Ampang: The Land of Yong Tau Foo
En route to Genting, Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur, our generous hosts, my Uncle Peter Soh and his wife Auntie Guat Hua, decided to make a slight detour to Ampang for my mom and me to try the area’s local delicacy, Yong Tau Foo. Yong Tau Foo essentially fuses tofu with ground fish or pork meat and uses it as a stuffing for dumplings and vegetables. To be honest, I didn’t really find the concept appetizing or interesting enough until I had my first bite.
The restaurant, Ampang Homeland Yong Tau Foo is a hole-in-the-wall fashioned as an open-air cafeteria with zero ambiance and a shortage of electric fans. Yet, diners still came in droves to have a taste of this local delicacy.
LADY FINGER, BITTER GOURD AND TAU FOO BALL
The classic representation of the Yong Tao Foo would be when it’s molded into a Tau Foo Ball. Steamed in a sweet broth, the Tau Foo Balls can be likened to the Chinese balls we steam over for shabu-shabu. Tasty, filling, and addictive; these Tau Foo Balls serves as the easiest entry point in trying out Yong Tau Foo. I personally could not appreciate bitter gourds, no matter how they’re prepared so I skipped on that and proceeded instead to try out the lady finger. The crunch given by the blanched vegetable serves as a welcome addition to this meal. It honestly looks weird since you can see the ground filling bulging from its stem; but it’s really delicious that you wouldn’t mind the odd sight.
DEEP FRIED DUMPLING
My favorite version of the Yong Tau Foo would be the Deep Fried Dumpling; which is basically the Tau Foo Ball, deep-fried until a beautiful golden brown hue is achieved. This actually pairs well with rice; but these tofu-filled wonders really fill you up quickly so you can’t really go all out with it. Its crisp batter adds some umami flavor to this delicacy that’ll simply make you crave for more.
PORK WITH VINEGAR
Despite specializing in Ampang Yong Tao Foo, the restaurant also serves up interesting dishes such as the Pork With Vinegar. Resembling our local adobo, this delicious pork stew is slow-cooked for hours in a vinegar-based broth. Tempered by rice wine and ginger, this amazingly sour dish may result in you doing a sour face every now and then, but boy, it’s worth it.
PANDAN CHICKEN WINGS
Another must-try dish from this restaurant would be its Pandan Chicken Wings. I’m a big fan of Pandan Chicken so I know that this Thai delicacy can easily be messed up. A lot of restaurants serving Pandan Chicken in Manila end up serving these dry or bland (my surprise favorite at the moment would be Alter Ego’s version of it, so please take time to try it out); so I wasn't really expecting a lot from. Upon serving, the fragrant smell of the pandan leaves was unmistakable; but I was surprised that the chicken wings were barely wrapped in these. It turns out that the pandan flavor generously seeped in through the meat of the wings; and it’s simply a delight to devour.
Ampang Homeland Yong Tau Foo Sdn Bhd
Date of Visit: March 19, 2018 with Lily Chua, Peter Soh, and Guat Hua Soh
