Douhua Zhuang (Beans Village)

Review

Douhua Zhuang's tofu pudding business began in 1965, when the founding couple sold it from a cart. After a brother and sister took over in 2002 they adopted the current name, and the shop is now nearly 60 years old, right across from Ningxia Night Market near Shuanglian MRT station. When Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang stopped by on a 2024 visit to Taiwan, it brought yet another wave of queues.

The douhua is set with brine and mixed with a little sweet potato starch, giving a silky texture with a gentle bounce and a faint savoury note; some liken it to the creaminess of crème brûlée. The signature peanuts are Yilan sand-grown peanuts simmered in syrup for about 12 hours, finished with a layer of peanut oil. The winter-only ginger syrup is made with hand-fried raw sugar and young ginger. Popular add-ons include sugarcane slush, red beans, taro balls, starch jelly and black-sesame-filled rice balls, and there is also lemon douhua.

Praise focuses on the smooth tofu, melt-in-the-mouth peanuts, sweetness that never cloys, large portions and fair prices; even as takeaway the texture holds up when the ice melts. Complaints are mostly about the crowds and cramped dining, which feels like eat-and-go, and some think the fame outstrips the taste, putting it on par with other good douhua shops. The ginger syrup is too spicy for some.

A 2024 report put a bowl at NT$55 and up, with extra toppings charged separately; Jensen Huang's combination of peanut, taro, starch jelly, black-sesame rice balls and sugarcane slush cost NT$85. It opens daily from 10:00 until 1:00 a.m., so it works as a late-night snack. There is plenty of seating, but weekend evenings are often full, so takeaway is an option. Parking is hard nearby; take the MRT to Shuanglian and walk.

It suits anyone wanting a light dessert before or after Ningxia Night Market, and night owls looking for a late snack. First-timers can order peanut douhua with sugarcane slush, or go all in with the five-topping combo Jensen Huang chose. In winter switch to ginger douhua and add a black-sesame rice ball for warmth.