Smell of stinky tofu at Yishun pasar malam is 'unbearable'

Stinky tofu, with its pungent odour, is something you either love or hate - there is no in-between.

The "unbearable" smell of the Chinese fermented tofu at a pasar malam (night market) next to Yishun MRT station has drawn the ire of a member of the public.

When a Shin Min Daily News reporter visited the market, a slight odour could already be detected from the MRT station, which intensified with the breeze.

There were two stinky tofu stalls located in opposite corners of the pasar malam, separated by 20 to 30 stalls.

Mr Huang, 40, does not enjoy the smell of stinky tofu, but felt that there was no need to complain: "Stinky tofu smells like this. After all, people are just trying to make a living."

Another interviewee, 82-year-old Mr Huang, had a similar sentiment. He acknowledged the strong smell but pointed out that many enjoy eating it, and saw no issue with its sale.

An employee at one of the stinky tofu stalls told the Chinese daily that they had taken measures to reduce the odour after receiving complaints.

Ms Ouyang, 32, said that her boss has installed a pipe to vent fumes outside the pasar malam. The frying area is semi-enclosed, while an exhaust hood helps prevent the fumes from spreading to the surrounding area.

"We know that stinky tofu has a strong smell and we don't want it to affect other stalls and customers, so the boss specially installed this big pipe to minimise the impact."

A patron of the store, 24-year-old Ms Zhuang, joked that stinky tofu is like durian - some adore it, others detest it. She believed that such stalls help to diversify the offerings at the pasar malam.

The other stinky tofu store has also installed an exhaust hood and a pipe extending outside the market. However, a store employee declined to comment further as their boss was not present.

The Yishun pasar malam, which operated from June 28 to July 13, will be relocated.