One of the best CHAR KWAY TEOW (炒粿條) in Singapore? (Singapore street food)

[@GregoryLeow]

hi guys, does anyone know when the stall started at Zion Riverside Food Centre? I asked the owner, but he can't remember either. :-/

[@dkhsjapful]

I am staying at the block of old private flats along Zion Road in the 70s and shifted to Tampines in 1996. The food centre is just 100m from my house.I have ate his CKT before zion road food centre was transformed into what it was today. During that time, you don't even need to queue to eat his CKT. I would just go down to the food centre, ordered his CKT and sat right next to his stall and wait for him to bring the CKT to me. It should started in the mid 80's if I can still remember.

[@leebruce3481]

Honestly, his char kway teow standard just slightly above average

[@NathanDreamsBig]

I tasted lastime.

[@shaunng8976]

Just bump into your channel today, and I like how you being very honest and analytical. Keep up the good work.

[@markl4798]

Your reviews are the only ones where I can actually almost taste the food through the computer screen. well done man!

[@domo0829]

Grey’s commentary on foods always make my day feels better

[@Piggypuggy]

It's really true that you just gotta eat it right away.. CKT tends to get lumpy when it's left cold. the see hum Tao Geh also damn shiok.

[@woonchungliong4173]

As far as I can remember, the original Zion Road Char Kway Teow were run by two brothers in early 1980s! Those days, there was smoke emitting from the fried Kway Teow even after you had brought the S$1.50 plate to the table! However, the best of the best was Hock Lam Street Char Kway Teow located in an old Coffeeshop near Coleman Street where I was a student in Anglo-Chinese Primary School! There was also a very powerful & formidable beef balls beehoon soup 🍲 in the same Coffeeshop run by an elderly Indian lady! TQ

[@michaelleong2582Quartermaster]

The Hock Lam Street Char Kway Teow is name Armenian ST CKT now located at Blk 304 Sengkang East Coffee Shop, Even Swimmer Ang Peng Siong use to eat there also.

[@woonchungliong4173]

@@michaelleong2582Quartermaster: Namesake only but original vendors are probably dead! TQ

[@BigLaw67]

I was working at GWC in 1997 for 3 years. Back then this stall was not famous but my colleagues told me it was good so I tried it and became hooked! It was full of wok hey and not so sweet yet lardy good, so satisfying when I tah pau back to office to eat when couldn’t find seats. I ate it again just last Saturday but found the taste wanting as it felt sweet. Still a good plate of CKT but it was better 24 years ago. Still whenever I visit Zion and if the queue isn’t insane I would buy this CKT for nostalgia reasons. Thanks for featuring this stall. PS. When you do your Broadway jazz hands wiggle during your tasting Its a dead giveaway it must be THAT good. 🤣

[@GregoryLeow]

Hi, lawlaw, do you know when the stall opened at zion hc? The owner can’t remember too 😑

[@BigLaw67]

Sorry. No idea when it opened at Zion HC. But I do remember it started at a different spot in the HC. Then the HC was totally renovated in 98 / 99? and is the Zion HC structure you see now.

[@ksliang6072]

lol. True dat. South Asians shake their heads in affirmation, Greg ups that with both head shakes and jazz hands in positive exclamation!

[@vicktr9601]

Grey you speak very well. Language proficiency is very good.

[@terencetez]

Alot of followers praise his knowledge on food heritage and history. But no one noticed he his damn good a videographer and editor. The cinematography is damn solid...

[@Deadpool12353]

Gone where those days we have the best kway teow at block 34 upper cross street, the cook will add rice to add quantity to the food. it was awesome.

[@RabidRedRacoon]

I think my beef about Char Kway Teow are the cockle meat size, I have bought from stores that have half the size of what Greg was showing at yet charge $5 for a portion . But like what Greg said it is a supply issue , so need to squeeze balls at just accept that the cockles we have will be smaller

[@lmk928]

I bought cockles from Tiong Bahru market, huge ones! They are good... proceed to Hong Lim market for my favorite Char kway teow.

[@SparkzMxzXZ]

“I shifted to another spot la so it’s easier to talk” (proceeds to fast forward the whole eating process 😂) love this review and especially that adorable intro 😭😭

[@SkyweaverGuides]

Hi Gregory, there’s an insanely good dumplings stall in this food Center, on par or better than din tai Fung imo. Always super long queues! I wonder if you’ve tried it and what you think about it…

[@gabrieljy]

Zion's CKT is good but not sure why for some reason they dont come up in the CKT conversation amongst the younger crowd. Thanks for the upload Greg!

[@ignatiuschua5268]

I ate once at Zion and couldn't remotely compare it with the more famous stalls like Outram and Hai Kee.

[@charleslee3081]

Hi Greg, another fantastic review! I was expecting you to make a comparison with your other Char Kway Teow stall at High Street. However, I agree that it all depends on the taste preferences of the eater. Cheers !

