If you want to know the success story of a Char Koay Teow stall, you should check out the stall located at a corner shop lot named Kedai Makan Teong Ah along Lebuh Cecil (Cecil Street). I had to wake up real early this morning at 5.00am just to make an effort to visit the place and have a chat with the cook, Mr. Leow, who has started frying Char Koay Teow as early as 1967. For the past 40 years, Mr. Leow has been frying along the roadside of Magazine Road before he was forced to move out due to a road expansion project. Currently, he has shifted to this new premise for more than a year.
Why is Mr, Leow’s Char Koay Teow so unique and famous that he has to open up for business so early in the morning? It’s very obvious as his Char Koay Teow and Fried Rice has been the hot favorite of many factory workers. By the time I was there at 5.40am, he had already packed more than 50 packets of Char Koay Teow and fried over 20 plates. What is so different in his style compared to some of the famous ones around? He uses almost the same ingredients as the others but there’s one hidden secret. He uses charcoal and his high heat frying skills that I could hardly take a proper shot from his hyper motions.
Another reason is that his Char Koay Teow is believed to be the cheapest within the whole of Penang Island. A plate of Char Koay Teow with an egg, three large prawns, cockles and some sliced Chinese sausage fried with some lard, bean sprouts and chopped chives cost only RM2.60. I had mine added with extra fresh prawns and it was only RM3.30. You can also opt for the Char Koay Teow fried with duck egg. It’s only RM3.
The Char Koay Teow was not oily at all and it had a banana leaf laid on the plate prior to serving. Somehow, not many Char Koay Teow stalls are applying this method nowadays although this would give that additional aroma to the noodles. On top of that, the dish had the right saltiness, spiciness and a bit of burn flavor in it.
Since the Char Koay Teow was so delicious, I was tempted to try out the Fried Rice as well even though it was a bit too heavy for such an early breakfast. The price was the same as the Char Koay Teow but instead of the ingredients stated above, he used only rice, chopped char siew (bbq pork) and fresh prawns. The Fried Rice was indeed another good experience. The dish had that unique burn flavor again with a well combined taste to my liking. Every single grain of the rice was well coated with rich flavor. This is also a must to try out.
If you would like to have many packets of takeaways, I would advise you to call him up prior to collecting. From my observation during the one hour of patronizing his Char Koay Teow stall, his handphone was like a hotline.
Searching for the Char Koay Teow stall would not be hard at all as it’s just right at the junction of the Cecil Street evening wet market (七條路巴刹). If you are coming from Jalan C.Y. Choy, it’s just right at the corner with a large signboard “Kedai Makan Teong Ah – 中亞茶室) as you turn right into Lebuh Cecil.
Name: CECIL STREET CHAR KOAY TEOW @ KEDAI MAKAN TEONG AH
Address: 246 Lebuh Cecil, 10300 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 016-485 8210 (Mr. Leow)
Opening Hours: 5.30am-10.00am (Closed Monday, 1st&15th day lunar calendar)
GPS: 5.407442, 100.329381
RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Related Posts
DINE AND WINE PROMOTION AT SOMMERZ HERITAGE BISTRO PENANG
TOP OF THE LINE BUFFET PROMOTIONS AT CAFÉ LAUREL @ EVERGREEN LAUREL HOTEL PENANG
THE FAMOUS AH LENG CHAR KOAY TEOW @ KAFE KHOON HIANG PENANG 
THE ALL NEW LA FRANCE CAFÉ & RESTAURANT IN PENANG
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH SIFU MALAI CHONG FROM CHIN BEE TEA RESTAURANT
Must try.. must try….. if I got a chance to visit Penang! 🙂
**waiting waiting waiting** You sure you can?? haha 😛
“The Char Koay Teow was not oily at all ” – this one really caught my attention! 🙂
I knew if you come in here… you would surely say that!! Haha!!
By the look, i can judge that the fried rice is very delicious. We had fried rice in City Rio Cafe which located @ corner of Bishop and King street. It is quite similar to this. And it has very nice aroma. lol Will surely go and give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
That one also not bad. If you are near that area, should give the fried rice at Kafetaria Eng Loh (green building) along Church Street (Lebuh Gereja) a try too.
hmm, now this may be a gem worth discovering. fried rice n CKT at 5 am?!!!!!!
insane i tell you. i’ll be dozing off from the carbo overload before the machineries even start to warm up! 🙂
Hmm… no wonder I was feeling tired the whole of yesterday.. haha 😛
Up at 5AM to bring us this story behind the scenes? Your hard work is much much appreciated! A bit heavy for breakfast though…. hope he stays open throughout the day??
Yea.. I told him to open until slightly later but he said he’s too old to drag until so late. Late? That’s a laugh!! 😛
🙁 close at 10am? kesian, very hard to make all the way down from batu ferringhi 😛
I understand that distance and his business hours would be rather odd for many people. But, at least you would know where to have great food at 5am in the morning if you are planning to have an early long distance traveling.
It’s quite cheap hor… even with added prawns it’s just RM 3.30
Yea.. I sure think this is the cheapest and good one on the island too.
can even see the charcoal on the CKT….maybe these are the authentic type of CKT ya!?
Yup… the “wok hei” and taste would be better if use charcoal 🙂
wow… so early??!!!
what time does uncle close his stalls??
Haha… I think you have missed out the time stated in the usual contact section, it’s 10.00am.
[…] I was still a bit full with the 5.30am Char Koay Teow breakfast, I managed to try out the second dish which was the Nasi Goreng Udang. Most stalls that I […]
Yeap, i agree absolutely. Beside being cheap, you will sure be served not long after u order ur koay teow. Remember, every monday, and every 1st and 15th of month (chinese calendar), he doesn’t sell.
Wow! You know your facts well Kim. I’m sure you are a regular to his stall. 🙂
[…] ghee for the extra crispiness. The Roti Paratha would be cut into strips (somewhat the thickness of koay teow). On the other hand, the chicken meat would be cooked in curry and then hand shredded into smaller […]
[…] get much sleep with such a humid and sweaty weather. Huh? Breakfast at 5.00am? I thought having Char Koay Teow at 4.30am was crazy enough! This hidden treasure lies right in the heart of Georgetown where […]