How Hong Kong’s 132-year-old tofu restaurant has satisfied generations of soy lovers
At Michelin-recognised Kung Wo Beancurd Factory in Sham Shui Po, soy products from tofu pudding to soy milk are made fresh on site.
The rich aroma of tofu hangs in the air in a back room at Hong Kong’s Kung Wo Beancurd Factory restaurant in the Kowloon neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po.
At this Hong Kong institution, soy products are made daily using a time-honoured – and time-consuming – process.
Every morning at 2am, a stone grinder whirls into action, crushing pre-soaked soybeans into soy milk that is then boiled in copper pots and stirred until smooth and velvety.
“I think people would be shocked if they knew that a square of our tofu takes about 13 hours to make,” says Renee So, the owner and director of Kung Wo Beancurd Factory who, in 2013, gave up a career in finance to take over the business from her father, So Sung-lim.
Kung Wo’s history stretches back more than 130 years to 1893, when it was founded by a migrant from mainland China’s Guangdong province called Lok Gong.
Originally located in Tsim Sha Tsui, it moved to its current location on Pei Ho Street in 1958. Lok passed it on to his son, Lok Wing-tung, who later sold it to Rennie’s father – who was a loyal customer – when he left Hong Kong in 1997.
Today, Kung Wo operates from two shopfronts divided by an alleyway. One sells fresh tofu products such as dried tofu puffs, while the other space is the main dining area.
On a cool Sunday morning in March, it is heaving with customers indulging in dishes such as deep-fried tofu and golden fish tofu. Washing down the dishes with Kung Wo’s home-made sugar-free soy milk is a must.
One of the most popular dishes, Renee So says, is dou fu faa, a tofu pudding that is crafted using a traditional family recipe.
“We sell about 1,000 bowls of tofu pudding a day, and sometimes double that on weekends and public holidays,” she says, placing a bowl of the silky smooth tofu on the table.
Sprinkle a spoonful of red sugar on top and it is clear why Kung Wo is a regular fixture on the Michelin list of recommended Hong Kong street food. For the past four years, it has also been awarded Michelin’s Bib Gourmand, an honour given to restaurants that serve high-quality meals at a reasonable price.
Kung Wo’s fresh soy dishes are also served with a big dollop of nostalgia, the restaurant’s retro green and white tiles stirring memories of Hong Kong’s old-style cafes that were once a staple of the city’s dining scene.
Paying homage to the past is important, Renee So says. What is challenging, however, is also appealing to a younger generation. Exploring creative new products – which the restaurant is doing in items such as tofu ice-cream with ginger syrup and tofu milky pudding – is needed to attract them.
In March, Kung Wo teamed up with Italian gelato brand Venchi to launch tofu pudding gelato. Both are century-old brands – Venchi was established in 1878 – and both are determined to keep traditional artisan practices alive.
At a Venchi branch in Mong Kok, worker Kinki adds a scoop of the popular tofu pudding gelato to a cone. Correctly pairing it with a second flavour is key, she says, recommending Venchi’s new tieguanyin flavour – a variety of oolong tea also known as Iron Buddha – as a perfect match.
“The fruity mango flavour is also a good pairing,” she adds.
Li Yuet-faat, the executive chef at Ming Court in Mong Kok’s Cordis hotel, knows all about the delicate balancing act needed when working with soy products.
Li’s Soy Symphony menu, available until April 30, is shaped around Kung Wo’s soy products. It includes mouth-watering dishes such as tofu with water chestnut, morel, celtuce and dried euryale seeds, the latter of which is an ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine that is said to have anti-inflammatory properties.
“This vegetarian dish requires exceptional knife skills to slice Kung Wo’s silky tofu into 2mm-thin layers,” Li says.
Another popular dish is tofu with local lobster, minced pork and chilli, which combines rich fermented bean paste with a hint of spiciness.
“The tender lobster meat is stir-fried with a touch of Sichuan peppercorn oil, adding a tantalising numbing aroma,” Li says.
The chef has fond memories of eating at Kung Wo in the 1990s, when he was working in kitchens in the neighbourhood. Supporting local restaurants with strong historical and artisanal ties is important, he says. “Too many have disappeared from the city.”
Supporting local businesses also helps secure a more stable supply compared with using imported products, and also means fresher ingredients.
“[Kung Wo] also possess extensive professional experience and can provide expert advice and guidance to help chefs choose suitable ingredients,” Li says.
Traditional production techniques and skills, such as the stone mill and specially made copper pots at Kung Wo, also add unique flavours and textures.
“For example, the firm tofu from Kung Wo is softer than others’, enhancing the dish’s appeal,” Li says.
He adds that long-standing local brands, in particular ones like Kung Wo, typically have a strong market reputation. Kung Wo’s tofu puffs, for example, do not have a rancid taste like those from some other places, he says.
Cultural reasons also add to tofu’s appeal. The food is deeply ingrained in the culinary landscape of Hong Kong and mainland China, with a history stretching back over 2,000 years. The most popular theory about its origin is that a cook made it accidentally by curdling soybean soup with unrefined sea salt.
There are health benefits, too. Tofu has been shown to lower bad cholesterol, contains all nine essential amino acids and is a great source of low-calorie protein, while having high levels of calcium, manganese, iron and vitamin B5.
As for Renee So, she is passionate about keeping the traditional tofu-making process alive.
“It took me a long time to make the big decision as to whether I would take over the business,” she says. “My dad didn’t want me to, because he was thinking, ‘You have a good job and you can enjoy the air conditioning.’”
“You can see how dark the place was back then,” she adds, pointing to a picture of her father when he took over the business in 1997. “And it was very hot because there was no air conditioning.”
Since taking over, she has invested a lot of time and money in improving conditions, from upgrading fire safety equipment to installing air conditioning. Murals depicting the traditional methods of making soy products adorn the walls.
And while making soy products on site is labour-intensive and expensive, she is determined to preserve the tradition. What spurs her on is the multiple generations of families who visit together.
“I often have three or four generations visit, like grandad with their sons, daughters and their grandchildren,” she says.
“They come in big groups and they love sharing stories about Sham Shui Po with the next generation … that gives me a lot of energy to keep the business running.”
As to whether Kung Wo will stay in the family, she says it is too early to say.
“My daughter is only five years old, so she is too young to know what she wants to do, although she occasionally comes to work with me.”
Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, 118 Pei Ho St, Sham Shui Po, tel: 2386 6871.
Ming Court, Level 6, Cordis, Hong Kong, 555 Shanghai St, Mong Kok, Kowloon, tel: 3552 3300
