玉里橋頭臭豆腐 花蓮店

Located on Heping Road in Hualien, "Yuli Bridge Stinky Tofu" is a somewhat well-known shop in the area, and it seems that almost every tourist visiting Hualien has heard of this place. I happened to walk by this time, saw that there wasn't much of a line, so I decided to buy a portion to try.

The outer skin of the stinky tofu is quite crispy when fried, giving it a crunchy sensation like a biscuit when bitten into, while the inside remains soft and tender—it’s fried quite well. The accompanying pickled vegetables and shredded radish are generous in quantity, providing a refreshing and appetizing flavor that significantly reduces the overall greasiness. However, the stinky tofu's odor is rather mild, lacking the classic strong flavor that gives a strong impact; for me, it can only be described as "mediocre," with nothing particularly outstanding about it. Interestingly, it seems there's something fermenting in the fridge beside the shop, as you can smell a stinky odor from outside, indicating that they are using real ingredients.

The shop's chili has quite a reputation; it’s said to be made with bird’s eye chili and ghost pepper, touted as very spicy. I was looking forward to it and added a whole bunch, but found it to be only okay—the spiciness didn’t make me break a sweat, but the heat gradually builds up, which was quite nice. However, if you are a chili enthusiast, you may need to add a few more spoonfuls to feel satisfied.

Overall, "Yuli Bridge Stinky Tofu" is a shop with stable performance, but it doesn't have any particularly standout features. If you happen to pass by or if there isn’t much of a line, it’s a nice option for a snack, but if you have to wait a long time, I don’t think it would be worth it.