Sister Yao's Char Koay Kak

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)

Address: 96, Lorong Macalister, George Town, 11400 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RSfctBuFdffFihhJA
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

Char Koay Kak with Egg 炒粿角 (Small) = RM5.00
Kopi-O Kosong = RM1.70

No Service Charges

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.

This Michelin Rated Eatery is a Cute Humble Little Street Food Pushcart that is run by 3 Beautiful Sisters 大姐 👩‍💼💁🙋‍♀️ who inherited their Father's Life Work that started in 1963 and has been around for over 60 Years, working as hard as ever humbly serving the Locals as best as they can. 👍 They even personally serve the Dishes to Customers.

Even though it is a Food Pushcart, it is located right next to Kopitiam Seow Fong Lye. After ordering what you want, you can just go into the Kopitiam to sit down to wait. 👍 It will be served up to you when its ready for you to Comfortably enjoy your Char Koay Kak.

There weren't much Customers and Zero Queues when I was there at 7.30am on a Tuesday Morning. 🌞 The dish was served up in about 2 Mins after I ordered.

Char Koay Kak with Egg 炒粿角 (Small) = RM5.00

Char Koay Kak 炒粿角 (CKK) is a Street Food Dish that is Unique to Penang. 🇲🇾 Its very easy to just dismiss it as another Variation of Black Carrot Cake 菜头粿 (CTK) but there are actually a Few Noticeable Differences. 🤔 Really, the One Similar Thing that both Dishes share is that other than Egg, they are Both Meatless Dishes. 🤔

The Kueh used in CKK is similar to CTK type of Radish Kueh and I reckon they are probably the same. 🤔 I'm not sure if the Kueh here is Homemade but its Soft to the Bite. 😋 The Difference is that CKK Kueh Pieces are Cut in much Larger Pieces in Comparison compared to the Much Smaller Pieces in a Regular CTK.

I personally like this approach as a Larger Piece gives a Nicer 口感, more Kueh to Bite. 😋 However, a Larger Kueh also runs the Risk of tasting Too Plain if there are not enough Sauce. Not the Case here as Amount of Sauce is just right. 🍯👍 Obviously Wok Hei is also Gao Gao and every Kueh has a Nice Caramelized Wok Hei in every Bite. 🔥😋

Although there is Black Sauce, its not Fried until Super Black Black Orr Luu Luu type. 🍯👍 Its Saltish but Not Overly So. Unlike CTK, no Kicap Manis or Sweet Sauce is used. The Sauce tastes like they used Light Soy Sauce with abit of something else that I can't quite discern.  🤔 Personally I feel this Sauce has a Right Mix. Not too Sweet, Not too Salty and Very Savoury. 🍯👍

There are alot of Taugeh and Chai Poh which gives it a Nice Crunchy Texture amidst the Softness of the Kueh. 🥬😋 According to them, they only use Salty Chai Poh, not the Sweet Version. Combined with their also Saltish Black Sauce, perhaps this is why I tasted an Ever Lingering Presence of Saltiness. 🧂🤔 Char Koay Kak is Noticeably Salty compared to Cai Tao Kueh. Finally, the Eggs are all Mashed In, giving the Whole Dish a Fragrant 蛋香味. 🍳😋

When you break this Dish down to its Basic Components, it is really just Kueh, Chai Poh, Some Scallion Slices, Black Sauce and Egg. Thats it. Nothing Else. 🤔 No Meat, No Fancy Ingredients. I feel the Soul of the Dish is really the Sauce that Flavoured the Whole Thing and the Cook's Wok Hei Kungfu. ❤️

You are literally tasting her Skill when you eat Char Koay Kak. From a Culinary Standpoint, I find this a Masterpiece. ❤️ They say the Most Difficult Dish to make is a Dish that is the Simplest to Make with the Least Ingredients and this absolutely nails it. 👍 Its Amazing how they can achieve this Level of Savouriness without a Single Shred of Meat. 🚫🍖 The Whole Dish is not Overly Heavy, not Overly Light and tastes just right.

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At only RM5.00 (S$1.50) for this Michelin Awarded Char Koay Kak, it is a No Brainer to give this a try. 😅 Heck in fact I'm surprised that it only cost RM5.00 given how Famous this was. It is rare to find something thats RM5.00 even in Johor Bahru tbh. 🇲🇾🤔 And I'm not just giving this my Top Score because its Michelin Awarded. This really does taste Very Good. 😋

While I've not made Char Koay Kak before, I have made Chai Tao Kueh which is similiar and really its not a Very Difficult Dish to make. 🤔 If you think about it, both CKK and CTK are really just an Egg Omelette with Kueh. Its the Combination of How Simple the Ingredients are and How Skillfully this was Executed that really impressed me very much. 🔥👍

What Impressed me even more is when I complimented them, there were No Air of Complacency, No Haolian, just Very Humble and not just 意思意思. ❤️ Through the way they describe their work, you can tell they really are Passionate about Cooking. ❤️

Compared to how Michelin Eateries in Singapore are usually like a Big Hoohaa Parade Event, the Quiet Humbleness they displayed here is really something we Singaporeans can really learn from. 👍 If you are here in Penang, you must definitely give Char Koay Kak a Try! Two Thumbs Up, Way Up! ❤️