If you think tofu is bland, you haven’t had it the New York way. This city’s spicy tofu game runs deep — from Korean kitchens ladling out bubbling soondubu jjigae to Sichuan spots where the mapo tofu hits with that signature numbing heat. Here are eight standouts worth putting on your list first.

Where the heat is

Mountain House in the East Village and Spicy Moon, also in the East Village, both lean into the spice-forward side of the menu. Over in Koreatown, Cho Dang Gol and BCD Tofu House are the go-to names for Korean-style tofu stews done properly — the kind that arrive still bubbling in the stone pot.

For Sichuan heat, Chuan Tian Xia in Sunset Park brings the fiery, numbing peppercorn kick, while Café China in Midtown pairs old-school décor with a serious mapo tofu. Hupo in Long Island City and Antidote in Williamsburg round out the list for the Brooklyn and Queens crowds.

Soondubu or mapo? Why not both

Soondubu jjigae is the comfort pick — silky soft tofu in a spicy broth, usually with seafood or pork, served screaming hot. Mapo tofu is the bolder one: cubes of tofu in a chili-and-Sichuan-peppercorn sauce that builds as you eat. New York does both well, which is half the fun of working through a list like this.

Planning a full day out? Pair your tofu crawl with 20 fun things to do in NYC today, from salsa socials to outdoor movies. And if you’re in the mood for a film after dinner, DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island is the warm family pick of the season.