Late Night Char Koay Teow in USJ10

By Adrian Lim

Since my last article, it’s been an eventful month, where we welcomed our firstborn child. Now I understand how a baby, weighing just few pounds, can turn a household upside down yet bring lots of joy and happiness.

Late one night, with the baby settled, I got my “visa” approved. I decided to grab supper at Kedai Kopi Nanking in Taipan USJ. As I strolled into this bustling coffee shop, I saw Eng Hwa, the friendly USJ 16 hardware store owner. He was wolfing down a plate of char kuey teow and shared with me that it tastes best late at night! So good that he comes multiple nights every week!

As it turns out, Uncle Tommy, the stall owner, only takes over the wok 11pm onwards. So, to taste the sifu’s cooking, one has to be a bit of a night owl. The rest of the day, his very abled helpers do the cooking.

Uncle Tommy hails from Penang, and grew up helping his parents run their corner coffee shop along Jalan Tanjung Tokong in the 1960s. He has been char kuey teow-ing in this same spot for over 2 decades.

Armed with a big fire, his well-worn wok and ingredients from Penang, Uncle Tommy skillfully ensures every strand of kuey teow is seared. He will only fry one plate at a time, keeping customers waiting. This is his secret to achieving a charred yet aromatic taste to the kuey teow. In Cantonese it’s called “wok hei”.

A plate of char kuey teow (or noodles) with prawns, sea cockles and egg goes for a modest RM6 per plate. Go for the basic char kuey teow; it’s good enough and portions are just right. Duck eggs are not on the menu.

Uncle Tommy’s stall, known as “Original Penang Char Kuey Teow”, opens daily at 10.30am and is located inside Taipan’s Nanking Coffee Shop. The address is 1, Jalan USJ 10/1D, Taipan USJ. Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hw281rdge5.

Know of any other good char kuey teow stalls around Subang Jaya? I would love to hear from the readers.

The author, Adrian Lim, is a lifelong Subang Jaya resident, calls himself a makanthon-er who enjoys trying out new food joints. Do you have suggestions of interesting food places in and around greater Subang Jaya he can review? Drop us a line at editor@sjecho.com.my. Reviews are unsolicited.