Tofu Guy

I was craving «tofu fa» and decided to search on Unilocal around LES. This place showed up and I was super excited to get it during my lunch hour. Got there around 3pm, waited in line for about 15 minutes and it was sold out already. This hyped it up more for me as I had to go back the next day at 11am to make sure I try it. Paid $ 2 for a large size. The tofu had a rough texture, not smooth at all. Sugar syrup was eh. Tofu guy is kinda mean too.

When you see a line of old Chinese ladies waiting, it must be legit and good right? We waited about 10 minutes in line. The tofu is pretty cheap. It was $ 2 for the warm tofu pudding, but it wasnt smooth. The soymilk was $ 1 for 16oz, but it was watered down. I guess the price makes up for it.

This place seeks tofu hua or more commonly known as tofu pudding. This tofu pudding is terrible. It’s not soft out silky at all! A spoonful of the lumpy tofu pudding with the simple white syrup. That’s right– it’s not the yellow tinge of ginger syrup. Go somewhere else to eat it folks! I am disappointed!

The best fresh tofu fa I’ve ever had. Really smooth and silky. The syrup is freshly made too. It really is a hole in the wall.

found this while I was walking through Chinatown. So decided to get a soy milk to try since everything there here is so cheap!
you can get fresh rice noodles — flat ones, steam ones, round ones.
fresh sweet tofu dessert — it’s good and super cheap!
tofu is $ 1 for 4 pieces and it comes in a little takeout box — so cute!

Walking through the streets of Chinatown after getting a delicious bun from Golden Steamer (duh), my roommate started yelling, «We have to go find Tofu Guy! We have to!»
Well, some quick searching on Unilocal turned up the location. The line was about 10 people long by the time we got there, and I can say, without hesitation, that I was the only white person on line. Total bonus points, in my mind.
A giant 32oz tub of that amazing, hot tofu was $ 2. I mean, TWO DOLLARS! First, we have 90 cent buns at Golden Steamer. Then, we have a box of 10 delicious dumplings at Prosperity Dumpling for $ 2.50. Now, we have 2 pounds of fresh, hot tofu for two bucks at Tofu Guy. Just… WOW.
Also: half gallon of soy milk? TWO BUCKS. I’m going back this weekend to check out the noodles – they looked super fresh and delicious. New Chinatown gem discovered? Hell yes.

I’ve been looking for this guy for years. I finally found him just when I had given up. We walked around a bit and when I didn’t see him, we decided to walk to the nearest subway station. And that’s when I saw him!
I guess my expectations were too high because I was searching for him for so long. I got the soft tofu but it came with sugar water. I wasn’t impressed.
The soy milk was ok. The prices are fantastic. Large tofu and small soy milk came out to $ 2.75.

Probably the most well established tofu spot and it’s literally a hole in the wall. They sell sweet tofu amongst soy milk, herbal tea, and fresh chow fun noodles.
The sweet tofu is not as silky as some of the boxed version you may have had at dim sum or other places. It’s more authentic. When we went there was a simple syrup served with the tofu, instead of the ginger infused honey we were accustomed to.
The herbal tea was just on par with any other bottled stuff. The sweetened soy milk was pretty good. However, the sweet tofu was just not something we were used to.

Oh Tofu Guy… I used to hunt you down when you were operating only via your shopping cart. Not sure when this happened, but I was grateful to find that you have a permanent fixture.
Your tofu dessert is tasty, but I have to admit… Ever since I found that spot in Queens, my heart and tummy shed a tear and wanted a little break. No hard feelings tho, ok? I will still visit you like a beloved concubine.

So I have to say it took us ABSOLUTELY forever to track down the tofu guy. From previous reviews it made it seem as if this was a food cart or food stand, but they actually have a store front now (located on the north side of grand street just west of the Grand/​Bowery street intersection).
I have to say the tofu was a bit underwhelming for how much hype there was on Unilocal and how amazing I had built it up in my head. The tofu is great but I’m not a big fan of the syrup he uses. I buy the tofu plain and create my own sauce at home to give it flavor. That being said, for how cheap this place is… perhaps it’s worth a trip to check it out for yourself!

I discovered this place because I always saw a line on my way to the Grand subway station. Being the curious bumblebee that I am, I darted in to find out what all the ruckus was about. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they sold DOA HUA out of huge metal vats (just the way it should be served!)
It’s super cheap, soft, silken and delicious. I haven’t found a soft tofu place I like more in Manhattan. You need to make sure you stop by in the mornings or early afternoons, because otherwise, they will run out.
They give you sugar to pour on top of the tofu, but I wish that they also had a ginger broth, softened peanuts, tapioca pearls, or some of the other things that I typically enjoy with Doa Hua.

