Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo: Handmade Hakka-style YTF that makes me cry

My fondest memories of Yong Tau Foo are from my childhood.

I remember how my mother would feed me a warm bowl of that Hakka dish when I was sick and I can still recall the times when my father dabao-ed fried yong tau foo from the market on weekends.

On a search to replicate my sentiments, I came across Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo at Toa Payoh.

Made from scratch every morning before 7am, their yong dau foo deviates from the traditional Hakka-style meat paste due to modern taste preferences. Thus, the store offers both meat and fish paste options to cater to customers of different ages!

With roots dating back to 1952, the history-rich store is now helmed by a 4th Generation couple, Mr Tang Weng Tat and Mrs Tang Mei Woon. History geeks, hold on tight.

Originating from Mr Tang’s great-great-great grandfather who sold pushcart yong tau foo at “Fo Sang” street, Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo set its foundations at Toa Payoh Blk 109 in 1983. In 1996, the store shifted to Toa Payoh Blk 116 and shortly after, opened a second outlet at Toa Payoh Blk 124.

However, the Blk 116 branch closed due to manpower concerns. In 2017, the store established its last branch at Toa Payoh Blk 203. TLDR: The yong tau foo store now has 2 stores at Toa Payoh Blk 124 and Blk 203. After comparing online reviews, I decided to try the popular Blk 203 branch.

And fret not, they are still using the essence of their family recipes from 72 years ago.

What I tried at Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo

Fate had its way on this rare rainy day in Singapore. Craving a comforting bowl of hot soup, I hastened to Hai Fong to get my yong tau foo fix!

Amidst the lively kopitiam atmosphere, Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo still reigned as the most vibrant sight to see.

Along with their tantalising spread of yong tau foo, the kopitiam store sported a bright red signboard with a tiny “Since 1952” insignia and had a steaming kitchen that was constantly humming with activity. Here’s something I clearly remembered — despite how Mrs Tang was drenched with sweat, she still maintained a cheerful air while taking orders. 

I could never. 

Like the majority of their customers, my taking a while to choose the ingredients is an understatement. I wanted to devour everything from the classic Fish Paste Okra (S$0.80) to the store-original Pumpkin Potato Rosti (S$1.00).

Nevertheless, the excited lunch crowd moved along steadily and I settled with 8 choices (each at a swee price of S$0.80, except the Rosti): Broccoli, Chicken Cutlet, Fish Paste Beancurd Skin, Meat Paste Tofu, Fried Meat Paste Tofu, Fried Beancurd Roll, Pumpkin Potato Rosti and Yi Mein.

Not after being honourably called “妹妹” and “美女” several times by a friendly staff member.

I actually opted for dry yong tau foo, but Mrs Tang explained to me that while Bee Hoon and Kway Teow go better with the dry version, Yi Mein tastes better in soup. That immediately struck a chord with me when I tasted it.

If this isn’t comforting, I don’t know what is.

Laced with a hint of yellow soy beans, the rich broth was a great pair to the al dente Yi Mein and surprisingly, the fried ingredients too. Leaving the Fish Paste Beancurd Skin and Meat Paste Tofu to soak in that liquid goodness just enhanced the flavour without compromising the palate.

Let’s dive further into that. The fresh and earthy broccoli was a perfect contrast with the silky Fish Paste Beancurd Skin that included bits of spring onions and meat. Meanwhile, the Meat Paste Tofu had a consistency that could not be found off shelves. Although it was imperfect in size, the tofu was pillowy with a mound of savoury minced meat.

Its fried version was bussin’ too! Featuring a crispy golden-brown exterior, the Fried Meat Tofu surprisingly managed to maintain a moist texture within. Their Fried Beancurd Roll needed no explanation as it was just simply good. BUT, the Chicken Cutlet was delightfully crispy and had a tender flesh marinated with a pinch of spice.

My personal favourite would definitely be Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo’s Pumpkin Potato Rosti. Covered with shredded pumpkins and potato, the starchy vegetable ‘pancake’ closely resembled a Japanese kakiage. Every bite I took offered a delightful crunch that released a satisfying burst of sweetness.

Heaving a sigh, I left the kopitiam knowing that I would return for more.

Final Thoughts

This is my first 5-star rating. Rightfully so, as it is hands down the best yong tau foo that I have ever tried. Real.

The secret behind the addictive yong tau foo broth?

To answer my burning question, Mrs Tang excitedly led me into the kitchen to reveal a large sieve full of ikan bilis and shared that the briny fish is boiled together with other yong tau foo ingredients like Fish Paste Bitter Gourd!

Ahhh that’s where the umami came from.

Back home, I shockingly found out from my parents that Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo is the same store that my family used to patronise 8 years ago. It was the other branch though.

That got me thinking — Can a dish ever encapsulate the flavours we had as a child?

After experiencing a warmth I longed for so long, I dare say that Hup Chong fulfils that.

Expected damage: S$1.80 to S$8 per pax

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