Line up for a bowl of warmth that hits all the right spots—Taipei’s five most popular hot soups

By MOOK Scenic Spots Home, compiled report
 
When the weather turns cold, how can you not enjoy a bowl of soul-warming, happiness-inducing tangyuan, where tender, chewy, and Q-textured dumplings melt in your mouth with sweet syrup, or the juicy, savory fillings inside soak up rich broth, steaming with fragrant vapor? Just imagining it feels incredibly comforting. Here are five super-popular spots in Taipei to keep you warm from head to toe this winter.

1. Quanjiufu Yuanxiao (Family Fortune Sweet Dumplings)
With 50 years of history in Keelung and now managed by the second generation, Quanjiufu Yuanxiao stays true to healthy principles by insisting on handmade production—all to ensure customers enjoy delicious tangyuan. Their signature black sesame yuanxiao uses premium sesame seeds for the filling, which are hand-selected, cleaned, roasted, then mixed with lard and powdered sugar before being shaped. The wrapper is made from high-quality glutinous rice flour, and the final step involves rolling the sesame balls in glutinous rice flour three times to evenly coat the filling. The result? Especially fragrant, Q-textured, and delicious tangyuan. They also offer home delivery, so you can enjoy the taste without the hassle.

2. Taiyi Dairy King
At Taiyi Dairy King, ingredients are stewed fresh in-house. Their wide variety of ice cream toppings are not only diverse but also generously portioned, and their autumn/winter tangyuan are especially popular. Each dumpling is perfectly round and plump—so big they barely fit on a spoon. The Q-textured wrappers are chewy and packed with filling, whether you choose savory pork tangyuan, black sesame tangyuan, or peanut tangyuan. All strike just the right balance between sweet and savory, which is why business is always booming. Come Lantern Festival, there’s always a long queue.

3. Zhengjiang Hao
Located in Da’an, Zhengjiang Hao follows traditional methods for its black sesame and peanut tangyuan. Premium freshly ground sesame is mixed with fresh pork lard and a suitable amount of powdered sugar, resulting in an incredibly fragrant filling. The shop also offers vegetarian options like matcha skin red bean tangyuan, adding more variety to your choices.

4. Bajiaoyuan Aizitang (Eight Buildings Round Dumpling Soup)
Bajiaoyuan Aizitang is located in Taipei’s South Airport Night Market, where classic eateries line every few steps—and this spot has stood strong for 20 years. Its standout specialties are sweet rice wine tangyuan and longan glutinous rice porridge. At Bajiaoyuan, the glutinous rice is cooked until perfectly soft. Topped with nourishing longan, it’s enjoyable in both summer and winter. Another crowd-pleaser is the sweet rice wine sesame dumplings with egg—a must-order dessert. The purple rice wine has an enticing aroma, free from harsh alcoholic notes, offering a smooth and sweet taste you won’t forget.