Phoenix Bean

Fantastic tofu! I just took a tour of Phoenix Bean led by the founder Jennie. It was fascinating to learn how to make tofu and see how they use such high quality non-gmo soy beans to start it all. I just came back from Indonesia for 2 months where tofu is a staple and PheOnix bean's product is some of the best I've ever had. I especially loved the smoked and 5 spice tofu!

We stopped by their booth at the Illinos Expo today and got some of the most amazing tofu I've ever had! Bonus, the owners were very nice people. I can't wait to see more of their products locally.

Their products are locally made and amazing. I especially love the yellow tofu - the look threw me off at first but I talked to them and they said it would grill nicely and the yellow doesn't add a taste. It is the best grilling/frying tofu I've ever tried! I also love the pre-made salads.

Got some of the Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Tofu Salad at the Green City Farmers Market and I wish i had bought more. This is a flavor explosion! Could not recommend it more. Thanks Phoenix Bean! This was a real treat

Phoenix Bean hard tofu is by far the best in Chicago both in taste and in texture. This is a strong statement in a city that boasts scores of tofu makers, including H-Mart. Phoenix Bean hard tofu fries to a beautiful golden shade and does not fall apart, yet the texture inside is creamy. At the risk of shocking some of you, I will compare it to one of my favorite dishes: sauteed veal brains. Phoenix tofu is never sour or crumbly, two sins even the best tofus sometimes succumb to. Before I ran into Phoenix hard tofu I used to buy House because Japanese tofu has a more noble taste. Then I tried Phoenix at Devon Foods. I bought it first out of laziness to go South to buy House and was shocked how much better Phoenix was. Now that Devon Foods stopped carrying it, I was unable to prevail upon the owners to sell it again. But I am willing to drive ten extra blocks South on Broadway to the factory to buy this addictive delicacy. Breakfast would be sad without it.

Best tofu you can buy in Chicago. They come to the night market on Argyle and offer lots of tasty samples and the people are very friendly. You can find it the Mariano's on Ravenswood as well as a lot of the Asian food places near Argyle.

I could rate zero if there is an option. After eating this yellow tofu, I got my urine with the exact same color for two days! Scary!

Great local soy bean product company in Chicago :) Lots of supermarkets & wholesale suppliers in all of Chicagoland carry their products & this location (their production) also sells products for retail. Great place to go if you're looking for sweet tofu (dou fu hua).

Got some tofu from the farmers market! Also sampled so many of the products. Great variety of textures and flavors. Loved the sweet and spicy tofu salad.

This can be a bit confusing because they have separate buildings but my pick up order was picked up at 5410 North Broadway. If you're a first timer, you'd have to place an order online and call the number provided in the email confirmation once you're outside. They'll hand your order over to you outside. I was craving their signature sweetened soymilk drink so I bought 1 liter of it and their spicy peanut tofu salad. So delicious and fresh!

This was an incredibly nice find. They make fresh soy bean products and you can even watch the process by the window. The people are friendly, and you place an order on your phone. We weren't hungry, but wanted to give it a try. We ordered a firm tofu and a vegan mapo tofu salad. The vegan mapo tofu salad is flavorful and absolutely delicious. Very unique side dish if you're not too hungry. It's a bit pricey at $9 as the portion was on the smaller side. The firm tofu was $5, which we did not try yet by the time I wrote this review.

Great products. Love their variations of organic tofu. Only complaint is that I have to wait all winter to get it at my local farmers market.

Freshest tofu can be purchased here! The owner/management is very nice and is happy to sell you freshly made tofu in all different textures and soy milk and other soy products. My dad procured soybeans and soy products for his Chinese restaurant in Waukegan for over a decade!

Love love love !!!! Non GMO. You can visit the factory on Broadway where they make the tofu. It's extremely clean. I love all the different flavors especially the Thai. I wish they had it readily available but you have to order in advance. A little pricey but definitely worth it.

I met JENNY'S TOFU at West Loop - Whole Foods. CONGRATULATIONS! A local brand, company, ingredients with this manufacturing address. THE ONLY SOY & TOFU BRAND I EAT, & TRUST! Why? -- Monsanto owns the soy bean industry with a gazillion patent. Most USA soy drinks are laced with 50% Vit B12 that increases hunger more than usual. Asian soy drinks are riddled with synthetics. PERFECTION in soy & tofu: "Grown in Illinois, Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Cholesterol Free, No Trans Fat, Kosher" In a world where misery is the norm, a BLESSED FOOD is always welcomed in hopes of happiness and well-being. Thank you! NOTE: NO need to visit this manufacturing location, Jenny's Tofu is everywhere!

