Char Koey Teow Telur Basuh

Location: Permatang Pauh, Seberang Perai, Penang.
How to get there: take the PLUS highway heading towards Alor Setar,take the Permatang Pauh/ Bukit Mertajam exit, go straight after the traffic light and at the T junction turn right and from there you can already see a brightly lit jam-packed stall by the side of the road.
Specialties: Char Koey Teow
Concept: Street Food, Open Kitchen, Friendly Neighborhood Stall.
Opening Hours: 5pm to 1 am, opened every day even on public holidays except for Hari Raya maybe.


Is it worth the long trip? 

Every time someone ask me to come along this long trip to Permatang Pauh for a plate of Koey Teow, I always find myself asking the same question, is it worth the long trip? In case you're wondering, I'm staying on the other side of the ocean on a small but overly congested island and the trip to Permatang Pauh would take me at least 30 minutes crossing the bridge on a clear traffic. The answer is YES. 

 To be honest CKT is not my favorite dish for dinner or any other meals of the day. CKT is a Chinese phrase and from my limited knowledge of that language i always taught that the word char refers to anything fried. This explains my surprise when I was first introduced to the Malay version of CKT which comes out wet, flooded with a thick dark sauce which presumably comes from the combination of prawn paste (belacan) and dark soy sauce (kicap pekat) stirred with egg and strewn with fat succulent prawns and tiny cockles (kerang) peeking out from beneath the thick strands of koey tow. This version seems much closer to koey teow hailam (koey teow cooked in dark soy sauce) rather than the crispy, slightly burnt and lighter colored version I once had in a Chinese Muslim stall which to me fits the definition of char more accurately. Most of my friends however, prefer to call this version "fried" koey teow (koey teow goreng) and swears by the former to be the authentic version of CKT despite its somewhat misleading appearance.

So what makes this char koey teow (CKT) so special? 

The CKT in this joint falls along the same line as in any other Malay CKT stall. However, instead of an extremely dark, belacan smelling sauce, you get a spicier, red with a tinge of caramel colored sauce with strands of eggs clinging to the almost translucent koey teow. A plate of  CKT special (you can choose from a choice of normal CKT or CKT biasa or go for the special) usually comes with six or seven pieces of fat, succulent, tasty looking prawns and tiny pieces of cockles. This is served with pickled green chillies ,a special condiment prepared by the owners made by soaking the chillies in a jar of vinegar, salt, sugar and water. The crispy, spicy-sweet taste of the pickled chillies compliment the soft texture of the koey toew soaked in the rich, thick sauce making them the perfect couple that leaves you wanting for more. 

The snob's verdict: 6/10. 

I haven't tasted as much CKT as I should have but judging from the few versions of  Malay CKT I've tried  namely Sani CKT in Bayan Baru and the now closed Key CKT in Seberang Jaya, I say this is so far the best. In case you're wondering what the name implies, telur basuh or washed egg means that all the eggs in this stall have been properly washed before being used. In other words, they are selling this idea that their stall place great value on hygiene when it comes to food. This joint is actually a huge open stall just beside the road and despite their fast customer turnover, they manage to keep the place pleasantly clean, without any fishy odor despite the huge amount of prawns used every day.The price is fairly reasonable considering the amount of prawns you get with each plate, RM 3.00 for CKT biasa and RM 4.00 for CKT special.

So, the next time I ask myself is it worth the long trip? The answer is YES.

PS: In case you're wondering why there's not a single photo accompanying this article, here's why. I was inspired by a Japanese movie about a bunch of local reporters trying to write a guide book on the best  tasting Udon in the whole district. They insist on a no photo rule for a simple reason. They want their readers to use their imagination. I want all of you to cling to every single words I write and imagine yourself having a nice steaming plate of CKT in a busy little stall by the side of the road with no air-conditioning except for fresh kampung air with a bunch of friends, everyone happily slurping every single strand of koey teow into their mouth. A picture will just ruin that.