%┓鬯孔ㄒ常河眩??tomotomo