Kudat Yong Tau Foo, Kudat

Most of the Chinese population of Sabah are of Hakka dialect. Popular dishes among the Hakkas includes Ground Tea (Hepo Lei Cha), Rice Wine Chicken, Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables (Mui Choi), Pig Trotters with Vinegar, Stir Fried Brinjals with Basil, Fried Meatballs and more. Hakka Yong Tau Foo (stuffed bean curd) is one of the most popular dishes not only in Sabah, but the whole Malaysia.

However, there are differences between the Yong Tau Foo we get in West Malaysia and the one in Sabah. The one the get in West Malaysia usually cooked in soup while the Sabah style are braised. I personally prefer the Sabah's braised type as its more flavourful. The bean curd also usually have finer texture.

One of the most popular place to try Hakka Yong Tau Foo is a nameless shop in Kudat. It is so popular that when you ask any Chinese in Kudat to lead you to good Yong Tau Foo, 99% you will ended-up in this shop. This family business has been operating more than 15 years and people usually refer to it as Tau Foo Shop. If the person you asked don't know about this shop, most probably he/she is not a local from Kudat.

Until today, they are still using the traditional way of cooking the Yong Tau Foo; using fire wood. Thus, it gives an extra taste to the gravy. This shop is not only good in their Yong Tau Foo, they also serves good stuffed egg plant and stuffed curry fried bean curd (Tau Foo Pok). The egg plant are braised until it is soft with all the flavours soaked into it. Every bites are full of flavours. The taste of the curry are just nice with the stuffed fried bean curd. One can feels the gravy flowing out from the fried bean curd with every bites.

If you like a variety, the also have other stuffed dishes like stuffed filament sticks, stuffed sausages, stuffed bean curd skin, stuffed wood fungus, egg rolls and etc. usually cooked in soup.