Char Kuay Teow in Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, Johor Bahru

Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre opened in the 1970s and had its heydays in the 1980s to 1990s. Today, it is less mentioned in foodie circles, perhaps overshadowed by the numerous choices that has sprouted up all over Johor Bahru. It also has a reputation of being dinghy and overpriced.

I have not been back to the Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre for over two decades and decided to come back to rediscover my old food haunt.



My friend Jeff mentioned in Johor Yummy group about the Penang Fried Kway Teow stall in this hawker centre. I decided to let this stall (number 61) be the starting point of my rediscovery this old lady of Johor food culture.



This char kway teow stall is run by Mr. Khor who has been frying kway teow for over twenty years. Mrs. Khor helps run this busy char kway teow stall. 



Mr. Khor who is from Taiping, Perak, said he learnt the art of frying char kuay teow by observation and through years of trial and error. Judging from his regular clientele and from positive customer feedback, Mr. Khor believes that he has more or less perfected his own style of char kway teow.


Char Kway Teow for RM5

Even though the signboard says "Penang Goreng Kuay Teow", this is really Mr. Khor's own evolved creation.

Let's take a closer look at Mr. Khor's char kuay teow.



For many people, the humble see ham or cockles - just a common, inexpensive shellfish - actually holds the key to a good char kway teow.  



Mr. Khor cooks the see ham nicely - just enough to kill any harmful bacteria but not the unique taste and flavour of cockle flesh and its fluids.



Mr. Khor throws in the fresh cockles and swiftly tosses them in the hot wok only after the noodles and kway teow are already cooked.
  


The tiny shrimps are slightly better than at the average char kway teow stall. 







Mr. Khor's skilful strokes with the spatula and hot wok slightly chars the fish cake slices, taugeh (bean sprouts) and kway teow.



Mr. Khor and his wife stressed a couple of times that they use free range "kampung" chicken eggs. A more expensive option but the egg yolk and whites are denser.



The end result is a smoking plate of savoury, smokey, tender kway teow noodles with a tackier, gummier mouth feel, which I like. The moisture content of Mr. Khor's char kway teow is just right for me - it is right in middle between wet and dry.

Mr. Khor's char kway teow is not overly greasy. Mr. Khor uses vegetable oil to fry his char kuay teow. Mr. Khor said CKT tastes a lot better with lard (of course!) but customers nowadays prefer the "healthier" option. 



If you are in Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, give Mr. Khor's char kway teow a try.

Restaurant name: Penang Goreng Kuay Teow
Address: Stall 61, Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E0X3Q
GPS: 1.487056,103.768063
Hours: 3:30pm to 10:00pm (Thursdays off)
Non Halal

Date visited: 2 Aug 2013

Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre opened in the 1970s and had its heydays in the 1980s to 1990s. Today, it is less mentioned in foodie circles, perhaps overshadowed by the numerous choices that has sprouted up all over Johor Bahru. It also has a reputation of being dinghy and overpriced.

I have not been back to the Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre for over two decades and decided to come back to rediscover my old food haunt.



My friend Jeff mentioned in Johor Yummy group about the Penang Fried Kway Teow stall in this hawker centre. I decided to let this stall (number 61) be the starting point of my rediscovery this old lady of Johor food culture.



This char kway teow stall is run by Mr. Khor who has been frying kway teow for over twenty years. Mrs. Khor helps run this busy char kway teow stall. 



Mr. Khor who is from Taiping, Perak, said he learnt the art of frying char kuay teow by observation and through years of trial and error. Judging from his regular clientele and from positive customer feedback, Mr. Khor believes that he has more or less perfected his own style of char kway teow.


Char Kway Teow for RM5

Even though the signboard says "Penang Goreng Kuay Teow", this is really Mr. Khor's own evolved creation.

Let's take a closer look at Mr. Khor's char kuay teow.



For many people, the humble see ham or cockles - just a common, inexpensive shellfish - actually holds the key to a good char kway teow.  



