Tofu Village (豆腐村) is a Chaoxian Zu restaurant located in the Hongqiao neighborhood of Minhang district, Shanghai. Fresh tofu made the traditional way, a whole block for just ¥40.
The Chaoxian Zu (朝鲜族) is one of 55 Chinese ethnic minorities whose ancestors emigrated from the Korean peninsula. (Chaoxian 朝鲜 is the Chinese name for North Korea.) Chaoxian Zu cuisine has Korean origins and is considered a sub-category within Dongbei cuisine; dishes include pickled vegetables, blood sausage, cold noodles, stews, etc.
There’s obviously much more to the culture and cuisine, but I’m just here to tell you about this restaurant.
The signature item at Tofu Village is…wait for it…tofu!
Tofu Village sources their soybeans from Northeast China to make their tofu. The beans are soaked overnight, then ground, cooked, and filtered them into ceramic containers. The tofu is served piping hot in the same boxes. Batches are made fresh twice a day, morning and afternoon for lunch and dinner service.
A whole block of tofu is only ¥40, which weighs in at about 800-900g.
The tofu is porous and airy, and has a wonderful texture, between firm and fluffy. It’s smooth, pillowy, and has a fresh aroma of soybeans with a faint milkiness. The tofu is served with a savory house dip made with soy sauce, vinegar, chives, chili flakes, sesame seeds, and shallots. It’s the perfect combo.
Suitable for sharing, and even to takeaway if you’re unable to finish it in one sitting. It reheats quite well. It’s also a low calorie and high protein dish. And it’s also vegan.
The same tofu is used in a myriad of other dishes, including one in a fermented chili sauce (¥45, 辣焖豆腐), which wasn’t all that spicy.
Another signature dish is the soybean milk noodles (¥38, 豆浆汤面). This dish is a popular Korean summertime dish, and it’s made differently depending on where you go. Tofu Village does their noodle “soup” more like a sauce, it’s rather thick. A couple stray ice cubes are chucked over the top to keep it cool, and perhaps to dilute the thick curd. It’s refreshing and cooling, a very mild flavored dish that’s creamy with just a hint of nuttiness.
It’s my first time trying this, and first impressions are that it is plain yet comforting, kind of like congee. That said, if you think it’s bland, that’s what the banchan is for!
They also serve regular cold noodles, which lean more Dongbei-style rather than Korean-style.
Tofu Village is also known for their guo bao rou (锅包肉), but I missed that. (Next time, my crispy porky friends.)
Instead, I settled on a seafood stir-fry that was served in a guoba bowl. They literally made a bowl out of guoba, the scorched crispy rice layer usually found at the bottom of the claypot. Saucy seafood soaked into crispy rice? Zero disappointment.
In Summary
I can’t iterate how fresh and supple their house made tofu is. Tofu Village is definitely worth the trip for just that.
It’s inexpensive and portions are massive. Go with a group or be prepared to dabao.
Tofu Village 豆腐村
Address: 3/F, Block 1, 66 Yinting Lu 银亭路66号缤琦广场1栋3楼
Tel: 34687988
Hours: Daily, 11am-11pm
