Yong tau foo ($12.80)!
Yong tau foo (YTF) lunch bowl with mixed picks and a side of crispy beancurd skin. $12.80.
Lunch on a quiet weekend. Yong tau foo (YTF), $12.80. ๐๐๐ผ
What was in the bowls:
- Mixed YTF bowl: stuffed tofu (fish paste filling), fried tau pok (beancurd puff), spinach, all in a clear soup base with chilli sauce and sweet sauce on the side
- Side bowl of crispy beancurd skin (fu pi): cut into ribbons, topped with minced pork crumb for the texture contrast
- Light soup base: ikan bilis (dried anchovy) and soy bean broth, classic Hakka-style YTF profile
The yong tau foo format is Hakka in origin. The original idea was stuffed bittermelon, but the Singapore hawker version expanded into mixed-vegetable + fish-paste stuffed items: chilli, brinjal, tofu, beancurd skin, mushroom, lady finger. The fish paste filling is the constant. Pick your items, choose noodle or rice (or just soup), drink the broth.
The $12.80 price point sits above the budget hawker tier ($5 to $8) but below the cafe-style YTF chains. The trade-up here was the crispy beancurd skin side dish: ribbons of fu pi deep-fried until shatter-crisp, then dressed with minced pork and a little broth. Eaten quick before the soup soaks into the crispness. Worth the upgrade.
Chilli sauce and sweet sauce on the side are non-negotiable. Some places do a thick blended chilli, others a thinner sambal style. The dip-combine ratio is personal preference and the one decision that makes or breaks the bowl.
Overall: 4 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ Solid mid-tier YTF, would re-order for the crispy beancurd skin alone.
