By Dan Ouyang (City Weekend)
Updated: 2008-02-26 15:21

Tofu's amoeba-like quality of absorbing whatever flavors are closest to it makes it one of the most difficult ingredients to handle and manage.

You'd be hard-pressed to find it as the signature dish of a Michelin chef. Therefore our excitement and curiosity were piqued when we heard about Tofu House, which seemed to us to be a laudable and ambitious venture. The cheerful, albeit empty, restaurant with its affable waitstaff seemed like the perfect place for the oft misunderstood tofu to shine. However, despite the expertise suggested in its name, the dishes produced from the kitchens of Tofu House were bland, unimaginative and did little to sway anyone to the charms of soy.

Our Grandma's Mapo Tofu (RMB 35) was a mediocre bowl of bean curd drowning in a sauce so boring that we think it might have been spicy but our taste buds had already fallen asleep. The unintentionally icy salmon and peach salad (RMB55) was served with a squibble of mayonnaise and tasted distinctively of melting fish. The star of the meal was ironically a dish that contained no tofu at all. Tofu House's ginger tea (RMB30/pot) was sharp, sugary and a delight in an otherwise array of uninspiring dishes.

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