Super limited boiled beef cheek at Sanning Temple in Anping Market — unavailable after 7 AM

Text & Photos /Mazhi Little Rabbit

Hah... This food review was written under the possible threat of protests from my dad, uncles, and the people of Anping, but that 【boiled beef cheek】 was so delicious it completely blew me away. I felt I’d be letting down all my foodie friends and relatives if I didn’t share it. So just days after finally convincing my dad to take me there after much nagging, I went behind his back.

Dear Dad... I’m really sorry...

It all started like this...

In the first half of the year, due to the renovation work of Xiaoximen Time Inn, I often returned to Tainan on weekends and had to catch an early high-speed rail back to Taipei for work on Mondays or Tuesdays. Because I woke up so early, I’d drag my dad along to drink beef soup at my favorite Liulian or Acun — then he’d take me to the high-speed rail station afterward.

Once when I mentioned going for beef soup, my dad proudly and mischievously said: “Liulian and Acun are expensive and not even that great. When I go fishing near Sicao Bridge, I go to Anping Beef Soup — it’s way tastier than the one you have to line up for, and they have cow cheek meat (in Taiwanese), which is very limited in quantity. It’s gone by 7 AM, and if I’m too late, I even have to call the boss to save some for me...” (Huh? Did he just let something slip... ＾▽＾)

So I started pestering him to take me, but he kept saying the cow cheek meat is only available if you go super early. He avoided it several times with all kinds of excuses, even claiming it was closed on Mondays (it’s actually closed on Tuesdays). At first I thought he meant the recently popular “Wenzhang Beef Soup,” but nope, it wasn’t that either. He kept saying “Anping Beef Soup” — which doesn’t actually have a sign, it’s just the beef soup place in Anping. Just a few days before writing this, I started whining again because I woke up hungry at 5:30 AM, and my dad finally took me there!!

%techstrong>This shop was introduced to me by this uncle — if any of my Anping friends can’t find it, blame him haha... XDDD (truly an unfilial daughter)

%techstrong>At dawn, the sky was just getting light, and the nearby Anping Market was just starting to get busy. The streets were very quiet.

%techstrong>This 【nameless beef soup】 shop is located on Pingsheng Road, right in front of Sanning Temple on Twelve Palaces, next to Anping Market. If you’re on Anbei Road, turn left at “Anping Oyster Ash Kiln Cultural Museum” onto Pingsheng Road and you’ll see it.



Then my dad’s friend “Uncle Guo from Anping” also happened to come for a bite (Uncle Guo is a local who’s been selling shrimp crackers for decades). The moment he saw me checking in, he nervously asked: Are you posting this online? Don’t post it, don’t post it, or I won’t be able to eat here anymore!! It made me feel super guilty, and I jokingly said to the boss: If we ever really have to start lining up, please give VIP treatment to Uncle Guo and my dad, okay?

%techstrong>It was only 6 AM, and locals were already showing up one after another — everyone knew exactly where to go.


My dad said this stall used to be run by his elementary school classmate, a local Anping resident who’d been doing it for decades, but he retired after having a stroke. Now his nephew has taken over. The “Jin” on the sign is from my dad’s classmate, and the current boss is actually surnamed Zhuo.

Hah... Turns out the white rice here is free. The boss and his wife are too busy, so customers serve their own rice and sauces. Though the rice is free, the quality is good — it’s tasty rice. The boss runs a small business, so everyone, just take what you can eat and don’t pile up too much and waste it.

%techstrong>As soon as we got there, this stylish uncle started serving himself rice — acting like he’s at home?

%techstrong>The sauces include the familiar Tainan sweet soy paste, garlic bean oil, sweet chili sauce, and there’s also a whole basket of ginger slices for everyone to help themselves to.

%techstrong>The boss even thoughtfully packs small portions of soy sauce for takeout customers.

%techstrong>The boss is in charge of carefully slicing the meat, while the boss’s wife scoops the soup.

%techstrong>They use only fresh local beef delivered that very morning from Shanhua.

