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The Wayang Street Char Kway Teow Man

By Catherine Ling - Monday, Oct 10, 2011

Ever wish you could be transported back to the rustic old days when Chinese opera still ruled the streets of Chinatown? Well, this platter of char kway teow might just do that, in a small way.

 

Char kway teow soaked with history

 

It’s been over 40 years, but Tan Teng Mui, 61, still fries his Teochew style kway teow the same way he did when he was at Wayang Street (formerly Eu Tong Seng Street). It was opposite Hong Lim Park, where Apollo Centre is now, that he gained fame as the Char Kway Teow Man.

 

His char kway teow is indeed old school comfort on a plate. While the flavours are not as intense, they are very well-balanced. He doesn’t go overboard with the dark sweet sauce, but uses just enough for the sweetness to complement rather than overwhelm the savoury aspects. The fragrance of garlic, crispy pork lard and fried egg simply conspire to make you go “mmm”.

 

But what makes his kway teow stand out is the freshness of the cockles (“si ham”). Unlike other hawkers who resort to packaged pre-shelled clams, he personally shucks each and every one of them. The blood of the cockles is what gives char kway teow that unique flavour, and you really can’t top freshly shucked clams for that.

 

Cockles are the very soul of this delectable dish.

 

When I visited, he was indeed patiently opening up the shells and extracting the blood red clams. His wife also helps out with this task that takes several hours a day.

 

Tan says cockles used to be a poor man’s food, but are getting expensive these days. People who ask for extra 50 cents worth of cockles may only get a few extra thrown in. That’s what is different from the Wayang Street days. “Even beansprouts (at S$1.60/kg) cost more than kway teow (S$1.30/kg) these days,” he laments.

 

Still he seems quite contented with his trade. The stall at Jalan Bukit Merah is simply manned by Tan and his wife, who have been here 24 years (since 1987) after moving from Wayang Street. The spartan coffeeshop atmosphere will not quite match the Wayang Street locale, but the food is still the highlight. And the best part is – prices are as low as $2.50.

 

 

Sheng Cheng Fried Kway Teow and Hokkien Mee 132 Jalan Bukit Merah GHK Food House Singapore 160132 Mobile: 92736195 Open daily noon to about 10pm, closed alternate Fridays