A-Mei Fresh Fish Soup (A-Mei Crab Congee)

Review

A-Mei Fresh Fish Soup on Yunhe Road is better known to regulars as A-Mei Crab Congee, and Supertaste included it in its pick of Tainan snacks. The menu centres on milkfish and assorted seafood, and the doors open at dawn, making it the first meal of the day for many Anping locals and an early-morning mission for visitors.

The signature crab congee is limited each day: a whole crab sits on top of seafood congee that also holds milkfish strips, shrimp, clams and fresh oysters, and the rice soaks up a sweet, briny broth. The limited bowl costs about NT$95. Once it sells out you can pick a crab at the counter, pay by weight and add a congee base; mud crab and other varieties fluctuate in price, so a deluxe bowl costing several hundred is not unusual. There is also blanched seafood, fish soup, rice dishes and fried items.

Diners widely praise the generous, fresh-tasting crab congee as something rarely found elsewhere, along with friendly service and fair prices, and some call it the best crab congee they have had. The main complaint is the tiny quota, with one diner arriving at 7 a.m. and grabbing only the last few bowls; weighed-crab versions cost more and the bill can surprise you, so ask before ordering.

On weekdays it runs roughly 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; sources differ on whether there is a midday break at weekends, so check before you go. It closes on Tuesdays. For the limited crab congee, arrive at opening time. The shop is near Yunhe Road and Gubao Street, so you can walk to Anping Old Street or Tianhou Temple afterwards.

It suits seafood lovers willing to get up early and anyone after a hearty seafood brunch. Solo diners can order the limited crab congee with a plate of blanched seafood; groups can choose a female crab by weight for a large shared pot, but confirm the weight and price first.