I visited the Argyle Street Night Market last Thursday after work, and I was pleasantly surprised by the level of activity. It seemed like a cross between an ethnic street fair and a local farmers' market, and it was nice that folks walked their dogs and bicycles through this stretch of Argyle. There was even a small stage with a young lady singing and playing guitar (she even covered Pink Floyd - cool!). However the find of this night market is the Phoenix Bean Products tofu booth. OMG is this lifelong meat eating guy rambling about tofu? Indeed I am, as I am sort of embracing my Chinese-American roots to see what tofu is all about. Phoenix's primary location is just around the corner on North Broadway, but they have been actively participating and selling their products at several outdoor markets around Chicago. The tofu is locally made and freshly made, so Phoenix has a solid reputation. The owner and her friendly staff chatted up the versatility of the tofu, as they served a tasty variety of prepared tofu selections to sample. I was not a tofu fan growing up in my traditional Chinese-American household, but I must say that these tofu bites were mighty tasty. You can tell that some passersby looked quizzically at the various tofu samples (the same look I had when I was a kid), but there were also a lot of tofu fans that stopped by enthusiastically to eat and to purchase. The Argyle Street Night Market is taking place on Thursday evenings for the summer, so if you are in the area check out the Phoenix tent. If you do not see Phoenix here or at one of the local markets or Asian food stores, visit them at their establishment for some quality tofu.

My boyfriend and I are obsessed with their homemade, sprouted, organic tofu. It tastes so much better than processed versions, and the staff is outstanding. They sell their stuff under the name Jenny's at markets, so we get it there too. I've only had the extra firm and am eager to get my hands on the soft to make nice cream. It's really the best around.

I hate to share this because it's more of an edgewater secret..but ok- I'll do this one good deed. If you like tofu- Phoenix Bean is a great place. The Spicy Stir Fry Tofu is the best (they have other flavors such as Thai peanut, teriyaki, etc which are pretty good). Nothing however holds a candle to the spicy stir fry. The place is a tofu factory so please don't expect it to be a storefront...guys it's a Factory... By the way- you can find their products at Edgewater Produce as well (convenient if you're in downtown Andersonville). Update..just one super annoying thing- you NEVER know when they are open despite the so called posted hours. I tried several times to show up at 2 pm in the middle of the week (supposedly they are open until 3) and no- they were NOT open. I suggest you go at around noon.

I love this place. It's simple and straightforward: step in, order tofu, leave. The selection is robust and the tofu tastes super fresh and tasty. They've been a staple of the neighborhood FOREVER, and it feels great to support a longtime local business. They are cash only, though the prices are so cheap that your dollar goes a long way. Sometimes the hours might be a bit wonky so just call them to see if they're open. Check it out!

Stop it right now. We have someone making fresh soy products and I had no idea! I wandered by their stand at Green City Market Wednesday and just about had an anxiety attack I was so excited. I sampled several varieties of their marinated tofu, as well as their tofu 'noodles' and fried tofu. All delicious...the real hit for me though was the marinated tofu in spicy sauce. We grilled a bunch of vegetables and tossed it all together and it was phenomenal. Can't wait to pick some up on the regular. I'm always wary of tofu because it can be so over-processed and packed w/GMO soybeans so this is an amazing find!! Local, non-gmo soybeans w/o additives or preservatives is a dream come true.

Love their tofu! It's local and fresh and soooooo good! I met some of their friendly folks at the Andersonville Farmer's Market. I'm a solid customer for life.

You've probably seen their tofu around town, especially in Asian markets. But did you know you can buy right from the factory? And for cheaper? Well now you do! Don't be discouraged by the imposing façade: Go in the glass door to the left and approach the nice person in the office. They have several kinds of tofu: Extra firm, firm, soft, fried, pouches, spicy, yellow... Most of them don't need to have the water squeezed out of them before cooking, either. They also have bean sprouts and soy milk for sale. Street parking is metered, but there is a lot next door that may or may not be for customers. Not a lot of signage there. They are open 9:00AM to 3:00PM Monday through Saturday, or by appointment.

Love the local tofu. Upton's and Teese get all the locavore props, but these folk should get love too. And buying here is cheaper than a supermarket. I got 4 things of tofu for $5. Dig it.

I've tried a lot of their products at the Andersonville farmers market and I am excited to learn that I can purchase their products directly from their store in edgewater! I will definitely be doing so! I've tried the yellow tofu and the fried puffed tofu. Both are delicious! You don't have to do any prep work either, you can just eat it right out of the pack. The staff at the farmers markets is soooo friendly too! You can get a huge pack of tofu for 2.50!!! SUPER CHEAP!

