Updated 16th April 2022.
Char kuey teow (CKT) or fried kuey teow is one of the most sinful artery-clogging dishes I’ve ever come across in my life. Those who have tried this fried flat noodle dish will have to agree with me. BUT you will also have to acknowledge when done right, char kuey teow is one of the most delicious food out there. It’s rustic, full of wok hei and heavenly. This is why char kuey teow remain one of my favorite food since childhood.
Many months back I chanced upon this article by Kuali @ thestar.com.my regarding my beloved char kuey teow stall. Today, I want to pay my personal tribute to the char kuey teow stall which I basically grew up with.
Here’s my story…
I must be a very lucky person because this char kuey teow stall which I frequented when I was very young is still standing today! The stall is simply known as Melawis Char Kuey Teow due to its location in a residential area in Melawis, Klang. The stall used to be located at a corner shop lot – an open area with wooden benches and tables under a large tree. There are times when I had to fight my seat with those giant red ants that inhabit the tree. LOL
You need high heat to achieve wok hei so this is what the uncle CKT is doing. Notice the flaming red wok?
I spent lots of my childhood dinner there. There was no such thing as unhealthy food or cholesterol level thingy during that time. It’s also the place where I meet my school friends and relatives. So that was sort of like a gathering place for me. Today, the stall is located two shops away from its former location. While the char kuey teow still tastes the same, the customers are lesser now. I guess people are into healthier living? and surely because there are lots of food options nowadays.
I kept telling the uncle to look here and he kept saying “Aiyah paiseh” (I’m embarrassed)
In action…
Blurry photos of this 70+ years old uncle. He’s still so active and fast.
Finally, he stood really still for me. Thank you, uncle!
Now I want to know your secret to looking young. I thought he was in his 50s. 😛
A packet of Melawis CKT is RM3.70. I usually ask for sunny side up as well.
The uncle told me when he just started, his CKT only cost RM0.20-RM0.30.
My mom frequented this Melawis char kuey teow even before I was born and that was over 3 decades ago. She even had CKT when she was pregnant with me. No wonder I love CKT so much!!!
I usually tapau (packed/takeaway) CKT home. This sinful CKT has the right amount of everything… chives, bean sprouts, fried egg, cockles (I skip this though), seasoning, wok hei and most importantly generous amount of YUMMY chu yau char (crispy pork lard/pork cracklings)!
Do you want to know why I usually eat the CKT at home?
THIS!!! Though the Melawis CKT is super delicious on its own, I have 2 secret ingredients to make it even yummier. You’ll need: Chili sauce (Lingham sauce or any chili sauce will do) and pepper. Trust me, you’ll thank me for years to come. It’s been our (sis and me) routine for many years now.
I still remember whenever I order 3 packets of different noodles to go (kuey teow, mee and kuey teow mee), the uncle will nag non-stop because he said ‘mah fun’ (troublesome) because he would need to cook three times. The plate he used to serve us long ago is the same kind that I used for this Chinese dumpling recipe (first photo).
In its heyday, the place is packed to the brim, especially on weekend nights. Although its glory days have passed, Melawis Char Kuey Teow is still standing proudly serving patrons like myself. It’s a place I go to whenever I need to spoil myself with a dose of my childhood. 🙂
February 2022:
After seeing yet another published article dedicated to this Melawis CKT uncle, I finally found the answer to his disappearance a couple of years back. His shop was closed for a period of time and I thought he had stopped cooking CKT forever. Right after my mom told me about this article, we tapaued his CKT the very next day. I can’t tell you how ecstatic we all were when we found he’s still cooking up plates after plates of CKT. Thank you uncle for continuing your passion and serving up nostalgia to Pasanglang and beyond.
Address:
Melawis Char Kuey Teow
Jalan Lintang Gangsa,
Taman Melawis,
41100 Klang,
Selangor
Tel: 016-288 0530
Business hours: 9am-3pm daily except Sunday.
Business hours: 11am-5pm daily except Sunday.
Note: Go earlier because he closes early sometime.
GPS coordinate: N 03 02.618, E 101 26.187
Map:
View Melawis Char Kuey Teow in a larger map
2 Comments
Horribly sinful but utterly delicious! Yummy! Oh I also like CKT with a good chili sauce!! But I didn’t know about the pepper!
With chili sauce is only half the umph. Need pepper to make it complete. 🙂
I prefer white pepper but test it with black pepper to see which one you like better.