3As for yong tau foo

EATING yong tau foo can be a fun and enjoyable experience. For some, it can be a comfort food.
What may have started out as beancurd stuffed with seafood or meat paste has now evolved into something more sophisticated with more varieties to choose from.
One restaurant which focuses mainly on this humble dish is the 3A Yong Tau Foo & Cheong Fun outlet in Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya. Opened since 2003, it has since attracted a large and loyal clientele.
A second outlet, which opened in Damansara Utama in 2012, is operated by Ming Sheng Toh who helps run the family business.
According to Ming, 3A started as a manufacturing company for yong tau foo and fishball products in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.
When the original owner sold his business to Ming’s uncle and aunt in 1973, they decided to rename it 3A.
When asked about the significance of the name, he simply laughed and said: “I think my cousin got 3As for her exams and my uncle just used that as the name. Maybe, he thought it would be easy to remember.”
The restaurant’s initial menu only featured yong tau foo but eventually, more items were added to cater to customers’ demands.
Now, it serves noodles, seafood, meat and vegetable dishes along with hot and cold beverages.
The filling for the yong tau foo at 3A is made from a mixture of ikan parang (wolf herring) and Spanish mackerel fillets, minced into a fine paste.
Ming ensured that no cornstarch is added to the mixture to ensure its quality and flavour.
Among the varieties of yong tau foo at 3A are stuffed chillies, stuffed ladies’ fingers, stuffed eggplant, stuffed angle beans, stuffed different varieties of tofu, fishballs and the oh-so-pretty long beans that have been woven into baskets to hold the fish filling.
The fried yong tau foo selection is also good.
I also love the wantan, the char kuey teow and the sui kao which were crispy on the outside but soft and delicate on the inside.
Also known for its chee cheong fun, the ever-popular rice flat noodles are topped with fried shallots, sesame seeds and served with either the classic sweet sauce, curry sauce or the prawn paste sauce.
The sweet sauce and curry sauce are really good, which most of us prefer.
The prawn paste sauce reminds us of the sauce usually served with fruit rojak. It is a common, favourite sauce used for chee cheong fun up north in Penang.
Somehow, it works quite nicely though I prefer the classic sweet sauce with some chilli paste thrown in.
A succulent dish is the honey chicken which is sticky, sweet and tender.
These perfectly fried pieces of chicken coated in a sticky sweet glaze will not only have you devouring the whole lot but also licking your fingers afterwards.
The squid coated with salted egg yolk batter and fried is another winner.
The tender squid and the crispy batter add to the richness of each mouthful. Some curry leaves are thrown in for fragrance and added flavour.
The stir-fried glass noodles features generous amounts of egg, bean sprouts and prawns.
If you like fish, then check out the assam ikan pari (stingray) served with a sour spicy sauce. The fish is delicate and sweet, complemented by the spicy sauce.
The menu may not be extensive but it offers diners options besides 3A’s signature yong tou foo dishes.