Ahhhhh, so that's what the fuss is about: the salt and pepper tofu was a revelation! I could eat it until the sun burns out! Crisp and savory on the outside and soft on the inside (be careful at first because it is also hot as a flamethrower inside for about the first five or ten minutes). For the uninitiated, as I was until today, it is listed under the "vegetables" portion of the menu, but don't be fooled: there are no vegetables, it's just tofu. BUT, it's going to be as good as any tofu you've ever had. Next time I'll order it with a vegetable accompaniment, although I'm going to have to comb through the reviews to find one because a lot of the other yelpers who frequent this little hole-in-the-wall seem to be saying that everything that isn't tofu lives just south of inedible...hmmmmm... If that's the way it's going to be, fine, I'll just order the salt and pepper tofu and be plenty happy. read more

I've been back a few times, and I would definitely recommend any tofu or soy product here. The rest is hit or miss. Their soy milk is still high quality and highly recommended. The salt and pepper tofu is a solid choice, as well as the tofu stone pot dish (not sure if this is the actual term, but there's a photo of it on the menu - different kinds of tofu in a pot, and you can choose what kind of meat you want with it - so you can point to it if that's what you want). The other dishes (such as onion pancake, rice roll, Chinese donut) are ok, but I wouldn't go here just for those. Definitely go for anything with soy or tofu, and you won't be disappointed. Cash only! read more

This place is my favorite breakfast place! Fresh soy milk, fried Chinese donuts! They open early at 7am. Love their sheng jian bao. I'm dealing with jet lag now, every morning I got up at 4-5am, wait for this place to open. The fresh soy milk reminds me my hometown, this is what we eat for breakfast in China. I'm so glad this place is few minutes away from us. Definitely love going there. read more

Unfortunately this is probably one of the best places you'll get for Chinese breakfast in the Seattle area. The dan-bing (egg pancake) is a disappointment; pan fried egg literally on top of an onion pancake which is NOT the way it should be made. The green onion pancake tends to be overcooked the times I've been. Fan tuan is okay but tends to be dry; I didn't notice any pickled mustard greens in mine. Soy milk is okay. I was rather annoyed at our server. Not once did she come by to ask how we were doing. If she did, she would realize that on one of the hottest days of the summer, I had finished my soy milk, hot tea, and my husband's glass of tea as well. She also had mixed up orders and gave us something we didn't order and we told her we did not order this. Upon checkout (cash only), she told us that the total was "$16.44 not including tip" in Chinese. I did NOT expect her to tell us that it did not include tip. She also demanded (i.e. yelled very loudly several times) to give the tip to her instead of leave it at the table. That is not customer service. She definitely did not deserve any tip! read more

A little small shop on the side of the street that looks a bit grimy but is really a hidden gem. The cooks are Chinese and all the customers were also Chinese- a good sign that the restaurant is authentic and boy it sure was! My parents noted the food was just like what they had growing up and we enjoyed everything that was ordered. read more

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OMG how nostalgic is this place! I miss northern chinese breakfast. We got a whole bunch of food and it was only $20! My favorite was the savory soy milk. I was expecting warm soy milk with salt, but they brought a big bowl of soy milk with some savory broth poured on top and youtiao pieces floating. It was delicious - savory, slightly spicy, hint of vinegar. YUM. The sesame pancake with beef was awesome too - love the scallions and sweet bean paste. Also get the savory tofu pudding (in dessert section for some reason). It's about the only fresh tofu dish you can get for breakfast. read more

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The location of this restaurant is less than ideal... Nothing kills a tofu craving faster than realizing you might get mugged... The outer appearance is run down and shitty.... This being said however, the interior is cozy and clean. Most people come here for the variety of tofu dishes they offer. Many of my overseas friends have deemed this place to be "amazing" because it is truly authentic. This place is special to me because it offers many mainland dishes and tofu dishes you cannot find in ANY restaurant in Seattle. The best part about this place is how cheap it is. CHEAP, DELICIOUS, SOMETHING NEW really can't beat that. Just make sure you don't leave any valuables in the car when dining in, and you'll be fine. read more

