Hup Soon in SS3 PJ: homemade yong tau foo that's gone by afternoon

You can tell a lot about a kopitiam from who's sitting in it. When our editor walked into Restoran Hup Soon this morning, the happy surprise was a room full of older regulars, and on table after table sat a shared plate of yong tau foo in the middle. That settled the first order: six pieces of yong tau foo and a plate of chee cheong fun.

When the food arrived, the sauce and the chilli came on the side, so you add as much or as little as you like. Our editor really liked that, because you can get the balance just right. The uncle at the stall also shared why it's so popular: the fish paste in the yong tau foo is made by the stall itself. Diners on Google say much the same about this stall, describing it as freshly cooked, with a delicate fish paste that has tasted the same for years. In our editor's photos, the pieces come out golden and crisp, with stuffed chilli, tofu puffs and fried fu chuk.

The pan mee stall sits right behind the yong tau foo, and it's worth the extra order. The noodles are hand-torn, our editor found the texture very good, and a bowl with egg costs just RM10.50. It comes in a light soup with minced meat, mushrooms, greens and a generous scatter of crispy ikan bilis.

Here's the twist. Our editor came back in the afternoon, and the yong tau foo stall had already closed for the day, most likely sold out. Homemade fish paste only goes so far, so plan your visit around it.

The afternoon round still delivered. The chicken hor fun was our editor's favourite of the day: the soup is fragrant and sweet, and the prawns are big. The fried kuey teow, tossed with yellow noodles, has proper wok hei. Then there's the Indian curry rice, a stall that many Google reviewers recommend for being tasty and cheap. Our editor took about five pieces of chicken and a piece of fish, and it came to about RM14.

The stalls go beyond what our editor tried. Food writers have long singled out Hup Soon's old-school fried rice, and reviewers keep mentioning a pork noodle stall that opens later in the day, plus char kuey teow and wantan mee. Regulars describe the room itself as the kind of kopitiam they grew up with, airy and unhurried.

Our editor's verdict on Hup Soon is simple: it's a safe bet, morning or afternoon. Just come early if the yong tau foo is the reason you're here.

🍽️ What to order

• Yong tau foo with chee cheong fun, sauce and chilli on the side
• Hand-torn pan mee with egg, RM10.50
• Chicken hor fun with big prawns
• Fried kuey teow with yellow noodles, full of wok hei
• Indian curry rice, about RM14 for chicken and fish

💡 Good to know

• Come in the morning for the yong tau foo, because the stall can sell out and close by the afternoon
• The pan mee stall is right behind the yong tau foo stall
• Lunch gets busy and the yong tau foo can draw a queue, so aim for a late breakfast
• Check the opening days on this page before you go