Tofu Guy, I love you, I love you, I love you!
Okay, the place is really janky and looks like someone’s garage, but the tofu fa is SO good. It’s as good as the ones in Hong Kong!!! It’s super silky smooth and has great tofu flavor. The syrup you get with it makes it all the better! You can tell that it’s freshly made at home! :) Would love to come back here one day!
Also, it’s SUPER CHEAP. Pure awesomeness! :)

Hm… Remember the story, «The Emperor’s New Clothes?» Remember how all of the townspeople were swept up under the pretentious spell of being in-​the-​know of what was the best and the finest, too afraid to admit anything contrary to popular opinion for fear of looking foolish?
Well, I suppose I am the little innocent child in the story that is pointing at the Emperor and saying:
«But, he is naked.»
Tofu Guy’s Tofu Fa? Yeah… Don’t believe the hype. Especially since his syrup is naked.
And I’m talking about the metal roll-​up window stand/​shop with an awning, on the Northwest corner of Bowery & Grand, on Grand, just a shop west of 230 Grand St, that corner produce stand that sells and cuts up fresh durian.
I’m of Korean heritage, I love tofu, especially soon doobu, which was one of my favorite foods when I was young. I’ve had high-​end tofu in high-​end places, I’ve had homemade tofu made in home-​y places, soy milk and strained soybean cakes, etc. Trust me, I know tofu.
I’ve come here twice to sample their silken tofu with syrup (Tofu Fa, Dou Hua, Doufu-​Fua, Hua, Ha, Fa – however you want to write it or call it). My first visit was a couple years ago with an out-​of-​towner, and it was also my first time trying Chinese silken tofu pudding with syrup. I was led by Unilocalers’ rave reviews (there were only about 9 reviews at the time), a desire to travel off-​the-​beaten-​path with a friend, and a yearning for something warm and comforting during a very dreary, gray, rainy winter’s day.
The syrup that was packaged was clear, so I optimistically thought perhaps they were using some kind of cheap imitation ginger extract??? Albeit, contaminated with lead or toxins, no doubt — but gingery nonetheless! So, I was hopeful. I even looked to see if there were containers of syrup that weren’t clear that she wasn’t giving me, but didn’t see anything, and so my heart truly felt reassured.
But, it really wasn’t anything but a simple sugar syrup. Nothing gingery about it whatsoever. I believed that maybe I was getting the olé’ treatment of: «You’re not Chinese /​You might be Chinese, but you don’t speak Cantonese or Mandarin, so you’re going to get ‘Outsider’ Syrup, and we’ll keep the good ginger syrup for our own people who can speak to us in our own language” — type of deal. That old gag.
Yes, I’m saying it. I’m saying it because it happens. Happens all the time, and not just in Chinatown. I’m saying it because you know it happens, too.
In any case, I thought perhaps the bad experience was because of the exclusion. However — lame syrup aside, the texture of the tofu itself was also fairly grainy and firm — the texture of Korean steamed egg (gyeran-​jjim), rather than silken tofu. It seemed coarse and hard-​cooked. Still, I do love my tofu, so I drained off some of the diluted sugar-​water liquid, added some pure maple syrup, a sprinkle of ground ginger, and finished it off.
I recently went back, thinking that 2 yrs was enough to shake off the bad blood, especially since the rave reviews continued to pour in for this same tofu shop on the NW corner of Grand.
This time I went with my older sister, explained to her about the syrup, went armed with my iPhone opened to the profile pic for Tofu Guy (the one with the brown syrup and peanuts & Chinese spoons) on the Unilocal app, and when we saw the Tofu Lady drop a container of clear syrup into the bag, I asked:
«Is that ginger syrup?»
TFL: Yeah, syrup.
me: Yes, but is it GINGER syrup?
TFL: (blinks)
me: Well, do you have dark syrup? Brown syrup? Ginger-​flavored? Honey?
TFL: Yeah, syrup.
me: But this is clear. Do you have any other kind of syrup?
TFL: Extra cost.
me: How much extra?
TFL: You want extra syrup, you pay extra.
me: No, I don’t want extra, I’d like ginger syrup. Here (and I show her the Tofu Guy profile pic), like this.
TFL: (blinks)
me: Do you have that?
At this time, an older Chinese male customer she had previously been helping, who seemed both a bit amused and confused by our exchange, says something to TFL, leans in over the counter, and she shows him the picture on my phone. He then careens over toward me in a boorish manner and explodes with: «Peanut! PEANUT! Hahaa! PEEEEEEANUT! HAHAHAHAHAA!» in a very don’t-you-know-anything? kind of manner, and stomps off hootin’ & hollerin,’ holding his sides, apparently very pleased with himself.
TFL hands me my phone. «No peanut.»
me: Um, I know what a peanut is. I was asking about ginger or honey syrup? I don’t care about the peanuts.
TFL: No peanut syrup.
me: (Sigh) …Okay.
TFL: You want extra, you pay extra.
me: No, thank you.
TFL then proceeds to stare at me through the rest of the transaction (sis still wanted one) as if I had refused to pay, or as if I were a foreign scoundrel trying to pitch woo.
No need to stop here for Tofu Fa unless you want «naked» syrup.
2 stars, only because tofu shops are rare and nice to have around.

