Cai Ji Stinky Tofu

Review

Cai Ji Stinky Tofu is on Gongzheng Road in Luodong, just a few steps from Luodong Night Market, and both Supertaste and GoFun include it among Luodong's must-eats. Unlike the market stalls, it is a standalone small shop, its online review count ranks near the top among Luodong snack spots, and it is often full in the evenings.

Its most famous item is cheese pastry stinky tofu, also called puff pastry stinky tofu: the shop makes pastry by hand every day, wraps stinky tofu and filling inside and bakes it. Supertaste calls it one of a kind in Taiwan, and GoFun notes it is limited to about fifty a day and often sells out fast. There are also crispy deep-fried, clear-stewed, steamed and mala versions, served with the shop's homemade chilli sauce. The sources do not list prices, so check on site.

Fans praise the crackly fried tofu, the flavourful clear stew and the unusual pastry version, which they say is worth trying, and the owner and staff are called friendly. Complaints include a small room with waits for seats at peak times, the limited pastry version selling out for latecomers, a mala flavour some find ordinary, cash-only payment and the need to use a paid car park nearby.

Hours are about 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., closed Tuesdays, though sources disagree on the day off, so check before you go. To get the limited cheese pastry version, come early in the afternoon. There are paid car parks nearby, and if you are visiting the night market you can simply walk over.

It suits stinky tofu lovers and anyone curious about new ways to eat it, as well as night-market visitors who want to sit down for a proper meal. Two people can order one cheese pastry stinky tofu, one crispy fried plate and a bowl of clear-stewed stinky tofu soup to try three textures at once.