Hock Huat Fried Kway Teow ($2.50)!
A plate of char kway teow from Hock Huat: dark, smoky fried flat noodles with cockles, lap cheong, beansprouts and egg. $2.50.
A nostalgic, bargain plate of char kway teow with BB from Hock Huat Fried Kway Teow: just $2.50. 😋
What I had:
- Char kway teow: flat rice noodles and yellow noodles fried dark, with cockles, lap cheong, beansprouts and egg
You don’t see $2.50 plates much anymore, and Hock Huat keeps the old-school pricing alive. This was a proper char kway teow: a mix of flat rice noodles and yellow noodles wok-fried over high heat in dark sweet soy, so they come out glossy, smoky and deeply savoury with that all-important wok hei char.
The classic bits were all there: little cockles adding their briny pop, slices of sweet Chinese sausage (lap cheong), crunchy beansprouts for freshness, and egg fried through to bind it all. The fragrance of the pork lard is what gives a good char kway teow its soul, and this had it.
It is rich, smoky and a touch sweet, exactly the comforting, slightly sinful plate this dish is meant to be. At $2.50, it is almost unbelievable value, and a lovely reminder that great cheap hawker food still exists.
Overall: 4.7 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Dark, smoky char kway teow with cockles and lap cheong, fantastic value at $2.50. Would re-visit.
