You can taste the perfect sweet flavor of beef here—famous beef hot pot and beef stir-fry rice from Tainan’s renowned eateries.

Text & Photos /San Gao Eats Han

It’s been a while since I last came to Yongkang after trying Hongpin two years ago. Liujia Village is a well-known spot, and even at around 2 PM on a holiday, it was nearly full. We were lucky enough to snag the last small table.

If it weren’t for the rain, the recent scorching heat would have left us too lethargic to even think about hot pot. The restaurant’s air conditioning was strong, blowing vigorously, instantly refreshing us and getting us ready to dig in.

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Beef Hot Pot (NT$500) comes with the broth base and a plate of beef. If you’re in a larger group, it’s great to order extra beef—especially if you can request specific cuts. After ordering several dishes, we realized we already had enough and didn’t order more beef.

The freshly sliced beef at the counter is dark red, bloodless, and firm, clinging tightly to the plate. The broth is light and refreshing, with a predominant sweet vegetable flavor.

J, who doesn’t dare eat raw beef, had hers cooked a bit more. Though I’m not sure which cut it was, based on past beef soup experiences, it seemed familiar—slightly coarse and chewy in texture but overall tender, with a sweet beef flavor. It was okay, but not very satisfying on its own. We’d recommend gathering a group of friends and ordering multiple plates to make it more fun and fulfilling.

You can also dip it in a specially prepared sauce. My favorite combination was vinegar, garlic, and coriander. There was also another version with a bit of ginger, which was convenient and easy to mix. Not bad.

You can help yourself to the items in the freezer outside and pay for everything together at the end. The beef heart has a rich blood flavor, and the beef meatballs aren’t too starchy.

When we entered the shop, the guy outside was just slicing freshly braised beef tendons, so we asked him to slice us a plate. They were extremely tender and soft, though a bit too salty. There are also pre-sliced beef tendon plates in the fridge, but those are meant for putting directly into the pot.

The stir-fried beef with scallions has more scallions than beef, but a plate is only NT$150. With its aroma of satay, garlic, and shredded ginger—flavorful yet not overly heavy—the beef unsurprisingly tasted great, and the scallions were surprisingly crisp and sweet.

We ordered a bowl of beef stir-fry rice, something you don’t often see up north. It also came with well-seasoned braised tofu pouches. Liujia Village’s beef stir-fry isn’t greasy, nor is it rough—it’s slightly elastic and smooth, with an aromatic beefy flavor. This dish kicked off our 2016 summer trip to Tainan, and it seems we’ve been visiting Tainan twice a year lately.

Liujia Village Beef Hot Pot
Address: No. 226-1, Zhengqiang Street, Yongkang District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Closed after 2:00 PM on Mondays)

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