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| Mushrooms, Okra, Beancurd Skin |
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| Bitter gourd, Eggplant |
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| Yong Tou Fou Chicken stock, egg noodles, mushroom, okra, tofu block, tofu skin, eggplant, stuffed capsicum $10.00 |
- Select the soup; chicken stock, curry laksa or tom yum - I select chicken stock, then I can add the chilli
- Select the noodles; rice noodles, egg noodles, spinach noodles or rice vermicelli - last time I selected the vermicelli and they were a bit thin for me, so this time I chose egg noodles
- Select six pieces to go in your soup. Bok choy and mung bean noodles are added to the soup
You can add extra noodles ($2.00) and extra pieces ($1.60)
I've only been twice, but I think I've got a strategy worked out. I order my food and get a ticket number and a napkin. I then go around the back of the cooking area and get chopsticks, a spoon, a cup of tea from the urn and a small dish with whatever condiments you select, such as chilli. Finally, I have to find a seat, and during lunchtimes that is no mean feat. I've become a bit bolder and happily seek permission to sit at a table where only one person is sitting.
On a cold Melbourne day Yong Tou Fou hits the spot. The mushroom and eggplant are soft and delectable. The capsicum is crunchy and the okra is bit like that too. The tofu block stuffed with seafood is soft and slippery and the tofu skin is crisp, but I try to finish it before it sinks into the soup and gets too soft (for me anyway). Finally, I am left to grapple with slurping noodles and mopping my face with a napkin as an errant noodle or a splash of soup leaps out of my bowl.
The Grand BBQ is in a mall which is part of the Target Centre in the city. There are some typical food court tenants and some dodgy food court tenants. Grand BBQ always has a steady flow of customers.
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| Roast meats at The Grand BBQ |
If soups are not your thing, then you can order vegetables or roast meats on noodles or rice.
I was curious about the origins of Yong Tou Fou and found out that it is a Chinese dish from southern China and is found also in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. It is also spelt, yong tao foo or yong tau fu, among other variations. I cannot expand on that as my Chinese language skills are nil.
The Grand BBQ
Target Centre
236 Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Ph: 9639 7228
COOL! I have always wondered what this was and how you eat it. You know there is a yong tofu shop in Footscray called Emma's Seafood Yong Tofu (Leeds St)? I went in there a while ago but had absolutely no idea what you were meant to do with anything!
ReplyDeleteYou are sooo lucky to work in the city. I need more excuses to go there :)
Looks devine Deb!
ReplyDeleteMs B - I walked past Emma's Seafood place, but it was shut, so i'll have to check it another time.
ReplyDeleteJust use eating as your excuse to come to the city!
Anon - good food and worth repeat visits that's for sure.
That's an interesting concept! I don't think I've seen that here but I've had a version like it in Japan and it's lots of fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen it anywhere else in Melbourne, hopefully I'll see it somewhere else. I also want to try a homemade version too, using elements from Emma's Seafood (Ms B's suggestion), although every time I try and get there it is shut! One day I'll strike it lucky!
ReplyDeleteHi, Emma's a great shop. You choose the yong tau foo and pay by weight. Poached them in chicken stock gently - 15 mins, take them out, so they don't overcook and disintegrate. Add in some rice noodles and veg to poaching liquid. Serve noodles w/ yong tau foo on top. Also try their own homemade hot chilli sauce from the fridge - it's fantastic. I'm Malaysian and it's better than mum's! My husband who's Irish has it for brekky with a fried egg and baguette!!
ReplyDeleteHi anonymous, thanks for the tip on putting yong tau foo together! I've always thought a fried egg improves many dishes. Sounds delicious too!!
ReplyDelete