Northwest Tofu - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Why is it so hard to find a place that does good Taiwanese breakfast food :( And this isn't even a Seattle-specific problem! I was looking forward to my trip here this morning, and it was great in some ways, and disappointing in others. The more traditional Taiwanese breakfast foods like rice milk, green onion pancakes, and glutinous rice roll were rather mediocre and bland. Some other dishes like the dry spiced tofu with beef, and the pork sticky rice were decent, with the salt and pepper tofu being the only stand out among all these dishes. Service was nice, but a bit shoddy, with the waitress having forgotten to bring out rice out two times, and us being short an order of sweet soy milk at the end of the meal (of course, they adjusted the bill for this). Can't really see myself coming here again for the more typical breakfast foods, but I'd definitely come again for the tofu. read more

Their salt & pepper tofu is SO GOOD! it was piping hot and almost difficult to eat when it came out but the lightly coated, crunchy batter with silky soft tofu inside was worth the risk of burning my tongue. the bad: everything else we ordered -green onion pancake- hard and flavorless -chicken chow foon - no flavor and tiny pieces of barely-there chicken scraps -pork bun- mostly bun, not enough pork 4.5 stars for the tofu 1.5 stars for everything else read more

Amazing salt and pepper tofu--that's really all my boyfriend wants to order when we visit. I'm not typically a fan of fried tofu myself, but I always end up polishing off a good chunk of the plate when we get it, it's so good. Love the fried mantou. The order comes with six buns, which is a huge amount if you're dining in a small group. I asked once if there was any way to get a smaller amount and they gave me a half order (three buns), much more manageable for a table of two. I could never really get into western soy milk, and it's always refreshing to have a glass of fresh Asian-style soy milk, which this place certainly delivers on. You can get pretty traditional and go for the hot-and-salty kind, which comes in a bowl and looks more like a soup, with cut up youtiao in it. Pair it with shaobing youtiao and you've got yourself a pretty standard Taiwanese breakfast. read more

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Came here for the UYE early bird breakfast club and everyone bailed out last minute. Oh well, it was really a great breakfast. I had the Congee with fish, fried tofu, green onion pancake, and chinese doughnuts. Everything was really yummy, warm, fresh and certainly hit the spot on a cold winter morning. Its a small place that takes CASH ONLY. The girl working the table was really nice and I think very surprised a Gwai lo was even in the place! I definitely want to go back for more yummy tofu. read more

Northwest Tofu - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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You must be brave to enter this place. From the outside it looks like a rundown, sketchy tofu warehouse. It even has the vague name, Northwest Tofu, to keep passersby from trying it out. However, once you cross the threshold you are transported to a magical wonderland of people dedicated to all that which is tofu. Tofu noodles, dried tofu, fried tofu, soft tofu, tofu sheets and more! The excitement builds as you read the menu and realize there is too much to be had in one sitting and you must come back. Also, they have a fridge full of magical tofu items waiting to go home with you. Please sir, take us home and enjoy our tofuiness. They plead with you. The tofu here also doesn't have that weird processes undertone unlike ALL the other tofu I've ever had. It's the purest form of tofu, straight from whichever animal brings us this delight (the name escapes me). Anyway, we had: Soft tofu w/ 1000 year old egg and pork sung - best I've ever had. the pork sung on top of the soft tofu and egg was amazing. It had a slight spiciness to it and a dark unctuousness too. Salt and pepper tofu - little squares of salty napalm waiting for you to bit into their tenderness and be burned to death. But, once they cool, these are good. Not best ever, but really good. The tofu inside is probably best, but could use more salt... or pepper. Steamed pork dumpling - Meh. Not bad, but too doughy. Sweet soy milk and Chinese donut - Yummy and greasy. So, if you're feeling like a tofu-oriented shindig or a tofu-throwdown, this is your place. Try not to be scared and burst through those doors to you tofuture! read more

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Checked out this Chinese bistro near International District. Arrived around 10am on a weekend morning, and there was a line there. I had the salty soy milk, fried pork buns and pork liver congee. The salty soy milk included Chinese donuts, and i loved it. The fried pork buns were really larger than I thought, and I only ate one of them and lacked the other three. The congee was great too, with some green onions and peanuts on top of it. Decent price and quick service. Cash only. read more

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Good place for tofu and tofu related food items. Attentive waiters that listen and understand. The soy milk can be prepared cold or hot was perfectly delicious. Green onion pancake is a favorite. Congee and a variety of tofu items are always a good choice. Dim sum is also available on the menu. Cash only! Parking available around the area. read more

