Pretty special Yong Tau Foo at Jason's
Food heritage will and must evolve, otherwise we would still be cooling off with coconut ice potong instead of Mao Shan Wang durian gelato or buah keluak caramel ice cream (from Candlenut restaurant).
Hawkers have been using fish paste in yong tau foo because many do not want pork. Moreover, fish paste has natural "glue" that sticks well to the tofu.
Try Jason Niang Dou Fu's claypot chye poh (preserved radish) yong tau foo and you may forget all the fuss over fish vs pork in authentic yong tau foo.
Mr Jason Ng, whose family is in the street food business, extended to operating his own yong tau foo outlets instead of supplying ingredients.
"My customers are okay with it," he claims. He now has five foodcourt outlets and this, his first foray into a café version, I believe will make waves.
To begin with, there are 50 items to choose from, including ingredients like cabbage parcels with crab sticks and otah pieces. There is also a freshly-fried tempura-style stuffed eggplant.
DELIGHTFUL
The chye poh sauce version was the first I tore into. You pick your items and some are refried for texture and flavour before the chye poh sauce - made with the sweet version of pickled radish and cooked in a salty sauce - is slathered on.
The sweet-saltiness was delightful. I recommend having it with white rice, instead of yam rice.
The satay bee hoon yong tau foo, I believe, is a first in the world - not just Singapore. The satay sauce is not overly spicy, like a light version of the Teochew-style satay bee hoon.
Another popular dish is the laksa - it is rich with bits of dried shrimp.
The stall also offers chee cheong fun apart from the usual fare of noodles and rice.
This is one of the well-thought-out "new school" yong tau foo items.
Kudos to Mr Ng for offering freshly blended juices and coffee.
Overbearingly friendly Teochew and Cantonese aunties and uncles are the wait staff and cooks. It is a sight and experience I will definitely recommend.
Jason Niang Dou Fu
321, Beach Road
10am to 8pm daily, closed on Sundays but will open specially for TNP readers today
Makansutra, founded by KF Seetoh, is a company that celebrates Asian food culture and lifestyle. It publishes food guides in and around the region, produces a food series, develops interactive mobile content and services, operates foodcourts and eateries, organises food tours and events, and consults on culinary concepts.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
