302 Newton Char Kway Teow: 40 years and still going strong! Serangoon Way Food Centre
The Stall is closed. The old man has retired.
Now this was a very fun blog entry to write.
Our group of makankakis visited Serangoon Way Food centre and carnineviand told me about this famous Newton Char Kway Teow stall. It was 3.30pm in the afternoon and there was a queue outside the stall. Being a skeptic, I asked if the Char Kway Teow was really that shiok or are they just famous. The usual answer I get for such a question 
was, predictably, that they used to be really good but the standards have dropped somehow. But he said, "You should see how the old man fries his Kway Teow!"
Ok, I was curious enough to investigate.
The old man behind the wok must be in his 70's and he was attacking that wok like a loan shark trying to extract money from a defenceless debtor. I mean his whole body was shaking, rattling and rolling so much that it was make a belly dancer jealous. And he looked as if he was really enjoying himself!
So I struck up a conversation in Teochew and found out that he had been frying Char Kway Teow for 40 years. I did not want to be short changed, so I issued him my ultimate challenge. I asked the old man to fry for me the Char Kway Teow from 30 years ago! I wanted a no holds barred, do whatever it takes, gimme gimme gimme a shiok shiok plate.....of Char Kway Teow!
Most of the time, it just pays to be nice to people.
The old man cleared the area, pulled up his pants and stirred up a Char Kway Teow storm. He was frying with the gusto of a 21 year old, joyfully re-living the memories of a long forgotten youth. My request had set him free to perform his magic on every strand of Kway Teow Mee. Ok, I am getting a bit carried away. But my makankakis all agreed that this was a plate of Char Kway Teow to behold. Especially for carnineviand whose faith was miraculously restored.
The big difference with this Char Kway Teow was that the old man uses a seafood broth made from freshly blanched squids, prawns and cockles to wet his Char Kway Teow instead of plain water. This gave the Char Kway Teow an added seafood flavour. A Char Kway Teow worth going back for. 4.5/5
Conclusion
Another really good Char Kway Teow but the most endearing of all was the sight of a 70 year old man doing what he has been doing for 40 years as if he had just started doing it yesterday. That, my friends is what I call PASSION. And THAT is what makes his Char Kway Teow great.
Newton Circus 302 Chao Guo Tiao
Serangoon Way Food Centre Stall 46
12.30pm to 9pm
Closed Mondays and Fridays (Semi Retired)
20 comments:
this must try!!!
What perfect timing, this post.
I JUST came across this stall while having lunch TODAY and my girlfriend told me it's very good - well the queue is testimony itself - so I succumbed to temptation, despite already having the pig organ's soup (quite nice too) a few stalls away.
So I queued. And while waiting, my eyes were fixated on the owner all the time and the way he cooks - aiyoh sayang lah, he should retire la!
Though waiting time is long - He cooks each plate individually - but the amount of sheer effort, passion and dedication he injects into his cooking, makes all the wait worthwhile!
When I ate the first bite - it was "from Uncle with love" - one would feel touched, I'd tell you. He really goes through so much to churn out that plate of Char Kway Tiao, it's heartwarming. =)
Tastewise, this is truly one awesome Char Kway Tiao and right, the potpurri of seafood-broth made all the difference. Need I mention the lard, too?! =p
Definitely die die must try - Would not hesitate to return there again!
Yes he cooks each plate one by one and that's why it's so slooow. Also explains the queue. No biggie man! the best one is still Zion Road and Hill Street at Bedok. This guy is not worth waiting.
Holydrummer, you are truly a man after my own heart...and stomach
Aiyoh..!! you are killing me lor..!!!!! i'll make sure to put it in my list of "die, die must eat" when i come home.. ;)
It is not the ultimate char kway teow, but rather a fusion of hokkien mee and char kway teow due to the use of the seafood broth. Taty but not ultimate.
Many of my friends told me the standard had dropped. Tried it myself, there was no Q and yet the CKT was not great compared to Hill St of Zion or Outram. Maybe he is in love with you that day.
I agree that the standard has dropped, more than 10 years ago. I visited the stall at its Newton location and we waited 2 hours for your CKT. But it was worth the wait. A few years later and I went to Hill St. to try it and the standard has dropped a bit. Recently, I managed to try it at its current location and it hasn't improve much.
Yes, I had "lost faith" with this Char Kway Teow a while back. But after this little afternoon jaunt, I think there is still hope... :-)
I came to know about this Char Kway Teow when Uncle was still at Newton Circus. Back then, he was doing his CKT-jig in a small (and rather dingy) shophouse that was jam-packed with customers at lunch time.
I loved his Char Kway Teow.
But then came the inevitable...
He had to move his stall away because the row of shophouses was to be torn down. Now, fast forward a couple of years plus one or two intermediate locations, he eventually settled at his present stall.
By that time, I didn't like his Char Kway Teow anymore. I thought it had become too wet, with not enough oomph.
I still love his jig though. :-) His passion really shows!
But after this makan trip with ieat & itreat, I think he can still produce a top-quality dish.
I still don't like his "standard order" Char Kway Teow, so I think the next time I'm there, I will just tell him exactly how I want the Char Kway Teow done instead.
Perhaps his newer customers prefer his current version of Char Kway Teow, and that's why he fries it this way?