A definite good thing about eating here is that there is a lot of parking nearby (and free!) compared to other restaurants in Chinatown. They're known for their soy and tofu and I've had both here before. I love love love their salt and pepper tofu! It will literally melt in your mouth. Totally worth it. They also have a nice little menu of dim sum dishes. I really like their sticky rice and green onion pancake as well. I will just come here for the tofu though. I haven't had their soy milk, but I will try it next time! I had their salty soy porridge though and it was... interesting (not my taste). Their foon chinese donut is not the best I've tried, but the other ones do seem more promising. If you're looking for something cheap/quick this would be the place to go to for a snack. Also, it's cash only!! read more

Best tofu place in Seattle. They have a great selection with a delicious breakfast menu. My husband and I always come here for both breakfast and lunch. Definitely affordable! The service is not the greatest bc they are understaffed but since they are more famous for producing the tofu and tofu products, it's not such a big deal. read more

Great "factory fresh" tofu and yummy Shanghai-nese style breakfast place. Their deep fried "Salt and Pepper" is melt-in-your-mouth tender and wonderful tofu taste, but sadly lacking the dose of salt, pepper and chopped green oinions that I have had on top of this dish when eating it in Hoing Kong. Chinese doughnuts are light, fluffy and not overly greasy. Get some and a bowl of sweet soy milk, The spicy (salty) style is great too (salted tofu wey, chopped up chinese doughnuts, a few scallions, and a bit of chili oil) The rest of the dishes are gret too read more

Thanks, Karen and Rick, for taking us to NW Tofu on our first afternoon in Seattle. It's store front looking place up the hill from the International District of Seattle. The decor is basic, to say the least. What makes NW Tofu stnadout is the food. I am showing my limited experience, but who knew there were places that specialize in tofu? Who know there were so many kinds of tofu? Who knew tofu could be so good.? Rick ordered a flood of dishes and I can't keep them straight. We started with salt and pepper tofu. It was extraordinary and changed my concept of tofu from "ho-hum" to "this is amazing stuff." Half the fun was having our knowledgeable friends Rick and Karen guide us through tofu world. They were the fifth star. read more

$2.50 for their to-go carton of fresh hot soymilk! I also tried their salty soy milk on a recent visit...it's got small pieces of jia cai (preserved veggie) and fried donut.. pretty good but not as good in the morning as the sweet version. Wonderful. So wonderful that I realized I've been coming here for over 4 years now.. :p read more

I added my review of Northwest Tofu Inc. without knowing this existence. I found this restaurant was the same as Northwest Tofu Inc. I added photos of food and my review to the Northwest Tofu Inc review for anyone who is interested in seeing how the restaurant food looks like. Please see: http://www.yelp.com/biz/northwest-tofu-inc-seattle In addition to my previous experience, I went to buy Tofu 7:50 AM on Monday. The vegetable fried tofu was not ready yet and I got warm plain fried Tofu instead. I couldn't resist having it for my breakfast. It was delicious itself with soy sauce as my unusual morning treat. read more

Mmm... this place is still pretty bomb. I really love their homemade soy milk and the other brown thing, I think it's rice milk in English? Not sure, but anyway, their salt & pepper tofu never ceases to fail my taste buds, but the price is a little steep for what it is. Service was decent, it took us a few minutes for them to clean out the tables, but that was no biggie, the food/drinks came super quick. We got the zha jiang mien which was just so-so. I prefer my noodles to be firmer, and these felt overcooked. The sauce was good though. We also loved the sticky salty rice, also a bit pricy for what it is, but I liked that they cut it up for you so it's easier to share. We also got the cold shredded tofu appetizer and that was not bad as well. Overall, I had a satisfying meal and was pretty full afterwards. Parking can be tricky since you can't park in the Moonlight Cafe lot, but there's ample street parking on South Jackson which shouldn't be a problem. Oh and don't forget it's CASH ONLY. read more

Great authentic chinese food. S&P tofu was so tasty. read more

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That bathroom!!! [shudder] The savoury soy milk and garlic bok choy was tasty. The ma po tofu wasn't spicy enough. The siu long baos had lots of meat but not any discernible broth inside and was generally too dense. Cheap! Six people can eat and be full for approximately $12 each with left overs too! read more