Mr. Khor cooks the see ham nicely - just enough to kill any harmful bacteria but not the unique taste and flavour of cockle flesh and its fluids.



Mr. Khor throws in the fresh cockles and swiftly tosses them in the hot wok only after the noodles and kway teow are already cooked.
  


The tiny shrimps are slightly better than at the average char kway teow stall. 







Mr. Khor's skilful strokes with the spatula and hot wok slightly chars the fish cake slices, taugeh (bean sprouts) and kway teow.



Mr. Khor and his wife stressed a couple of times that they use free range "kampung" chicken eggs. A more expensive option but the egg yolk and whites are denser.



The end result is a smoking plate of savoury, smokey, tender kway teow noodles with a tackier, gummier mouth feel, which I like. The moisture content of Mr. Khor's char kway teow is just right for me - it is right in middle between wet and dry.

Mr. Khor's char kway teow is not overly greasy. Mr. Khor uses vegetable oil to fry his char kuay teow. Mr. Khor said CKT tastes a lot better with lard (of course!) but customers nowadays prefer the "healthier" option. 



If you are in Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, give Mr. Khor's char kway teow a try.

Restaurant name: Penang Goreng Kuay Teow
Address: Stall 61, Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E0X3Q
GPS: 1.487056,103.768063
Hours: 3:30pm to 10:00pm (Thursdays off)
Non Halal

Date visited: 2 Aug 2013

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Penang Char Kway Teow and Chai Tow Kway at 7 Baker Cafe in Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru

I have been on the constant look out for good Penang Char Kway Teow and Chai Tow Kway because there ain't many in Johor Bahru. I am so glad that my friends Edey and Marco brought me to their regular lunch hangout, 7 Baker Cafe in Taman Impian Emas, to try out their fried carrot cake or chai tow kway.



I was delighted with the mouth feel and taste of 7 Baker cafe's chai tow kway. The kway (carrot cake) was tender and each bite releases the subtle flavour of radish in the cake. At 7 Baker, the chai tow kway is fried with crunchy taugeh or bean sprouts and a savoury sauce. I have tried several other chai tow kway stalls across Johor but most were let down by the poor quality of the kway used - they were mostly stiff and tasteless as very little radish was used. 7 Baker's chai tow kway is definitely worth trying.



I chatted with Mr. Ng, the owner and asked him why is his shop named "7 Baker". Mr Ng shared that it is because "7" is his lucky number. Mr. Ng also told me that his family is originally from Penang, hence, there is a selection of traditional Penang dishes in 7 Baker's menu. As we were leaving, Mr. Ng invited us to come back soon to try his Penang char kway teow. "Our Penang char kway teow is very good" he said with visible pride.

I was so impressed with 7 Baker Cafe's chai tow kway that I returned to the cafe 2 days later, eager to try out their char kway teow.



7 Baker cafe's Penang char kway teow was indeed excellent, just as Mr. Ng had said. The kway teow was tender, not overly oily and coated with a savoury, subtly prawny sauce. The plump beansprouts were done just right and were juicy and crunchy. I am glad that I found another good fried kway teow in JB that I would recommend.



Mr. Ng said that good char kway teow has to be fried plate by plate, one at a time - there can be no short cuts. I agree with Mr. Ng wholeheartedly. As 7 Baker Cafe is run by just Mr. and Mrs. Ng, and as Mrs. Ng fries the char kway teow one plate at a time, waiting time may be a little longer during peak hours. 



We also tried 7 Baker's fried prawn mee. This dish is a unique 7 Baker Cafe creation - it is actually the usual Penang prawn mee soup but fried with the same prawny broth. Personally, I found it good though I was not bowled over. Edey enjoyed it a lot more than me because he likes the flavour of the prawny gravy :))



I must mention 7 Baker cafe's sambal chili. Made at the shop with shrimps, dried shrimps and chili, the sambal is used in all their Penang dishes. 7 Baker's sambal has just the right spiciness and a rich umami flavour from the shrimps. 7 Baker's sambal chili makes every dish better.

