Yong Tau Fu @ Madras Lane Yong Tau Fu, Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur

Known for cheap imitations and bustling surrounding, Petaling Street is where the old Chinatown in KL used to be. Some people still refer to it as Chinatown, but it does not feel like that anymore. Despite that, some things stay the same, which is that it has an abundance of food options.

A peek through Madras Lane

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Petaling Street would be the legendary yong tau fu stall just off the main market street. I even remember clearly when I had it for the first time which was about 20 years ago when my family moved to the Klang Valley. Its a humble institution that serves just simple fare of vegetables and tofu stuffed with fish cake. Something simple but was perfect, unlike some other stalls which they allegedly say are very famous for. 

Check out the line!

The premise is fairly simple. Firstly, you wait in line to get a bowl. Then pick and mix your favourites. Once you have your selections sorted, pass it to the staff at the end of the counter, where they will prep the meal for you and then just sit tight while waiting for your meal to come. 

Tongs are ready. 

One yong tau fu piece stands at a modest RM1.40 a pop. I feel it is still reasonable, seeing that this is at the heart of KL. My father believes otherwise, as they use to sell at RM0.80 a piece. That was about 10 years ago though, so I digress.

Happiness in a bowl? Not quite but I was very happy when this came. 

Once they are done, the yong tau fu will come in either a bowl filled with soup, or fried to golden perfection. I had a selection of both fried items and soupy treasures. A yin and yang situation. I always enjoyed the fried items as I feel that deep frying really helps the fish paste amalgamate with the veggies together. 

Golden and crunchy goodness. 

This is especially so for brinjals (or aubergine for you Americans).  As for the bean curd sticks, there is no other way in cooking it I guess. You can boil them in soup, but it can break apart. So I believe deep frying is the way to go. It also has a satisfying crunch when you bite into a good piece of deep fried bean curd skin. Then again, I like anything deep fried in any event. 

Bouncy!

The soupy items were great too. Especially the fish balls. They are home made and are ginormous. The meat was succulent and it really feels like you have bitten into the ocean. Savoury, salty and slightly sweet, this to me was an amazing piece of seafood. The bouncy texture made it fun to eat as well. The soup that came with it was also good and satisfying. It had a clean taste, probably from being infused with so much fish paste flavour throughout the day.

The back of the kitchen. Where the magic happens.

This is one of my favourite comfort foods in the city, although the vicinity itself is not that comfortable. The hawkers here are very territorial and you cannot simply sit in a place if its not their their stall. Also it is hot and humid. Not to mention the hygiene. Nonetheless, this added to the experience as it gives you a grittier side of the city, which is beyond the skyscrapers and bright lights. Many would have probably tried this already. But if you unsure as to where Madras Lane Yong Tau Fu is located, the address is as follows:

Lorong Bandar 20, Off Jalan Petaling , Kuala Lumpur