Cover image source: goodyfeed
Hey Steemit!
I didn't really have content for the other contests this week so it's noodles again I suppose! It's no problem though, since noodles are my second go-to food whenever I can't decide what to eat.
Anyway, the dish I want to share today is a local favourite in Singapore, called Char kway teow (or 炒粿條 chǎo guǒ tiáo)!
Source: asiaone
Literally "stir-fried rice cake strips", char kway teow is made from rice noodles (河粉 hé fěn) or kway teow (粿條 guǒ tiáo) of approximately 1 cm in width, stir-fried over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, chilli, a small quantity of shrimp paste chili, whole prawns, cockles without shells, chopped Chinese chives, slices of Chinese sausage, fishcake and bean sprouts. Char kway teow is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat, with crisp croutons of pork lard.
Interestingly enough, there are actually different kinds of char kway teow! The dish is popular in Southeast Asia, notably Malaysia and Singapore, but a famous variant of the dish is from the second smallest Malaysian state; Penang!
Aptly known as Penang Char Kway Teow, you'll notice that it's quite different compared to the Singapore version. The noodles used in the Penang version is flat instead of round and the sauce is considerably lighter. But it's still yummy all the same!
Source: thedeadcoachroach.blogspot.com
My favourite place to get Penang char kway teow is definitely from Malaysia Chiak! It's a very special food court where you can enjoy a range of authentic traditional Malaysian street hawker fare, specially curated to serve up all-time favourite Malaysian hawker delights.
One of the unique aspects of Malaysia Chiak! (besides having stalls only selling authentic Malaysian hawker food), is the decor! When you step in it's like you're instantly transported to the streets of Malaysia.
Source: pinterest
The stalls are reminiscent of old pushcarts from the 1960s, and the tables and chairs resemble those in old coffee shops. Every time I enter a Malaysia Chiak! it's like I travelled back in time (but thankfully there's air conditioning 😆).
Source: sethlui.com
Anyway, one of my favourite stalls is the one that sells Char Kway Teow:
It doesn't take too long to cook, but there can sometimes be long queues especially during lunch time because it's so good!
It's hard to describe the differences in taste between the Penang char kway teow and Singapore char kway teow, but I think I personally like the Penang one better. I find the Singapore version a little sweet sometimes, perhaps due to the Chinese sausage or sweet sauce. But the Penang one is savoury, a little spicy, and really yummy!
Nowadays, char kway teow is notorious for being quite unhealthy due to the high saturated fat content. But I read that when this dish was first invented, it was mainly served to labourers. The high fat content and low cost of the dish made it attractive to these people as it was a cheap source of energy and nutrients. How cool!
If you're nearby a Malaysia Chiak! or Malaysia Boleh!, definitely check it out because there are all sorts of yummy food there; you'll be spoilt for choice!
Thanks for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Restaurant Information
Malaysia Chiak!
1 Bukit Batok Central Link, Singapore 658713
This post participated in the Tasteem contest All about noodles
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