Tainan’s “Liulian Beef Soup” often sells out by 8 a.m. — plan to get there even earlier if you want a taste.

Text & Photos /Mazhi Little Rabbit

At six in the morning, just getting back from an all-night karaoke session at Money Club, dragging your tired body home, what better timing to swing by Xialin Road for a bowl of “Liulian Beef Soup”!

Made with freshly slaughtered yellow beef and a rich broth simmered from beef bones, the first time I tried Liulian’s beef soup, I noticed a slight gamey taste, but the fresh flavor of the beef combined with its tender texture lingered in my mouth and mind long after. The broth is incredibly savory without a trace of MSG. I don’t usually drink beef soup, so I just thought it was very tasty but had nothing to compare it to. But ever since trying Liulian, whenever I’ve had the chance to sample some of Tainan’s other famous beef soups, I realized my entire palate had been conquered by Liulian — the others all seemed bland in comparison.

As a kid, I loved the beef soup my dad used to make. He taught me to slightly freeze the beef before slicing it thinly, add shredded ginger to boiling water to infuse the flavor, then drop the beef into the boiling water and turn off the heat immediately — this way, the half-cooked beef is the most delicious, and the ginger helps eliminate any gaminess. Most beef soups you get outside are simmered for a while, but ours was a clear broth. Still, the texture of the beef was refreshingly tender and flavorful, making it an endless delight.

I once had a beef vendor at the market tell me that beef is only truly fresh and delicious when slaughtered early in the morning. Once the sun comes up, the beef isn’t as good. So if you’re buying beef, only the morning market has the good stuff — you probably won’t find any at the evening markets, and if you do, it’s not likely to be fresh or tasty, so it’s best not to buy it. Who knew such a small thing as beef could come with so much know-how?

Taiwan’s locally raised yellow beef is no less flavorful than imported beef, but it’s just produced in much smaller quantities. Tainan is probably also the city with the most beef soup shops. If you ever get the chance to visit Tainan, you definitely have to try the beef soup here.

Liulian Beef Soup is open from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., but actually, many times if you go after 8, it’s already sold out. So if you really want to eat it, it’s best to get there around 7 or 8 a.m. I’ve even woken up specially at 5 or 6 a.m. just to go eat there.

No. 19-7, Dayong Street, Tainan City (it’s actually on Xialin Road); Phone: 06-222-7603

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