The broth looks rich but is actually quite light — you can tell a lot of effort went into simmering it. The beef is blanched briefly in the broth and stays a tender pink, served at just the right doneness. A big bowl like this is just 100 NT$, and the rice is all you can eat — truly very affordable!! You can also get a large bowl for 150 NT$, but even the regular portion was more than enough to fill me up.

%silence:HKFestivalFood:Wow!!

I wonder if those who prefer stronger flavors might find it a bit light. It’s not as sweet as Liulian (sometimes I’m not even sure if Liulian adds sugar? It’s seriously sweet), but I found it incredibly refreshing. The boss guarantees there’s absolutely no MSG added — it tastes purely of the original, fresh, and savory flavors, clean and refreshing with zero heaviness.

%techstrong>The beef is undeniably tender, but I have to especially highlight the broth — I really love it.

%techstrong>Boss Zhuo says just making the broth takes him boiling beef bones all day, over 12 hours, extracting nothing but the pure flavor.

%silkroadculture:It’s a very simple dish, but what makes it special is that the main ingredient is incredibly rare. (Even my expert uncle who’s been eating beef cheek for decades gets excited talking about it)

Each cow only has two pieces of cheek meat, so the quantity is extremely limited. Most are used in Western dishes, like braised beef cheek. Who would’ve thought you could enjoy such a premium ingredient at a local snack stall? And it’s fresh cheek meat, definitely not frozen. Just look at those beautiful marbling patterns, and you can guess how delicious it is — I’m truly so happy!!

%techstrong:The moment I stirred aside the ginger slices, I couldn’t help but exclaim “WOW!!!”

Rich in collagen, the stewed dish turned out incredibly smooth. The beef cheek melted in the mouth yet had a delightful chewiness, along with that sticky, lip-coating gelatin. Though it looked dark in color, the flavor was just right—refreshing and full of the pure taste of beef. It was so good I couldn’t stop eating and finished the whole portion in no time, then packed some to take back for my sister and the others.

%techstrong>The boss said this 【Stewed Beef Cheek】 needs to be braised for over 2-3 hours to become tender enough.

My dad said that while anyone can make beef soup, there are plenty of good ones all over Tainan. But this place’s 【Stewed Beef Cheek】 is the real highlight. For him, it’s so tender and easy to eat, perfect for his age, and incredibly delicious. Because he’s afraid of missing out, he always calls ahead to reserve some. This plate costs just NT$100, and the pieces are huge—Western restaurants would charge at least NT$200-300 for a similar portion. The boss is really generous!

%techstrong>The boss throws a whole large piece of beef cheek into the broth and simmers it for over 2-3 hours until it’s tender enough, then slices it fresh upon order to preserve its freshness and original flavor.

%techstrong>The quantity is very limited, so friends who want to try it should head out early.

%techstrong>This is Tainan-style—affordable yet indulgent little joys in life!

%techstrong>Boss Zhuo runs the place with great dedication. Though he took over from his uncle, he has made some improvements to the recipes himself, such as starting to sell beef cheek.

%techstrong>The shop displays its days off—every Monday and Tuesday during the lunar seventh month. So my dad wasn’t lying. After the lunar seventh month, they return to their regular schedule of being closed every Tuesday, open from before 5 AM until 1 PM, or until sold out.

Sanling Temple Twelve Palaces Front 【Nameless Beef Soup + Stewed Beef Cheek】 (you can also call it the Zhuo family shop, since the boss’s surname is Zhuo)

Address: No. 87, Pingsheng Road, Anping District, Tainan City (next to Anping Market, turn left onto Pingsheng Road from Anbei Road, it’s on the right)
Operating Hours: Before 5 AM to 1 PM, or until sold out.
※ Beef soup is usually NT$100, or you can order a large bowl for NT$150.
※ For the Stewed Beef Cheek, pricing depends on how much you ask to be sliced—usually people order NT$100 or NT$200, and the boss will slice an appropriate amount. Due to fluctuating prices, the portion size may vary slightly.
※ The beef cheek supply is limited and may sell out around 7 AM, so those who want to try it should come early.

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