Great quality tofu available in a variety of styles. The fried and spicy versions are my favorite, and they work well in stir fry. If you don't like the texture of tofu, the fried has a more crispy exterior. Personally i've never been a big tofu fan, but Phoenix's are great. Really want to try the smoked version they have, i've actually tried smoking tofu myself with varying results. Usually I buy it at the Independence Park farmers market, but seek it out in specialty stores when I can. I don't see it at Tai Nam Market, even though it's a listed retailer. Maybe it's more sporadically available there. Mariano's, Harvest Time, and Joong Boo also carry it.

The first time I stopped by the Phoenix Bean booth at the Glenwood Sunday Market, I was told that I'd become addicted to the spicy tofu. And I am. I'm hopelessly addicted, so much so that a box of it comes home with me every week. It's delicious with just about any vegetable you can stir-fry, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I've eaten it straight out of the box, cold. In fact, I just had some now over some cold soba noodles. Even if you don't think you're a fan of tofu, give it a try. You might become addicted, too.

Best tofu in town. Hands down. I hear they supply many of the good Asian restaurants in town. I don't doubt it.

Phoenix Bean has the freshest ToFu in the market. Among the rest of the other ToFu companies, Phoenix Bean has more variety in their product line. The baked five spiced ToFu is great and I love the white extra firm. Always fresh and always satisfied. If you go to their plant on Broadway, you can pick up any product, if you're lucky when you head there, you may get the tofu made that morning. Every Wednesday evening in the Andersen-ville Farmers Market, you stop by for some FREE samples.

I have never been a fan of tofu, but I am incorporating it into my new dietary lifestyle. I was excited to learn that Veganmania 2012 was only a 10 minute drive to my home so of course I went. I almost passed by this place, but since there was such a nice crowd I decided to stop. I a glad that I did!! A young lady at the table was very nice, friendly & helpful. I am totally love with the spicy tofu!!!! I purchased two containers immediately. The mango was quite tasty as well. It was great with my homemade stiffly, plus she gave me a nice sauce on the side for each container. Love it! They didnt have any flyers, but she said the address was on the label. I did a search & saw good reciews on here and I agree with the positive ones. I visited the website, but it's nothing impressive. The plus is that I can purchase this spicy deliciousness straight from the warehouse. To get me to eat tofu from a container it must be great! I like to support local business & they have my support. In fact, since they close early I better go by there today while I have time :)

Great quality tofu and excellent customer service. Management went above and beyond to accommodate me since the tofu I purchased at Mariano's in Chicago wasn't as fresh as I'd had hoped. They were very kind and delivered replacements in a matter of days, which was amazing since tofu is hard to come by these days.

Found them in Logan Square farmers market and fell in love with the tofu salad. All of them so well-seasoned and if you have an Asian stomach, you can have them with rice too! Sweet and spicy is good just by itself. Teriyaki and the spicy one is superb with rice.

Me + health food such as tofu?? Yeah Right!!! but not if it's deep fried. Love their tofu products! I bought some of their fried tofu squares for my pad see ew and they tasted great! Absolutely delicious-- non stale oil taste from the fried squares. The fried squares aren't too dense but very airy.. I much prefer that over the much denser versions found elsewhere. Some of the best tofu I've had.. My health freak of a mother would be so proud. Bravo asians in the Midwest, Bravo. I didn't think you could make edible asian food products in this part of the country but you just proved me wrong this month. Round of applause.

I cannot get enough!!!! Stumbled upon the Andersonville Farmer's Market and now I am on the hunt, hunting down Phoenix Bean! Honestly, the best tofu and pre-made lunches I have ever had!

CASH ONLY. The tofu and soy milk are the best around, and Phoenix Bean uses Illinois soybeans which is pretty awesome. My main complaint is this: tofu skin is listed on the website and one of the products, but you apparently need to order at least 15 containers of it ($45) to actually buy it. Kinda bummed about this because I mostly went there to purchase that. Also, because the products are made without preservatives, it's best to use them quickly.

If you think you don't like tofu, try the spicy tofu from Phoenix Bean. The non-GMO tofu is freshly made right here in Edgewater. The spicy tofu is bathed in a delicious, assertively spiced Asian chili sauce. It's my fave! There are other varieties including a mellower creamy ginger sauce. The soy noodles are an awesome alternative to pasta, especially paired with a homemade peanut sauce. Check out your local farmers market for the Phoenix Bean stand. The spicy tofu is especially addictive. Long after the close of the last farmers market you can still find it at Urban Orchard in Andersonville and Harvest Time in Ravenswood. Support a local company and enjoy Phoenix Bean products.

I just ate an entire carton of Phoenix Spicy Tofu Stir Fry for breakfast. Regrets? Only that I don't know where I can find more today. I picked this up at the Independence Park Farmers' Market and I cannot wait weeks until the next market day rolls around.

