Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu: Super-bouncy fish balls & super-stuffed beancurd handmade daily
Located in an extremely clean and bright coffee shop in Tiong Bahru, Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu swiftly churns out orders in less than 5 minutes after you order.
While most yong tau foo stalls provide an assortment of noodle variations, only bee hoon (thin rice vermicelli noodles) is offered here. While I was receptive to this, my dining partner was upset that no other carbohydrate options are available.
The menu is kept simple. Simply choose between dry and soup options, followed by the portion that you wanted — S$5.80 for small, S$7.80 for big. I chose the smaller portion as it was recommended for 1 pax. The latest addition to the menu is their laksa broth. Although I did not personally try the dish, the red hot soup looked creamy and thick.
What I tried at Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu
In comparison to most yong tau foo stalls, the main difference found at Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu is the inability to choose your own ingredients. Every set purchased here comes with standard items.
However, diners may request for all fried or boiled items only, although I went with their recommendation which came with a mix of fried and boiled goods. For those looking to incorporate extra veggies into their meal, there is the option to top up S$1 for fresh vegetables.
In contrast to my tasting at Golden Mile Special Yong Tau Foo where I was faced with many unknown ingredients, thankfully the ingredients used here were simpler and more common.
The Fish Balls were slightly smaller than I like but were super bouncy. They were almost chewy and had a strong taste of fish. Apart from that, there was nothing much to shout about.
The fish paste formula is the star of the show here. Stuffed into a tough beancurd skin, then deep fried, this Stuffed Fried Beancurd was my favourite item. The beancurd skin was salty and the addition of chives complemented the fish flavour.
I also appreciated the generous filling that was used for the stuffing as it introduced a good bite to the beancurd roll.
Another item that showcased the delicate fish paste was the soft boiled Stuffed Tofu. The tofu was extremely soft but retained its firmness despite being immersed in the soup for an extended time period.
There was also a fried rendition of the same stuffed tofu whiFch was just as satisfying to dip into the pungent chilli sauce for some flavour contrast.
I witnessed many customers eating the piping hot bowl of noodles with sweet sauce, too. However, the sauce was too thick and sweet for my liking. I enjoyed eating mine with just the chilli sauce alone.
Final thoughts
From my visit, the menu reminded me of the famed Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu from Chinatown. The latter is most loved for their use of ikan bilis stock and super spicy and tangy chilli dip.
Between the 2, the main ingredients from Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu were quite similar in taste and texture to Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu. This means that there is now another location where I can get my yong tau foo fix without the endless queues and long waiting times!
Expected damage: S$5.80 – S$7.80 per pax
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