Guess what? Yes, the restaurant Tofu & Chili is called Tofu & Chili because they put tofu and chili in their food.
It was already late in the afternoon when I was there the last time. The music was a Chinese cleaning lady constantly shouting something in Chinese to the waitress who didn’t seem to listen but was busy with reading the paper. When I entered this small, very small, restaurant which is more like a diner, there was only one other customer left. So plenty of space for me to choose from which is completely unusual because this place is very popular among students from the Technical University which is close by and other young people. It is located on Naschmarkt on the left side of the street when you are walking towards the centre of Vienna. And normally it is packed with people and it does not matter if you sit with a complete stranger at the table. You sit down wherever you find space.
Tofu & Chili: A small Asian diner on Naschmarkt
As soon as you sit down the waitress brings a bowl of miso soup with tofu and some veggies inside. In the end, you get a soup to every dish on the menue. There are a some categories on the menue from which you can choose from: one for Thai style food, another one for more Chinese style food. In the past they were more strict: they only served tofu with chili and e.g. chicken or seafood. Today you also get red curries or you could even get crispy duck.
Everybody gets a soup as soon as they sit down and before you order
But I always stick to the tradition and always get the same thing. As a matter of fact I always go there when I feel like eating the one thing and that is the Tofu with Seafood Thai style. Of course, you can always get it hotter but for me the amount of chili they put inside is just right. I love the sauce that comes with it. There is mostly squids and on top one nice big shrimp. In the end, I love seafood so I take it whenever I get the chance.
I always eat the Tofu with Seafood Thai style
The sizes of the meals are sufficient. Everything comes with lots of veggies so you don’t feel too stuffed. Another advantage here is that they don’t use MSG and that is what I like.Pretty much every item on the menue is a meal with soup and some fruits as dessert and there is also some cabbage salad on the side. The prizes are really cheap and I can certainly recommend this place when you spend your day shopping at the Naschmarkt. I paid for that meal 6 Euros which I think is not expensive.
Info: Tofu & Chilli, Linke Wienzeile 18, A-1060 Vienna; Phone +43/1/585 69 70; Opening Hours Mon. to Sat. 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; no credit cards; non-smoking restaurant; everything for take-away also; you can reach the place by either taking the U-Bahn to Karlsplatz and taking the exit “Secession” and then walking on the right side of the street from the centre or you take the U4 to Kettenbrückengasse and walk towards the centre on the left side.
