The unit at Chadstone that had been behind construction hoarding for what felt like forever finally opened, and it turned out to be a tofu shop. I hadn’t planned my Chadstone trip around tofu, but once I saw how much was on the counter — soy milk, fresh tofu, tofu pudding, tofu ice cream, marinated dried tofu, tofu skin, salads — I ended up staying a lot longer than I meant to.
The ice cream and the jasmine soy milk
The tofu ice cream was the thing I actually wanted to try, and it delivered. Strong bean flavour, smooth, refreshing rather than heavy, and not oversweet the way a lot of soft serve is. It comes served in a little teacup, which is a nice touch if you’re the type who photographs your food, and it doesn’t sit like a dessert usually does. The jasmine soy milk was the other one I’d go back for — jasmine and soy shouldn’t work together as well as they do, and it comes with its own miniature teapot on the side, which felt a bit theatrical but was genuinely enjoyable to drink. I went with less sugar and could still taste more tea than soy, which I liked.
What sold out, and what I got instead
There were two things I actually went in wanting and missed out on: the cheese-stuffed tofu balls and the signature tofu strips had both sold out by the time I got there. I’m told that’s fairly normal once the afternoon rolls around, so if either of those is the reason you’re going, earlier is better. What I did get instead was the last tofu pudding in the case — plain, silky, quite mild, but with a proper bean fragrance underneath. There’s a black sugar version too, and staff mentioned it’s best eaten the same day rather than kept.
The rest of the counter
The fried tofu was better than I expected from something sitting in a supermarket counter — it comes with a sauce and a scattering of bonito flakes, and held its crunch. The black tofu pudding was the one that actually surprised me most; I hadn’t seen it anywhere else in Melbourne, and it’s the kind of thing that turns up as a topping in Chinese hotpot back home, so finding it here felt like a small win. The cold tofu salad, in both spicy and non-spicy versions, was good enough that I finished the whole box myself rather than share it, which says more than any tasting note could.
Plain soy milk here is genuinely strong — not the watered-down version most places sell — so it’s worth knowing before you order if you’re expecting something lighter. I also picked up a block of fresh tofu on the way out, mostly because it was $4.90, which felt like a mistake given what similar blocks go for elsewhere.
Where to find it
Everything’s made from Queensland soybeans, prepared fresh on the day, and the counter itself is bigger than I expected — closer to a full tofu deli than a single-item stall. It’s tucked inside Maita, the large Asian grocer inside Chadstone’s Market Pavilion, which itself only opened after years of building work, so if you haven’t been through that part of the centre recently it’s worth the detour on its own.
Planning your visit
The shop was still in soft opening when I went, with the official launch — including tastings — set for the following Saturday. If you’re planning a visit, go earlier in the day rather than later. Between the tofu salad, the pudding, and the cheese-stuffed balls, the popular items don’t last until closing.
If you’re making a day of it at Chadstone during the school holidays, the Market Pavilion is worth building the visit around rather than treating as a side stop — there’s enough food there for lunch, a snack run, and a browse through the grocery aisles afterwards. Check our list of family-friendly spots for more ideas if you’re stretching the day out beyond one shopping centre.