My Search for Hakka Style Yong Tau Foo
If you’ve been watching our recent videos, you might have noticed that I have lost a bit of weight. That’s because we’ve been on a low-carb diet. I’ve been doing more home cooking, where I’ve been learning to work with alternatives to sugar and refined carbs. When eating out, we try to choose dishes that support our dietary goals.
One hawker favourite that fits the bill is Yong Tau Foo. I especially enjoy the traditional Hakka-style version that uses a savoury minced meat stuffing instead of fish paste. I love the robust flavour of the minced pork which is usually mixed with dried sole fish and even salted fish at some places. It really hits all the right umami buttons for me. And I can still limit my carbohydrate intake at the same time!
Traditional Hakka-style Yong Tau Foo is not as common as the modern version found in most food courts. Many stalls had switched to using pure fish paste for the stuffing during the Nipah virus outbreak, which affected the pork supply. This was further compounded by the health mindset at the time, which focused on cutting down on pork fat. As a result, most Yong Tau Foo today is stuffed with fish paste. However, things have been changing in recent years, and the old-school meat stuffing is making a gradual comeback!
My usual spot for Hakka Yong Tau Foo had been Hup Chong at Toa Payoh. They makes a really mean pork ball. But I’ve been on the lookout for something a little more refined – a step up from the hawker standard Yong Tau Foo. But without having to go to a restaurant like Plum Village where you feel an obligation to order other dishes. That was how I stumbled upon Flyboy Yong Tau Foo.
Why Flyboy?
Flyboy Yong Tau Foo was founded just over a year ago by a former helicopter pilot. After retiring from the Air Force, he decided to open a Hakka eatery to revive the flavours of his childhood. Drawing on recipes passed down from his Hakka grandmother, he set out to bring back the traditional taste of meat-stuffed Yong Tau Foo in a modern setting.
Artisan Meat-Stuffed Hakka Yong Tau Foo
By default, their Yong Tau Foo is served dry with gravy, though you can opt for a soup version if you prefer. The meat stuffing is excellent — flavourful and nicely textured, with the added crunch of water chestnuts, which I really enjoy. They offer two types of meat stuffing. The regular version is made with minced pork, fish paste, and sole fish, while the premium version includes salted fish for that added umami boost and funk. Between the two, I prefer the salted fish version, but the standard one is also very tasty and well-seasoned.
Most of the items are hand-stuffed on the premises, which gives the dish that artisanal, homemade quality. They do offer a few pieces stuffed with pure fish paste, but compared with the meat versions, the fish paste is rather pedestrian — the kind you’d expect from typical food court stalls. That said, the tau pok stuffed with fish paste is very good and worth ordering.
I also appreciate that the gravy is house-made using salted soy beans. It’s mild and doesn’t overpower the natural flavour of the Yong Tau Foo. Their homemade chilli sauce pairs especially well with the fried items, nicely cutting through all the oil. However, the sweet sauce is fairly ordinary and doesn’t add much to the dish. It’s probably why it is available at the counter only if you really want it.
Overall, this is a very satisfying Yong Tau Foo experience. It’s more expensive than your average hawker stall, but the quality of the ingredients, attention to detail, and more comfortable dining environment make it worth the extra dollars. 4.25/5
Side Orders
If you do need some carbs, the sets usually come with rice. But if you’re a fan of Malaysian-style wanton noodles, I’d highly recommend their egg noodles with black sauce. The noodles are well-cooked with a nice bite, and the addition of crispy fried pork lard takes it up a notch. The sweet dark sauce is rich and savoury, and really reminds me of the kind of noodles you’d find in Malaysia.
You can also opt to have your Yong Tau Foo served in curry sauce, which is a great alternative to the usual options. The head chef, who hails from Perak, prepares his own rempah using a blend of 16 different ingredients.
The result is a curry that’s mild, aromatic and tasty and has that “Malaysian” taste. (Actually what I mean is that it doesn’t taste like the typical chicken curry we usually get here!)
Ngoh Hiang isn’t strictly a Yong Tau Foo item, but if you want more of that savoury meat stuffing you can also order it wrapped in crispy beancurd skin. When served piping hot, the meat juices were oozing out of the cut surface, which made it incredibly appetising.
I would have liked a bit more of that distinct five-spice flavour, but even so, it was still very satisfying. They also serve the meat stuffing as meat balls if you don’t care for the bean curd skin.
Conclusion
Flyboy Yong Tau Foo is a great example of how our local hawker fare can evolve to keep up with the times — offering a level of care, quality, and presentation that goes beyond the typical hawker centre experience. Yong Tau Foo is one of those dishes that lends itself well to elevation, much like how bak kut teh and prawn mee have successfully transitioned into standalone concepts.
And with the recent rise of Hainanese cafés, perhaps it’s time for a Hakka café to emerge — one that shines a spotlight on this rich culinary heritage and brings traditional dishes like Hakka-style Yong Tau Foo to a new generation of diners.
Note: All prices indicated are subject to 10% service charge, no GST.
