Get your 'yong tau foo' fix at Kota Damansara's Restoran Yuet Jia Yong Tau Foo

PETALING JAYA, Feb 1 – To me, yong tau foo is comfort food.

Blame it on my Hakka heritage. Nothing beats well-fried crispy yong tau foo. That unmistakable crunch is music to my ears, and of course it leads to a happy stomach.

Even yong tau foo in a clear broth warms my heart with its wholesomeness.

I visited Restoran Yuet Jia Yong Tau Foo at Kota Damansara after friends voiced their approval.

After trying the well-stuffed ensemble here, I understood what the fuss was all about as I walked out of the eatery feeling super satisfied with my meal.

Find the shop at The Strand, Kota Damansara

The family-run business is said to have roots in a fuchuk factory. According to Malaysia Best, the eatery which started in 2019 is now being managed by the second generation of the Yuet family.

The selection of yong tau foo is kept to only 10 varieties, making your selection a little easier. Tofu fish is used to make the paste. Its texture is not overly bouncy signifying a lesser ratio of artificial fillers.

For the deep fried items, the highlight is their stuffed 'fuchuk'

You won't regret ordering the fuchuk items. There's the fuchuk roll where each bite is a combination of layers of fish paste enveloped in fluffy crispiness.

For the crispy fuchuk, this was rectangular shaped with one layer of fish paste. Both taste good but the fuchuk roll edges out the crispy fuchuk with its multiple layers of fish paste.

Equally good were the fried dumplings stuffed with a tasty mixture of minced pork, wood ear fungus and yam bean. I'm a fan of brinjals and their version was on point with a creamy flesh followed by that tasty fish paste.

For the soup items, the bitter gourd was a nice contrast of soft vegetable and slightly bouncy fish paste. The lady's fingers weren't puny and came with a nice crunchy bite that wasn't attributed to woody stems. It was only the tofu that fell short for me as I felt the texture of the beancurd wasn't as smooth as I'd like it.

Each piece is RM2 and it's a decent size that can fill you up for lunch or dinner.

In addition is their interesting cabbage with fish paste which is a signature dish. I ordered three pieces for RM8 and it turned out to be comforting.

For an unusual twist, go for the cabbage rolls stuffed with fish paste

You still get a crunch from the cabbage followed by a layer of fish paste inside. This is paired with a light-tasting soy sauce and fried shallots that doesn't overpower the delicate flavours.

You can pair your yong tau foo with a plate of rice or noodles. Or omit those carbohydrates and order more yong tau foo to fill you up.

The eatery also offers a menu of cooked dishes. There's chicken with Shao Xing wine, braised pork with black fungus, curry pork ribs and braised ginger duck.

You can also order various dishes here like black vinegar pork trotters that comes in meaty chunks

I decided to try their black vinegar pork trotters (RM21 for a small portion, RM32 for a big one) at home. You get chunky pieces of meat topped with skin swimming in a piquant gravy and ginger slices.

While you definitely get a lot of meat for that portion, I tend to prefer my trotters cut into smaller pieces.

Here the skin also needed a little more time to stew for it to hit that highly sought after gelatinous texture.

Overall, I have no qualms returning for another round of yong tau foo but I reckon I will skip the trotters the next time.

The space within the eatery is quite small with tables placed near each other

If you prefer you can order it via GrabFood or Foodpanda.

Restoran Yuet Jia Yong Tau Foo, 25, Jalan PJU5/20, The Strand, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Open: 9.30am to 9.30pm. Closed on Thursday. Tel: 03-61433668. Facebook: @Yuetjia

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