Liu Qian Beef Soup

Review

Liu Qian sits under the arcade at No. 63, Section 1, Hai'an Road in West Central District and is the beef soup Tainan people mean when they talk about queuing in the middle of the night. It buys only a limited amount of same-day fresh beef, opens only in the morning and only four days a week, so many travellers plan whole trips around it.

Pink, thin slices of beef go into the bowl and are cooked to medium by a ladle of boiling bone broth, which is clear with the sweetness of daikon. Eat the meat as soon as it arrives so it doesn't overcook. Besides beef soup there is brisket, heart, liver and bone marrow, usually eaten with sweet soy paste, ginger and rice.

Fans praise the generous portions, fresh meat and sweet broth, and say the owner is friendly; the heart, liver and marrow get especially good marks. The complaints are about long waits and prices a little above average, and some diners found the slices chewy and the broth bland compared with the hype.

Sources disagree on closing days: recent articles and map listings say Monday to Wednesday, while a 2018 report says Tuesday to Thursday, so check first. Service starts at 5 a.m. and usually ends when the beef runs out in the morning; around 30 numbered tickets are handed out at 3 to 4 a.m., and arriving after 5 often means a one- to two-hour wait. Seating is a semi-outdoor arcade without air conditioning, and staff ask that you don't photograph their faces.

Best for early risers who want Tainan's most iconic bowl of beef soup. A small bowl is about NT$120 and a large about NT$200; add beef heart or bone marrow to share. If you'd rather not queue long, a weekday visit around 7 a.m. gives better odds, though the most popular items may be gone.