We've been eating Phoenix Bean's tofu for many years but this year we discovered their Phoenix Spicy Tofu Stir Fry at the Glenwood Sunday Market. It's great. You can eat this stuff right out of the tub, marinated as it is in corn oil, salt, garlic chili sauce, soy sauce, black bean sauce and plenty of cilantro. Just about to finish off what we bought the other day . . . will have to get some more. Did I mention it was spicy?

Do not bother going anywhere else!!! This company is wonderful...period. The service is spectacular: friendly and genuinely interested. The quality of all of their products is phenomenal and the pricing is perfect. I highly recommend the extra-firm pre-pressed tofu and the Five Spice Baked Tofu. I refuse to give my business to anyone else.

Dofu Fah and Dou Jurng is awesome. Thought this stuff was a lost art. But now its resurrected in in Edgewater! Halleujah!!

I love there products! There tofu is far superior to any other brands. I love the five spiced smoked tofu, it's so good! I've also had there fried, baked a and plain tofu, all super good! If you ever see them at the farmers market (we buy it at Logan square) definitely try them. I highly suggest, I know they sell at small grocery stores such as plenty in Chicago but I really wish they were at whole foods too as it would be easier. Nonetheless there products are great and they are vegan and gluten free (wish it said that on the packing). I highly suggest

They produce fresh tofu that you can find at local ethnic (mostly Asian, but a few Latino) markets. There really isn't any comparison between freshly prepared bean curd, and the crap most restaurants use. I've been told that most restaurants use firm tofu simply because it is easier to prepare, but the fresh soft tofu from Phoenix always finds its way into my shopping cart.

Yesterday at the Logan Square Farmer's Market I tasted at least 5 different tofu salad samples ALL of which were deee-licious! I bought a carton of the Thai Peanuts Tofu salad and had it with pasta for my dinner last night. So good!!! Gotta have some more!

High quality tofu. Delicious sauces. Purchased at the Logan Square farmer's market. Would buy again.

Stopped in here on a Saturday and loved it! The woman working here was very friendly and her son happened to drop by and he told us that his mom had been working here for over 20 years and that he's grown up eating Phoenix tofu! Will definitely be back to buy more of their tofu! Was lucky enough to be at vegan mania that same day and sampled all their varieties and sauces too!

I live alone and I do not like to buy in bulk. When I interrupted the woman who was working in her office and ordered one package of tofu, I felt like I was imposing. My concerns were unwarranted. She was accommodating, returning promptly with my tofu. I cooked the tofu later that evening, and it was fresh and delicious.

Phoenix Bean's tofu stir fries are good for the soul. They have about 5 prepackaged ones, but the spicy stir fry with cilantro and chili oil is my favorite. I'll second the reviewer below who said it's addictive... Every time I've gotten a carton, I'll finish it within an hour of bringing it home!

Fanastic products....! Soybean noodles are to die for. . I wish they had a retail store.

I attended a tasting yesterday where the owner talked about the process of making tofu and her product line. As a vegetarian, I greatly appreciated the chance to taste the different varieties and be able to ask questions about how best to store the pressed tofu. I particularly liked the smoked five spice tofu and the prepared dishes with shittake mushrooms, the latter of which the owner said will be for sale at some farmer's markets. Best of all, many of the products are for sale at their factory, which is a short bus ride for me. :-) I've had mixed experiences buying their products at area stores, so hopefully buying directly from the factory will solve this problem.

Healthy, local, delicious. Spicy tofu is AMAZING.

Answer for Tawny - their beans are all purchased from an organic farmer in Iowa, so their products ARE organic and LOCAL MIDWESTERN, too... they take great care with the processes and are very justifiably proud of them.

I recently attended Veganmania 2012 at the Broadway Armory because my teenager is a recent Vegan and because I am encouraging her in this, I attended it with her in support. We stopped at the Phoenix Bean booth and standing behind my daughter, I watched as she asked the representative if she had any handouts about their products and the rep told her no, they were out (we were there at the beginning), my daughter moved on, but I stayed there listening about the product and watched an adult ask the same question, and the lady happily handed her a handout and told her "oh you got our last one" - totally discounting that my daughter had just been refused the same. I went to their website this morning to contact them to let them know that I and my daughter were totally disappointed at how she was treated and was even more disconcerted to see that you cannot contact them except by phone and that except for the main page - this company cannot even spell it's name correctly. On every link such as "products" and "contact" they have spelled their own companies name incorrectly. This combined with their treatment showed me that this is a poorly managed company and even if they offered the best and cheapest products in the world, I would never ever use their products. If they can blow off future customers and have no regard to the lack of professionalism when marketing themselves, why would I trust their product? Come on people - you can't even spell the name of your company correctly on your own website?