Serving since the 1950s, this stall is now in the hands of the 2nd generation, and until recently, was fairly under the radar. All that changed when the media came calling, citing their rendition for its delicious wok hei / breath of the wok.
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Each order is fried individually, with the chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, crunchy bean sprouts, bouncy fish cake, wispy egg, juicy blood cockles, and crisp bits of pork lard, tossed with the wide flat rice noodles and long cylindrical yellow wheat noodles.
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Carries lovely smoky savoury salty sweet flavours, and while a tad greasy, is completely satisfying. The bits of light char are so yum.
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Char Kway Teow
Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow
@ 59 Joo Chiat Place
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Hawker Ho Kian Tat serves what is usually regarded as the best version of char kway teow in Singapore, attracting long queues daily.
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The classic rendition strikes an appealing balance, with the wide flat rice noodles and long cylindrical yellow wheat noodles being moist and slippery, yet carries an even smoky char. The first fry infuses the noodles with garlic, fish sauce, and pork lard.
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The second fry has the ingredients tossed in, along with dark sweet soy sauce. Thick slices of tender fish cake and chewy dried cured pork sausage lend a satisfying bite to texture, complemented by fresh garlic chives, crisp bean sprouts, gooey egg, and plump blood cockles.
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It's nicely smoky sweet savoury salty eggy in flavour. While long, the queue moves quickly. Waiting time averages 15 minutes or so.
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Char Kway Teow
No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow
@ Zion Riverside Food Centre, 70 Zion Road #01-17
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Now in the hands of the 4th generation since its founding just after World War II, they've been consistently serving a family-recipe wet savoury sweet version of char kway teow paired with otah(!).
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Tossed with dark sweet soy sauce, gooey egg, and crisp bean sprouts, the kway teow / wide flat rice noodles and cylindrical yellow wheat noodles take on a moist slippery oily texture, with robust savoury sweet salty eggy flavour.
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Garnished with tender fish cake, crisp chye sim / chinese flowering cabbage, juicy blood cockles, and chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, the glisterning plate is a greasy yet delicious mess.
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Regulars seem to like pairing it with their SGD $1 otah grilled in banana leaf, which lends a spicy sweet kick.
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Char Kway Teow
Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food
@ Shunfu Mart, 320 Shunfu Road #02-20
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
This 40-year old heritage stall is now in the hands of the 2nd generation, still serving their signature CKT that's messy, semi-greasy, and unashamedly decadent and delicious.
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The generous large chunks of crunchy pork lard, chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, and plump blood cockles star here, no fish cake or green vegetables.
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While the bean sprouts were a little soft, the lashings of dark sweet soy sauce give this a pronounced sweet savoury salty flavour. The noodles carry a decent amount of wok hei / breath of the wok, sufficiently tasty.
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Char Kway Teow
Meng Kee Fried Kway Teow
@ Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre, 22A Havelock Road #01-07
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Named after the iconic 'Lao Fu Zi / Old Master Q' comic character, owner Tan Lee Seng carries on his late-mother's 30-year legacy, frying each plate individually.
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His style tends towards the dry non-greasy rendition, though you can request for it to be more sweet or more savoury, for which they'll adjust the amount of dark sweet soy sauce used.
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Semi-healthier as pork lard is used only on request, and there's a decent portion of crisp bean sprouts and crunchy chye sim / chinese flowering cabbage within, along with wispy egg, tender fish cake, chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, bouncy blood cockles, and white pepper.
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Serving size is rather filling, with the premium version having prawns.
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Char Kway Teow
Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow
@ Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road #01-12
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Formerly known as Katong (Peter) Fried Kway Teow Mee when it was operated by Peter Lim, this stall has been quietly serving for over 40 years (since 1980), and has its share of fans (and detractors).
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It's said that their noodles are boiled in superior old hen stock rather than water, though I fail to taste how it translated into a more flavourful dish.
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Tending towards the dry savoury version, and notably served with lime, this carries decent savoury salty sweet flavour, with just a mild smoky aroma.
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Besides the default Chinese Teochew style, they offer a Malaysian Penang style (which is the most popular), and a premium version with added prawns.
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Char Kway Teow
Tanjong Pagar Fried Kway Teow
@ Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-05
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Founded by Ng Chang Siang in 1961 and now helmed by son Ng Yeow Kiat, this is one of 2 stalls bearing the name 'Hill Street Fried Kway Teow'; no relation aside from hailing from the same defunct hawker centre - the Ng's stall was on the 1st floor, while their competitor was on the 2nd floor.
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Anthony Bourdain once commented on their rendition, saying "How can anything this ugly be this good!", with queues for their "ugly noodles" stretching up to 30 minutes during peak periods.
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They use a unique 2-stage frying process; with the first stage consisting of frying the wide flat rice noodles and long cyclindrical yellow wheat noodles with pork lard and light soy sauce, to cook it evenly.