He did tell us he prepares each dish slightly differently to suit the particular preferences of his regulars.
If you've loved his Char Kway Teow before but have "lost faith" through the years, perhaps you can try telling him how you like yours done, and see if he bring back the good 'ole days.
personally I dont like this CKT at all....Iyou can hear his frying spatula (not sure the name of this tool)knocking ferociously at his wok..One would have thought the plate of CKT would be piping hot when served to you...
i waited about an hr for my turn...his CKT is v v disappointing........the plate wad not even hot at all!!!!!!! I wonder why too....
one biote is good enough for me.....its standard is gone down so so much...maybe age is catching up on him.....
i still like Outram CKT at Hong Lim better.....still v delicious.......
But NOT 302.....Its just not good anymore
Agree the standard has dropped as compared to the day when he was still at Newton.
I remembered the long queue snaking out of the shophouse during our weekly supper with dad. There was also a hokkien mee and or luak stall in the vincinity too.
Days gone by...
cockle blood. essential ingredient ;)
i tried this last week. it's very disappointing! my usual order of char kway teow is always "no tau geh, no hum". when i placed my order, the auntie told me i had to pay $3 instead of $2! the CKT portion is small & the ingredients in it were so miserable! only 2 prawns, a few slices of fish cake & 2 rings of sotong. what's the additional payment of $1 for ah? the chilli seemed too overpowering & i choked with every mouthful i took.
i noticed that Dr Leslie has not recommended this stall at Chinatown Complex Temp Market & Food Centre yet. its stall name is Hill Street Char Kway Teow, run by a middle-age couple (i think the 2 must be husband & wife). i wonder why it's the same name as the one in bedok Dr recommended. they are not the same people ah. it's opposite of a chwee kway stall.
the CKT is really nice! i know tau geh & cockles enhance the flavour of CKT, but my usual order without these from this stall still tastes very good. got lard bits too, though not outstanding. coz i prefer my lard bits with some lean meat & not just fats. (heh) oh, and i get veggie in my CKT. (the Newton Circus 302 one don't have!) they sell at $2.50 & $3 per plate. i usually need to queue up, which i think this stall has alot of faithful patrons.
Dear inibble, There were 2 CKT stalls at Hill St FC (now defunt). Yes I agree the Hill St CKT at the Temp Outram Park MRT is not bad 4/5 or 4.25/5. But the Hill St CKT at Bedok is to MY opinion the best so far n next come Outram CKT at Hong Lim n the one at Magaret Drive.I am sure many may disagree with me.
Used to eat there when i sent my dogs for their regular checkups. Still very good, be it here or newton.
There are many people here who claimed that the standards have dropped but please give the old man full credits of holding this business for so long! We tend to complain so much that we lost alot of good food due to old age retirement or no children of the elders' hawkers willing to take over. But when these elders decide not to give up their passion or their offsprings decided to take over, we are full of criticisms. Tsk tsk tsk
Sorry, the latest Hill Street CKT post led me to this once again.
The last comment by Uncle Supporter! shines the limelight once again on retiring hawker legends and the reluctance of the younger generation to takeover.
I fully concur with his opinion.
Just a thought - would you rather a famous stall continue operations, perhaps with seemingly dipping standards - or would you rather it cease operations and call it a day lest it tarnishes the reputation it once held.
For me, I think it is a given that if standards were clearly dropping and if I were an ageing old man way past retirement, I would take the latter as it makes the most business sense - You know, like 'going out on a bang' or exiting gracefully without decline.
But having said that, S'poreans are really lucky to have such mature hawkers who continue to serve us their most passionate plate of CKT - albeit not as good as during its heydays - despite not having the actual need to (money may not have been a concern anymore).
We should treasure our food heritage and be thankful that we are able to still relive these memories of old before they become but a part of history, leaving that aftertaste of nostalgia, lingering.
This CKT was one of the best CKT once. There was a time when I only allowed myself a CKT from this stall or the Hill Street (now bedok) CKT.
However, once i went on a sunday night, and the standard dropped TREMENDOUSLY.
In fact, it was so bad it could not compare to a run-of-the-mill coffeeshop/hawker centre CKT.
The CKT was dry, like it came out of a microwave, yet cold, as if it came out of a fridge.
Naturally, taste was nowhere to be found, same goes for texture.
This may sound insulting, but the plate i had that day was worse than army cookhouse food.
It may have been an off-day or something, but CKT calories, and the longgggggggg waiting time, are not worth the risk.
Go to Zion or "Hill Street" then, if you have a craving.
I heard that this uncle's newton circle CKT stall is going to go extinct soon. Seriously.
His sons and daughters are not education-wise, and do not want to follow his father's footsteps. He opened the stall specially for the last moments of tasting Newton's CKT.
I really felt sorry for this stall.
But honestly, the only secret you ought to know is that, you shouldn't eat it hot. This delicacy seeps out its 'nutrients' only when you eat its cockles and the CKT cold.
and, i really going to miss his trademark 'cooking-in-action dance' when this stall's goin extinct. ;"(
seems that the stall is no longer there. anyone knows what happen to the stall? - TOSS
I heard that the old man had a stroke and so and hung up his wok indefinitely.
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