Yong Tau Foo Set ($7.90)!
Bugis yong tau foo soup set: clear broth bowl with bee hoon, fish-paste beancurd skin rolls, fish cake, and a side of fried items. $7.90.
Lunch around Bugis. Yong tau foo (YTF) set, $7.90. 😋👍🏼
What was in the set:
- Clear soup bowl: bee hoon (rice vermicelli) noodles in a light ikan-bilis-and-soy-bean broth, scallion
- Picks: fish-paste-stuffed beancurd skin rolls (the long folded type, soft inside), sliced fish cake on top, fish-paste blob, lighter minced meat / shrimp paste pieces
- Side dish (separate bowl): 2 fried items, looks like deep-fried fish-paste wonton balls, golden crispy crust
The soup-style yong tau foo set is the more traditional format compared to the dry-style I’d been ordering. The broth is the star, not the sauce dressing. Picks are blanched in stock and served swimming, not plated dry.
What makes the soup-set format work:
- Broth-led flavour: the ikan bilis + soy bean stock is the foundation
- Bee hoon as the carb base: it soaks up the broth without going soggy too fast
- Mixed picks across textures: chewy beancurd skin, soft fish-paste rolls, firmer fish cake slices
- Side fried items kept separate: stay crispy until ready to dunk
- Sweet sauce + chilli sauce as optional dips (not pre-applied)
The fish-paste-stuffed beancurd skin rolls (yu sheng) are the textbook YTF item that the better stalls hand-make daily. The fish paste should be visibly white, the beancurd skin folded twice (not just once), and the size proportionate to a single bite. Lesser stalls use thin pre-packaged versions that go soggy too fast in the broth.
At $7.90 for a full set with picks + noodles + side fried items, this is mid-range Bugis pricing. Cheaper than the curry YTF version ($8.40-$9) because the broth is simpler. Pricier than budget hawker YTF ($5-$6.50) because the picks are higher quality.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid soup-style YTF set. The fish-paste rolls were the standout. Would re-order.
