Top Quality Japanese/Korean Silken Tofu, Where Art Thou?!?

[quicot]

OK, so my wife is from Japan, and she's a big Tofu Snob.

She even writes about it: http://www.menuism.com/blog/tofu-is-t...

Seriously, she's obsessed.

We used to get a really nice Organic Extra-Silken korean tofu at Epicerie Coreene et Japonaise on Ste. Catherine West, just off the Forum. It was impossibly light and dreamy and would just collapse on contact with a chopstock...the way Silken Tofu should.

But they've stopped carrying it. I asked the owner about it. He said the supplier was too flaky - would have product one week, then not show up for the next two, etc. - so he stopped buying from them.

Every other Tofu brand we've found is yucky. The stuff at Kim Phat doesn't bear talking about. Chinatown is full of gnarly fake-meat style Chinese tofu. The other Korean shops seem to carry only industrial Tetrapak tofu that's Silken in name only.

We're pretty desperate by now. It's putting a serious strain on our marriage.

Where oh where can you find seriously light, fluffy, fresh Korean/Japanese style Silk Tofu in Montreal? There has to be some place...

[bomobob]

Did you try the Korean grocery in NDG on Sherbrooke/Beaconsfield?

You might also try asking at Keung Kee in Chinatown. They do a dish called "Japanese tofu with greens" (I think) which sounds benign, but is heaven on a plate, and they use the creamiest tofu ever.

[SnackHappy]

What the Chinese call Japanese tofu is not Japanese. It's egg tofu or riben doufu. As seen here: http://ingredients.noobcook.com/egg-t... . It has already been mentionned upthread.

As for the Pulmuone product, I found it at Jang Teu on Ste-Catherine. Now, I'll know what the big deal is.

[JadeMyst]

Just in case you want to try to make it yourselves... a long-ago neighbour of my mother's used to make her own silken tofu and she used to give us some everytime she made it. I don't have that recipe but here are some helpful links. However, you'll have to research yourself on where to get GDL in Montreal. I'm not sure if you can get away with using the organic natural flavoured soy milk from the supermarket or not; my mom's neighbour used dried soy beans that she cooked herself and ground up in a blender. PS. the pandan leaves are a regional ingredient, I don't believe my mom's friend used it.

http://www.chow.com/food-news/54436/make-your-own-tofu/

http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2010/11/gdl-tofufah.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucono_...

[Arktik]

Found some Pulmone tofu at the Korean/Japanese store on Sherbrooke West today...

[divya]

your feedback on the gmo vs non gmo tofu-
looking any other compnay that supplies non-gmo tofu! (besides Horium)

'Sunrise' products-more widely available; says their products are non-gmo but not labelled as so, :-0
" Due to certain retailer regulations, we are not able to label our products as non-GMO."

any truth to that........

[quicot]

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with leads.

Here are the results:

I went to PA Supermarché on Fort but they seemed to have 20 kinds of non extra-silken tofu.

But the solution was Eden in La Cite, on Parc Ave. They had House-brand "Extra-soft" tofu. It's a Japanese brand, even if the package was (confusingly) in Korean. What they call "Extra-soft" turns out to be what Pulmuone called "Extra-silken". The taste was pretty good, and the texture excellent.

Overall, we still think Pulmuone Extra-Silken is best. But it's no longer available anywhere in town! So House Extra-Soft it is!

Thanks everyone!

[looosia]

I wrote above on January 25th that I found Pulmone Organic tofu at Products Eden at La Cité....

[quicot]

yup -

When I went, they had Pulmuone "Silken" but they didn't have "Extra-Silken".

House Extra-Soft is a lot closer to Pulmuone Extra-Silken than Pulmuone Silken is.

I've been looking all over town and Pulmuone Extra-Silken seems to have disappeared from the shelves altogether!!

As the owner at Epicerie Coreene et Japonaise said, the wholesaler seems very unreliable.

[whiskeytits]

I don't know if this helps, but PA Supermarche on Fort carries Organic Extra Silken Tofu: the brand is "Horia" and it tastes good by itself, in my opinion. It's made in Montreal; I hope it's up to your wife's standards.

I

[SnackHappy]

Are you sure you don't mean Horium brand? I was going to suggest it, but since the OP has already tried everything out there...

[stak]

This is the one I was going to suggest too - but I couldn't think of the name. I'm no tofu expert but it is organic and extra-silken and I like it. I've bought it at the PA on Parc.

[quicot]

Chowhounders are awesome!

We were all out of ideas two days ago, now we have like 10 leads!

thanks y'all...

[looosia]

Since your wife is such a tofu fan, I should point that should you ever take a trip to Toronto, there's a small Korean tofu restaurant in the west end called Chodang Tofu, very close to Kipling metro station:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/476847

My dad lives in the neighbourhood and we've been going there since it's opened. It only has a small eat-in area but you can also buy freshly, in-store made soon-tofu to take home. They do come in the cylindrical plastic containers but the tofu itself is not shaped as such since it is very delicate and can't actually hold any shape.

Hope this helps!

[quicot]

Yes!

