Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

Food Review

Michelle Chee 2nd Jul 2018

I really enjoyed the experience of grilling my own food. Somehow grilled Yong Tau Fu is just different. They were crispy on the outside but soft inside

Old Tricycle BBQ Yong Tau Fu is a very unique dining experience. For starters, the restaurant is located in a corner of an open courtyard between two rows of shops right in the heart of Taman Desa. You’ll have no problem locating this courtyard as you can smell the delicious smoky flavours wafting up from this area. Old Tricycle shares the courtyard with a Japanese barbeque place and they both welcome a steady stream of customers daily.

Signboard of Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

The family who created the concept of grilling Yong Tau Fu over charcoal originally started their business from a push-cart in Pudu over 55 years ago. You’ll see a mural of this pushcart decorating the main wall of the shop. Yong Tau Fu is a type of Chinese dish whereby fish paste (made with fish and flour) is stuffed into pieces of vegetables or meat, and then it’s steamed, boiled in a broth or fried. Grilling is not a very common way of cooking Yong Tau Fu.

Yong tau Fu for grilling at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

The menu here is relatively limited, but you won’t be bored. The main part of the menu consists of premium pieces of Yong Tau Fu made with ingredients like asparagus, bacon and duck. Apart from these, there is the usual Yong Tau Fu of fish paste in bitter gourds brinjals, chillies, mushrooms and ladies fingers. Of course, the highlight here is the Foo Pei or fried tofu skins. Premium Yong Tau Fu pieces are about RM2.60 each but regular pieces cost only about RM1.80.

Foo Pei for the grill at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

I got a little bit of each and they came served on a large metal tray with two types of sauces, sweet plum and chilli. Some of the Yong Tau Fu were marinated in what I’m guessing is a mixture of oyster and/or soy sauce.

A large traditional charcoal stove is placed next to each table and you’ll have to grill the Yong Tau Fu pieces yourself. I started grilling the Foo Pei firsts and they turned out crispy and lovely. Be careful not to over-grill your Yong Tau Fu or else they might burn.

Brazier at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

I really enjoyed the experience of grilling my own food. Somehow grilled Yong Tau Fu is just different. They were crispy on the outside but soft inside. If you fry it, they turn out too crispy and if boiled they turn out all soft, so this was somewhere in the middle and just perfect.

Curry Sambal Chee Cheong Fun at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

If you’re worried about this place not having any carbo to fill you up, don’t fret. They also serve Chee Cheong Fun, which comes with curry sambal, curry with pork skins, sweet sauce with dried shrimp or soy sauce with fried onions. They also have bowls of rice if you so choose.

Yong Tau Fu in soup at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

I ordered some Yong Tau Fu in soup too, because I was curious about their dumplings. The Yong Tau Fu in the soup was okay, but not very outstanding compared to their grilled counterparts. All in all, the meal cost about RM 57 for two persons.

Drinks at Old Tricycle, Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo | Kuala Lumpur Best Restaurants Review 2018

Finally, I should say that I’m a big fan of the way they serve their drinks. Whatever you order ( I had iced chrysanthemum red tea and the hubby had soybean milk) comes in these giant metal cups that look like they came from a pre-Merdeka era. Even the music they played was pretty nostalgic and retro, which really suited the history buff in me.