That Stinky Tofu Experience @FatFook

Considered the national snack of Taiwan, stinky tofu is  in my  bucket list of unusual (read bizarre) food to eat all over the world before you die hehe.

Fortunately , an invite to a Bloggers' Party at Fat Fook last April 24 made it possible for me to experience this foul-smelling food sans the requisite  boarding pass and  plane ticket.

Fat Fook which literally means  Fat/Big Prosperity or Luck, is  a home grown brand. They imported a chef though from Taiwan to make the experience as authentic as possible. Naturally one can not have a legit Taiwan food adventure without the stinky tofu.

Having heard all there is to know about this putrid and legendary Taiwanese fare, I was confident I was ready to face the challenge of eating one.

Boy was I dead wrong. The fetid odor assaults all the senses and sticks to your clothes like a living thing even before the plate landed on the table. The adjective was spot on, so does foul, funky, rank, reeky, rancid, skunky, rotten, You get the picture.

Speaking of picture, the whole dish looked like a plate of ordinary deep fried regular tofu. One can not get past the malodorous-puke-smell though. I seriously was breathing through my mouth while taking photos.

But a challenge is a challenge. When asked which brave souls want to get first dibs on eating the tofu, I naturally raised my hand and almost immediately regretted it.

I proceeded to the other table with @jaceexperience to vlog the by blow on  eating  this rotten-smelling dish. I was terrified  I may  gag or  (worse) vomit when I put it in my mouth. 

Shelving my revulsion aside, I concentrated on the task at hand like my life depended on it.

So I just took one rancid-smelling cube with my chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce and deposited the whole chunk in my waiting mouth.

I tasted the tofu, the sweet sauce and the pickled cabbage all at once. I was relieved the texture was like regular tofu . Nothing slimy on the tongue or crumbly-weird. I loved how the sweetness of the sauce complimented the tofu. The cabbage gave the dish the much needed hint of acidity.

What do you know? I guess my olfactory sense got used to the noxious smell. Once you get past its  "aroma", the stinking tofu actually  tasted good.  It was not that bad  or bizarre after  all.  Just take a shower and brush your teeth after hahaha. 

Ticking off  the item in my list.

Try it!

Fat Fook  is located at Level 3 Building A of  SM Megamall beside Jolibee. They also have branches in Robinsons Galleria,  Globe Tower  32nd street BGC, Upper Ground Floor in SM City North Edsa and Ayala Malls Feliz De la Paz Pasig City.

Fat Fook is opening soon in Glorietta 1 Makati.


Trivia

Why is stinky tofu stinky?
'The traditional method of producing  stinky tofu is to prepare a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables and meat. The brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoos and chinese herbs. The brine fermentation can take as long as several months" - wikipedia