Beef brisket soup made with American beef — the texture lacks chewiness but boasts a sweeter, richer taste.

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

In every city, the moment when morning light breaks is when I feel most alive in traditional markets. In Japan’s traditional fishing markets, eating freshly shucked seafood right there gives you a sense of the raw vitality of the catch; in Taiwan’s traditional markets, what you feel is our familiar sense of human warmth and the cozy flavors of Taiwan. If you’re traveling to Tainan, this old city, in the morning you can kick off your day deliciously with pork rice, vegetable zongzi, or savory congee.

Ah — almost forgot about beef soup too！ Though to be honest, not all Tainan locals have it for breakfast. ?I always want to clarify that XD? Originally, Ah Zhi Beef Soup dominated in the traditional Yi’an Market in Annan District, and at just NT$60 a bowl, it was an absolute steal. Later, it moved to the Xiaobei Night Market on Ximen Road, shifting from east to west, making it hard for many to find. It wasn’t until it moved back here to Chenggong Road that I spotted it again — looks like it’s finally settled here.


In recent years, with the rise in tourism in Tainan, fresh beef hot pot/soup dishes have started appearing in other cities across Taiwan. Daily deliveries of fresh local beef from Tainan to various regions have helped boost the reputation of Tainan beef soup even further. But when you come to the capital of Taiwan, the beef soup scene is actually a fiercely competitive battlefield with lots of local variations.

Located at the intersection of Chenggong Road and Wenxian Road, Ah Zhi Beef Soup used to offer the best cost-performance ratio. I heard it used to be just NT$60 a bowl — in the Tainan beef soup scene, I don’t know of any competitors at that price point. But in recent years, raw material costs have skyrocketed, and gas, fuel, rent, you name it, have all hit their ceilings. So after moving to the North District, I imagine even the former cost-performance king Ah Zhi had to adjust its prices.


It’s a very simple, modest little shop — just the plain, unadorned look of a typical Taiwanese snack eatery. There isn’t much in the way of fancy decor, because the essence of beef soup is really what the shop should focus on, so decor isn’t that important. But they do have an air-conditioned enclosed dining space, so you don’t have to worry about sweating buckets while drinking beef soup in the summer.


Currently, they offer four types: 【top-grade beef, brisket, triple-layered beef, and premium brisket】. The names are a bit different, and when ordering, I was momentarily confused. I just listened as the boss told me the brisket has more marbling and is more tender, so I ordered a bowl to try. But now they don’t include pork rice anymore — if you want pork rice, it’s an extra NT$10.


[Brisket Beef Soup / NT$100]
Unlike the beef soups I’ve had before, the beef in the bowl wasn’t pale pink — which made me a bit worried it might be too tough. The thinly sliced pieces were actually fairly generous in portion, and the light brown broth looked quite refreshing. When I got closer, I could smell its rich, mellow aroma.


Later, I asked the boss and found out that the top-grade beef uses locally sourced fresh beef, while the brisket uses American beef — which is why the colors differ after blanching in the broth. But I only learned that at checkout. Looking closely at the meat grain, I was surprised by how unexpectedly tender it was when I took a bite.


Though it lacked the springy chewiness of local fresh beef after three-second blanching, the tenderness of the American beef released a wonderfully sweet beef flavor with every chew — though the slices were a bit thin. And in terms of how the meat’s own doneness changes over blanching time, it maintained its tenderness for a longer period.


The slightly greenish-brown broth delivered a mellow sweetness on the tongue, tasting like it was simmered with vegetables and beef bones. Among the beef soups I’ve tried at Ah Village, Qi Ge, Ah Niu, Articles, and Hao Ji, Ah Zhi’s broth has a uniquely different style.


That full yet refreshing sweetness didn’t overpower the flavor of the beef — I actually thought it was pretty good. Also, their dipping sauce is a plate of shredded ginger, which you mix with soy sauce paste and broad bean paste to your taste. That’s a different way to enjoy Ah Zhi’s original-flavor beef soup. As for how their local fresh beef tastes, I’ll have to try that next time！


[Pork Rice / NT$10]
A simple pork rice with minced pork — for NT$10, it’s not bad. The braising juice is lightly sweet but also salty, though the white rice is just average. It’s not expensive anyway, but I think Articles’ beef-flavored pork rice has better aroma and richer braising juice.


Since I was alone today, I didn’t have room for another bowl, but I would’ve really liked to try the top-grade beef soup.
When I was leaving, I chatted with the boss. During our conversation, he told me about the difference between brisket and top-grade beef. He also let slip that the best time to come is actually around noon — though that’s also when it’s most crowded, because that’s when their fresh beef delivery usually arrives, so the meat is at its sweetest. Probably only seasoned regulars know that. But honestly, the brisket I had today was really quite good too.

Though it hasn’t surpassed my favorite Articles Beef Soup yet — probably in terms of meat thickness — I think it’s still a pretty distinctive bowl of Tainan beef soup. Sharing my simple thoughts with everyone！

【Ah Zhi Beef Soup】
Address: No. 626, Chenggong Road, North District, Tainan City
Phone: 0911-171-066
Business Hours: 06:30 AM – 02:00 PM + 04:30 PM – 07:30 PM 
(Saturdays and Sundays 06:30 AM – 07:00 PM)
Closed every Tuesday, pork rice is an additional NT$10 per bowl
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