"Hot Taho Always Available"
A neon sign lights up in front of the store. I've never been inside until recently, but I always see it every day when coming out of the university or when I go to the yoga studio beside it. The name of the store is Soy & Bean and it sells soy products such as tofu and soy milk. I'd had their "taho" or soft tofu when my colleagues brought some to the office.
I had the chance to go inside for the first time when I wanted to try their soy milk after my yoga class. The interior of the store was very pleasant. It was well-lit and murals decorated the walls. I didn't know they also sold other products such as wine, jam, and chips. There was a familiar metal container on one side of the store that's normally carried by peddlers who sell the taho in the streets.
Refrigerators line the other side of the store. They had soy milk in different flavors. They also had yogurt, coconut milk, ice cream, and more. I decided to get the unsweetened soy milk because I wanted my first product to be 'unadulterated'. I bought it in the 500-mL bottle which I paid 55 pesos or around a dollar. I've started to become interested in plant-based milk recently after I found out I might be lactose-intolerant. Soy is quite cheap compared to other plant-based milk but it's not the best-tasting and sadly, it doesn't mix well with hot coffee. On its own, it's still good and I'm glad I could get the protein without upsetting my stomach.
How about you? Do you enjoy soy milk and other plant-based milk? Have you tried taho or soft tofu with sago pearls and brown sugar syrup?
馃搷 Soy & Bean The Tofu Store, Talamban, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines