KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — A little over three years ago, Malay Mail wrote a story about a Hakka yong tau foo stall in Taman Paramount that served up “one of the best handmade yong tau foo in PJ.” 

The stall had its supporting cast, from fish head curry to a petai stir-fry with minced pork, but its real draw was the filling: fish, pork, and salted fish, an old-school feature that’s becoming increasingly rare as costs continue to climb. 

The stall was called 126 Hakka Yong Tau Foo, and it seemed to be a branch of another stall of the same name in Taman Intan Baiduri, Kepong.

A quick note here: although it sits in Taman Intan Baiduri, the Google listing reads “126 Hakka Yong Tau Foo Selayang,” a quirk of the neighbourhood’s neither-here-nor-there position between Kepong and Selayang. 

Like its PJ outpost, this is also a roadside stall, albeit a much bigger one: a classic corrugated zinc roof structure clustered around a big tree, set along a busy main road. 

When we arrived for dinner, it was nearly full, mostly families, sitting under the glow of fluorescent lights that cast a bright, utilitarian sheen over the tables lining the outer corridor. 

Family members run this cash-only business: the children, around school age, took our orders and served tables with unerring front-of-house ease.

Like its outpost, pork and salted fish are used in the filling, but here diners have a choice. 

Instead of the combination of fish, pork, and salted fish served at the PJ outpost, you can opt for either a pork-and-salted-fish filling or a paste made from mackerel, at the same price of RM2.20 a piece. 

Each piece is prepared to order, so expect a slight wait, especially for the deep-fried items. 

It’s the perfect moment to try the pepper pork soup (RM22), a subtle twist on the traditional pig’s stomach and peppercorn soup. 

A sharp, white pepper base cushions tender slices of pig’s stomach, while a generous handful of Chinese celery and what I suspect is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb lend a fragrant bitterness that rises from the steaming clay pot. 

Slices of pork belly and strips of flat pork balls complete the mix, each spoonful a pungent, spicy, and slightly bitter experience all the way down the throat.

The full array of yong tau foo includes stuffed and fried brinjal, bitter gourd, okra, chilli, yuba (beancurd skin) slices, yuba rolls, and tofu pok. 

The latter, along with dumplings and unstuffed white tofu, can also be ordered in soup. 

I’ve made no secret of my enjoyment of pork and salted fish in yong tau foo, and here it impresses far more than the usual fish paste. 

Of the lot, the brinjal stands out: the flesh softens beautifully during frying, melting into a creamy, almost custardy interior that balances the firm bite of its meaty, salty filling. 

The stuffed tofu pok, by contrast, is a study in crispness. Fried until golden, its inside-out exterior shatters with every bite like an impossibly brittle candy. 

Because the filling is made purely from pork and salted fish, each piece has a savoury, meaty bite that’s deeply satisfying. You won’t even need the sweet or chilli sauce.

We rounded off the meal with an order each of their other signature dishes: stir-fried minced meat with dried shrimp and petai (RM28) and a simple stir-fried cabbage with dried shrimp (RM15). 

For lovers of the stink who aren’t afraid to leave their mark on the commode at home, the former is everything you could ask for and especially good with rice. 

The latter is surprisingly tasty, carrying a small hint of chilli for what, on paper, is a very simple dish. 

It’s something of a metaphor for the whole place: nothing is complicated or particularly innovative, but small touches, from the yong tau foo filling to the pepper pork soup, take it to another level.

126 Hakka Yong Tau Foo Selayang

Gerai No. 1, Jalan Taman Intan Baiduri, 

Taman Intan Baiduri, Kuala Lumpur.

Open Friday to Wednesday, 11am-9pm.

Tel: ‪012-790 1277

Facebook: 126 Hakka Yong Tau Foo

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.

* An earlier version of this story contained errors, which have since been rectified.