The elusive Penang Char Kway Teow (trans: Fried Rice Noodles) has legions of die hard fans who spend their whole lives looking for the ultimate version. My father is one of those, and the difficulty of this dish is outlined by the most common reaction I see – that of disappointment.
From the dilemma of adding cockles and chinese sausage or not, to witnessing incredibly passionate debates over which stall cooks the best Char Kway Teow, I’ve never came across another dish this controversial in Malaysian cuisine.
The Macalister Road’s Sisters (Jie Mei) Char Kway Teow not only has plenty who swear by its goodness, but also plenty who swear against it. If time is on our side, we would have done a Char Kway Teow tasting special but we have to make do with just this one.
While I’m not even close to the Char Kway Teow connoisseur my father is, this version is definitely top class - with just the right amount of chilli, soy sauce, bean sprouts and a whiff of wok hei (trans: Wok Smell – hard to describe).
Singaporeans might find this light soy sauce version not as sweet. And from what Marianne could taste before the chilli overwhelmed her after the third spoonful, it is still outstanding.
Must try!
