I had a late-night craving for Yong Tau Foo last night, so I went to one of the good spots in the Springleaf area. There are two competing restaurants in that area; however, one of them had already closed for the night, so I simply went to the one that was still open. Although their versions are quite similar, the taste still varies because each has its own unique recipe. The sauce is something that can’t easily be replicated—that's what makes this type of Yong Tau Foo so difficult to reproduce. Aside from the fact that it takes a lot of effort to prepare, the taste is also very complex because each ingredient has its own distinct flavor.
This was one of those nights when I felt spontaneous enough to travel far from home just to satisfy my craving for a specific dish. The main reason for this is that the dish is quite unique and very difficult to find elsewhere in the city. Although there are plenty of Yong Tau Foo stalls in food courts, most of them serve the more common variations. In contrast, this Hakka-style recipe is much rarer, with only a few restaurants offering it.
What I appreciate about restaurants that specialize in Yong Tau Foo is the extra effort they put into making each item flavorful. This makes the dish even more enjoyable because I can personally select each item I want on my plate.
But in my case, I simply let the staff pick the items and arrange them on the plate like this!
At this restaurant, the green vegetable they use is bok choy, which feels a bit odd to me since I’m used to having this dish with water spinach instead. However, thanks to the sauce, it still works well as a complement to the dish.
Overall, this Yong Tau Foo was a satisfying late-night indulgence, and I appreciated the effort put into each flavorful ingredient. While the use of bok choy was unexpected, the rich sauce tied everything together beautifully. It’s always exciting to explore different versions of familiar dishes, and this one was definitely worth the trip!
