Char Kuey Teow

One of the popular dish from Malaysia: Char Kuey Teow. I don't feel the need for introduction :)

When I think of char kuey teow, I think of the char kuey teow I have had at a kopitiam on Heng Choon Thian Road in Butterworth. Ah Po and my Godma used to live on this same street; that's how they met, I think. Ah Po then moved to KL with my parents whereas Godma remained in Butterworth but she moved to another neighbourhood. When I was little, Ah Po traveled to Butterworth/Penang quite frequently, somewhat like once a year, and she always took me along. When we were there, we would go to Heng Choon Thian Road a lot because that's where Ah Po's mahjong kaki's were. So, we would have brunch at the kopitiam before Ah Po begins her mahjong marathon. I would almost always get the char kuey teow. The most famous char kuey teow is not from this kopitiam, but it is the best in my book.

I tried cooking char kuey teow today, although with a realistic expectation that it will not blow my mind. For whatever reason, I have always believe that this noodle can only be make really, really delicious when cooked using a hawker's (or industrial) wok and flame. Regardless, I found the recipe and a descriptive, step-by-step pictorial instructions on Rasa Malaysia. My attempt did not include the chili paste and Chinese sausage, but I did include the cockels (though they looked quite pathetic as they're cooked and frozen, and not bloody at all).

Turned out, I was really happy with my char kuey teow. It was not mind-blowing as those you would get from Malaysia's hawkers, but it was good enough to please my palate.