Took me three attempts before I got to enjoy the Hakka yong tau foo at “The Beef House” coffeeshop in Syed Alwi. The stall which is named after what it sells, is linked to the beef stall next to it, and on my first two visits, had either sold out or was closed.
It opens daily (except for Fridays according to Google Maps) at 7am, so by the time I arrived at 11.15am last Monday, the yong tau foo looked quite visibly reduced to anxious me. And the moderately long queue which was already in place, ended up stretching out onto the pavement by the time I got my food about half an hour later. My advice: Reach early to avoid disappointment.
But was it worth the wait? I believe so.
There is nothing fancy about the Hakka Yong Tau Fu here because it looks a little rough around the edges but it is its old-school taste that’s the big draw for me.
Not that you get to choose but the variety of items on offer (which is impressive considering the hawker doesn’t seem to have any assistants) is divided into those best enjoyed dry and those meant to be served in soup. Every piece of YTF I got tasted fresh and was appetisingly seasoned. My order of two large portions for TH and I cost only $10 which is a steal. I did think the serving of noodles was a bit on the modest side but the yong tau foo certainly wasn’t. In the bowls of soup were a generous amount of soya beans too, something I consider important for the proper enjoyment of this dish.
While eating, we were already in discussion about our next visit. That should say plenty about how good the food here is, right? 😊.