Enjoy Ampang yong tau foo in Singapore!

I sometimes wonder why certain dishes never quite take off in Singapore even though they are quite popular. Aside from satay bee hoon, Ampang yong tau foo seems to fall into this category as well.

928 Ngee Fou has been dishing out Ampang-style yong tau foo for over 40 years and is still pulling in the lunch crowd. Yet in all that time, Ampang-style yong tau foo had never quite taken off in Singapore even though many Singaporeans would go all the way to KL to eat it.

The history of the dish can be traced back to Ampang, KL at a time just after Ampang yong tau foo became famous in the 70's. One of the stall owners in Ampang decided to expand his empire by setting up a stall in Singapore and chose this row of shop houses in Sembawang just outside of Nee Soon Camp. It was, at that time, quite an “ulu” (outback) place that reminded him of home. But after one year, he decided to balik kampung (return home) and bequeth the stall to his relative, Mdm Ng, who has since been running the stall. Today, the place is a staple for NSmen during their reservist.

Personally, I think the braising sauce here was very good, even better than the one in Ampang. However, they have since stopped using pork to fill the yong tau foo and use only fish paste instead, which is a shame. The other really stark difference is the amount of filling in each item. While the one in Ampang is bursting at the seams, the ones here seem emaciated and wrinkly such that I felt that I was eating mainly fried beancurd skin. Still, as far as Ampang Yong Tau Foo goes, this is still a good place to get your fried tofu fix without having to leave Singapore.

You still get a good feed, but how I wish that the next generation of hawkers would do something to rival the ones in Ampang.

Rating: Food: 4; Value: 3; Service: 3

928 Ngee Fou Restaurant Ampang Yong Tau Hu

928, Upper Thomson Road

Tel: 64521801

Opening Hours: 10am to 8pm daily

Also check out two other hawker food recommendations by Dr Leslie Tay!