Red Sea Yong Tau Foo: Homemade YTF & fried wantons with laksa & springy egg noodles, sells out before 2pm
Handcrafted yong tau foo at wallet-friendly prices? It sounds enticing to me! I was thrilled to pay Red Sea Yong Tau Foo a visit at 115 Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre with my colleague, Ansel.
This hawker stall has been operating for the past 8 years, and is the brainchild of Mr Peh, a 46-year-old culinary enthusiast, and his wife Fiona, aged 39. Mr Peh’s passion for the culinary arts led him to master the art of homemade yong tau foo, learning the ropes from his talented mother-in-law.
The couple starts their day at 5am from Mondays to Saturdays, meticulously preparing for the day’s operation. This involves boiling the flavourful stock and skillfully handcrafting a wide array of yong tau foo ingredients.
As I joined the queue, I was amazed at the sight before me— there lay an impressive selection of 36 items, including 5 different types of vegetables. I felt like royalty for a brief moment, being offered every possible option from the yong tau foo realm; the variety was truly astounding.
What I tried at Red Sea Yong Tau Foo
If you reminisce the nostalgic old-school flavours of a dry mee kia from a bowl of wanton mee, the Premium Egg Noodle (S$4.50) comes close to that.
The bowl of goodness had fine strands of golden egg noodles topped with a fishball, homemade king of beancurd and fried wanton, tau pok and tofu stuffed with fish paste, bits of pork lard, and spring onions.
The noodles had the perfect amount of springiness, but what won me over was the intense aroma of the seasoning sauce, definitely enriched with pork lard oil. It thoroughly coated every strand of noodle, like a flawless suit of armour. The mini nuggets of pork lard were irresistibly shiok.
The contrast between a homemade wanton and a factory-made one was significant. The skin was crispy and the fluffy fish paste inside was soft like a luxurious pillow. It was incredibly delicious, making it a struggle to resist having just 1 piece.
The beancurd roll which they fondly name “King Of Beancurd” is also made in-house, featuring a paper-thin tofu skin encasing the airy fish filling.
Remember to help yourself with the delectable sweet sauce; good to dunk your ingredients in for a gentle burst of sweetness.
I was attracted to the gorgeous shades of red and yellow of the 6 Pcs Yong Tau Foo (S$4.20) with Laksa (+S$1) broth; it reminded me of the morning sun.
My first instinct was to dive straight into the gravy. And oh boy, it was solid! The flavours were spot-on and the spice level was definitely not for the faint-hearted; I can already imagine the reaction of our intern, Chloe, if she were to try this (her spice tolerance is low).
The tofu was silky-soft, effortlessly absorbing all the nuanced flavours of the laksa. The cuttlefish wasn’t overcooked and had a good texture as well.
The stuffed red capsicum and emperor sprouts added a refreshing element to balance out the richness of the dish.
We also tried the 5 Pcs Yong Tau Foo w/ Noodle (S$4.20) where we selected a mixture of yellow noodles and bee hoon. It was served with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and spring onions. We helped ourselves to the sweet sauce and self-made sambal chilli.
As I tossed everything up, the noodles transformed into a subtle reddish hue. It was a lovely medley of sweet and spicy notes, perfectly complemented one another.
Mr. Peh and Fiona will give the fried items a final fry before serving, guaranteeing piping-hot and irresistibly delicious ingredients for the customers.
Locating perfectly charred eggplant yong tau foo in Singapore has proven to be quite a difficult task for me, but I’ve finally discovered them in this place. It’s crispy on the outside, velvety-soft on the inside, with a delicious piece of fish stuffing sandwiched in-between.
For something light and heartwarming, get the 6 Pcs Yong Tau Foo Soup (S$4.20). From what I learnt, the soup is made fresh daily and boiled with ikan bilis, pork bones and yellow soybeans.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT be fooled by the unassuming appearance of the soup. It’s brimming with incredible flavour, thanks to the abundant umami goodness derived from the anchovies.
We paired it with enoki mushrooms, fishball, seaweed, stuffed chilli, yellow capsicum and bitter gourd. Every bite carried a refreshing sensation, and our taste buds embarked on a mini journey of flavours.
Final thoughts
Red Sea Yong Tau Foo mainly caters to early risers and often sells out well before their official closing time of 2pm. It’s truly unfortunate that I reside quite a distance away because one visit to this establishment was all it took to turn me into a devoted fan.
If I find myself in the Bukit Merah area, without a doubt, this dining spot will be my top priority over others!
Expected damage: S$4.20 – S$9 per pax
* This post was brought to you in partnership with Red Sea Yong Tau Foo.
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