Monday, August 19, 2024

Siam Road Charcoal Char Koay Teow

Review Rating: ⭐⭐ (Recommended)

Address: 82, Jalan Siam, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8cz9tFQqhPQHLQMS9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

Disclaimer: I don't know what possessed me to queue 50 Mins for this CKT given that the thing I hate MOST is to Queue. 😅 I didn't even bother to queue for Michelin Eateries when I was in Hong Kong, yet I queued for this. 🙄 This is probably one of the Stupidest Thing I've ever done in my Life, and I promise I will never do this again. NEVER AGAIN. 🙅‍♂️

Hahaha with that Rant out of the way, lets get into the Review proper shall we? 😅

Char Koay Teow with Egg (Spicy) = RM9.00

This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Eatery. 

Located in a Dedicated Shophouse of its own, with a Residential Section on top. 🏠 I reckon the Owner probably lives here too. When I arrived here at 1.16pm on a Friday Afternoon, there was a Super Long Queue that was at least 25 People Deep. It stretches all the way into the Eatery itself. 😳

The Interior is full of people already sitting at Tables while waiting for their Friend in their Queue. 🤔 Not Airconditioned although there are Fans that thankfully made it feel (Slightly) Less Warm and Stuffy.

The Chef is a Middle Aged Man who is doing all the Cooking 👨‍🍳 and he is assisted by 2 Assistants who help him with taking orders and prepping ingredients. 🤔 Once your Queue Position is reaching near, just order what you want from the Assistant and pay her directly. Once done, it will be just 2-3 Mins more before you get your Food.
Protip: If you are a Solo Diner, don't expect to be able to sit down because all the Tables would have been taken. 🤔 I myself had expected to just stand and eat but I was very lucky that a Patron offered her Seat to me because she is still waiting for friend who is in the queue. 😄 She will probably never see this Post, but I would like to thank her for generously offering her seat to me. ❤️ Of course after I finished, I signalled for her to come reclaim her seat. 👍

🔥 Masterful Control of the Flame

The first thing you will notice is the Pile of Charcoal on the Floor next to the Chef and he will occasionally take a piece to put into the Burner with what looks like a Self-Jury Rigged Air Blower with Dedicated Manual Controls. 🌬️💨😳 While Frying the CKT, he will actually push some buttons on this Air Blower, abit like Fingering a Guitar to manually control the Fire. 🔥😳 This is quite Fascinating to see how he controls every little aspect of the Fire like this.


For people who have done cooking before, you will know that Control of your Flame/Heat is a Very Basic Fundamental Skill. 🔥 The Measured and Precise Way he controls the Flame is a Whole New Level of Control. 🔥 The Fact that he has a Custom Dedicated Air Blower that he does this shows how Beyond Serious and Dedicated he is to controlling the Exact Temperature he needs to cook his CKT. 🌬️😳

Char Koay Teow with Egg (Spicy) = RM9.00

With all that being said, how does the Actual CKT taste like? 🤔

First Bite of it was Sweetish, Salty and Savoury. 😋 It certainly has Wok Hei, but not Overly So. Sweetness, Saltiness were all just at the Right Level. 👍 The Noodles have a noticeably Stickier than usual sort of Texture for some reason. Its the Sort of CKT where after the 1st Bite, you want to keep eating more.

Also Very Fragrant due to the Presence of Pork Lard. 🐷 Chilli also very Mildly Spicy. 🌶️ I feel compared to 仁哥炒粿条 Jin Kor Char Kuey Teow that I reviewed previously, it is slightly more 重口味 but not as Heavy as Singapore Version of CKT. Again, Kicap Manis is not used in this Penang CKT.
That said, I feel it is a Very Small Plate although is just nice for 1 Person. 🍽️ There are 2 Fat Mid-Sized Prawns, 🦐 Pieces of Pork Lard, 🐷 Lup Cheong (Not alot) and all the Ingredients you'd expect from a CKT. The Cockles here are one of the Smallest I've ever seen for a CKT though. They are so Small! 🦪😅


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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At RM9.00 (S$2.70), it is definitely worth the Money because this CKT really does taste very Good although I wouldn't specifically fly to Penang just to eat this, much less queue 50 Mins for it. 😅 Although if that is what you fancy, don't let me stop you. The Precise Fire Control he does here fascinates me more than the Actual CKT itself. 🌬️😅 Self Jury-Rigging an Air Blower just to have Precise Control of the Fire is just Next Level Dedication for me. 🔥😅

No Food, No Matter How Good, is worth more than 20-30 Mins of Wait. 🙅‍♂️ I definitely can recommend this, but you must be prepared for a Long Queue. 🤔 Given that they open at 12.00pm Noon, your chances of seeing Little Queue is pretty slim.  Having said that, I do admire his Endurance. 🤔 For me, its just a 50 Mins Queue. For him, he is standing infront of a Blazing Heat 🔥 in this Crazy Hot Weather for over 6 Hours, 5 Days a Week. Can't imagine how he can tahan like this. 🔥😳

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