Fong On, a storied Chinatown gem since 1933, serves up artisanal soy-based delights like silky tofu pudding, homemade soy milk, and rice cakes, all with a fresh, modern twist.
"For a slightly sweet, ultra-soft treat in Chinatown, head to Fong On, a family-run, tofu-making institution in Chinatown that originally opened on Mott Street in 1933. Order the tofu pudding, swimming in brown sugar syrup and topped with boba, rainbow jelly, and red beans, then marvel at the number of soft and bouncy textures they manage to fit all in one small cup. Fong On also makes pudding with savory toppings—like dried shrimp, and sesame oil—in case you need dinner and dessert. (That is what you need.)" - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja
"Dou Fu Fa "It's got a sort of sweet ginger syrup on top of it. And I love it. Fong On is one of those venerable Chinatown institutions. They make their own tofu. The difference between really good tofu that's homemade and the stuff that you buy in the supermarket is enormous. I used to go down to Chinatown and there was a guy who sold the dou fu fa out of a stairway on Elizabeth Street and it was 50 cents. I was sent to China in 1980 by At Home to do an article about a hotel, which when we got there hadn't been built yet. At the time, Taishan was just really very small, and the center of life in Taishan was the tofu skin factory. They had a conveyor belt—they painted soy milk onto the tofu, and then it went through and came out as wrinkled sheets of tofu skin. Next door was the tea shop, where people gathered next to the conveyor belts where they were making the tofu skin. So I have a really soft spot in my heart for tofu." - brennan carley
"Chinatown is home to many excellent snacks, but none of them are as soft as the tofu pudding at Fong On. They hold the title of the oldest family-run tofu shop in NYC, which would be a big deal even if it weren’t for the silky smooth quality of their bean curd. They sell blocks of soft or firm tofu, as well as savory and sweet puddings. Don’t make yourself choose between the two. Instead, get both—the savory is topped with things like dried shrimp and pickled radish, and the sweet comes in a variety of different combinations, but get the one with taro balls, grass jelly, and red beans. The small size—which is good for a light lunch or big snack—will run you under $10." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman
"Fong On holds the title of the oldest family-run tofu shop in New York, which would be a big deal even if it weren’t for the silky smooth quality of their bean curd. The Chinatown spot first opened in 1933, and they sell blocks of soft or firm tofu, as well as savory and sweet tofu puddings. Don’t make yourself choose between the two. Instead, get both—the savory is topped with things like dried shrimp and pickled radish, and the sweet comes in a variety of different combinations. The small size—which is good for a light lunch or big snack—will run you under $10. There are a couple of tables inside where you can get a view into the tofu-making machinery in the back, but the pudding is also a perfect snack for a walk through Chinatown, or over the Manhattan Bridge. photo credit: Willa Moore Food Rundown Can't Go Wrong! You can pick your own toppings for plain tofu, but we especially like this combo with taro balls, grass jelly, and red beans, topped with brown sugar syrup. Eating bites of wobbly tofu with chewy taro and jiggly jelly will be the most fun your mouth has had in a while. Savory Tofu Pudding If you’re in Chinatown with $10 and a need for a lunch that’s equal parts comforting and sesame-oil soaked, order this. The textures are at it again here too, but crunchy bits like dried shrimp, fried shallots, and pickled radish take center stage." - Willa Moore
"Paul Eng carries on his family’s legacy at the Chinatown shop, which had been making tofu since 1933, to sell extremely fresh soy products. Fong On has been in Eng’s family since the original opened on Mott Street, in 1933; for decades, it sold tofu up and down the Eastern Seaboard. In 2019 he reopened the store, with a savvy spin: go small. Beneath the rumbling train on the Manhattan Bridge, Eng’s Chinatown store is a beacon in gleaming white subway tile and small-batch daufu fa. Eng offers sweet and savory tofu puddings with an array of toppings. The Savory Tofu Pudding is topped with tart pickled radish, crunchy fried shallots, scallions, sesame oil, mild chili sauce, and the only non-vegan item in the store, funky dried shrimp. For a sweet treat, try the Can’t Go Wrong! (dense taro balls, lightly herbaceous grass jelly, and sweet red beans) or the addictive Snap, Crackle, and Pop, with crystalline aiyu jelly, fruity rainbow jelly ('kind of like Swedish fish,' Eng explained), and tapioca boba." - Shauna Lyon
