Stinky tofu? Tempe’s down-home Asian import excels at authentic nibbles and stuff for the faint of palate.
Chances are, when you walk into Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen, Chef Henry Ku will be there to greet you. He’ll even guide you through the extensive, authentic menu. This isn’t your typical Americanized Asian grub. Henry’s is the real deal.
Ku brought Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen to the Valley last August after opening three restaurants in Seattle, banking on ASU’s large Asian population and the Valley’s emerging appetite for hardcore ethnic eats to sustain him.
Tucked away in a strip mall between a busy drive-in liquor store and a hair salon, Henry’s is short on ambiance, but long on Taiwanese favorites including oyster omelets, beef noodle soup and “stinky” tofu.
Influenced by the cuisines of China and Japan, Taiwanese food relies heavily on pork and seafood with a healthy dose of chicken, soy, beef and eggs, supplemented by Chinese vegetables, fruits, rice and noodles. For the full culinary monty, try the “stinky” tofu ($5.95), a dish popular in Taiwanese markets and roadside stands. Served with garlic kimchee, the tofu is fermented, battered and fried. Considered a delicacy in Taiwan, the dish’s odor is often compared to rotting garbage. It actually smells worse, but somehow I choked down a few bites of the crusty cubes. To be fair, it’s quite popular with Henry’s customers. Each time I visited, someone was feasting on the foul-smelling snack.
Our authenticity card stamped, we moved on to more accessible fare. Dim sum lovers will savor the pork steamed buns ($5.95), six dough-wrapped pork meatballs in a hot, rich broth that squirts out unexpectedly when you bite down. The fried “chicken” roll ($4.95) is actually ground pork, fish, carrots and onions in a fried tofu skin and served with a house-made sweet chili sauce. Skip the beef bing ($4.95), a combination of gristly beef layered with onions, wrapped in dough and browned.
Henry’s noodle dishes shine. The Taiwanese cold noodles with peanut sauce ($5.95) come drizzled with hot chili oil and loaded with garlic, cilantro, bean sprouts and sliced cucumbers. Henry’s hand-shaved noodles with shrimp ($7.95), a mélange of tender shrimp and thick-cut and fried noodles with scallions, carrots, bok choy, scrambled egg and seasoned with soy sauce, are top notch.
On the server’s recommendation, I tried the three-cup chicken ($9.95), bone-in dark meat chicken cooked slowly in an urn with soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. The method produces a caramelized sauce and tender and flavorful chicken. Another solid choice is the eggplant with garlic sauce ($7.95), a princely amount sprinkled with fresh basil.
Adventurous eaters will feel at home in Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen. Those who aren’t up for beef tendons in chili oil or pork intestines can feast on less exotic dishes: hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken and pot stickers. Think of them as Taiwanese training wheels.
DETAILS
Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Contact: 119 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, 480-968-2281, henrystaiwankitchen.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday.
Highlights: Taiwanese cold noodles with peanut sauce ($5.95); pork steamed buns ($5.95); eggplant with garlic sauce ($7.95)