This place is 4 stars worthy! A must try if you like tofu or Chinese home cooking! I came here for the first time today and was blown away by the quality of their tofu! I ordered the thick cut chow fun, shrimp chun fun and warm salty "tofu fa". I was going to ordered the sweet "tofu fa" but the waitress said they have the salty style... I have never had it... and didn't want to try it cause it didn't sound too appetizing, however my gf insisted to try so I said what the heck... lets try it. The salty "tofu fa" is topped w minced pork and fermented veggie. The dish didn't look appetizing but it was full of wonderful flavors... The tofu was soft/smooth and the pork and veggie gave extra texture! I would definitely get this again! The value and quality of this place are also top notch! The service was not bad either... but I had to ask them to refill my tea. The only downside for this place is the location. The neighborhood is run down and pretty ghetto. read more

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Great place to get fresh tofu! If you have time, get a meal here too. Their salt and pepper fried tofu is unbeatable, and I love their stir fried rice cake dish as well! read more

Had to wait quite long to get seated. And food is not authentic. the ShengjianBao has thick layer of flours( almost pizza level thickness) Also, cash only. You get a large volume of food though, that's the value of this place. read more

The Chinese breakfast is pretty good here but prepare to eat A LOT of carbs. The dishes here are very rice/bread based. When we came here for breakfast, we ordered the rice ball, Chinese doughnut, and the salty soy milk. The salty soy milk was delicious and stood out from all the other items that we ordered. Perhaps their soy/tofu products are tastier and of higher quality here. I think you should order their soy products if you come here. The other items like the chow fen, Chinese doughnut, and rice ball is just mediocre. A couple of friend and I came here for breakfast and all I remember was that I felt like a round rice ball after eating our meal. It was a heavy meal because a lot of their menu items offered are carbs. So if you plan to come here, wear stretchy pants because you'll probably gain a couple of pounds. We came here again recently and ordered some to go items. Their frozen zhong zhi (rice and meat wrapped in banana leaf) was kind of pricey. It was about $2.50 for one. Their doughnut was cold and a bit hard. It was okay. All in all, I don't think their food is all that exceptional. Every once in a while, this place might be a great restaurant to go to when you crave Chinese breakfast. However, I definitely don't crave eating the food here on a regular basis. read more

This place doesn't look like it's a restaurant from the outside, but don't be intimidated. We parked on the street (easy to find right in front of building) and went in on a Sunday for breakfast/lunch. The decor was spartan but the food was great. As others have mentioned, the salt and pepper tofu was great. I thought the shanghai dumplings were just ok. The sweet soy bean soup was delicious and great with the Chinese donuts! They have a great version of the taiwanese snack of fresh tofu, thousand year egg, pork ro-sung (sp?), and cilantro. The silkiness of the tofu really came through for me in this dish! read more

Northwest Tofu - Interior shots - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Finally had the bamboo leaf wrapped rice dumplings. It gets a "meh". It is minimalist: seasoned sticky rice, a big chunk of pork belly, some lean meat, chinese wax sausage, and peanuts. That's it. No shitake mushrooms, no dried shrimp, no salted duck egg yolk. In other words, completely underwhelming. You can find better zongzi at Uwajimaya and 99 Ranch. It still doesn't deter me from wanting to try other items though. read more

Good Taiwanese-style breakfast foods and other entrees in the front, serious tofu goods in the back. The fresh housemade tofu and hot soymilk I bought were very reasonably priced, and the sweetened soymilk, fried crullers, and green onion pancakes were delicious for breakfast. The pot stickers- a little greasy and not crispy enough, should've tried the sticky rice instead. I can't wait to go back again with a bigger group to order more food and get more fresh soymilk to take home. Don't be fooled by the mediocre exterior-- the inside is fine! Although, I probably wouldn't walk here alone at 1am on Friday night. Arrive earlier to snag street parking on a weekend morning. read more

This review is for their tofu product not the food they serves in the front. Fresh tofu is the best! then comes their tofu curds marinated in soy sauce and 5 spices, and soy milk. We use to go every weekend and bring home couple of the above. Frank and I eat the tofu curds for snack sometimes, just right out of the bag... other times we'll slice thin and mix with cucumbers with some soy sauce, seasme oil, and garlic - great for summer!. Same thing with fresh tofu - just chop some green onion and drizzle some soy sauce (if you want some fancy stuff - add pork sung and thousand year egg) to it - So delicious, you can really taste the soy bean :) Bring cash. And be aware that sometimes they are so busy, they don't want to sell you everything you want (go figure)...you can try to call ahead and have they save it for you. Food in the front restaurant is just okay in my opinion, but that's about a year ago... who knows maybe they've gotten better. read more

