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Foong Foong Yong Tau Foo: Ampang's iconic YTF since 1974 with crowd-favourite fried & steamed delights
On the hunt for the best halal yong tau foo in Ampang? You'll most likely be pointed straight to Yong Tau Foo Kg Pandan which I had the joy of sampling some time ago. But if you're after the non-halal variety, your search will almost always lead you to the ever-popular Foong Foong Yong Tau Foo.
A true Ampang staple, this roadside eatery has been serving loyal fans since 1974, making it something of a culinary rite of passage for many.
Naturally, due to my own faith-based dietary boundaries, I roped in a colleague to join me for a taste-testing adventure. A trusted stand-in fork, if you will.
We did, admittedly, hit a slight language mishap when chatting with the warm and ever-busy Chinese aunties once seated. Neither of us could speak Mandarin, so we took a leap of faith and simply pointed at whatever looked the most tempting on the well-worn, laminated menu sheet. Each piece was priced at RM2.20, with a standard 6% service tax added on.
We settled on two plates: one heaped with golden, crispy fried goods, and the other with the steamed variety, gently bathed in a light soy-based broth and garnished with a sprinkle of chopped Chinese leaf celery. A separate bowl of clear soup also made its way to our table as per tradition.
Let's start with the fried plate, shall we? On it: 2 pieces of beancurd, 2 dumplings, and a single fried fish ball. The condiments were pre-made sauces in plastic squeeze bottles instead of the usual in-house blends served in dipping saucers.
The dumplings were filled with mystery meat which my colleague suspected was pork, though she couldn't quite confirm. The outer skin was crisp, while the filling offered a decent flavour, with flecks of carrots mixed in. The pre-bottled chilli sauce didn't do much in the way of elevating the flavour, but the garlicky notes were a nice touch.
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As for the beancurd skin, it leaned on the tougher side, wrapped around a smooth fish paste filling that, thankfully, didn't carry any fishy aftertaste. The fried fish ball was… fine. Nothing to shout about, and in her view, the steamed version outshone it in both texture and taste.
Speaking of which — onto the steamed plate! Interestingly, my colleague didn't order the signature fish-filled red chillies, yet 2 of them appeared on the plate anyway. Happy accident or sly addition from our communication barrier earlier, we'll never know.
The fish paste remained inoffensive in flavour, but the chilli was much spicier than expected. Though to be fair, she's not known for her spice tolerance. I, unfortunately, had to sit this one out (heat definitely isn't my weakness), so I'll have to leave that judgement to her.
The steamed fish ball was more enjoyable than its fried sibling, a fact we've already established earlier. The fried tofu soaked up the broth quite nicely, rounding up our taste-test session of the day.
We almost forgot about the soup, probably because it didn't leave much of an impression. It was mild, bordering on bland, but served its purpose well enough as a palate cleanser between bites.
While not the tastiest nor the cheapest yong tau foo spot around, it's easy to see why Foong Foong Yong Tau Foo has become a family favourite over the decades. There's a certain nostalgic charm in its no-frills setup, quick service, and familiar flavours that keeps regulars coming back.
Curiously, just beside it sits another Chinese-owned yong tau foo spot: Orchard View Yong Tau Foo. One to bookmark for the next tasting trip, I'd say.
Expected damage: RM2.33 – RM24 per pax
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