Old Tu Kee Smelly / Stinky Tofu (老涂记臭豆腐) @ Bugis Street [Singapore]

Many would have assumed Bugis Street refers to a road but it's also the name of a shopping district that used to be known as Bugis Village. 

To be honest, I didn't know what it was called but I do know I frequently cut past the crowded, narrow stretch in order to get to the other side, where Albert Centre Hawker Centre and the famous Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple are. 

A few weeks ago, I took the same route and this time, a signboard hanging from the ceiling caught my attention. There's smelly tofu right here in Bugis?! Strange that I didn't catch a whiff of it but it could be because of the mask. 

Whatever the case, I was alone and didn't have to consider my companion's dietary requirements, which would usually command a high chance that they would say no to stinky tofu. Die, die also must eat, even though I wasn't hungry!

Three types of stinky tofu; one with chilli powder, one with chilli sauce and another that's a combination of the two aforementioned. My choice; the one with chilli sauce. In terms of pricing, they were the same at 5 pieces for S$6.00 and 10 pieces for S$10. 

Freshly fried, you can't smell the stench until your nose is inches from the tofu and even then; it was still a bit too faint. But given its proximity to the crowded Bugis Street, a heightened stink would likely result in complaints and eventually, eviction.

Love the crunchy preserved cabbage as it was a wholesome balance of sweetness and saltiness; appetizing when you eat it together with the piping hot stinky tofu. 

Chilli didn't result in much differences; in fact, I think the chilli sauce would mask the flavour of stinky tofu and that's a no-no for true blue stinky tofu lovers. 

Let's stick with just plain, old stinky tofu. As you can see, it's silky soft inside with a thin, crispy crust. The pungency intensified when I put a piece into the mouth but strangely, the last two pieces weren't as smelly and were even a bit bland for my palate. Nevertheless, worth a try if you are in Bugis! 

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Address

4 New Bugis St, 

Singapore 188868

Map

As above.

Pricing

Stinky Tofu - S$6.00 for 5 pieces