Monday 24 February 2014

Heng Heng Yong Tau Fu @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Being in my hometown, I am able to try all my favourite food outlets since childhood days and this is one such outlet too. This Heng Heng Yong Tau Foo stall is located inside another restaurant called Restoran Kar Kui. It is located on Jalan Loke Yew, right beside the old Rex Theatre. Just ask any local and they would be able to guide you here.

Restaurant Kar Kui in Tanjung Malim

Restoran Kar Kui visible from the Rex Theatre
I have been eating at this stall for the past 30 years. He has become so famous that nowadays he starts his business as he likes, usually around 1930 and it closes by 2130 as his food is all sold out. Now, he has already started another stall which is manned by his son on the Ulu Bernam side of the town. When he first started, his stall operates from 1800 - 2330. I still remember that very clearly. Sometimes, even past midnight. There is usually a long crowd that comes in by around 2000 and people would be literally fighting for their food. His Yong Tau Foo is so delicious that every time a tray of items comes in, in less than 5 minutes, its sold and people just keep waiting until the next tray of their required item comes and they just pick it up.

Heng Heng Yong Tau Fu Stall

Most of the Yong Tau Fu

Us picking the food items
The unique thing about this stall is that most his fillings are pork and not fish. For example, there is no Sui Kau here but Chung Kin. Even the tofu has pork filling and not fish. And per piece of any of the items was only RM 0.90, but now the price has been upped to RM 1.00 each and sadly, the sizes have become smaller. Many years ago, this stall was manned by him, his wife and his late mother. Today, his son helps in and business is surely good for him. Loads of people come from Kuala Lumpur just to try his Yong Tau Foo.  If you come during the peak hours you would observe that customers are queuing here just to get their orders. Sometimes, it takes up to 45 minutes to get all that you want but people still do not mind because it is really good. As this is inside another restaurant which is just an old wooden structure and seating is limited and not so comfortable, most locals take away the food.

The Cutlery

Chili Paste
It took us a long wait today too and after 45 minutes, we finally got our food. Here they do not have the sweet sauce and only provide the above Chili Paste. His Chili Paste is quite good and I would rate it at 9/10 .

Our Bowl of Yong Tau Fu

Fried Chung Kin
The food items are usually served in the above soup except for the Chung Kin which is served separately. The soup here is good but honestly, it has dropped in terms of what it used to be. I have a strong feeling that he is cutting on the ingredients to save cost.  Nevertheless, I would still rate his soup at 8.5/10 .

Fried Chung Kin @ RM 1.00
There are not many places that you get Chung Kin's as most of them only serve Sui Kau. This one however, has been our all time favourites here and it disappears just like that. A good preparation that deserves a rating of 9.5/10 .

Steamed Chung Kin @ RM 1.00
The Steamed Chung Kin is equally good. It is packed with meat and the vegetables and has a very thin skin that almost dissolves in the mouth. I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Fried Tofu @ RM 1.00

This Layer of Pork At The Base
If you observe carefully, he only fries the base of the Tofu where the meat is attached. Those days, the meat was much more and covered the full base of the Tofu but not it has become much smaller. Nevertheless, the taste is still good and I would rate this at 9/10 .

Fried Fu Chok @ RM 1.00
His Fried Fu Chok is just okay. For the price of RM 1.00, I think this is too small and definitely should be sold for only half the price. I would rate this at 6/10 .

Steamed Okra @ RM 1.00
The Steamed Okra is good. It has a lot of meat in it and the Okra used is mostly quite fresh. Definitely a good preparation and I would rate this at 9.2/10 .

Fried Brinjals @ RM 1.00

Fried Brinjals @ RM 1.00
His Fried Brinjals are good too but I do not favour them as it is slightly on the oily side. I would rate this at 8.3/10 . His Bitter-gourd is better but unfortunately it was sold out today.

Steamed Chili @ RM 1.00
Once again, a good preparation that comes with a decent amount of meat. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Fish balls @ RM 1.00
This is another one of my favourite items here but sadly the size of it has shrunk over the years. For this size, it should not be sold for RM 1.00 each. Perhaps 50 cents would be just right but customers are willing to pay the price just for the good taste. Taste wise, I would rate this at 9.5/10 but would not agree on the size and price paid for it. 

On the whole, the food here is delicious and is surely worth the wait. I have heard many of my Kuala Lumpur friends mention about this Yong Tau Foo in Tanjung Malim as they have tried it through recommendations. It is definitely worth a drive from Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Malim to try this dish. However, do give him a call first to check if the stall is open and make sure you turn up early to avoid disappointments.

Address: Jalan Loke Yew, (beside Old Rex Theatre)
                  35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1930 - 2130

Telephone: +6012 272 1401

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