Ampang Yong Tau Foo

Friday lunch, and this time we knew what we wanted to eat. I was in the mood for Roti Babi at Yut Kee, Jalan Dang Wangi, so we all piled into Ecstatic Eeyore’s car to make that journey to the other side of town. As luck would have it, it was the first day of the Malaysian Mega Sale AND PC Fair @ KL Convention Centre, so a quick change of decision was made as we waited impatiently in the traffic jam on Jalan Tun Razak somewhere near KLCC where it was ALL happening.10 minutes later, thanks to the blessing called the Elevated Highway, we (and our growling stomachs) were at Ampang to eat the famous Ampang Yong Tau Foo.

Having lived in Ampang practically all his life, Ecstatic Eeyore managed to find parking easily. I did, however, notice that parking in front of the restaurant is crazy, and I wouldn’t risk it on my own.

There were a couple of options to choose from, but we decided to go to the original yong tau foo place known as Restoran Foong Foong.

I was fascinated by the system in place in the restaurant. After giving your order at the counter (just tell them how many pieces you want and what you don’t want), the person at the counter relays the order to the production line via microphone. Then the mechanism begins whereby the items are fried/prepared and passed to the next station where the food is put into the correct receptacles and subsequently presented on our table. The downside is that one can hear ALL the orders being given via the mic!

The yong tau foo selection consisted of fried sui kow, chilli, brinjal, ladies fingers, fish balls and soft beancurd. We all had our personal favourites, but the general consensus was that the fried sui kow was the best. I enjoyed the stuffed chilli which was not overpoweringly hot (pedas) and the fish paste used to stuff the yong tau foo was sufficiently salty without making you want to reach for your drink. The red and dark sauces were excellent and perfect complements to the yong tau foo.