All these dishes, the Penang char kway teow, chai tow kway and fried prawn mee, all costs RM6 each.  

If you are a char kway teow or chai tow kway fan, I suggest giving 7 Baker a try :) 7 Baker also serves coffee and a wide range of breads and cakes which I would like to try at my next visit.



Restaurant name: 7 Baker Cafeteria
Address: 45, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/NJ1S2
GPS: 1.542545,103.687114
Hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date  visited: 10 May 2013, 13 May 2013

I have been on the constant look out for good Penang Char Kway Teow and Chai Tow Kway because there ain't many in Johor Bahru. I am so glad that my friends Edey and Marco brought me to their regular lunch hangout, 7 Baker Cafe in Taman Impian Emas, to try out their fried carrot cake or chai tow kway.



I was delighted with the mouth feel and taste of 7 Baker cafe's chai tow kway. The kway (carrot cake) was tender and each bite releases the subtle flavour of radish in the cake. At 7 Baker, the chai tow kway is fried with crunchy taugeh or bean sprouts and a savoury sauce. I have tried several other chai tow kway stalls across Johor but most were let down by the poor quality of the kway used - they were mostly stiff and tasteless as very little radish was used. 7 Baker's chai tow kway is definitely worth trying.



I chatted with Mr. Ng, the owner and asked him why is his shop named "7 Baker". Mr Ng shared that it is because "7" is his lucky number. Mr. Ng also told me that his family is originally from Penang, hence, there is a selection of traditional Penang dishes in 7 Baker's menu. As we were leaving, Mr. Ng invited us to come back soon to try his Penang char kway teow. "Our Penang char kway teow is very good" he said with visible pride.

I was so impressed with 7 Baker Cafe's chai tow kway that I returned to the cafe 2 days later, eager to try out their char kway teow.



7 Baker cafe's Penang char kway teow was indeed excellent, just as Mr. Ng had said. The kway teow was tender, not overly oily and coated with a savoury, subtly prawny sauce. The plump beansprouts were done just right and were juicy and crunchy. I am glad that I found another good fried kway teow in JB that I would recommend.



Mr. Ng said that good char kway teow has to be fried plate by plate, one at a time - there can be no short cuts. I agree with Mr. Ng wholeheartedly. As 7 Baker Cafe is run by just Mr. and Mrs. Ng, and as Mrs. Ng fries the char kway teow one plate at a time, waiting time may be a little longer during peak hours. 



We also tried 7 Baker's fried prawn mee. This dish is a unique 7 Baker Cafe creation - it is actually the usual Penang prawn mee soup but fried with the same prawny broth. Personally, I found it good though I was not bowled over. Edey enjoyed it a lot more than me because he likes the flavour of the prawny gravy :))



I must mention 7 Baker cafe's sambal chili. Made at the shop with shrimps, dried shrimps and chili, the sambal is used in all their Penang dishes. 7 Baker's sambal has just the right spiciness and a rich umami flavour from the shrimps. 7 Baker's sambal chili makes every dish better.

All these dishes, the Penang char kway teow, chai tow kway and fried prawn mee, all costs RM6 each.  

If you are a char kway teow or chai tow kway fan, I suggest giving 7 Baker a try :) 7 Baker also serves coffee and a wide range of breads and cakes which I would like to try at my next visit.



Restaurant name: 7 Baker Cafeteria
Address: 45, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/NJ1S2
GPS: 1.542545,103.687114
Hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date  visited: 10 May 2013, 13 May 2013

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Ah Heng Char Kway Teow 亞興炒粿條 in Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, Malaysia (This Shop is Closed.)

Look this plate of delicious char kway teow from Ah Heng Char Kway Teow 亞興炒粿條 in Stulang Laut.

Ah Heng's char kway teow is made with very humble and simple ingredients - just kway teow and/or yellow noodles, bean sprouts, cockles, a sliver of spring union and an egg with condiments like green chili pickle, sambal chili (if you ask for it). No fish cake, lup cheong, prawns or other frills. Has always been like that - this is Teochew char kway teow, Ah Heng proudly declares.

