KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — I remember my dad bringing us to eat yong tau foo whenever we came to Kuala Lumpur for a vacation when I was a wee kid. This memory stayed with me for a long time and it’s gotten to a point where I’d automatically associate yong tau foo with Kuala Lumpur.

Although there is a large Chinese community in Sarawak, yong tau foo isn’t as big over there as it is here.

The starting ingredients for this dish is the same — fresh vegetables or prepared soy bean products like  tofu but what separates a great  yong tau foo from a mediocre one is the fish (or pork) paste.

Here are five of my favourite establishments:

It’s not for nothing that many claim Puchong Batu 14 Yong Tau Fu, has the best fish paste. At this restaurant, located near the Kinrara BK5 LRT station, the selection of vegetables is extensive and what’s great is that the fish paste is stuffed right before cooking. The cheapskate in me enjoys choosing the vegetables myself because I can pick the larger pieces. The broth served with the  dish is a bit on the mild side, which isn’t a bad thing because, unlike the saltier and MSG-laden variants, the  yong tau foo here doesn’t leave you feeling extremely thirsty.

Margaret Yong Tau Fu in Subang has one of the largest servings around. Not only does it have fresher produce, the fish paste stuffing is also more generous than others. I’ve always enjoyed dining here for the deliciously huge  tenggiri-stuffed yong tau foo.

Restaurant Yong Tau Foo Khong Kee is another famous destination in Petaling Jaya. Located in Taman Paramount, the restaurant’s broth may be rather bland but it has earned the reputation of being the healthier option for many. Here, the  yong tau foo is served on a plate with just a little soup on the side, but you can request for it to come in a bowl filled with hot broth if you so wish.

Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo was the place my dad brought me to all those years ago. I hear it’s been around for 60 years! The stall has been passed down from generation to generation and it’s still family run. There’s always a huge crowd here but it’s worth the wait for the  ikan parang-stuffed  yong tau foo is simply remarkable. Granted, I’m partial to this place because of the personal memories attached to it but it must be doing something right if it’s still drawing in the crowd after decades.

Family Hakka Yong Tau Foo is another family-run enterprise popular in the USJ area. You’d often see the daughter splitting her time between manning the counter and cooking in the kitchen. With its perfect texture — not too hard and not too soft — the tofu stuffed with fish paste is my usual go-to whenever I dine at this restaurat. By the way, there is a five-item minimum order here.

GETTING THERE

Puchong Batu 14 Yong Tau Fu

9, Jalan BK 2/11, Bandar Kinrara 2, Puchong, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Kinrara BK5

From the station: 200 metres

Operating hours: 10am-9.30 pm (closed on Mondays)

Margaret Yong Tau Fu

22, Persiaran Mulia, USJ14, Subang Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Wawasan

From the station: 600 metres Operating hours: 11.30am-3pm; 6-9 pm (closed on Mondays)

Restaurant Yong Tau Foo Khong Kee

22, Jalan 20/16A, Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Taman Paramount

From the station: 500 metres

Operating hours: 7.30am-3.45pm

Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo

Jalan Sultan (off Jalan Petaling), Kuala Lumpur

LRT/MRT: Pasar Seni

From the station: 150 metres

Operating hours: 8am-3pm (daily except Mondays)

Family Hakka Yong Tau Foo

11A, Jalan USJ 14, Subang Jaya, Selangor

LRT/MRT: Wawasan

From the station: 500 metres

Operating hours: 10am-3pm; 5pm-10pm.