One of the stalls that we had been noticing its existence during its fitting-out phase at Chinatown Complex Food Centre was actually that of Heritage Yong Tau Foo 怡保客家酿豆腐; these folks are not to be mistaken for another establishment that used the same namesake at Marina One which had since ceased operations by the time this stall has sprouted up. Heritage Yong Tau Foo is located in the yellow zone of Chinatown Complex Food Centre; these folks can be found situated within the same row of stalls as where one would be able to find Shen Xi Imperial Soup 沈希第一補汤. Taking up a corner stall unit, these folks are also fairly recognisable considering the use of a brown signboard that is fairly atypical for a hawker stall in general. As the Chinese namesake of the establishment suggests that the stall serves up Hakka-style Yong Tau Foo with roots from Ipoh, Malaysia — apart from serving up assorted Yong Tau Foo with noodles, the stall also does serve up Asam Laksa as one of its signature dishes as well.

Noting that the Asam Laksa is a signature offering alongside its assortment of Handmade Mackerel Yong Tau Foo offerings, it is needless to say that we had decided to give their Asam Laksa a try — Heritage Yong Tau Foo serves up their Asam Laksa in two different sizes; Regular and Big, which we found ourselves goigg by for the Regular portion size. Heritage Yong Tau Foo does not describe the elements featured in their Asam Laksa, though one can expect the usual elements found in the Penang Assam Laksa that tend to come with tamarind, pineapple, raw onions, cucumber, mint leaves, prawn paste (optional) and Laksa noodles. Giving the bowl of noodles a good mix for the prawn paste to be integrated with the broth, we liked how the Asam Laksa here carries a refreshing note with a slight savouriness and a bit of funk from the prawn paste — a characteristic that a good Asam Laksa should carry. Here, the addition of prawn paste provides just enough umami without being particularly overbearing — all that whilst the tamarind in the broth provided a good sourish tang that also carried a slight hint of spiciness that should work well with those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness alongside the slurpy rice noodles. The addition of various elements like pineapple, raw onions and cucumbers added a refreshing crunch to further compliment the tanginess of the broth — the pineapple giving an additional touch of sweetness amidst the tang, while the raw onions added a zing; all that whilst the mint leaves gave extra aromatics to the dish. Whilst at it with the Asam Laksa, don’t forget to add the Sha Kok from the assortment of Handmade Mackerel Yong Tau Foo items available for patrons to pick and choose at the counter — the Sha Kok (otherwise known as Yam Bean Fritters) is a classic at stalls serving up Ipoh Hakka-style Yong Tau Foo that comes with a slight sweetness and delivers a crunch; best to be paired with their zippy chilli sauce on the side!