Katong Yong Tau Foo: Famous authentic laksa gravy perfected over 30 years

When it comes to Katong Shopping Centre at East Coast, many would immediately jump to eat chicken rice from Katong Mei Wei or banana pies from Dona Manis Cake Shop. But, were you aware that yet another famous contender lives there? Katong Yong Tau Foo is a classic that you wished you hadn’t neglected! 

Yong tau foo is one of those all-in-one meals that fit every situation. Rainy days call for a soupy meal, and yong tau foo does just that. Want something healthy? Yong tau foo with non-fried items wins. You get the idea.

Honestly, the wide variety of ingredients that you could get seems intimidating. With over 30 options up for grabs, there were all sorts of vegetables, tofu and fried items. It’s easy to go completely bonkers with the tongs, which was exactly what I did. 

With items going up only 20 cents since our previous visit in 2019, this yong tau foo stays affordable for folks to enjoy. Each order has to have a minimum of 7 items, with each item having a fixed price of 80 cents. Quick maths means that each bowl costs at least S$5.60, which I personally feel isn’t too shabby. 

After witnessing the crowd during lunch hour during my chicken rice run, I thought I had seen the worst of the dining area of Katong Gourmet Centre. I was proven so wrong. To my surprise, all spaces were filled by early lunchtime. 

Although the majority of diners had Katong Mei Wei’s grub, a good portion had yong tau foo despite the hot weather Singapore decided on that day. That says quite a bit of Katong Yong Tau Foo’s popularity.

What I tried at Katong Yong Tau Foo

As I said, I went ballistic with the many choices, opting to try both the famed Laksa broth (+S$0.80) and the Original Broth. Having chosen a solid 34 ingredients (yes, really), I paid S$28, which did not make for a hefty bill for a group of 3.

With this yong tau foo joint known for their one-of-a-kind Laksa Yong Tau Foo, I just had to try. In all honesty, that warm orange hue scared me (as someone who can’t take spice to save my life). Yet, I was enlightened by the flavour. 

I could really taste the fragrant coconut milk and the nutty aftertaste from the laksa leaves, giving a fantastic combination of milky and spicy. Surprisingly, the spice does not hit all at once but lingers about to scatter that numbing feeling in your throat. This gravy is definitely not for the fainthearted. 

No Name Dessert: Under-the-radar $2.50 chendol by elderly couple

An intriguing note would be that this base makes folks thirsty quickly. When I asked my dining companion (who is a laksa connoisseur), she commented that it was not just the spice that made it that way. Perhaps, it was a boatload of spices that did the job!

What better way to enjoy laksa than dipping fried items into it? My favourite had to be this filled beancurd skin. Still slightly chewy, it held all that milky laksa goodness when bitten into. Talk about mini flavour bombs! 

A close second had to be the handmade fishcakes, which contained mini vegetable chunks. I thoroughly enjoyed how chewy they were as they had a tteokbokki-like texture.

Despite all the good comments on the laksa broth, it would be a shame to miss out on the OG soup. I was pleasantly surprised at the inclusion of black fungus and soybeans, a sign that the soup had been completely housemade. I adored how it was on the lighter side, allowing for more spotlight to be on the ingredients within.

A must-try for the clear soup yong tau foo at Katong Yong Tau Foo is the sweet sauce.  It is a complete game changer when it comes to the soup’s ingredients like the fishball and tofu variety. 

What I loved most had to be the fried vegetable fritters, that reminded me of the Indonesian classic bakwan sayur. Containing mini chunks of veggies like carrots for a light crunch, they made a great accompanying treat.

All the fried goodies we had were nicely done and tasted fresh. No complaints to be had here!

Final thoughts

Katong Shopping Centre proves itself a hidden food utopia once again with Katong Yong Tau Foo. I can definitely foresee myself back here again, grabbing yet another boatload of ingredients to savour. This place’s sweet sauce will forever be in danger with me around.

Expected damage: S$5.60 – S$9.60 per pax

Dig into juicy loaded burgers from Hong Kong’s Honbo at CHIJMES