Nestled in the corner alley of the red zone in Smith Street Chinatown Hawker Centre is this much talked about Cantonese Zi Char eatery. In fact you need to pre order. Or reserve by phone and whatsapp, what you intended to eat, and how many to feed. Given I fame, I whatsapp ahead and ordered 4 dishes. Mostly what had been publicised as must try, after all its wasn't a Monday and Fried Fish Head Bee Hoon or Fish Head Soup are both unavailable. So we had the much talked about Coined Tofu, Braised Fish Head, Sweet and Sour Pork and Ginger Pork Liver. At the appointed time, the stall looked like they weren't ready for business. But no, they operate as such, signage not turned on, and they will direct you to appointed tables. They only serve the row in front of them, and they do not serve walk-ins. And they do not serve anywhere else so if you want to eat their offerings, you have to sit at their appointed tables set up for you. Also they only have red cut chillies in soy sauce. No other condiments. Alright lets dig in after a 10 minutes wait, the four ordered dishes serve up one by one. The Braised fish head comes in thick pieces with lots of meat. The fish is Flavourful and fresh but we find the sauce a little too salty. Perfect if you're having rice. But a tat salty on its own. Sweet and sour pork on the other hand, is probably one of the best we ever had. Crunchy yet we taste the flavourful pork with bite, unlike many places you are practically eating starchy, sweetened batter with chewy bits inside supposedly meat. It doesn't look as appealing, as probably you get real ketchup rather than sweetened starchy sauce. Coin Tofu on the other hand, the home made daily tofu is fresh and soft, the fried outer crust after frying in the golden sauce is no longer anything near crispy but a spongy sensation. The sauce reminds me of old school hor fun with plenty of wok hei. If you like spongy and soft tofu with wok hei sauce then this is for you. Lastly the thick liver slices with ginger and scallion is cooked just right, nice bite texture and the ginger, scallion adds bite and crunchy texture. Only gripe is the dish could have used more Chinese wine for flavour. On the whole a four star hawker zi char dining experience at superb value. Dishes starts from $5 and most dishes range around the $10 to $15 for small to medium plates
Good zhichar place to go to. Very homecooked kind of dishes. Ordered 4 dishes comprising of mui heung chicken, fried slice pork liver, kailan fried with fish slices & fried sliced beef. Plus 4 bowls of rice, total cost $72.40 shared by 5 persons.
Definitely will go back again , yummmy
Back again on 14 Aug 23 to try their muifan and golden coin tofu, both are great dishes worth recommending.
Kailan with liver , well seasoned and appetising
Sweet and sour pork is a cheerful dish
So far the best authentic home cooked style Cantonese cuisine. Yummy 😋 max!
6 medium dishes for 5 pax, total $93.
Forgot to take pic of sweet & sour pork.
Better to call up & make booking for your dishes as they sell out daily.
Beef Hor Fun
Prawn Omelette
Coin Tofu
Steamed Chicken with Salted Fish
Sweet & Sour Pork
Bean Paste Sliced Fish with Kai Lan
S$119
Decided to try traditional Cantonese food today, as recommended by my colleague. This place seems very popular as many sites recommended the dishes that are sold here.
The beef hor fun had a strong wok hei taste and the beef was tender! Though ingredients were definitely fresh (saw them slicing the beef), I felt like the beef was not marinated enough. The hor fun, to me, was to a point of being slightly burnt (like bitter) which I think is beyond a regular wok hei already.
Coin Tofu was one of the dishes that was highly recommended. The egg tofu is hand pressed by them which and was very soft. However I felt that the sauce was a tad bit too salty. I think this is where hot plate egg tofu got its inspiration from.
Next is the steamed chicken with salted fish. Personally I felt that the salted fish was too overpowering. It was my least favourite of all. The chicken itself was alright, as it was tender and not dry, but generally didn't like the flavour.
Sweet and sour pork is apparently made to order as well. It is different from the rest as this doesn't have the crispy bits to it. It also has a bit of a BBQ taste(?) mixed in it - not just a regular sweet and sour pork. The meat is also tender. But my main gripe about this is that the marinade didn't seep into the meat. It is really just pork and sauce for me.
My favourite two dishes has to be the sliced fished with kailan and in second place, is the prawn omelette. The fish was in thick slices of fresh cut fish and the kailan was perfectly cooked. The bean paste sauce really paired very well with the fish slices, though a little salty. The prawn Omelette was also good! Big and juicy fresh prawns fried with egg and spring onions. The onions will give that extra OOMPH with the eggs. I think the only thing missing is a little garlic.
Overall, what I like about this place is that the meat here is really fresh and made to order. To me the must order is the fish slice with kailan. The prawn omelette is also not bad, though not mindblowing
Yuet Loy Cooked Food is an absolute gem of a restaurant that serves authentic, Cantonese home-style cooking at its finest. The menu is packed with delicious options, but the standout dish is the handmade tofu, its texture truly exceptional. The silken tofu is silky smooth and delicate, practically melting in your mouth with each bite. It's a perfect complement to the bold and savory salted fish sauce it's served with. The texture of the dish is also enhanced by the addition of beansprouts, adding an extra layer of complexity and depth to the dish. The texture of the dish is truly a symphony of different textures and flavors, from the tender and delicate tofu, to the savory and umami-rich sauce and the crunchy vegetables that complement it perfectly. It's a dish that is sure to delight the senses of any gourmet food lover.
It's clear that the restaurant takes great pride in its food and it shows in every dish. I would be hard-pressed to find a better Cantonese restaurant in the area. If you are not a fan of Cantonese food, this will change your mind about it. Anything less than five stars is simply not an option here. This is the alpha and the omega of authentic, homely Cantonese food. Come before 12 to avoid disappointment as the restaurant can get quite busy, but trust me, it's worth the wait. This is Cantonese food at its best
A must try even amidst the many great stalls here.
I was the first customer on a Sunday evening and didn't wait too long.
Look for the lady boss if you're planning to order.
Service was great. There was a sudden downpour right after I ordered, and the lady boss helped me to find a table that was not affected by the rain.
As others have mentioned, the coin tofu is a must try. The tofu is already great in its own, the beansprouts are fantastic as well sweet and still crunchy. Don't miss out on the sauce too.
Liver is great. Cooked just right without any unpleasant aftertaste.
Saw raving reviews for this cantonese zi char amongst the other zi char stalls in this same hawker. Brought my family to try most of the dishes including the tofu coins that everyone raved about.
I think it was normal but pricy for its amount. The liver dish was cooked just nicely. They only have rice dishes mostly, horfun or noodles options always sold out.
I would give it a 3.5/5 stars for food taste and pricing 1/5 stars as its quite pricy for a small amount.
Will return only for their fish kailan dish.