When you have a man-sized hunger, it’s only natural to think burgers, parmas and pizzas. But have you ever thought of ‘yong tau fu’? Unlikely. For the uninitiated, yong tau fu means ‘stuffed beancurd’, and can more accurately be described as floating bits in soup with noodles. The Grand Tofu in Glen Waverley is the place to try this dish.This establishment was so popular it cloned itself and recently opened up a big sister shop 300 metres up the road. It’s clean and simple with tiled floors, faux timber tables and a cringe-worthy mountain sculpture embedded in the wall. There’s also a glass cabinet showing off all the yong tau ingredients and backlit photographs of menu items.
At busy times, friendly staff will patiently walk you through the ordering process, even flagging that there’s a vegetarian soup base available. Step one: select your soup base (clear, curry or braised); secondly, choose your noodle (hokkien, egg, rice); and finally pick your floaty bits (six in total). The floating bits comprise of tofu in various guises (fried, steamed, stuffed), dumplings (won tons), fish balls and various vegetables stuffed with fish paste. In four seconds flat a waiter will deposit a massive bowl of in front of you, inspiring fear and excitement in equal measure. The chicken broth is clean, clear and full flavoured without pools of greasiness, while the spicy, laksa-ish stock is rich and moreish topped with a nest of thin, fresh silky rice noodles. Floating in the soup are enormous pieces of stuffed eggplant, springy fish balls and tofu cubes that soak up the broth like sponges. They’re tasty, but difficult to eat due to their sheer size. Getting to the bottom of your bowl can be a problem, but it’s a good problem. The other 117 mostly Malaysian dishes and drinks on offer will not disappoint and neither will the bill: you’re so full, and it’s so cheap. Kelly Eng