Beat the summer heat with icy treats！Taipei’s Eastern District’s Saotofu is a favorite among Japanese foodies

Reported by Hong Shengyi / Taipei

Remember the tofu pudding carts that used to appear near your childhood home, serving handmade tofu pudding with sweet syrup, ice, and boiled peanuts—a single bowl could banish the summer heat. However, in a small alley in Taipei’s Eastern District, “Saotofu,” which has remained unchanged for 10 years, also retains such deliciousness, along with fruit tofu puddings co-developed by the owner and her second-generation successor, which have not only gained local fame but are also beloved by foodies from Japan and Hong Kong.

▲%The %Saotofu% offers unique flavors like peanut tofu pudding and mango-watermelon tofu pudding, located in a small alley on Yanji Street in Taipei’s Eastern District. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

This unassuming little shop, situated next to a small park on Yanji Street in Taipei, has only three small square tables and a bar counter inside.It’s run by the owner, 45-year-old Liu Rui-zhen, and 76-year-old Liu Kang-fu.After graduating from university, Liu Kang-fu devoted himself to helping his mother manage the shop. Nowadays, the shop’s customers can be described as “non-stop,” and the menu at %Saotofu% is very simple, offering only four choices: the signature Saotofu (peanut tofu pudding), mango-watermelon tofu pudding, mango tofu pudding, and watermelon tofu pudding.

▲The menu at %Saotofu% is simple, featuring the signature Saotofu and fruit tofu puddings, with the fruit options changing with the seasons—for example, mango and watermelon in summer, and strawberry in spring. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

This %Saotofu% attracts customers with its genuine craftsmanship. According to Liu Kang-fu, his great-uncle used to sell tofu pudding in Hsinchu back in the day, and later his mother inherited the traditional tofu-making method from him. With the introduction of his mother’s friend, the shop opened at its current location in 2001 and has since put down roots. As for why the shop is named%Saotofu%, it’s mainly due to the creativity of this mother-and-son duo.“Saotofu” is a homophone in Taiwanese Hokkien for “burnt” tofu pudding.The character “騷 (sao)” “feels like a poet,” giving off a literary vibe at first glance.So they decided to use this character for the signboard.

▲%The %Saotofu% shop has been around for 10 years, with the 45-year-old Liu Rui-zhen and her 76-year-old son, Liu Kang-fu, running the place. It has attracted customers with its sincere craftsmanship and authentic Taiwanese flavor. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

Though %Saotofu% may seem like a simple peanut tofu pudding, according to Liu Rui-zhen, the soybeans used for the tofu are carefully selected Canadian soybeans, which are ground and made in-house. All tofu is made fresh daily, with about 300 bowls produced each day. As for the crushed ice syrup used in the Saotofu, it’s made from Shenteh brown sugar, slow-roasted over low heat for half an hour and then simmered for another half hour, giving it a fragrant sugar aroma, a more appealing color, and a slightly caramelized taste. Even the peanuts are hand-picked, shelled, and cooked.

▲The “tofu” in %Saotofu% is made by grinding soybeans in-house every day, with no leftovers stored. The peanuts used are carefully selected, shelled, and cooked. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

▲The secret to “Saotofu” (peanut tofu pudding) lies in this rock sugar syrup, which is slowly roasted over low heat for half an hour and then simmered for another half hour by Liu Rui-zhen herself, resulting in a caramel-like aroma similar to that on the top of a crème brûlée. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

Reporters personally tried the Saotofu at the shop, and with a spoonful combining tofu, syrup, and peanuts, they could indeed taste the caramel-like aroma akin to that on a crème brûlée, the melt-in-your-mouth tofu, and the soft, crumbly peanuts—making it quite delicious. You can also feel the care and effort of this mother-daughter team behind it. For just NT$35 per bowl, it’s packed with rich Taiwanese flavor.

▲A single spoonful of “Saotofu” brings together the intertwined aromas of tofu, syrup, and peanuts. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

As for the fruit tofu puddings in the shop, they change with the seasons—watermelon and mango tofu puddings in summer, sesame paste and red bean-yam tofu puddings in winter, and strawberry tofu puddings in spring. Liu Kang-fu revealed that in terms of popularity, the fruit tofu puddings actually outshine the Saotofu.

Liu Kang-fu stated,the fruit ice is primarily made by freezing fresh fruit into ice, then blending it into a slush, topping it with fruit pieces, tapioca pearls, and drizzling fresh milk on top.All ingredients adhere to domestic and natural flavors, with no additives added. Taking the currently abundant mangoes and watermelons as examples, the mangoes are fresh Irwin mangoes from Pingtung and Tainan, while the watermelons are sourced from fresh ones in Hualien and Taitung.

▲%The fruit tofu puddings introduced in summer are all made using fresh, natural fruits, with no additives added at all. Using the currently in-season mangoes and watermelons as examples, the mangoes are fresh Irwin mangoes from Pingtung and Tainan, and the watermelons are fresh ones bought from Hualien and Taitung. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

Reporters personally tried the mango-watermelon tofu pudding—the first bite includes tapioca pearls, condensed milk, tofu pudding, and mango slush. You can taste the naturally cool, sweet flavor of mango perfectly blended with condensed milk, along with the tapioca pearls and melt-in-your-mouth tofu pudding. When biting into the watermelon and mango cubes, the juice and fruit pieces combined with tapioca pearls, tofu pudding, and condensed milk truly give you a taste of “happiness” in the sweltering summer heat.

▲The mango-watermelon slush is made with a base of mango slush, topped with condensed milk, mango, watermelon, and tapioca pearls. For NT$80 per bowl, you get a full dose of happiness. (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

Sitting inside %Saotofu%, if you look closely, you’ll see autographs of foodies everywhere on the walls and windows—not just celebrities like the girl group SHE, Malaysian singer Nicholas Teo, and astrology expert Tang Li-qi, but also several signatures from Japanese foodies. Among them, one written bySato Makoto from Fukuoka, Japan, who came to Taiwan, saying “I’ve eaten well. I’m truly fortunate. Thank you, Taiwan, thank you so much, Taiwan!! Japan and Taiwan are truly friends!!” truly conveys the emotion of a distant foodie savoring delicious food.

▲%The signatures at %Saotofu% are mostly from passionate foodies, ranging from the relatively low-key to the more well-known Japanese visitors. Among them is one written by Sato Makoto from Fukuoka, Japan, saying “I’ve eaten well. I’m truly fortunate. Thank you, Taiwan, thank you so much, Taiwan!! Japan and Taiwan are truly friends!!” (Photo by reporter Hong Shengyi)

Liu Kangfu explained that aside from regulars nearby, media outlets from Japan and Hong Kong have also visited Sodouhua, so there are often guests from mainland China, Japan, and Hong Kong who come to try it after seeing it featured in magazines. Japanese visitors often ask, “Why not open one in Tokyo?” In response, Liu Kangfu said that although they have recently opened “Yueniang” nearby, overseas expansion isn’t feasible at this stage — mainly because they want to stick to authentic Taiwanese ingredients for their raw materials. Moreover, his mother still has many great ideas, so they plan to focus on doing well in Taiwan first before considering anything else.

▲In order to stay true to Taiwanese flavors, despite many inquiries, this mother-and-son duo currently have no plans toSodouhuaexpand into foreign markets. (Photo / Reporter Hong Shengyi)

【Sodouhua】(Head Store)
Contact Number: 02-8771-8901
Address: No. 26, Lane 131, Yanji Street, Da’an District, Taipei City
Business Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12:30–22:30