A family-owned Taiwanese restaurant in San Gabriel, is fighting to bring back one of its most beloved — and most controversial — menu items: stinky tofu. David Liao, who helps run Golden Leaf restaurant, says the city has repeatedly cited his family’s business over the pungent smell of the dish, forcing them to pull it from the menu entirely.
Stinky tofu, known in Chinese as chou doufu, is a staple of Taiwanese night markets. It’s made by fermenting tofu in a vegetable brine for days, weeks, or even months, producing a sharp, funky odor that many describe as somewhere between aged blue cheese and kimchi — and that devoted fans consider irresistible. Golden Leaf has served the dish since opening in 2014, and at its peak, stinky tofu made up between 10% and 20% of the restaurant’s total revenue.
The trouble started in the fall of 2017, when a nearby residential neighbor began complaining to the city about the smell. According to the Los Angeles Times, the city issued the restaurant a formal notice of violation, warning that the odor could result in fines of up to $1,000. Facing a language barrier and the threat of penalties, Liao’s parents took the dish off the menu, where it stayed until 2025.
When Liao returned from college, he tried to revive the tradition, launching a stinky tofu newsletter that alerted loyal customers to weekly drops at the restaurant. But the same neighbor found out and began calling the city again — reportedly so often that the restaurant’s phone line was blocked, preventing customers from placing orders. Three months after the newsletter launched, the restaurant received a second formal notice of violation. Liao says he has already paid more than $1,000 in fines. The family stopped serving the dish in November 2025.
The city’s municipal code prohibits discharging “quantities of air contaminants or other material that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance” beyond a property’s boundary. David Sanchez, San Gabriel’s community development director, told the Times in an email that “when an odor extends beyond a property and creates discomfort for others, it may be considered a violation and addressed accordingly.”
San Gabriel city councilmember John Wu, who has met with Liao at the restaurant, says the dispute has nothing to do with culture. “This is nothing to do with any cultural things, but it’s more like a food smell control issue,” Wu said. He pointed to a nearby coffee shop that resolved similar complaints by installing a new filtration system. “We don’t stop people from selling dishes because they are smelly, but they should keep the smells inside the unit,” Wu said.
Wu acknowledged the city has no device capable of measuring odor intensity, making enforcement inherently subjective. He also noted that Golden Leaf sits closer to residential areas than other San Gabriel restaurants that also serve stinky tofu without incident.
The city’s suggested fix — either a specialized air filter or a ventless fryer — comes with a steep price tag. Liao estimates the fryer alone could cost between $20,000 and $50,000, while a quote he received for the filter came in at $100,000. Both options would require additional permits. And the city says it cannot guarantee the investments would prevent future complaints.
“We were willing to work with the city, but they couldn’t put anything in writing, and we don’t have the money to just invest and see if it works,” Liao said.
Los Angeles County is home to the largest Taiwanese population in the United States, and census data shows that 41% of San Gabriel’s residents identify as Chinese or Taiwanese. For many in the community, the dish carries deep cultural meaning. “Keeping this unofficial national dish alive is crucial,” Liao said. “For our customers, this isn’t just another menu item, it’s a connection to their roots.”
Author and L.A. native Clarissa Wei, who wrote the cookbook Made in Taiwan and includes a stinky tofu recipe in the book, says the dish is widely misunderstood outside Asia. “Internationally, and for outsiders, stinky tofu often gets framed as a novelty or even a dare,” she said from her base in Taiwan. “But in Taiwan, and across many parts of Asia, it’s just another comfort food.”
In the summer of 2025, Liao launched a Change.org petition urging the San Gabriel City Council to reconsider its position. The petition has gathered more than 1,000 signatures and comments from supporters across Southern California and beyond. “This ban isn’t about public health or quality of life — it’s about whose culture is allowed to exist in public,” reads one comment on the petition.
For now, stinky tofu remains off the menu at Golden Leaf, and the Liao family continues to weigh their options. Wu said he hopes a resolution is possible. “I truly hope he can start selling the dish again,” the councilmember said.
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