Got to find out about Flyboy Yong Tau Foo whilst going around NeWest a couple of weeks ago — it has been quite a while since we had last visited NeWest, though Flyboy Yong Tau Foo does seem like a new addition to the building in the last couple of months. For those whom are familiar with NeWest, Flyboy Yong Tau Foo takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Birdfolks — an establishment that used to be notable for serving up fried chicken with local-style Kopi that had been operating within NeWest for quite a while. Flyboy Yong Tau Foo has did a little bit of work to the space; it does feel that they seem to have provisioned for a bigger food preparation area considering how the dine-in space seemed to have shrunk by quite a fair bit. Nonetheless, the interior of the space is simply decked yet pleasing to the eye — the use of plastic seats with faux rattan accents against the white walls and wooden fittings does seem pretty matching for the most part, and that there are posters of their offerings being hung on the wall. Most notable of the items hung on the wall would be some accolades that seems to be in recognition of a particular individual in their military career — perhaps also being the reason behind the “Flyboy” in their namesake. Flyboy Yong Tau Foo is fairly easy to spot, considering how its signboard features a maroon background with gold font for its text. As one would expect given the namesake of the establishment, Flyboy Yong Tau Foo’s main offerings would be around its Yong Tau Foo offerings, which they do offer different sets comprising of different Yong Tau Foo items bundled together. Apart from Yong Tau Foo however, Flyboy Yong Tau Foo do serve up some specials that are only available from Friday to Sunday while stocks last; this will include the Abacus Seeds, as well as the Mango Pomelo Sago — the only dessert item that is listed. Beverages include local-style Kopi & Teh, as well as drinking chocolate, lime juice and soft drinks.

Skimming through the menu of Flyboy Yong Tau Foo, it is clear that one should probably go for the Set A (House Special) if one wants to give the most variety of Yong Tau Foo items a go during their visit here. Flyboy Yong Tau Foo’s menu describes the Set A (House Special) to come with Yong Tau Foo items such as bitter gourd, eggplant, chilli, lady’s finger, Tau Pok, Tau Kwa, meatball, fishball and crab stick — all of which coming in its own plate with its own gravy. The set comes default with white rice; that being said, one can also switch things up and opt for either the Bee Hoon Soup (available only for lunch) or the Fried Bee Hoon — both of them requiring a top up of $1 and $2 respectively on top of the original price of the sets opted for. Also available at a top-up will be the upgrade of the Yong Tau Foo fillings to a salted fish filling — something which we also gladly opted for. On first look, the Fried Bee Hoon looks more akin to that of a stewed Bee Hoon; this is considering how the Bee Hoon does come with a paler appearance as compared to the usual fried Bee Hoon that comes in a shade of brown at economic Bee Hoon stalls. It does seem that the Bee Hoon is stewed before being wok-fried for a while; there is a light umami note with a slight pepperiness that provides just the right amount of heat that makes it noticeable without being particularly spicy even to those whom are not tolerable to most levels of spiciness — makes it especially good to have already even when on its own. The Fried Bee Hoon also comes with bits of stewed pork for a slightly meaty bite; the scraps of cabbage providing a soft crunch for a variance of texture.

Moving on to the Yong Tau Foo itself, it seems that the gravy is pretty much the same as what one would expect from the usual mix of sauces that would come with Yong Tau Foo that is typically served elsewhere. The result is this umami, slightly sweet and a little earthy (or maybe bean-y) that went especially well with all the Yong Tau Foo pieces; and more so even for those that came with the salted fish filling that we had opted for. The Set A (House Special) does come with a balanced mix of both fried and non-fried items; the fried items being the bitter gourd, eggplant, Tau Pok, Tau Kwa and meatball, while the remainder are non-fried. The fried items were the ones that really impressed us; the consistency of the items were all just right with the bitter gourd and eggplant being soft enough but still carrying a crunch, while the Tau Pok does come with tofu within that was smooth and retained moisture of the soft tofu. All of the meat fillings were impressive; crisp on the exterior but doesn’t require too much chew to get through — the addition of salted fish filling into the usual filling helps to add an extra note of umami-ness that packs a punch in terms of flavour. We also note that the fried items did not feel particularly greasy as well. In retrospect, the other items such as the fish paste-stuffed chili and ladyfinger, as well as the fishballs were good to have; the fish paste being incredibly bouncy and smooth with the chili and ladyfinger also giving a crunch factor. There really isn’t anything much to shout about for the crab stick; not that we were expecting anything out of it, though it does seem to have been included as a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

Since the Mango Pomelo Sago was not available on the day of our visit, we decided to just get their Kopi for something to pair our order with. The Kopi does carry quite a good caffeinated kick in the body, though we thought that it could have been a lot more punchier if they could up the level of sweetness by a fair bit. Notwithstanding so, this would likely hit well for those whom prefer their Kopi with less sweetness in general. Flyboy Yong Tau Foo’s offerings does seem to impress — probably the product of lots of research, labour and dedication behind the scenes that shows in the final product that can be felt by their patrons. No doubt that the prices are a little pricey especially if one goes for their Set A (House Special) which is already at $10.90 in its most basic form (ours came to $13.90 with the add-ons), but we do find it pretty worthwhile since it is representative of the best of which that Flyboy Yong Tau Foo has to offer. While seemingly a little far flung from most places, Flyboy Yong Tau Foo is a spot that is well worthy of making a trip for; wishing these folks success in their business in time to come!