NC Food Notes

「如果日後我有想不通的事，就坐飛機來台南喝一碗阿財牛肉湯。」

去過台南安平兩次，每次都會來點一碗阿財的頂級牛肉湯。食客在菜單上選擇好餐點，就到收銀處付款。剛好收銀處就正靠在製作牛肉湯的開放式廚房，看著大廚就一大勺熱湯直接倒入碗中，與碗內的生牛肉沖撞成一碗濃郁鮮甜的牛肉湯。

台南美食眾多，但牛肉湯算是最具代表性。這裡的牛肉湯是用溫體牛，即是屠宰後6-8小時就送到餐廳並上桌，一旦過了這個時間，肉質就會進入僵直期，失去柔軟多汁的風味。

阿財的頂級牛肉湯比他們家的普通牛肉湯更鮮甜，牛肉更軟嫩，越嚼越滋味。還可以蘸些薑絲醬油，鹹甜鹹甜在口中，味道又更豐富。一口熱湯，一塊牛肉，溫暖又鮮甜，喝上一口，你就會明白，為何這碗湯比起酒更解千愁。

我分別在8月和11月到訪，門外總是長長的人龍，可見好的餐廳什麼時候也是有人願意等待的。阿財牛肉湯在台南有幾間分店，但試過兩間分店，我會更推薦安平這一間。附近亦有很多不同的美食，大街小巷，又有一個海港，在這裡吃吃逛逛就可以度過快樂的一天。

到訪日期：2023年11月 及 2025年8月

店舖：阿財牛肉湯 （https://maps.app.goo.gl/eJ9cLX4C9raceV2J7）

地址：台南市安平區古堡街5號

電話：+886 6 226 1252

P.S. 封面店舖圖片取自網絡，其餘為自己拍攝。

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“If I ever find myself troubled by something I just can’t figure out, I’ll book a flight to Tainan and have a bowl of A-Cai Beef Soup.”

I’ve been to Anping, Tainan twice, and each time I made sure to order a bowl of A-Cai’s premium beef soup. Diners first mark their choices on the menu, then head to the cashier to pay. The cashier happens to sit right beside the open kitchen where the beef soup is prepared, so you can watch the chef ladle a generous scoop of piping-hot broth straight into a bowl of raw beef. The hot broth hits the meat instantly, turning it into a rich, naturally sweet bowl of beef soup before your eyes.

Tainan has no shortage of great food, but beef soup is undoubtedly one of its most iconic dishes. The soup here is made with freshly slaughtered, never-frozen beef, delivered to restaurants and served within around six to eight hours. Once that window passes, the meat begins to enter rigor mortis and gradually loses some of the tenderness and juiciness that make it so distinctive.

A-Cai’s premium beef soup is noticeably sweeter and more savoury than its regular version, while the beef itself is softer and more tender, becoming more flavourful with every chew. You can also dip the meat into soy sauce with shredded ginger, adding a salty-sweet contrast that makes each bite even more layered. A sip of hot broth, a piece of tender beef — warm, comforting and deeply savoury. Take one mouthful and you may understand why, sometimes, a bowl of beef soup can be more consoling than a drink.

I visited once in August and again in November, and both times there was a long queue outside. Good restaurants, it seems, will always have people willing to wait. A-Cai Beef Soup has several branches in Tainan, but having tried two of them, I would recommend this Anping location. The surrounding area is also packed with local food, small streets to explore and a harbour nearby. You can easily spend a very happy day here simply eating and wandering around.

Date of Visit: November 2023 and August 2025

Restaurant: A-Cai Beef Soup
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eJ9cLX4C9raceV2J7

Address: No. 5, Gubao Street, Anping District, Tainan City, Taiwan

Tel: +886 6 226 1252

P.S. The cover photo of the restaurant was sourced online; all other photos were taken by me. The English text was translated from Chinese with the assistance of ChatGPT (GPT-5.6 Sol).