Char Kway Teow is a classic Malaysian and Singaporean noodle dish that was introduced long ago to the Southeast Asian nations by Hokkien and Teochew Chinese immigrants.
It began as a simple meal for the ordinary folks, a basic dish of rice noodles fried with lard and dark soy sauce. But it was adapted to local taste and today comes in several variations.
Today the usual ingredients for the fried flat rice noodle dish comprise of eggs, shrimps, Chinese sausage (lup cheong), garlic chives, beansprouts and blood cockles (which unfortunately we don’t get here in New Zealand).
To elevate the taste, crispy pork lard is also often used in the dish.
Today I’ll compare the two most-raved about Char Kway Teow among members of Chow Luck Club: Malaysian Noodles and Rice House and Petaling Malaysian Restaurant.
Malaysian Noodles and Rice House
57D Wolverton Street, Avondale
Tucked away in a semi-industrial part of Avondale, Malaysian Noodles and Rice House has been around for decades.
Its popularity is evident through the consistently lengthy queue and long wait times even during non-peak hours.
Not a wonder that this eatery - that looks like nothing’s been changed in the last 50 years - managed a spot in the Auckland top 100 Iconic Eats list.
Perhaps the secret lies in Chef Lai’s meticulous approach where he fries the kway teow one plate at a time.
Priced at $14.50, the char kway teow at Malaysian Noodles and Rice house is still very reasonable by today’s standards.
Although scant on the seafood ingredients, the noodles are tasty - coated with dark sauce and has plenty of wok hei flavour, smokey aroma and savoury richness. The eggs are also not overfried and comes a little creamy.
My favourite element is the pieces of crispy pork lard within - char kway teow gold as I’d call it. Eating it simultaneously with the tasty, smokey noodles is just so satisfying.
Petaling Malaysian Restaurant
248A Dominion Road, Mount Eden
Petaling Malaysian Restaurant’s char kway teow is a Chow Luck Club favourite. Not only do many Chow Luckies refer to it as “the best” in Auckland, the dish was also voted Chow Luck Club’s dish of the year for 2024.
The char kway teow at Petaling is less oily than Malaysian Noodle House, but the ingredients - from prawns to up lup cheong - are way more generous.
It comes infused with plenty of wok hei, and the juicy prawns and lup cheong gives a stronger bust of mixed flavours and texture.
Then of course, there’s also the pieces of crispy pork lard - which also comes in larger pieces here and offers a more satisfying crunch.
When compared with Malaysian Noodle House, the kway teow leaned towards a drier texture - perhaps because of the less oil used - but it still comes with a strong distinct charred flavour.
Verdict
Overall, I feel a good plate of char kway teow needs to be a little greasy with just the right balance of flavors and stir-fried masterfully to obtain the smoky wok hei.
In that aspect, I would give my vote to Chef Lai’s at Malaysian Noodle and Rice House.
I have been frequenting this eatery for over 20 years and watching the chef frying up the noodles one plate at a time is entrancing.
However, when it comes to an overall dining experience, Petaling Malaysian Restaurant trumps Malaysian Noodle House anytime - credit to the front of house service by Jenny Cheng and her staff.
But whatever the case, the char kway teow at both places are phenomenal.