Ah Heng's char kway teow uses no lard and is fried with peanut oil.

 

Ah Heng wields the spatula like a magic wand that turns humble ingredients

into a mouth watering, smokey plate of char kway teow

Simple as it is, Ah Heng's char kway teow has been attracting generations of fans for nearly forty years. Ah Heng's customers include generations of students at the Foon Yew high school near by, guests from the nearby Zon hotel, day trippers from Singapore, and out of town folks who know their JB food. 

With forty years of wielding that time worn spatula and wok, Ah Heng mastered the art of turning the humble ingredients into one of the most popular char kway teow in JB.

 

The kway teow is slightly charred - I love my char kway teow this way.

 

The slightly charred bean sprouts remained plump, juicy, crunchy and sweet. Now, that's mastery :)

 

As I like my char kway teow spicy hot, I asked Ah Heng for his homemade sambal chili. I love it as the sambal was loaded with fresh ground chili, unions, and garlic.

 

Look at these plump, fresh cockles. Ah Heng buys live cockles and patiently shells them, one by one every day. On customers' special request to have their cockles medium rare, Ah Heng will just put the hot char kway teow on top of the cockles.

As Johor Kaki was car less for a few days because my car was in the workshop for repairs, I walked to Ah Heng's famous char kway teow stall from the CIQ. It was a hot day under the blistering sun but the scenery along Jalan Ibrahim Sultan was pretty and there was a constant sea breeze from the Johor Straits.

 

Ah Heng char kway teow is the corner stall in Khye Cheang kopitiam. We can see the Straits and enjoy the sea breeze from here too.

Click on the picture of the see ham to watch the excellent Fatbook 非食不可 programme featuring Ah Heng Char Kway Teow.

Restaurant name: Ah Heng Char Kway Teow 亞興炒粿條
Address: Junction of Jalan Ibrahim Sultan and Jalan Serai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/k4oHL
GPS: 1.468616,103.780438
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on alternate Weds)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 12 Sep 2012

Look this plate of delicious char kway teow from Ah Heng Char Kway Teow 亞興炒粿條 in Stulang Laut.

Ah Heng's char kway teow is made with very humble and simple ingredients - just kway teow and/or yellow noodles, bean sprouts, cockles, a sliver of spring union and an egg with condiments like green chili pickle, sambal chili (if you ask for it). No fish cake, lup cheong, prawns or other frills. Has always been like that - this is Teochew char kway teow, Ah Heng proudly declares.

Ah Heng's char kway teow uses no lard and is fried with peanut oil.

 

Ah Heng wields the spatula like a magic wand that turns humble ingredients

into a mouth watering, smokey plate of char kway teow

Simple as it is, Ah Heng's char kway teow has been attracting generations of fans for nearly forty years. Ah Heng's customers include generations of students at the Foon Yew high school near by, guests from the nearby Zon hotel, day trippers from Singapore, and out of town folks who know their JB food. 

With forty years of wielding that time worn spatula and wok, Ah Heng mastered the art of turning the humble ingredients into one of the most popular char kway teow in JB.

 

The kway teow is slightly charred - I love my char kway teow this way.

 

The slightly charred bean sprouts remained plump, juicy, crunchy and sweet. Now, that's mastery :)

 

As I like my char kway teow spicy hot, I asked Ah Heng for his homemade sambal chili. I love it as the sambal was loaded with fresh ground chili, unions, and garlic.

 

Look at these plump, fresh cockles. Ah Heng buys live cockles and patiently shells them, one by one every day. On customers' special request to have their cockles medium rare, Ah Heng will just put the hot char kway teow on top of the cockles.

As Johor Kaki was car less for a few days because my car was in the workshop for repairs, I walked to Ah Heng's famous char kway teow stall from the CIQ. It was a hot day under the blistering sun but the scenery along Jalan Ibrahim Sultan was pretty and there was a constant sea breeze from the Johor Straits.

 

Ah Heng char kway teow is the corner stall in Khye Cheang kopitiam. We can see the Straits and enjoy the sea breeze from here too.

Click on the picture of the see ham to watch the excellent Fatbook 非食不可 programme featuring Ah Heng Char Kway Teow.

Restaurant name: Ah Heng Char Kway Teow 亞興炒粿條
Address: Junction of Jalan Ibrahim Sultan and Jalan Serai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/k4oHL
GPS: 1.468616,103.780438
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on alternate Weds)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 12 Sep 2012

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Penang Fried Kway Teow @ Kim Ling 金岭 Coffee Shop in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru

My good friend from Taman Perling told me that there was a Penang char kway teow legend who used to serve his popular char kway teow in Kim Ling 金岭 coffee shop. People in Taman Perling know this Penang fried kway teow stall in Kim Ling coffee shop as the Number One in town. The char kway teow legend was so popular, he had to fry his kway teow non stop from opening at 7:00am till the stall closes at 2:00pm. I didn't have a chance to enjoy this legendary Penang char kway teow as the char kway teow legend had passed away. 

Today, this stall is still going strong with the legend's wife at the wok.

Business continued to be brisk - the wok and spatula were clanging incessantly in the background as I was enjoying my Penang fried kway teow.

Every plate of char kway teow was individually fried, no matter how busy. No cost and time saving bulk frying compromises, here.

RM4. No frills, just taste and flavour.

I don't know how this char kway teow tasted like in the legend's heydays, but I enjoyed what I had today. The kway teow was fried with a tasty delicately salty and sweet blended savoury sauce. The kway teow was soft and tender with subtle hints of fragrant charredness.

I always asked for extra bean sprouts (taugeh) with my fried kway teow, and the lady boss did a great job of frying the bean sprouts, keeping them crunchy, fresh, sweet and juicy.

The two juicy prawns were sweet and fresh enough, though somehow, I didn't get any cockles in my plate today ;P Shall remember to ask for them the next time :)

My empty plate at the end. Indulgently cleaned and not too oily, as you can see :)

Kim Ling 金岭 is a good coffee shop for people travelling in groups as there is something for everyone. There are many stalls at Kim Ling serving a wide variety of hawker fare including pork organ soup 猪杂汤, kway teow kia (kway chap), yong tau foo, vegetarian food 素食, you char kway, chicken rice, chee cheong fun, mixed vegetable rice 经济饭菜, and more. Kim Ling also has an air conditioned section for people who like having their meals in the cool J.

The hawker stalls at Kim Ling open from 7:00am to about 2:00pm. In the evening, a zhi char stall takes over.


Restaurant name: Penang Fried Kway Teow @ Kim Ling 金岭 Coffee Shop
Address: 19, Jalan Simbang, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/LhmB
GPS: 1.482709,103.681223
Hours: Hawker stalls operate from 7:00am to 2:00pm (Closed on alternate Wednesdays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 13 July 2012

My good friend from Taman Perling told me that there was a Penang char kway teow legend who used to serve his popular char kway teow in Kim Ling 金岭 coffee shop. People in Taman Perling know this Penang fried kway teow stall in Kim Ling coffee shop as the Number One in town. The char kway teow legend was so popular, he had to fry his kway teow non stop from opening at 7:00am till the stall closes at 2:00pm. I didn't have a chance to enjoy this legendary Penang char kway teow as the char kway teow legend had passed away. 

Today, this stall is still going strong with the legend's wife at the wok.

Business continued to be brisk - the wok and spatula were clanging incessantly in the background as I was enjoying my Penang fried kway teow.

Every plate of char kway teow was individually fried, no matter how busy. No cost and time saving bulk frying compromises, here.

RM4. No frills, just taste and flavour.

I don't know how this char kway teow tasted like in the legend's heydays, but I enjoyed what I had today. The kway teow was fried with a tasty delicately salty and sweet blended savoury sauce. The kway teow was soft and tender with subtle hints of fragrant charredness.