What a simple little shop, two pots of warm tofu on one side, cold drinks (soy and tea) and bags of goods to go on the other.
At 12p, I was surprised there was no line for lunch (lucky me!) so I didn’t get the Chinatown line-​waiting experience.
The lady there isn’t friendly, but isn’t snobby, a neutral worker if you will. Above her are hanging strips of prices in Chinese for goods — thankfully, I learned how to say «siu tofu fah» for a small container of tofu (comes with a side of syrup) and «siu dow lai» for a small soy milk bottle. She was quick too — scooped in a quick pace yet the large slices of tofu were in tact, neat! Bagged up the two items and total comes to $ 2. ($ 1.25 for container, $ 0.75 for milk — thanks for the milk price Liza P!).
The tofu has a different quality to it, so smooth and tastes more «bean-​y», healthier if you will. The container of tofu tastes lovely warm plus syrup, wish there was more syrup though. The soy milk too, has just the right touch of sweetness without a residue leftover — fantastically refreshing.
Now, all this for $ 2, I thought I heard wrong, but no, I just didn’t know about the great total tofu-​ness for the cheap price. If you want a larger container of tofu, it’s $ 1.75, not sure of the larger soy milk (half?) gallons.
Note: Like most reviewers say, don’t get confused — go for «Tung Woo», a small nested little shop (across the corner Chase bank), not «Kong Gee», the large corner store.
Wonderful stuff and on the cheap and go. Definitely a Tung Woo soy milk fan — Tofu-​licious!

Tofu guy is kind of scary. He yells in Cantonese all the time. Yikes. I’m talking about the guy that stands behind a counter on the Northwest corner or Bowery and Grand.
Other than that, his dofufa/​dou hua is great! Its super smooth and very very fresh. I wish he gave out more sugar though. And the sugar could have more of a gingery taste like the ones you have at dim sum.
But for $ 1.25 for a giant plastic bowl it can’t be beat.

Tofu legit, tofu legit to quit, hey, hey!
That early 90’s MC Hammer reference is my personal tribute to the legitimacy of the Tofu guy. He is indeed legit. So is his wife (I think that’s his wife?).
I grew up consuming massive amounts of dou nai (Chinese soy milk which is infinitely better than that overpriced Silk crap excuse for soy at the market) and dou fu fa (tofu served hot or cold with sugar syrup on the side for your customization). The Tofu guy brings me back to my childhood. It’s fresh, homemade and tastes exactly as it should. He’s friendly and speaks Canto, Mandarin and English (and amazingly enough, it all sort of sounds the same).
He also sells excellent grass jelly (black, jello-​like substance), tofu slices and rice noodles for incredibly cheap. If you can get past the exterior, garage-​shop feel, it’s soy heaven.

Ok, so i’ve been wanting to try this tofu foooooooooorevaaah!
Finally i make my way over here and i get this tub of tofu. It was quite a strange experience because having my first spoonful i wasn’t that impressed. But of course i keep eating it… and oddly with each bite the taste became more to my liking. It’s somewhat addicting…
Next time i’m in chinatown, i will definitely pick one up to go. :)

As Chi N. notes, definitely go inside! Although, at the end of a long day, the inside and outside tofu do smell sort of alike.
Go in the morning.
Good place to get soy milk and freshly dou hua.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
The soy «milk» comes sweeten or unsweeten. Large is $ 1.50 and small is $ 0.50 — so worth the value!!! I only wish I could carry more than one carton each time.
The fresh, hot soy tofu desert is soooo good!!! My belly does a dance.
I stop by each time I visit ctown… this place is amazing. You MUST try this place!!!

i LOVE this family’s tofu, they are such nice people and after eating their tofu i think i can live on just eating their tofu for a year!
Their tofu is fresh and way better then the packaged ones you find in a market.
I literally grew up eating his tofu, too bad I can’t find him anymore :(. WHERE ARE YOU TOFU MAN?!