Thank you!

[Plateaumaman]

You might have to continue the quest to find where Aliments Santé T&S has gone, as mentioned on this post:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/594302

Used to be easy to get homemade tofu from them:
http://www.ethicurean.com/2007/03/14/...

[SourberryLily]

I just went to the grocery store yesterday and accidentally fell on this "Mori Nu Silken Tofu'. It was not stored in the place you usually see the tofu, and i have never seen this brand.

Is this good quality tofu? It was about 2.79.

[quicot]

I think it's ok, but my wife - who is a tofu fanatic - is convinced it's not really right: doesn't crumble properly, too hard, no taste at all. (She's convinced real tofu should have a faint sweetness and a subtle soybean flavor).

Listen, for mere mortals, normal silk tofu is easy to find.

But the fanatics demand organic extra-silken...and I stupidly went and married a fanatic!

[SourberryLily]

Well, i tasted a few tofus, though i am no expert like your wife. I noticed i liked the one sold in large tubs at Marche Hawai. I couldn't tell you what the brand is, there are about 2 to choose from but it's silken and it's 1.89 sold in what looks like home made tubs. They have other varieties.

PS: Your wife's little article is really cool, i enjoyed it.

[lagatta]

If you mean the Mori Nu stuff in the tetra-pak, I've found it for much less than 2,79$ Segalls always has it with their natural food products. Agree that it is insipid, though I find the texture better than most commercial tofus and it is handy in a pantry. I wouldn't eat it on its own the way Japanese people eat fine, fresh tofu.

[SourberryLily]

Ahh ok, i haven't tried it and reading your review i don't think i will. I'll stick to what i know.
Thanks for the info!

[SourberryLily]

There is a new "Marché Gourmet Asiatique" in Laval on boul le Corbusier. I passed by and it indeed looks gourmet. You could try there.

Otherwise, Marché Hawai in VSL has every kind of Tofu i know exists, in every brand. I get big tubs of silken tofu for 1.89$ and it tastes better then other groceries.

[lagatta]

Good luck, quicot and kanako. Your wife's blog looks lovely; thank you both.

[looosia]

Try Products Eden at La Cité (Prince Arthur and Parc). The store is owned by Koreans and I'm pretty sure that I've seen Pulmone brand tofu at the health/Asian food shop.

[quicot]

Thank you! Very helpful...I'll go by later today.

[looosia]

I was at Products Eden today and they indeed carry Pulmone brand tofu, either firm or silken, both organic (500g for $3.49, I think). They also carry large jugs on tofu (1 kg) by some Chinese brand whose name I forgot and these ones, along with other tofu products in bulk, are sold in the fridges at the back left-hand (east) side of the store, close to the milk products.

[hungrylikedawolf]

This might be completely off, but is the tofu you're talking about like the tofu in the japanese tofu/eggplant dish at PM? If not, can anyone tell me where I can find that kind of tofu, or what it's called so I can ask around? Thanks!

[cherylmtl]

You're thinking of Japanese tofu - it's sold in small cylindrical rolls (about 8" long?). I've seen it at Kim Phat on the south shore - they have both egg and non-egg versions - but they don't always have it in stock.

[quicot]

The cylindrical thing is Korean, actually. Japanese people are scared of those!

Beggars can't be choosers, though, so you're right: we really should start experimenting with those.

[cherylmtl]

Might be Korean, but it's known as egg tofu or Japanese tofu.

[Plateaumaman]

I'm feeling a bit frightened to suggest anything with such high silken tofu standards (nice photo on the blog by the way, looks delicious), but you could try Panda brand which is sold at Segal's on St-Laurent and Marché Oriental near Jean-Talon in big white buckets. Or contact the organic korean tofu company directly and ask where they distribute in Montreal, maybe?

[marblebag]

Try Kazu's homemade tofu on Sundays

[quicot]

Oooooh...but Kazu's a restaurant, right? You think they'd let me buy the tofu to take home?

Still, wonderful lead. Chowhounders are the best. Thank you!!

-----
Kazu
1862 Sainte-Catherine St W, Montreal, QC H3H 1M1, CA

[saltnpepperwhat]

Went to Kazu for lunch on Sunday and tried their kimchi tofu salad. It was just so so for me, the tofu was grainy and I was expecting a much smoother texture.

-----
Kazu
1862 Sainte-Catherine St W, Montreal, QC H3H 1M1, CA

[marblebag]

I don't think he uses the homemade tofu for any dish other than just that, soy sauce, ground shiso leaves. Typically he uses the chinese panda tofu.

[SnackHappy]

What was the brand of that holy grail of tofu of yours? Since you seem to have tried everything, I really don't see what I could suggest.

[quicot]

http://www.pulmuone.co.kr/eng/Product...

I think it was that one.

It's a big company in Korea. The Organic Extra Silken stuff was great! Somebody else must carry this in Montreal...

[wattacetti]

You could check Miyamoto on Victoria Or you could make a trek to Ottawa to see if the T&T carries something different.

Failing either, I'd suggest that either you or your wife start making it. Local production is controlled