Curry Yong Tau Foo ($7.70)!
Bugis hawker curry yong tau foo with mixed bee hoon noodles, beancurd skin, kai lan, tofu, and side fried fish balls. $7.70.
Lunch at the Bugis hawker. Curry yong tau foo (YTF), $7.70. ๐๐๐ผ
What was in the bowl:
- Curry broth bowl: bee hoon (rice vermicelli) noodles + curry coconut broth
- Picks: kai lan greens (with stem chunks), soft tofu, fried beancurd puff (tau pok), stuffed beancurd skin folded over
- Side dish of two fried fish balls: golden crispy crust, soft and bouncy inside
- Two side sauces: thick sweet sauce (orange) and chilli sauce (red) for dipping
This was the first visit to this stall, ordering the bee-hoon version with curry. The bee hoon soaks up the curry broth in a way that egg noodles or yellow noodles donโt, picking up the spiced coconut more directly.
What makes the Bugis curry YTF format work:
- Pick-your-own + curry broth combo: standard YTF freedom of picks, upgraded broth
- Bee hoon as the noodle option: best for absorbing the coconut curry
- Mixed picks include both fresh (greens, tofu) and processed (tau pok, fish-paste rolls): textural variety
- Sides on a separate plate: keeps the fried items crispy
The kai lan greens were the surprise pick. With the thicker stem chunks (not just leaves) they hold structure in the broth, adding crunch alongside the soft tau pok and tofu.
The chilli sauce here is sambal-style: blended fresh chilli with belacan (shrimp paste) for that fermented funk. The sweet sauce is the hoisin-style thick paste thatโs the YTF universal partner.
At $7.70 for a curry YTF set in Bugis, this is solid budget hawker pricing. Slightly cheaper than the same placeโs later visits ($8.40, $9) where the picks may have been more or pricier.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ Solid curry YTF first visit. The bee hoon + curry combo worked for me. Would re-order.
