If you ask the locals which dessert shop in Hualien is worth visiting, I’m sure the majority, if not all, will recommend Cai Ji Dou Hua 蔡記豆花 on Minguo Road. Though they mention 豆花 aka soy beancurd or tofu pudding in their brand name, they do not just specialise in that. Surprisingly, the most popular items at the shop are their sweet barley soup and shaved ice with grass jelly.
Let’s get some dessert!
Closed on Tuesdays
How to place an order
The ordering procedure had evolved over time. We had to find a seat, write down our table number, and indicate what we wanted on the order chit the first time we went. We took the chit to the counter to pay and waited for our orders to be delivered to our table. There was no need to join the queue because it was only for takeaways.
Subsequently, customers were required to join the queue, order at the counter, collect their order and then find a seat.
Image source: 蔡記豆花 FB page
Cai Ji Dou Hua is now only doing takeaways due to COVID. There will be no more dining in until further notice.
Menu
Every item had increased by NT$5 since our last visit. As of January 2023, the following is the current menu:
Image source: 蔡記豆花 FB page
They don’t have an extensive menu. They only have three dessert options: 1) tofu pudding, 2) barley soup, and 3) grass jelly. The menu items are simply variations and combinations of toppings for the three dessert bases.
Sweet Barley Soup with Tofu Pudding
I don’t normally like barley, but this sweet barley soup was delicious. The barley soup had been boiled for a long time, and the barley grains were so soft that they disintegrated in the mouth. The tofu pudding was also delicious. Smooth and silky, with a pleasant aroma of soy beans. Overall, it wasn’t overly sweet.
Shaved Milky Ice with Grass Jelly
If this Shaved Milky Ice with Grass Jelly is available in Singapore, I will undoubtedly eat it several times per week because it is so refreshing. The crunchy shaved ice smelled like caramel and tasted rich and milky. The grass jelly was ordinary, like any other grass jelly I’d had, but the texture combination was fantastic. When the shaved ice melted, it formed a milky base for the grass jelly, and we could slurp it all up. Heaven!
Final thoughts
We thoroughly enjoyed our desserts. They were so good that we had to return three days in a row. We had to eat them all before we could leave Hualien, lol. And now I’m missing it all over again!
If you’re in Hualien, don’t forget to stop by Cai Ji Dou Hua!