Soy Bean Chan

The silkiest tofu is rich and creamy; you can scoop up quivering, heaping spoonfuls the way you might custard. Soy Bean Chan specializes in this type of "flower tofu"—or dou hua—a well-known sweet treat in Chinese communities but lesser known outside those circles. For just $1.50, the shop offers a pint full of thick, glistening tofu served hot or cold and topped with a tasty ginger syrup. Diners more in the mood for savory tastes can instead opt to have their tofu finished with a sauce made with baby dried shrimp, briny vegetables, scallions and spicy chilies. Whatever your preference, be sure not to miss the tiny stand where the tofu is sold, which sits half-hidden in the corner of a much larger flower shop.