Letian Mutton Soup by Nanmen Market: Garlic Mutton Ribs, and NT$10 for a Bowl of Rice

I walk around Nanmen Market all the time, and somehow it took me until now to notice a mutton soup shop near the MRT exit. It holds two bowls in the 2026 500 Bowls Award.

I got there before the mealtime rush, so there was no line. The room is small and very tidy: wood-framed windows, and a wooden sign by the door.

No. 25, Section 1, Roosevelt Road. Wood-framed windows, and a wooden sign.

First visit, so I played it safe: the garlic mutton rib soup at NT$160, plus a bowl of their Chunfa braised pork rice (純發滷肉飯). Add NT$10 to any soup order and you get that bowl of rice. Nice of them.

There are three broths to choose from: angelica, clear broth, and garlic. Each comes with either ribs or sliced meat.

The braised pork rice: a fatty cut that doesn't sit heavy

They use a fatty cut for the braised pork, and when it landed I wondered whether it would be too rich. It wasn't. It works with the plain rice, and the fat doesn't coat your mouth.

If you eat chili, try theirs. It has garlic mixed into it. Go easy, because it creeps up on you.

They use a fatty cut for the braised pork.

The pot at the back, with a big piece of skin-on pork sitting in the sauce.

The braised egg: this one passes

After a Bib Gourmand place in Wanhua served me a braised egg that hadn't taken any of the sauce, I order one wherever I see one. I cut this one in half and the flavor had gone all the way through. This one gets a pass.

Braised pork rice with a braised egg.

The garlic mutton rib soup: this is the one

Now the main event. The bowl comes loaded with garlic. The broth isn't sharp at all, just a mellow garlic warmth. The ribs are stewed soft, skin on, and still have a bit of bounce to them.

This is a level above the mutton place I tried in Xindian. I'll be back.

Ribs stewed soft, skin on. The broth stays clear but carries the garlic.

The room

The dining room is small but very clean. You get chopsticks, a stainless-steel spoon, and ceramic bowls. That already earns them points in my book.

The menu and prices.

Uncle's rating: Overall 4.5 | Food 4.5 | Service 4.5 | Atmosphere 4
My picks: the garlic mutton rib soup, and the braised pork rice with a braised egg

Nanmen Market already had the food court on its second floor. Now the block has one more place worth walking to.

The details

Letian Mutton Soup (樂天羊肉)
Address: No. 25, Section 1, Roosevelt Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Awards: 500 Bowls Award (2026, two bowls)
Google rating: 4.5 (1,350 reviews, as of September 25, 2026)
Map: https://maps.google.com/?cid=7516697120047386825&hl=en

This post in Chinese: https://www.uncleric.com/2026/09/letian-mutton-soup-nanmen.html
More award places I've eaten: 500 Bowls and Michelin Bib Gourmand

I'm Eric Lu ("Uncle Eric"). I write about food, travel, and careers.