PETALING JAYA, May 18 — With char kway teow, it's all about balance. It needs to have wok hei but not be burnt.
There must be flavour driven though each strand of rice flour noodles. Then you need to have ingredients such as prawns and cockles to uplift the taste of the whole plate.
The stall is run by an elderly couple and their char kway teow has a devoted following mainly from the neighbourhood. The husband is the one taking the orders while the wife rules the wok with her frying skills.
What they excel in is frying a more balanced tasting char kway teow with wok hei. It's the type where the seasoning doesn't leave a lingering aftertaste in the mouth, making you search for copious cups of Chinese tea after eating.
I also appreciate how it's less greasy. For me, this is the type I can eat more often and feel less guilty.
A word of warning though to those who prefer stronger flavours as this plate of char kway teow may not be ideal for you.
I also like the smoky flavours from the fried noodles. They're distinctively there but not burnt like they scraped the wok when frying. You can also order the flat rice noodles or a mix with yellow noodles, for a textural contrast.
I like to load up my order for char kway teow here with an additional order of sea prawns for RM13 and duck eggs. The sea prawns are well fried with caramelised edges and add a nice, sweet element to the fried noodles.
If you love cockles, they also offer that add-on option for RM14. I tried the spicy version with cockles and found it rather mild tasting. It was a tad wetter too so I'll stick to the non spicy version the next time.
And if you're feeling super indulgent, there's the prawns and cockles version for RM18. If you're just fine with the normal version with chicken egg, it's RM7. The duck egg version is RM9.
During the pandemic, the couple took time off and only recently resumed business.
If you're driving in from Jalan SS26/2, the stall is right at the end of the food court.
Char Kway Teow Stall, Stall No. 26, Mayang Oasis Food Court, Jalan SS26/9. Open: 9am to 2pm. Closed on Tuesday and Friday.
