When it comes to nightlife in Hualien, Dongdmen night market (東大門夜市) is a highlight. During my stay in Hualien, I visited there every single night. This market is massive—it used to be four separate markets that merged into one. Exploring every corner of it in just a few nights is impossible. Even though I went there every evening, I felt it wasn’t enough to experience everything.
The market is packed with countless stalls along its streets, offering an overwhelming variety of food and goods. Everything looked so tempting that it was hard to decide where to start! One stall, however, caught my attention: 堂薯薯臭薯條, a vendor specializing in stinky tofu sticks.
Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about “stinky tofu sticks.” This stall at Dongdmen Night Market offers a version of this snack that’s easy to eat while walking—they serve it in a convenient cup. Interestingly, stinky tofu sticks originated at the Luodong night market (羅東夜市). , but I’ve also spotted similar stalls at Shilin night market (士林夜市).
Stinky tofu stick is put in a cup like this. So, it’s easy to eat while walking.
This shop offers eight different flavors for their stinky tofu sticks, including cheese, mustard (or perhaps ketchup?), Korean-style, Thai-style, honey mustard, tartar sauce, teriyaki, and salt & pepper. You can even request extra spiciness. Portions come in small or large sizes, so there’s something for everyone.
I decided to try a small portion of cheese flavor (特調起司). The tofu was fried quickly to a crisp and served with a generous amount of pickles. Surprisingly, it didn’t have the strong smell usually associated with stinky tofu and looked almost like French fries.
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the paper-like texture of deep-fried stinky tofu. However, this version was delightfully crispy and had a unique flavor. Although it looked like French fries, it tasted more like chicken nuggets. The sauce wasn’t a simple cheese flavor—it had a strong barbecue taste, which was unexpected. While I was a bit disappointed by the lack of cheesy flavor, the overall taste was enjoyable.
The pickles added a refreshing touch between bites of the tofu stick. However, there were so many pickles that I ended up eating them long after finishing the tofu!
If you’re new to stinky tofu and hesitant about its strong smell, this might be a great introduction. It’s mild, convenient to eat, and perfect for strolling around the night market.
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Name 堂薯薯臭薯條
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