Restaurant Owner Fighting for ‘Stinky’ Menu Item After Neighbor’s Complaints Trigger Ban and Over $1,000 in Fines

Latoya GayleTue, March 24, 2026 at 12:25 PM UTC

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Stinky tofu (stock image)Credit: Getty -

David Liao, owner of Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel, has been forced to stop selling the Taiwanese dish stinky tofu

Liao told the Los Angeles Times he's received multiples notices and fines since a neighbor began complaining about the smell of the food

“Keeping this unofficial national dish alive is crucial,” Liao told the outlet. “For our customers, this isn’t just another menu item, it’s a connection to their roots”

A restaurant owner in Los Angeles is petitioning for the return of their signature dish after complaints from locals about its odor led to a ban.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published on Monday, March 23, David Liao explained that his Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel had been selling stinky tofu for three years before receiving the first of several complaints in the fall of 2017.

The popular Taiwanese street food — also known as chou doufu in Chinese — is known for its eye-watering stench that comes from fermenting tofu for weeks or months in brine with vegetables.

“She said she could smell the stinky tofu, but we, and other customers, couldn’t smell it,” Liao told the L.A. Times of the initial complaint from a neighbor, who lives in a building north of his Taiwanese restaurant, rather than directly behind.

Golden Leaf restaurant in San GabrielCredit: Google Maps

Liao’s parents opened Golden Leaf in 2014 with stinky tofu accounting for up to 20% of their total revenue, according to the outlet. The family asked other businesses in the area if they could detect the smell of the dish following the neighbor’s complaint.

“If our commercial neighbors complained to us that it’s affecting their business, then we would understand,” Liao told the L.A. Times. “But no one ever has.”

Visits from the health department and fire department led to an official verbally telling Liao to mitigate the smell or stop selling stinky tofu, the owner claims.

Golden Leaf then received a notice that they were violating one of the city’s municipal codes in September 2017.

“A person shall not discharge from any source whatsoever quantities of air contaminants or other material that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable number of persons or to the public, or that endanger the comfort, repose, health, or safety of any of those persons or the public, or that cause, or have a natural tendency to cause, inure or damage to business or property,” the code reads, per the L.A. Times.

The notice came with a warning that the restaurant could be fined up to $1,000. They removed stinky tofu from the menu until 2025, with Liao launching a newsletter to alert customers that the dish was available once again.

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Liao recalled to the L.A. Times that the disgruntled neighbor once again began calling the restaurant to complain about the smell. The calls became so frequent that they prevented some customers from being able to place orders, he claims.

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“Keeping this unofficial national dish alive is crucial,” Liao told the outlet of stinky tofu. “For our customers, this isn’t just another menu item, it’s a connection to their roots.”

Los Angeles has the largest Taiwanese community in the United States.

Stinky tofu (stock image)Credit: Alamy

Three months after stinky tofu returned, Golden Leaf restaurant received another warning that they had violated an “odors” code regarding “obnoxious or adverse odor that can be detected beyond the boundary of the lot occupied by that use.”

Liao told the L.A. Times that he paid more than $1,000 in fines and received multiple violation notices before eventually deciding to stop selling the menu item at the restaurant in November 2025.

However, he has launched a Change.org petition to gather supporters across California who will “advocate for the right to cook and sell stinky tofu in San Gabriel.”

Several commenters on the page have argued that the complaints about the food are the result of cultural differences.

However, San Gabriel City Councilmember John Wu disagrees and has advised Liao to get a better filtration system at the restaurant if he wants to continue selling stinky tofu.

“This is nothing to do with any cultural things, but it’s more like a food smell control issue,” Wu told the L.A. Times. “We have many restaurants selling stinky tofu, but this is so far the only restaurant where we have those complaints from residents.

“Some people like it. Some may feel differently,” Wu added. “I respect both, and I asked David if he wants to talk to us. But we need to take action if there are any complaints. The city cannot do nothing. This is our job.”

Liao told the L.A. Times that the Golden Leaf is unable to relocate and they don’t have the money to invest in a ventless fryer that could cost around $50,000 or a new filter for up to $100,000.

“With all these options, I was looking for a guarantee,” Liao told the outlet. “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.”

A representative for Golden Leaf restaurant, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and the Community Development Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Tuesday, March 24.

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