25-07-2025
Ah Seong Fried Keow Teow, previously from Restoran Hong Joo, is now at 92 Fatt Kee Kopitiam, PJ Old Town
PETALING JAYA, July 25 — Each time I think of char kway teow, I often wonder what makes this simple dish so magical to its avid fans, so much so that they're willing to patiently wait for a freshly fried plate.
Everyone judges it differently but essentially it's a collective of textures as it's fried up in a searing hot wok, where slippery, charred rice noodles tumble with crunchy bean sprouts, juicy prawns, barely cooked cockles, creamy duck egg and chives.
This stall in PJ Old Town, a favourite of many since 1988, meets the brief, making it one of my go-to places when the craving for char kway teow in me strikes.
Mixing flat rice noodles with yellow noodles gives different textures to your plate of 'char kway teow'. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Friendly Tee Yoon Seong is a master of the wok, getting the textures right including the all- important cockles.
At most stalls, it's an afterthought, usually tiny specimens that are bought frozen and cooked to a dismal, rubbery state.
Cockles are celebrated here, each one painstakingly shucked and thrown in at the last minute to prevent it from being overcooked.
The flavour differs for cockles when eaten fried in noodles compared to those swimming in curry broth, as the fishiness and blood smell dissipates with that slight touch of heat, infusing the noodles with a fragrance.
Tee Yoon Seong has been frying since 1988 around the PJ Old Town area. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
I tested Tee's skills two ways, firstly with the old fashioned method of dumping the cockles on top, where one buries them inside the hot fried noodles, lightly cooking it with the residual heat before eating.
The second way was just the usual cooking style, where it's fried with the noodles and Tee aces it as the cockles are still plump and lightly cooked..
Unlike other places that tend to offer cockles that are extremely fishy, these had a milder flavour, making it more palatable for those with sensitive tastebuds.
Since many diners added a fried egg too, I followed suit and it's perfectly cooked with the edges crisped up and a runny yolk that spills out its goldenness on my fried noodles with a prod of the chopsticks.
On the tongue, the noodles don't give you a greasy, over salted aftertaste which makes one look for a cup of coffee.
Even the chilli paste and the super smokiness or wok hei are restrained.
It's probably his way of adapting to the surrounding community of older folks that reside in PJ Old Town who have followed him from his previous place at Restoran Hong Joo to here.
The coffee shop in Section 2 also houses a popular 'pan mee' stall and one can cool down with their pumpkin barley drink. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
This coffee shop, near the Jalan Penchala food court, once housed many other stalls like the State Kuey Teow Thng and Hema's Kitchen for Indian food.
Nowadays, State Kuey Teow Thng is located at Restoran Hai Keng in Section 14 and Hema's Kitchen's owners are in the midst of migrating overseas.
In their absence, Tee is drawing the crowd here with his char kway teow, together with this other popular Lu Cai Ying hand pulled pan mee.
The regular portion is RM8.50, the large portion is RM9.50, without egg. Add an egg for an extra 50 sen or a duck egg for an extra RM1.
Outside various banners proclaim what stalls can be found inside the coffee shop to entice you inside. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Ah Seong Fried Keow Teow,
92 Fatt Kee Kopitiam,
13, Jalan 2/27,
Petaling Jaya Old Town, Petaling Jaya.
Open:7am to 2pm. Closed on Monday.
Tel: 016-2936839/019-2929688.
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
