Hakka Legacy · Stuffed Tofu & Vegetables

Yong Tau Foo

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Diners build their own bowl by picking pieces off an open display case — tofu, chilies, okra, and bitter gourd all stuffed with fish paste — the same pick-and-choose format Hakka cooks once used to stretch a little minced fish across a lot of cheap vegetables.

Fish paste is packed into hollowed tofu, chilies, and vegetables, then boiled or simmered in a light broth with noodles, or served dry tossed in chili and sweet sauce. Chinatown's hawker centres display the stuffed pieces out front so diners can choose exactly what goes into their bowl.

Why it's made this way: Yong tau foo is a Hakka dish that migrated to Singapore with the community's settlers, and its stuffing technique was originally a way to make a little meat go a long way — a thrift that carried straight into Chinatown's self-serve hawker stalls.