Yong Tau Foo is a rather wonderful temple-foody dish commonly eaten in Singapore and Malaysia. It falls into the realm of health conscious fare by being low in fat, low in carbs and high in protein.
Above you will see a variety of yong tau foo, or vegetables/tofu stuffed with fish paste purchased at the Springvale Market. This included firm split okra that had not turned slimy, blanched sweet eggplant, earthy reconstituted shitake, cooked and no-longer-bitter green capsicum, tofu skin parcels and silken tofu blocks (oooh, these were *really* goood!). The fish paste didn’t taste “fishy” at all, and had been seasoned perfectly with white pepper. A couple of bouncy fish balls had also been thrown in for good measure.
EG’s Mum (isn’t she great) had prepared a light flavoursome anchovy and soybean stock (I so need to get the instructions and recipe for this!). To construct the dish we put the stock into a pot and popped the yong tau foo in the liquid to warm up. As soon as the liquid came to the boil we pulled it off the heat and poured it over rice vermicelli.
Serve with a devastatingly hot chilli sauce and a box of tissues (…the chilli and the heat is guaranteed to make your nose run!). The dish is all about the texture of the individual elements and the appreciation of oh-so-simple flavours. The cloudy softness of the tofu, the denseness of the vegetables, the rubbery-ness of the fish balls, the flavour of the stock and the kick of the chilli. One can not help but feel virtuous after consummation.
Great looking soup!
Do you get out to Springvale markets much?
Hey noodle – it was a wonderfully fantastic soup, and especially warming on the cold days we’ve had of late. Unfortunately I don’t make it out to Springvale very often, but it is a such an interesting place with many things to see, taste, smell and explore – not all of them pleasant
Any recommendations?
^ Sorry, that was me on a different account.
Wow…I didn’t know they sell these in Springvale market. Are they prepacked? Back home they were made fresh from raw vegetables and minced meat. I miss having them
However, I did a little research and apparently, there are 2 eateries that actually serve fresh ones (can’t guarantee). Hopefully, I don’t have to travel all the way to Springvale just to suffice my craving.
Hi moodie foodie,
there is another one similar shop like that in Footscray or you can try one near Target in Bourke St.
Hi Mel, do this shop happen to have a branch in Footscray ?
Hi moodie foodie – the ones at Springvale aren’t prepacked as such – they’re made fresh. You get to choose what you want and they put it on a tray and wrap it up for you.
Hey anon – thanks for the tip about the one near Target. EG knows of it, so we’ll go down and check it out. Not sure if the one in Springvale has another branch.
There’s one in Glen Waverley too called Grand Tofu right where the station is. The soup is only about average but I generally just go for the yong tau foos. If you ask nicely they’d give you dry noodles (flavoured with soy sauce etc) and the yong tau foos in a separate bowl with chicken soup.
Must be a sign, I was thinking of making this on the weekend with a prawn mix instead of fish.
Oh and there’s two places that sell them in Boxhill. One called Asian Grain in the food court at Boxhill Central and one outside on station street. I think it’s called Yo-yo’s or something, right next to the Optus World shop.
Wow, I didn’t realise there’s so many places in Melbourne that have them. Thanks for the heads up everyone. I’ll be writing these down and checking them out.
My friend who works at Rasa Malaya in Doncaster East tells me the restaurant serves them too. It’s a bit far and probably not worth the price, but if anyone does go around trying them, let me know!
Hey there ilingc and moodie foodie – wow, thanks for the great suggestions. Looks like we are finally getting the Melbourne lowdown on where to get some yong tau foos
Yong Tau Foo is my wife’s fav. I have it once a while when I was living in Singapore as can be found everwhere.
Enjoyed your blog.
kinglee.net
Hey there anon/kinglee – thanks for your comments. I think yong tau foo will fast become one of my favourites too.
Hey, this geocaching thing on your website sounds really cool! I’d never heard of it before. How interesting!
Mellie please PLEASE get the instructions and recipe for the light flavoursome anchovy and soybean stock you mentioned. And post it on your blog for us all to try. Thanks!
ChovyChap 2008
Hey ChovyChap 2008 – things have been a little busy in life, but will try to get the recipe soon. I want it for myself too!
Ah mellie… Looks like the anchovy and soybean stock recipe will remain a mystery to all. A shame really…
Oh ChovyChap – I apologise for being so remiss!
Ok – I finally tied her down to tell me the recipe.
Bring to the boil about 5 litres of water. When boiling, add a cup of dry soy beans and about half a cup of dried anchovies. Cook for 45 minutes at a slow rolling boil. Strain. Eat.
Too easy really
Good luck!
Thanks for your recipe mellie
is this a typical stock recipe like I find everywhere in Singapore, or do they tend to use a chicken stock? I eat Yong Tao Foo just about every week and I wasn’t sure if I could find it in Melbourne wen we move back home next week. I’ll try the restaurants suggested and make my own too. It’s going to suck having to pay more than $3 for a bowl of soup though!!
Hey Katie – I guess you can use whatever stock you fancy! Traditionally I think they use an anchovy and soy bean stock, and everyone seems to have a different recipe.
Talking of price, I paid $3 for the most magnificent chicken rice in Singapore. I just cringe when I have to hand over upwards of $10 for the stuff here, and it’s not even half as good!