Hou Kei Yong Tau Foo @ Taman Seraya

It isn't always easy to find something which all members of the family enjoy eating as we all have our preferences when it comes to food.  But yong tau foo happens to be something that we can all agree on.

Since I live near the Ampang area, an area that's synonymous with yong tau foo specialists that three comes to mind immediately, Ampang Homeland Yong Tau Foo, Orchard View Yong Tau Foo and Foong Foong Yong Tau Foo with all of them located on the same street and next to one another (with all enjoying brisk business).

Besides shops that specialises only in yong tau foo, you'll always find them when you see chee cheong fun stalls.  They're also commonly found in many noodle shops too as an add-on to noodles.  It's also a very popular side dish offered by many eateries especially the fried dumpling and beancurd sheets.  Because of the many varieties of yong tau fu one can choose from, you're bound to like at least one type (if not more), so I've not come across anyone who doesn't like yong tau foo. :P

I do have quite a few favourites that I frequent when it comes to good yong tau foo places but there are also some fairly decent ones closer to home.  Recently I found Hou Kei Yong Tau Foo @ Taman Seraya through ShopeeFood to add to my growing list.

For my initial tasting (or more like testing), I ordered the Yong Tau Foo with Meehoon Set @ RM8.10 (Soup Only/Small) which comes with 3 pcs of yong tau foo.

The only thing with the set is you don't get to choose the type of yong tau foo you want, the shop will pick randomly for you....which was fine by me since I'm ok with any type.

I ended up getting brinjal, bitter gourd and chilli which was great since I got different ones from my extra order of yong tau foo of Fried Beancurd Sheet, Fried Dumpling with Coriander, White Tofu and Tofu Puff.

I actually quite enjoyed the very ching or light tasting soup base so much so that I would put a note to be given soup even when I was not having meehoon.

Their meehoon do come with some scant fried (but limp) shallots, so the addition of some (store-bought) crispy fried shallots and a drizzle of shallot oil will make the soup noodles taste even better! ;)

The yong tau foo items had a good amount of fish paste filling that was tasty and my usual favourites always include brinjal, bitter gourd and fresh red chillies.

Of all the yong tau foo items, I'm probably least fond of white tofu (a sentiment echoed by my family too) but this one I ended up really liking.  I think it was the taste of the tofu itself and its smooth texture (together with a tasty filling) that made this differ from the rest I've eaten.

Of course when it comes to yong tau foo, the fried items are a must...and they have four to choose from.  I got the fried fu chuk, fried seaweed roll and fried dumpling with coriander (you can also opt for the plain fried dumpling).

The Fried Fu Chuk @ RM1.80 was savoury and very crispy (but it's unlike those fu chuk rolls you get from yong tau foo specialists).  I initially thought it was just crispy fu chuk but was happy to see there was some fish paste filling inside.

The Fried Seaweed Roll @ RM1.80 was actually popiah skin-wrapped seaweed with fish paste but it had a bland taste overall probably due to the (usually) bland tasting popiah skin.  I would give this a miss next time.

The Fried Coriander Dumpling @ RM1.80 turned out the best.  The dumpling skin was slightly thicker than the norm but it was fried till crunchy.  The moment you bite into the crispy dumpling, you get that distinctive taste of fresh coriander stuffed within a good amount of fish paste filling.

Besides meehoon and rice with their yong tau foo, they also offer plain Chee Cheong Fun @ RM1.35 that's run-of-the-mill in taste to the many sold by chee cheong fun hawkers.

Their chee cheong fun comes with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and some fried but limp shallots.  You can have it with curry sauce and their version is light and acceptable.

But for those who like it a bit more savoury, you'll have to add a drizzle of tim cheong (sweet sauce) to their light tasting curry to bring more flavour.

Sometimes when I order meehoon soup or chee cheong fun (for breakfast), I would even order more yong tau foo items and keep them for dinner later (not the deep-fried items though, that we'll eat immediately).  All I have to do is to reheat them together with the soup given and it makes for a hearty meal at dinner with rice. Their price per piece is also among (if not) the lowest I can find on ShopeeFood (it's even cheaper than some dine-in prices).

My Personal Opinion

Judging from the many different photos, you can see that I've been ordering from this yong tau foo place many times already.  I wouldn't say the yong tau foo is anything spectacular (I've had loads better ones) but it has that home-made taste that I like.

Besides, it's also one that's closer to me that I can order frequently when I want a yong tau foo meal even though I've a few decent ones in my neighbourhood itself but the pleasant and subtle soup base of this one is what sets it apart from the rest.

But, most of all, it's a yong tau foo I'd order solely because of the existence of the fried coriander dumpling (that only coriander lovers will appreciate) since it's not something easily found elsewhere. ^o^

Hou Kei Yong Tau Fu

55 Jalan Bunga Tanjung 8b

Taman Seraya

56100 Kuala Lumpur