7 days ago
We tried Singapore's worst-rated char kway teow
It's been a while since our last dive into the 'worst-rated' series. This time, I'm bringing it back with a dish close to my heart — char kway teow. According to Google reviews, the title of Singapore's worst-rated CKT currently goes to Feng Ji Char Kway Teow at Beauty World Food Centre, sitting at a 2.5/5 star rating from 90 reviews (at the time of writing).
Beauty World is my hood, so I was surprised (maybe even slightly offended) when my colleague Aaron asked if I'd heard of the stall and its shaky reputation. I've eaten from Feng Ji a few times as a kid, thanks to my parents' weekend dabao runs. Yet, I don't recall it ever being bad, let alone the worst-rated in SG.
A quick scan of the reviews revealed 2 recurring complaints: portions too small for the S$5 price tag and a distinct lack of .
Still, it's char kway teow — one of my all-time favourite hawker dishes, and in my neighbourhood hawker centre, no less. I had to see (and taste) for myself if things had really gone downhill.
What I tried at Feng Ji Char Kway Teow
Feng Ji sells just one dish: Char Kway Teow, in S$5 and S$6 portions. I went with the S$5 version, which I received after a 15-minute wait, just enough time for me to get my usual yuan yang fix. At first glance, the portion looked noticeably small — but upon pushing the noodles toward the centre of the plate, it looked a little more respectable.
I dug into the dish, hunting for ingredients like they were gold — and unfortunately, they kind of were. It was a sparse affair here… I counted exactly 3 skinny slices of lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and 3bpieces of the quintessential CKT topping, hum (cockles).
The lap cheong was pretty decent — slightly sweet, with lightly charred edges that added a faint smokiness (ironically, more than the noodles, but I'll get to that). With only 3 meagre slices, it didn't do much to elevate the dish, so I would've loved a few more just to bulk up the bite.
As for the hum, they were briny to the point of being almost overpowering, almost as though I had accidentally swallowed a mouthful of seawater. Not exactly unpleasant if you enjoy hum, but in a dish that was otherwise mild and restrained, it stood out in a slightly jarring way.
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Now, tackling the second most common complaint in the reviews — lack of wok hei. I wish I could rebut it, but I have to agree. That signature smoky, charred aroma that gives char kway teow its addictive depth was very mild, almost nowhere to be found.
While the noodles were evenly coated in a dark soy sauce and had a pleasant sweetness to them, they lacked the richness and intensity I'd hoped for. Not bad, but not quite memorable either.
Feng Ji's version felt like it was playing it a bit too safe. It leaned on the lighter side, which could be a plus for some, but not what I'm looking for when I order char kway teow. I want grease. I want guilt. And I want to feel my arteries clogging just a little bit.
That said, it wasn't all disappointing. I especially enjoyed the bits of fried egg that had absorbed the dark soy sauce beautifully, becoming little pockets of sweet and savoury goodness that I looked forward to in every bite. It added a much-needed richness to the plate that somewhat redeemed the lack of wok hei, if even just a bit.
Final Thoughts
Seeing as to how I completely wiped out this plate, I think it's safe to say that Feng Ji Char Kway Teow isn't deserving of the 'worst-rated' title, though it doesn't do quite enough to stand out.
The portion size is suitable for those with a smaller appetite, and the flavours are decent. But it felt more like a safe, toned-down version of a dish that's meant to be bold and indulgent; the kind that requires me to down a litre of water afterwards. Sparse ingredients, mild wok hei, and a general lack of oomph hold it back.
If you're already at Beauty World Food Centre, it's not the worst choice. But I likely wouldn't make a detour for this CKT if I wasn't in the area.
Expected damage: S$5 – S$6 per pax
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