Visit Singapore

Pronounced by Fujian in Hokkein, it literally means fried flat noodles. Stir-fried with lard, garlic, dark soy sauce, bean sprouts, kale leaves, fishcake, fresh cockles, prawns, eggs and lup cheong (Chinese sausage): as prosaic as it sounds, char kway teow inspires heartfelt devotion in Singaporean bodies. This is one of the hardest hawker dishes to cook perfectly, which is perhaps why it causes the strongest, deepest cravings! The finest renditions taste a little sweet from the seafood and sausage, a little savoury from the soy sauce, and a little smoky, because of the blistering heat of the wok. Watch the hawker as he fries everything up — if he works with utmost concentration, cooking only a small portion at a time no matter how long the queue is, you know you’re onto a winner!

Recommended

• Hai Kee Teochew Char Kway Teow
  Queues are long at peak times because the ever-smiling uncle only fries a few portions at a time for - maximum quality control - but trust us, the wait is worth it. Wok-fragrant kway teow and small, sweet cockles.
  #01-550 Commonwealth Avenue Cooked Food Centre, Block 40A Commonwealth Avenue
• Outram Park Fried Kway Teow
  This char kway teow comprises bits of deep-fried lard, so crispy that they just melt into nothingness in the mouth. Each plate is freshly fried, so the bean sprouts stay crisp. The cockles are also not overcooked.
  #02-18 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Block 53A Upper Cross Street
• Fried Kway Teow
  Classically fried, traditionally tasty. This stall is very famous and draws many regular customers.
  Stall 17, Zion Road Food Centre
• Thye Hong Fried Prawn Mee & Char Kway Teow
  Located at Newton, this stall has some zest in it.
  Stall 58, Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North. Food Republic, 4/F Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Road

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
• 3 to 4 fresh chili peppers, or to taste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 pound barbequed pork
• 2 Chinese sausages (lop cheong)
• 6 ounces peeled and deveined fresh medium shrimp
• 1 pound fresh rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the carrots and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces. Shred the cabbage. Cut the chili peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and finely chop. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Cut the barbequed pork into thin pieces. Cut the sausages on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. Steam the sausages for about 10 minutes. Soak the shrimp in lightly salted warm water for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. Remove. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and stir-fry until the onion is softened. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry unti they turn pink. Add the sausages and the barbequed pork. Stir in the cabbage. Remove and clean out the wok.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the eggs and lightly scramble. Clean out the wok.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice noodles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Push up to the sides and add the sauce in the middle. Heat to boiling, then mix in with the noodles. Add the other ingredients back in the pan. Stir in the mung bean sprouts. Cook for 30 seconds then stir in the egg. Continue cooking, adding a bit of water or chicken broth if the mixture gets too dry. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro.