A-Bo Mung Bean Dessert

Review

A-Bo Mung Bean Dessert is on Zhongshan Road in Hengchun, close to the old walled town and its main street, and is one of Hengchun's best-known shops for lu dou suan, a mung bean dessert. A 2022 Yam Travel feature calls it a 40-year-old shop that cooks fresh each day until it sells out, and blogger Bunny Ann includes it in both her Hengchun budget-eats and Pingtung cheap-eats roundups as a popular old-time dessert shop.

The dessert is made by slowly simmering hulled mung beans into a thick, sweet soup with a creamy texture and a gentle bean aroma. There are just two versions, original and mixed, each served hot or iced; the original is mung beans only, while the mixed adds chewy balls, starch noodles and longan for more variety. Stir before eating so the thick beans and syrup blend evenly. According to Yam Travel, an iced mixed bowl is NT$45, with prices generally NT$40 to NT$45; check on site.

Fans praise the low sweetness, delicate mung bean flavour and portions big enough for two, along with low prices, friendly staff and a clean shop. Complaints say the shop is basic and feels more like a takeaway counter, the original version's plain look may underwhelm first-timers, and some find the hot version merely warm.

Hours are 10:00 to 20:00, closed Wednesdays, and since it is cooked daily it may sell out early in the evening. Ke Ji, another mung bean dessert shop, is a one-minute walk away if you want to compare. Parking around Hengchun's old street is limited, so park near the old town walls and walk, or come by scooter. Summer afternoons are busy, so avoid the hottest hours if you can.

It suits visitors exploring Hengchun's old town, anyone wanting a light dessert on the way back from Kenting, and travellers keen to try a local specialty. On a first visit, get the mixed version, iced in summer and hot in winter; two people can share a mixed bowl plus an original to compare plain beans with the full toppings.