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The second stage has the noodles flash fried with lashings of dark sweet soy sauce, crisp bean sprouts, fresh garlic chives, chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, tender fish cake, wispy egg, and juicy blood cockles.
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Tending towards the dry sweet version, this carries robust sweet savoury salty eggy flavour throughout, with a medium smoky wok hei / breath of the wok layered over. Delicious.
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Char Kway Teow
Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (Bedok)
@ Bedok South Market & Food Centre, 16 Bedok South Road #01-41
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Founded by Tan Chiang Boo in 1969 and still operated together with his wife, this is one of 2 stalls bearing the name 'Hill Street Fried Kway Teow'; no relation aside from hailing from the same defunct hawker centre - the Tan's stall was on the 2nd floor, while their competitor was on the 1st floor.
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Queues for their rendition stretch up to 30 minutes during peak periods, especially as their opening hours are limited.
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They've struck a balance in frying the wide flat rice noodles and long cyclindrical yellow wheat noodles with pork lard, light soy sauce, and dark sweet soy sauce, evenly cooked and tending towards the wet sweet version.
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Classic ingredients with crisp bean sprouts, crisp garlic chives, chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, tender fish cake, wispy egg, and juicy blood cockles. The premium version also has added deshelled prawns, fresh and juicy.
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This carries robust savoury salty sweet eggy flavour throughout, with a good smoky wok hei / breath of the wok. Yum.
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Char Kway Teow
Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (Chinatown)
@ Chinatown Complex Food Centre, 335 Smith Street #02-32
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
For over 32 years, this elderly wife-husband team of Mdm Lim Suan Eng and Mr Ong Lim Chong have been delighting customers with 2 dishes; their signature oyster omelette and char kway teow.
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With her vast experience, Mdm Lim handles the frying of the CKT, doneness can be requested (more wet or dry, more or less char), evident of her skill - I opted for the dry savoury version, which carried robust smoky savoury salty sweet flavour.
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Garnished with tender fish cake, crunchy chye sim / chinese flowering cabbage, crisp bean sprouts, wispy egg, chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, and bouncy blood cockles.
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Their home made chili, which contains fresh red chili, garlic, lime juice, and pork lard(!), offers a bright spicy savoury sour kick, shiok.
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Char Kway Teow
Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow
@ 435A Hougang Avenue 8
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
In the relatively quiet evenings, this stall attracts long queues of 45 minutes or more, all patiently waiting for hawker master Loh Kwee Leng as he masterfully fries each order, one at a time, 4 minutes per plate, as he's done since 1967.
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Expertly controlling the fire and evenly searing the kway teow / wide flat rice noodles and long cylindrical yellow wheat noodles, garnished simply with fresh plump blood cockles, crisp bean sprouts, crunchy pork lard, and gooey beaten egg.
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No fish cake or lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage here, yet the wet messy plate of oily decadent goodness carries comforting and robust smoky savoury sweet salty eggy flavours.
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Typically regarded among the best traditional renditions in Singapore.
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Char Kway Teow
Hai Kee Teochew Cha Kuay Teow
@ Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11 Market And Food Centre, 11 Telok Blangah Crescent #01-102
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Operated by Ng Chin Chye and his wife for over 2 decades, this legendary stall has a history stretching back to 1939, and still attracts queues of up to 30 minutes.
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Ng learnt the trade by watching his father and practising. To prepare for each day, up to 18kg of pork lard is deep-fried, and his blend of signature sauce is made with dark sweet soy and fish sauce.
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Frying in batches of 20 plates each time takes great strength and skill, and his mastery of fire control ensures the noodles are evenly cooked with smoky wok hei / breath of the wok.
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His version tends towards the wet and sweet side, with lots of gooey beaten egg, crisp bean sprouts, crunchy pork lard, bouncy fish cake, and plump blood cockles, combining for robust smoky sweet savoury salty eggy flavours.
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Char Kway Teow
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
@ Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street #02-17
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
This stall, founded in 1954 by Tay Soo Nam, still attracts queues for their classic rendition, a dry non-greasy sweet version of CKT.
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Each order is fried individually, heaped messily onto the plate, with the chewy lup cheong / dried cured pork sausage, crisp bean sprouts, tender fish cake, and plump blood cockles pairing well with the wide flat rice noodles and long cylindrical yellow wheat noodles.
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There isn't as much egg as elsewhere, but the robust sweet savoury salty flavours are tasty enough. Nice springy chew. Until recently, they were among the dwindling stalls with a SGD $2 option.
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Char Kway Teow
Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow
@ Tiong Bahru Market & Hawker Centre, 30 Seng Poh Road #02-11
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More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/06/best-of-singapore-hawkers-char-kway-teow.html
Level 10 Burppler · 3639 Reviews
Ivan Teh RunningMan Corporate Adult Educator. Blogger (Lifestyle, Food, Travel, Ed). L&D Futurist.