A specialty store for soup only！ Soup has transformed from a supporting role to the star of the dining table.

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Candy

‘Soup’ has always been an indispensable and important part of our dining tables, and its preparation often requires a lot of effort from chefs. A good broth can be the key to the deliciousness of a bowl of ramen, the perfect finale to a Chinese feast, or the start of a Western meal. It’s as important as the NBA’s Sixth Man—bringing warmth the moment it touches your lips and releasing the umami of ingredients to delight your taste buds. Recently, I’ve noticed that some shops in Taiwan have started specializing in soup, making it the centerpiece of the meal.
Recently, while taking a break at [Zero Seven Coffee] near Xiangshang Market, I happened to hear that a shop was about to open diagonally across the street. It’s called 【Home · Warmth · Soup Specialty Store】, and it also has the style of an old house renovation. That day, after having dessert, I dropped by with a friend to give it a try.

In the Gongzheng Road area near Xiangshang Market, there’s actually been a quiet rise in cultural and creative vibes lately, with some nice little shops popping up. From Machiya Coffee and Zero Seven to the old furniture store next door to this soup specialty shop, they all have unique styles. For this traditional market district, it feels like a very localized blend of lifestyle atmosphere. Because the market area is always bustling, but once you get to Gongzheng Road, which is a residential zone, it becomes much quieter.

【Home · Warmth · Soup Specialty Store】 isn’t hard to find, but most of the shops in this area currently don’t have very eye-catching signs. At 2:30 in the afternoon, it wasn’t crowded, and through the transparent glass, you could see the kitchen counter where preparations were underway.

The space is long and narrow, with an overall color scheme that’s quite simple, white, and elegant, paired with warm-toned wooden tables and chairs.

A lazy scent of wood wafts through the air, and under the dim yellow lighting, it exudes the warmth of coming home. It’s very quiet here, and the atmosphere is comfortable.

Currently, there are twelve types of soup, but about five to six are made and available each day. The offerings change daily, so it depends on luck whether your favorite soup is available when you visit.

The prices of the meals aren’t exactly cheap, but the range varies quite a bit, from 85 NT to 140 NT.

Although they offer vegetable rice or freshly baked bread, these cost an extra 35 NT if you want to add them, which makes the overall cost a bit higher. The types and richness of ingredients in the soups naturally vary with the price. For those wanting to try something new, I’d recommend going for the set meal.

The utensils in the kitchen area are arranged neatly and cleanly, but there are no bar stools here. In front of the counter, there are several large pots filled with the day’s soup offerings. After ordering, you can watch the serving process (the soup is cooked in the back kitchen).

If you order the set meal, you get two small bowls of soup plus either vegetable rice or bread. There are more flavors and it’s more filling.
(But the portion size, for me, is really just a taste—after eating, I’m only about half full.)

Then, when it’s served, it comes on a wooden tray. I think this adds a nice sense of quality to the whole presentation. I just didn’t include it in the photos because I didn’t like how it looked for pictures, so you won’t see it in the following photos!!

【Beef Rib Stew Soup / 140 NT / à la carte】
The bowls and portions for à la carte and set meals are different in size, but the ingredients in the bowls are actually quite rich. There are four large pieces of beef that are well braised—tender and flavorful, with some parts having a slight chewy texture, which is just right for me—not too soft or tough to chew. There’s also asparagus, half a sweet potato, cheese, and more.Ring

It has a tomato-based red broth with the acidic aroma brought by red wine. The right amount of acidity slowly slides down your throat with the heat, and it’s actually quite appetizing. So it pairs perfectly with the 【Vegetable Rice / 45 NT】. Pouring some broth over the rice is nice—the portion of rice isn’t a lot (about one and a half bowls), and the texture is decent. The rice is really just a side dish and not particularly special.

【Good Mushroom Pork Rib Cartilage Soup / 125 NT / à la carte】
If my mom saw this, she’d probably scold me XD, because the pork rib soup she often makes at home costs me 100 NT for a bowl. That said, in this semi-clear broth, there’s a bit of oil floating on the surface, with pieces of bamboo shoots, pork rib cartilage, asparagus, mushrooms, and baby corn. The broth tastes quite mellow, with a rich aroma that feels like a blend of many ingredients. It’s the scent of mushrooms mixed with the sweetness of pork and bamboo shoots, creating a thick, mellow flavor.

The pork rib cartilage isn’t stewed until it’s super soft, but like the beef ribs from the previous dish, it still has a bit of chewiness and a hint of sweetness.

This pairs with the 【Handmade Bread / 35 NT】. It may seem like an odd East-meets-West combo, but it doesn’t feel disjointed at all. The bread is reheated before serving, so it’s warm to the touch. When you break it open, you can feel its softness. Soaking it in the broth and then eating it, I actually think the bread is tastier than the vegetable rice. I’d recommend it more.

【Home Temperature 222 Set Meal / 220 NT / includes two small bowls of soup and a choice of noodles or rice】
We chose the 【Chestnut Pumpkin Soup】 and the 【Mexican Spicy Meat Soup】. The bowl sizes are about half of what you get à la carte, so if you’re going with one or two people and want to try multiple flavors, the set meal is definitely the better choice.

The Chestnut Pumpkin soup also has an extra half-sphere of potato added, which is smooth and soft. The sweetness of the pumpkin blends with the chestnuts, which is pretty good, but the texture doesn’t feel as rich as other flavors—it’s purely about the thick, mellow taste of the broth.

The Mexican Spicy Meat Soup is actually a rather complex soup, as it includes spices and bay leaves among other ingredients. In addition to ground pork, there are also several soybeans, which add a starchy softness to the heavy spicy flavor. The broth has a distinct, appetizing spiciness that gets smoother the more you drink. It has a very distinctive flavor, and I quite like it.

Although I liked the impressions of the few soups we tried today and enjoyed them all, the pricing feels a bit high. Also, given Taiwanese eating habits, it’s hard to say how well this kind of meal will be accepted. The environment is actually quite nice, with a café-like vibe. Even though it serves hot soup meals, there’s almost no heavy cooking smell indoors, which is quite comfortable—of course, when it’s not too crowded. I think coming on a weekday would also be suitable for that café-like tranquility and leisurely feel. Sharing my simple thoughts for your reference.

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◎ Shop Introduction: [Home · Warmth · Soup Specialty Store · Gongzheng Road · Xiangshang Market │ West District]
◎ Address: No. 222, Gongzheng Road, West District, Taichung City
◎ Phone: 04-23010802
◎ Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM
◎ Consumption Reminder: Last order at 8:00 PM, limited parking available in the alley
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