Yong Liu Xiang Stinky Tofu

Review

Yong Liu Xiang Stinky Tofu is tucked into Lane 67 off Section 2 of Songzhu Road in Beitun, a metal-roofed roadside stall that has been running for more than twenty years. It is about a six-minute walk from MRT Songzhu Station but easy to miss in the lane. It starts serving around 5:30 p.m., a queue often forms before opening, and its menu of about six items adds vermicelli and soups to the usual stinky tofu.

The tofu is fried to order, each piece poked with a hole, sauced and topped with house garlic paste, and served with Taiwanese pickled cabbage and shredded cucumber. Several articles describe a very crisp shell that does not scrape the mouth and a soft, juicy interior; stuffing the pickles into the hole is the most satisfying way to eat it. Prices have shifted over the years: articles from 2022–2023 list NT$55, a 2025 article lists NT$65 a serving, and accounts differ on whether you get five or six pieces. The pork intestine and pig blood soup is generous with a clean broth, the four-herb soup carries a peppery note, the intestine vermicelli is lighter with bonito flakes and basil, and the dry pork diaphragm comes with shredded ginger and a vinegar sauce.

Most opinions lean positive, and one blogger ranks it among the top three stinky tofu they have had in Taiwan. Others find the shell a bit hard, good but not a revelation, and say the diaphragm is cut too small. The setting is the main drawback: it is cramped with no air conditioning, and one writer says it needs improvement.

Only three or four portions fit in the fryer at once, so big takeaway orders mean a long wait, and the crust hardens if left too long, so eating on the spot is best; say whether you want garlic paste when ordering. Roadside parking is scarce, so a scooter or walking is easiest. Closing time differs between sources (23:30 or 00:30) and it can sell out early, so check before you go; arriving ten minutes before opening helps.

It suits late-night eaters who do not mind queuing: a serving of stinky tofu with a bowl of intestine and pig blood soup or four-herb soup, eaten hot on site for maximum crunch.