Monday, April 15, 2013

Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu [秀记江鱼仔酿豆腐] Winner for Singapore Hawker Yong Tau Foo Master 2012 @ Chinatown Complex Market

Ask a veteran on the whereabouts of the famous yong tau foo (YTF) stall in Chinatown and he would likely give an irritated grunt and ask "which one?". 

In the past, the only one that popped up in my mind was Yong Xiang Xing Yong Tau Foo located at People's Park Food Centre and it was only through the Great Kon that i found out the existence of an equally, if not more famous YTF at Chinatown Complex! 

The queue didn't appear to be as bad as Yong Xiang Xing but i still managed to clock in a wait of around twenty five minutes during the busy lunch hours. 

Crowned the WINNER for Singapore Hawker Yong Tau Foo Master in 2012, its key selling point lies in the soup; unlike its competitors who usually prefer yellow beans, the stock was prepared using ikan bilis (anchovies) and fish bones! 

A note for rice lovers - you can only choose between noodles and bee hoon (rice vermicelli); the rice option was sadly unavailable! A few patrons ahead of me requested for dry bee hoon and i decided to follow the flow. For better or for worse. 

Soup - two words; disappointingly bland and i am regretting my dry bee hoon request as the addition of extra ikan bilis to the soup would likely heightened its savoury level. 

Bee Hoon - it was strangely delicious and the taste was somewhat similar to a very healthy plate of stir fried bee hoon (even though boiling was the cooking mode) that ended with the satisfying crunch of those tiny anchovies. Rest assured, the ikan bilis were not as salty as one would expect them to be. 

Ingredients - everything, i repeat, everything was homemade and i especially enjoyed the fishballs (for their springy texture and solidness) and beancurd skin rolls! For those who prefer a bigger variety can consider topping up the standard ingredients with bittergourds, eggplants and even mini abalones for a nominal price! 

Chilli Sauce - the only thing i can think of was its alikeness to chicken rice chilli sauce albeit spicier and leaving a short-lived tingling sensation on my lips. Sorry, no sweet sauce! 

Between Yong Xiang Xing and Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis, my taste buds actually fancy the former.

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Location
Block 335, Smith Street , #02-87/88 
Chinatown Complex Food Centre 

Opening Hours
5.45am till 3pm [Daily]

Price
S$3 for a standard bowl* with bee hoon / noodles
S$3 for just eight pieces of YTF
*standard bowl has six pieces of YTF

Map of the Hawker Centre
With 226 food stalls vying for your attention in four different clusters, having a map would be easier for you to navigate your way [it took me ten minutes before i found the YTF stall].

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