I always asked for extra bean sprouts (taugeh) with my fried kway teow, and the lady boss did a great job of frying the bean sprouts, keeping them crunchy, fresh, sweet and juicy.

The two juicy prawns were sweet and fresh enough, though somehow, I didn't get any cockles in my plate today ;P Shall remember to ask for them the next time :)

My empty plate at the end. Indulgently cleaned and not too oily, as you can see :)

Kim Ling 金岭 is a good coffee shop for people travelling in groups as there is something for everyone. There are many stalls at Kim Ling serving a wide variety of hawker fare including pork organ soup 猪杂汤, kway teow kia (kway chap), yong tau foo, vegetarian food 素食, you char kway, chicken rice, chee cheong fun, mixed vegetable rice 经济饭菜, and more. Kim Ling also has an air conditioned section for people who like having their meals in the cool J.

The hawker stalls at Kim Ling open from 7:00am to about 2:00pm. In the evening, a zhi char stall takes over.


Restaurant name: Penang Fried Kway Teow @ Kim Ling 金岭 Coffee Shop
Address: 19, Jalan Simbang, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/LhmB
GPS: 1.482709,103.681223
Hours: Hawker stalls operate from 7:00am to 2:00pm (Closed on alternate Wednesdays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 13 July 2012

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Penang Style Fried Kway Teow @ Restoran Leong Seng Huat 两成发 in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Look, isn't this fried kway teow beautiful? It looks dry but when I chewed on a tasty mouthful, it was tender and moist. It had just the right amount of oil - the oil cling to the kway teow and didn't get left at the bottom of the plate. The taugeh (bean sprouts) were fat, just like the plump see hum (fresh cockles) and shrimps.

And, this was not some staged studio shot.

It was the actual RM4 plate of fried kway teow delivered to my table on a busy Friday morning with a convivial, breakfast crowd that was flowing through fast and steady.

This Penang style fried kway teow is one of the Penang hawker fare served at Leong Seng Huat 两成发 kopitiam in Taman Perling. This famous coffee shop nicknamed "Little Penang" also offers their popular Penang Hokkien prawn mee and lor mee.

The enticing aroma of fried kway teow fills the air at the kopitiam

This coffee shop is run by young but highly dedicated entrepreneurs from Penang. Their aspirations to be successful entrepreneurs get reflected in the food they create and deliver, bringing a steady stream of satisfied customers who become fans.

Restaurant name: Restoran Leong Seng Huat 两成发

Address: Off Jalan Simbang (next to Pizza Hut), Taman Perling

Map: http://g.co/maps/nks3t

GPS: 1.483525,103.680671

Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 2 Mar 2012

Look, isn't this fried kway teow beautiful? It looks dry but when I chewed on a tasty mouthful, it was tender and moist. It had just the right amount of oil - the oil cling to the kway teow and didn't get left at the bottom of the plate. The taugeh (bean sprouts) were fat, just like the plump see hum (fresh cockles) and shrimps.

And, this was not some staged studio shot.

It was the actual RM4 plate of fried kway teow delivered to my table on a busy Friday morning with a convivial, breakfast crowd that was flowing through fast and steady.

This Penang style fried kway teow is one of the Penang hawker fare served at Leong Seng Huat 两成发 kopitiam in Taman Perling. This famous coffee shop nicknamed "Little Penang" also offers their popular Penang Hokkien prawn mee and lor mee.

The enticing aroma of fried kway teow fills the air at the kopitiam

This coffee shop is run by young but highly dedicated entrepreneurs from Penang. Their aspirations to be successful entrepreneurs get reflected in the food they create and deliver, bringing a steady stream of satisfied customers who become fans.

Restaurant name: Restoran Leong Seng Huat 两成发

Address: Off Jalan Simbang (next to Pizza Hut), Taman Perling

Map: http://g.co/maps/nks3t

GPS: 1.483525,103.680671

Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 2 Mar 2012

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