Char Kway Teow

When I once lived in Toa Payoh, the old man at the corner coffee shop at Blk 66 fried probably the best "Char Kway Teow" of all time. Some fried kway teow (flat rice noodle) are done too wet and others too dry so you have different people with varying taste buds saying I like this but not that. One man's meat is another man's poison. One day, this old man's stall was closed permanently. Later, I learned that he passed away after an illness. Life was never the same again.

A cousin who used to live at North Boat Quay introduced me to his char kway teow push cart man on the street below here he lived. It was good but never the same. Well, at least the houses at Boat Quay and the smell from the go-downs below and the Singapore River were interesting. Okay, the river smell then was actually bad.

The luxury of our time was a few friends and I would venture to Capitol Theatre for movies once in a while. Most English movies were screened at Capitol, Cathay, Lido or Orchard. Capitol was very good because we can walk around Peninsula and buy some cheaper stuffs than those at Orchard Road and there were great food just behind Capitol. Chief among them was the Char Kway Teow who later moved to Hill Street and now in Bedok. It was definitely one of the best but I haven't had the time to have an opportunity to revisit it.

Some folks I spoke to like the one that was formerly at an old coffee shop at Newton who later moved to Serangoon Gardens. This was a drier version but with squids added and so on. There is one at Marine Parade that is the purest fried kway teow because they use only kway teow (no yellow noodle), a little wet, you could taste the garlic and pretty good with the lard.

When I started work at Cecil Street I discovered the one at Lau Pa Sat was very good but I have no idea now where they are located. If you are looking for another very good albeit wetter version go for the one at Hong Lim/Fook Hai. It is one of the best out there not forgetting Lai Heng originally from Lake View now relocated at Shun Fu and with another stall at Buangkok (coffeeshop neara MRT). The boss is frequently here so order it when you see him when he is cooking.

So why was that old man's char kway teow at Toa Payoh once upon a time so great? Ditto for the rest of them currently? Firstly, the timing of frying the kway teow and the yellow noodles with a great wok fire so as to emit the wok's breath called "Wok Hei". A good char kway teow must also come with "tow gay" or bean sprouts that are fresh and turgid. Turgidity is very improtant for beansprout.

Next the lard. We literally 吃 力 "chiak lat" or "chia lard" in Singlish which means "eating away your strength"  since "chia or chiak" is to eat or take and "lat or lard" is your energy, strength or ability" hence is something very bad or terrible or troublesome. You see Singlish is very powerful. Cannot meh? can be an innocent question or a challenge. Ok, back to the lard, well-made good lard makes a difference and I watched the old man since young meticulously chopped and fry the lard and his cut were almost in uniform sizes.

Fresh cockles are an important ingredient. There are two dishes that always need cockles - laksa and freid kway teow. They must know when to throw in the cockles as timing is everything. Some folks do not like bloody cockles so when it is thrown in just when the dish is about to be out of the wok and onto the plate it gives a perfect texture.

All fried kway teow will be wimpy if you do not have a good chilli fried with it. Usually I'll ask for more chilli. It should be somewhat fiery. All these adds to a perfect char kway teow. Most dishes are best eaten fresh and hot and on the spot but this is best eaten on the spot. So a friend suggested going to Blk 22 Beo Crescent for the fried kway teow. It is a small old coffee shop.

Tucked away in a small corner to the left there is this char kway teow. We were early, just before 12pm. No queue. 

This was how it looks with more chilli. Do you think the bean sprouts were turgid? Yes sir! The cockles were fresh and just the right amount of sweet sauce, a few slices of chinese sausages but it was the chilli that really won me over.

It is different from all the rest I have mentioned above and has some resemblance to the old man in my old neighbourhood but just a bit drier. 

It was simply excellent. Sinful as it is, take it once in awhile to remind yourself that you are still alive. You are not perfect. Just don't get hooked. Go check it out at your own risk but I like! Don't be greedy, just have one.

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