Yong Tau Foo

Shared this ginormous portion of Hakka style Yong Tau Foo with 2 families and it was absolutely filling. This is about 6 person portion around $30. The traditional yong tau foo is handmade daily and is superbly fresh. The paste is thick and chewy, satisfying you with every mouthful.

Another favorite dish is the abacus seed (客家算盘子), a sweet yam paste dish served during auspicious occasion which is soft and chewy.

The eatery has a homely feeling with a traditional setting from the 90s. This famous yong tau foo can be really packed during peak timing so do start queueing early.

This is one supper joint you must come fully prepared for. Bring a troop — assign one to "chope" seats, one to stand in line to place your order and another to wrestle alongside you to "kiap" the most prized ingredients on the Yong Tau Foo shelves. It's a battle waiting to happen at the stroke of midnight (note that they sometimes only open at 1am if the owners are still busy prepping), when the signage lights come on and hordes of veracious eaters rush forward. Apart from usual suspects like brinjal, cuttlefish and taupok, Tastemaker Fiona Ting recommends getting the Spam. We hear the pork items are the fastest to fly off the shelves, so zoom in on those as well. Give it about 30 minutes for the owners to prepare your food, and you'll be rewarded with a metal basin brimming with your picks, swimming in an unbelievably flavourful ikan bilis broth that has been boiled for hours. Pro tip: If you can, bring a portable stove (because why not!) to keep your soup bubbling hot throughout your meal!
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Fiona Ting