Northwest Tofu - homemade ma-po tofu - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is awesome, great quality food and good price. They are a restaurant and tofu factory, super homey and has sweet aunties that serve you food. I love the salt and pepper tofu, and the sweet soy milk / Chinese doughnut combo, pork sticky rice (Zhong zi), and preserved egg congee. Still exploring the menu, but it's become a weekend tradition to go here. read more

Tofu and I go together like peanut butter and jelly. If there's a spot that specializes in soy products or tofu you best believe I've been there before. This place really hits the spot in terms of flavor and food. This spot is definitely nothing too fancy but it's good if you're looking for a small bite or something for breakfast. Their hours are quite limited since they don't open too late which bums me out because I would love to come here after work. When you first walk in there's a little counter where they sell some of their items to go and on the right is the dining area. Not the cleanest place in the world and the staff aren't the friendliest either. When going to the bathroom, it's way sketchy and kinda gross (but most bathrooms are gross.) I ordered a few dishes with my friends and out of everything we got we were extremely satisfied with the salt and pepper fried tofu and the original soy milk with no sweetener. Absolutely delicious and would go back just for those two items. My hopes for this place is that it'll be a little cleaner and nicer staff in the future! read more

Delicious. Traditional Chinese breakfast that can't be beat. This is a Seattle must try for Asian breakfast. Yummm!

Small, unassuming, and very authentic Taiwanese eatery a bit north of Chinatown. My mom and I ordered a bunch of food assuming they were dim sum sizes but they were all full size for dim sum price (cheap). We ended up paying around $30 but have like 3/4 of the meal to take home. Everything was simple and well made. Highly recommend. read more

Northwest Tofu - Green onion pancake with egg, cai lan with oyster sauce, sticky rice - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The ONLY reason why I don't give this place 5 stars is because I'm bummed when I get Salt and Pepper Tofu cravings after 5pm. That's when they close. But on to the good news... The Tofu. Yes, they have other yummy items, bbq steamed buns, lovely foon noodles, sticky rice and freshly stir-fried gai lan. Don't be distracted. It's all about the: Salt. And. Pepper. Tofu. Period. Forget everything you've ever heard or tasted in previous tofu recipes. This is the mother of all. Crispy on the outside and custard-like on the inside. Served piping hot, I struggle to wait the few minutes before popping one in my mouth. The wait is worth it. And saves that wretched scorching of the tasted buds that kills all ability to appreciate the rest of your order. As mentioned the other menu items are superb and I've not yet been disappointed. My other favorites are the mushroom foon and custard buns. My suggestion is to order a variety of plates because you can take home any extras. If that's even possible. If you've managed to eat everything and there's nothing to take home... no problem, just walk to the back of the dining room, down the winding hallway to pick up fresh tofu and soy milk. So fresh that they're still warm!!! Cash only for both the dining room and factory. read more

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Very good soy products, a small place with kitchen serving hot food as well, to go or eat in. I always get fresh tofu and soy drinks here. read more

Besides Tofu factory selling fresh tofu products it also have a good size dining facility. One goes to this place for good quality fresh food and not for ambiance. Although overall cleanliness and ambiance are much better than many restaurants in International District. Rice milk and Green onion pancakes I tried for breakfast today were excellent. Savory Soy milk with fried doughnuts was good except the next time we will order doughnuts on the side so that it does not sock up all the soy milk. read more

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Great soy milk but horrible anything non-soy. The beef pancake was TINY and had only pinches of sorry looking beef. I brought it up to the waitress, three times, and all she did was argue with me saying the "price of beef is high and they didn't even raise the price". Raise your price and make a quality product, or take it off the menu. Don't offer overpriced subpar products and then argue with the customers. read more

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I came here for the toufu pudding and soybean milk, it was really good. Dim sum style and they have all kinds of Chinese traditional dessert/ cakes. Family owned restaurant, small but neat. I was busy eating and only took one picture. read more

Northwest Tofu - Specialty Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington