"Playing with fire" is business as usual at Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow, as the lady chef dishes out plates of this classic dish that's bursting with wok-hei!
As a nation of foodies, we all know that a long queue at a food establishment is almost a sure sign that the food it's serving is delectable and has won the hearts (and stomachs) of many. Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow is a case in point. As far as I remember it, it has always had a long queue, and I typically had to queue for at least half an hour to get to my weekly char kway teow fix.
In fact, that was how I discovered this place as I walked past the nondescript, old coffeeshop in which it is housed, more than a year ago. Interestingly, no one seemed to be queuing up for anything else in this coffeeshop. And that totally piqued my interest!
As it turned out, this char kway teow is so good that eating it became habitual.
But queuing always makes me fidget, so I chose to swing by the stall this time round on a quiet afternoon on a weekend.
One plate at a time
If you've been in the queue for this char kway teow, you'll certainly notice that the dish is prepared in single portions every single time. This is unlike most other char kway teow hawkers who will fry up a huge batch of the fare every time for speed and convenience, and serve five or six portions out of it.
And the lady chef's dedication really paid off, as the result is a lip-smacking char kway teow that perfectly combines a symphony of flavours with an intense wok-hei that's consistent across every single plate over eight years, since she's taken over the business.
The only thing is, no matter how long the queue is, the chef always sticks to her modus operandi and never seems to be bothered by it. I suspect that she may be in a meditative state every time she's frying her kway teow. LOL!
But jokes aside, it's always been a pleasure for me to observe how the chef fries every plate of kway teow. The noodles and other ingredients always seem to be dancing on the extremely hot wok powered by a deft spatula, and they continuously give off smoke that's so aromatic — kudos to the Maillard reaction!
Simple ingredients, wonderful flavours
The char kway teow here is as traditional as it gets — nothing more and nothing less.
If you always need prawns in your char kway teow, then walk away, as you'll only find cockles, Chinese sausages, eggs, mung bean sprouts, and crispy pork lard with the noodles.
Simple as the ingredients may be, they all add up to make this dish a truly delicious one!
Above: Chinese sausages well seared to release their full aromas within
Above: Soft julienne fish cake that's a must-have in every char kway teow
Above: There's no such thing as too much fried eggs
Always go for the largest portion
I can't say that the char kway teow I get here is the cheapest there is. But that's because I always go for the largest portion at $6.50 each, as the glutton in me just can't get enough of it with the smaller portions.
If you happen to be in the vicinity and crave for some char kway teow, swing by the stall and brave through the queue. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And I believe that you'll eventually end up ordering the largest portion, just like me!
Locate it
Address:
Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow
Dong Cheng Eatery
59 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427783
Operating Hours:
Opens daily except Wednesdays, 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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