Purple Potato n Taro Crystal with Milk Came across the new Yu Yi Tong Seoi 如意糖水 during its renovation phase previously whilst passing through the Serangoon Road area — only got to know that it had since opened its doors when we had came across some posts on social media about the establishment. Occupying the ground floor of a shophouse unit located at 991 Serangoon Road, Yu Yi Tong Seoi had taken over the space which was previously tenanted out to Zero; an Italian restaurant that moved in not too long ago. As it turns out, Yu Yi Tong Seoi is a brand that is established by Boon Keng New Taste 文慶新食代 — a F&B establishment that has operated for quite some time within the Boon Keng area just a few shop units away from Yu Yi Tong Seoi that serves up mainland Chinese cuisine. Interestingly, Boon Keng New Taste also operates Old House BBQ & Bar 老屋酒馆 — yet another establishment located even further down the same road from Boon Keng New Taste that also serves up mainland Chinese cuisine which took over the former premises of Homeground Grill & Bar. Yu Yi Tong Seoi is decked in the style of a typical store serving up Chinese Tang Shui — while the interior decor can be said as a little bit more on the functional side with white walls and wooden floors paired with wooden furniture and fittings, the space is tastefully decorated with mirrors and posters depicting some streets scenes of Hong Kong whilst also showcasing some of the dishes that they have to offer. While Yu Yi Tong Seoi is an establishment run by a brand that seems to be more experienced in mainland Chinese cuisine, Yu Yi Tong Seoi feels like a mixed bag where their menu is of concern — the hot food menu seems to be more focused on serving up Malaysian-style Chinese cuisine, comprising of items like Sarawak Laksa and Nasi Lemak. The various Tang Shui that they have to offer revolves around Hong Kong-style desserts, though Taiwanese-style desserts featuring the likes of taro balls can also be found. Drinks available at Yu Yi Tong Soei includes juices, Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh and Iced Tea — just to name a few.
Since Yu Yi Tong Soei is an establishment that is seemingly centred around their dessert offerings, it is needless to say that we cannot leave the establishment without actually ordering at least one of their Tong Shui offerings to try. Amongst all of the Tong Soei offerings which they have to offer, the Purple Potato n Taro Crystal with Milk was an item that stood out to us more than the others — other dessert items which Yu Yi Tong Soei offers in their menu includes staples like the Green Bean Soup, as well as more modern styles of Tang Shui such as the Peach Gum and Tang Yuan; there are also shaved iced-based desserts such as the Red Bean Smoothie for those whom are looking for an icy treat. One thing to note is that there seems to be only one staff that is assigned to Yu Yi Tong Soei — the same lady that assists patrons with ordering is the same person whom would be preparing orders, serving orders and dealing with patrons whom are making payment; some patience would be required from patrons whom are intending to dine-in here. It is not being described on the online menu of the items which are being featured in our order of the Purple Potato n Taro Crystal with Milk, though elements which we noticed in our bowl included Taro Crystals, Taro Balls, Milk, and chunks of Sweet Potato and Taro. Overall, the dessert was pretty satiating — this was the case considering how the milk base is pretty thick and rich, though it could also be said that it could be a little bit too sweet for some. Despite so, this added much flavour to the chunks of taro and sweet potato; they were actually pretty generous with these considering how many cubes of taro and sweet potatoes we managed to find in the bowl — these added an earthy note and a firm bite, though we would have preferred to be cooked a little longer to be softer for a better texture. Meanwhile, the taro balls and taro crystals added a good chew to the dessert.
Having visited Yu Yi Tong Soei during weekend lunch service, we also had to give their selection of hot food a go. Apart from the Purple Potato n Taro Crystal with Milk, we also had the Sarawak Laksa during our visit. The Sarawak Laksa came with elements such as shredded chicken and two (2) large prawns — all of that swimming in a Sarawak Laksa broth and accompanied with thin rice vermicelli, as well as a sambal and lime that is served in a saucer by the side. One thing we really liked about the Sarawak Laksa here is the balance of the flavours; whilst some Sarawak Laksa do taste a little watered down after a while, the Sarawak Laksa from Yu Yi Tong Soei had a slight creamy touch that made one found it easy to finish the broth; the Sarawak Laksa carried an initial note that was closer towards being some form of curry without the coconut milk — that being said, adding the sambal into the Sarawak Laksa helps to ante up the flavours of the broth even further. Adding the sambal gives the Laksa broth an added note of lemongrass and a slight umami-ness that one would associate with dried crustaceans — pretty intriguing. While the Kopi did come with quite a large proportion of condensed milk on first sight, we thought the overall result came with a rather balanced sweetness. Overall, we did wish that service could be a little more pro-active; whilst the lady whom was preparing orders, serving orders and collecting payment was the only staff that was assigned to the operations at Yu Yi Tong Soei, there is another staff from Boon Keng New Taste that would come in and serve up orders which are being made from the menu of Boon Keng New Taste — we did understand from Yu Yi Tong Soei’s only staff that he was not assigned to the establishment, though we were pretty much ignored by that staff when we had made our request to make payment rather than to inform us to approach her colleague instead, which the staff from Yu Yi Tong Soei had thought that he had informed us about. Small hiccups aside, Yu Yi Tong Soei does seem to be an interesting addition to the Boon Keng neighbourhood; an establishment worth to have shot on if craving for Tang Shui in the area.
