Driving to Kenting? Must-Try Restaurant - 牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU - Taiwan's Fresh Beef Soup
Located about a 5-minute drive from the Nanzhou interchange on the Southern Highway, the super popular Fresh Beef Soup -牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU - is a must-stop for anyone traveling between Kenting and Kaohsiung. It's also a favorite restaurant for Gavin (the owner of the Wandering Walls), who regularly makes trips to Kaohsiung to replenish supplies. When you think of fresh beef soup, Tainan is usually the first place that comes to mind, and every famous restaurant has its own specialty. However, 牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU stands out with its subtly herbal and refreshing flavor, which offers a taste distinct from Tainan's, and I sincerely recommend everyone to give it a try.
Parking Information
牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU is about a one-hour drive from Kenting, so it's recommended to stop by for a meal if you’re driving or hiring a car to Kenting. The restaurant has about 20 parking spaces behind it, but due to its popularity, it can get quite crowded during meal times, and spaces might not be available. If you happen to find the parking lot full, you may need to circle around nearby streets to find a spot or wait a bit—customers often free up spaces quickly as they finish their meals.
Environment Introduction
The dining environment is typical of small eateries in Taiwan, but it has plenty of seating and can accommodate over a hundred guests. Even so, it can still get crowded during peak hours, but a short wait will usually lead to an available spot. To place an order, head to the checkout counter to get a menu, find a table, fill in your table number and order details, and then return to the counter to pay. I strongly suggest not to take the food to go unless you can eat it right away; the beef in takeout soup quickly becomes tough and chewy, losing its deliciousness.
Menu Introduction
The menu features various dishes made from different parts of the whole cow in various soups, stir-fried sesame oil dishes, stir-fried shredded ginger, and more—totaling around 20 to 30 items to choose from based on personal preference. After countless tastings of different dishes, we’d like to introduce a few must-try items that we order every time.
Beef Soup + Steam Rice
This combination is highly recommended, and many locals order just this. It's essential to pair it with their unique dipping sauce—ginger and sweet chili sauce. A special note is that beef slices are thicker; if left in the hot soup for too long, they can become tough quickly. Therefore, it’s best to eat the beef soon after the soup arrives. If you can't eat it that fast, scoop out the beef slices first to prevent them from becoming overcooked and chewy. Gavin’s favorite way to enjoy it is by pouring the beef soup over the rice, turning it into a soup-rice dish that absorbs the rich flavors, making it incredibly delicious. Additionally, customers can refill their soup for free; just take your bowl to the refilling window, and the owner will promptly refill it. However, as there won't be any beef slices left in the bowl at that point, the flavor will be different—just the pure broth. A unique feature of their beef soup is the addition of Thai basil to enhance the flavor, which may take some getting used to for those accustomed to Tainan's beef soup, but Gavin loves it.
.JPG "ginger and sweet chili sauce")
.JPG "the window to refill their soup for free")
.JPG "Stir-Fried Large Intestines with Ginger")
Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef
Compared to the beef rice, we find the stir-fried noodles more flavorful. They use satay beef to stir-fry with yellow noodles, resulting in a fragrant, smoky taste. However, this popular dish can sell out quickly, so it’s advisable to arrive early.
Stir-Fried Large Intestines with Ginger
This dish is a favorite of Gavin, as it’s sufficiently tangy, the intestines are flavorful. Most casual eateries might not match their level of frying.
As for other dishes, feel free to order based on personal preferences, but do note that their stir-fried vegetables tend to be on the oily side, so be prepared for that.
Dining Insights
If you’re already accustomed to Tainan's beef soup, you might find 牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU flavor quite different from what you remember, which could take some time to accept. However, if you share Gavin's love for beef soup and enjoy exploring new flavors, I highly recommend it. After all, this is a place that takes beef soup in a new direction while still being delicious. For those driving to Kenting or preparing to leave, since you will definitely pass through if taking the Southern Highway, it's perfectly reasonable to plan a meal here. I recommend it to everyone!
牛肉友 NIOU ROU YOU restaurant Information
Address: No. 66, Zhongzheng Road, Xinpi Township, Pingtung County (Google Maps)
Phone: 08-7973137
Reservations: No
Business Hours: 07:30-15:30
Days Off: No fixed days off, announcements are made on Niou Rou You's FB fan page
Parking: Free parking available with about 20 spaces.