[@lindanettar4415]

Love that reaction you gave when you are that crispy lard!!! So cute!!! 😄👍

[@horriblehector8595]

8:22 that's me at the end of every meal..

[@celestialstar124]

Love the opening so much. So adorable son. I haven't tried this stall so hope to try it some day.

[@SAB-my5nr]

Grew up eating the Hill Street ckt from bedok south, haven't had any up to his standard. Tried the Outram park one, totally different style. Maybe I should go try this since he apprentice under the Hill Street uncle.

[@theals]

The son took over the father after the dad retired from poor health. Standard was very disappointing - used to grow up on the CKT too

[@lmk928]

I think as early as 80's I patronize this stall, those days were good! Especially even earlier in Hill st. Lately I cannot find the same feel and taste anymore from this stall. I went back 3 times to convince myself. As late as last week, I confirmed, not the frying methods that made the CKT tasted not as good. I think it is the ingredients that made it not as tasty anymore.

[@wanderfooltang3520]

Hi Have you try the CKT at beauty world food centre

[@crystalong3591]

Hi i eat char kway teoy near by fry like fry mee very😃👍🏻 nicess Thankyou videos 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@richardlee5024]

Good job Greg!!

[@whkoh7619]

Sure looks good! Thanks Greg!

[@jameswilliam20001]

Been there before back in 1998, their CKT just so, so only 1 to 10 points it only mark at 3 points, yes it's old shkool but just that the selling point nothing more...

[@omg2569]

Yup, only Fried Hokkien Mee tastes better if tabao, tried tabao Char Kway Teow before and turn mushy and oily once reached home

[@shanwen88]

This CKT either tastes full of black sauce or chilli.

[@antonysteel1197]

I always ask for extra hum, cuts through and balances the sweetness.

[@jimmyoh1982]

Oh no!!! This is my personal favorite CKT... Everytime order the biggest portion...

[@yolandaempis23875]

Hello Gregory Leow... Im so happy that you are introducing very deliciouse food singaporian food and malaysian food i miss that all...im so happy watching your blog together with your family thank you

[@christophermoon3864]

Remember the kway teow man on his mobile stall calling down our street in siglap only needed to take an egg to him damn tasty

[@jefrichan]

Too sweet.

[@pinzhengzhang3776]

I think Foodking (esp Xi Guay Ong) should find you as a guest host some day, you know your food very well!

[@xmaniac79]

u still watch food king?

[@pinzhengzhang3776]

@@xmaniac79 only if XGO is inside

[@robintang7304]

Super long Q after it reopen after renovation, in hot humid stuffy environment.

[@msngth]

needs pork lard for umami flavour and cockles is a must!

[@jqli1020]

i love your video, however, could you remove back noise which impact feeling of watching your food.

[@foodleveling]

Wow very big plate & look yummy I Food Leveling

[@LemoNanora]

The ice cream freezer also matches your child's shirt and ice cream just that the freezer needed 2 more colours 😂

[@tekst3r]

it is great! my go to ckt

[@SK-lt1so]

Love corn ice cream

[@user-um8wi5ym4y]

I have been to Zion Road Food Centre many times and always wanted to like this Char Kway Teow. However, I always leave feeling that it's not good enough even though I dined in. In no particular order, would rate all these Char Kway Teow Stalls above No.18 Zion Road: - Hai Kee (Telok Blangah Cres) - Sheng Cheng (Blk132 Jln Bukit Merah) also from Old Thong Chai, has been frying CKT since 12 yrs old, now 72 yrs old. - Outram Park - Both Hillstreets (Bedok South and Chinatown Complex) - Heng Huat (Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre) Uses chai po instead of lard but very well fried. Heaps of chye sim.

[@lindapreza8571]

Hahaha

[@jackyryan5226]

Miss this dish

[@clementihammock7572]

My boss went there to hoot one solid plate before went US. haha....

[@markl4798]

Can order without cockles?

[@celestialstar124]

Most likely can order without. I also don't dare to eat that so i order without. At times if the stall accidentally put i just remove it. I am not so scare of it. My sister if added then she cannot stand the blood taste of the whole CKT. For me i am ok with it just can't stand when i bite the cockles.

[@poolfans]

@@celestialstar124 cockles is nice ley.

[@celestialstar124]

@@poolfans just like durian, some people find it offensive

[@alicesng4572]

Ha ha . . . Healthy amount of fried lard :)

[@mindtwister1984]

Havent tried this stall for years because standards have dropped. Top 10 still but not top 5, really not worth the queue if you are not in the top 5 league. Will try the cockles bean sprouts dish the next time I drop by this hawker centre.

[@woonchungliong4173]

The hawker's wife speaks like an Indian! Very strange but it's true! TQ

[@limjin5200]

Ironically, there's the stall at another row that fried better kuay teow, and nice hokkien mee too.

[@lindapreza8571]

Hahaha

[@cb250nighthawk3]

Penang char koay teow and Singapore char koay teow should go to war. Round one in Penang and round 2 in Singapore. 😁

[@torrhthc4103]

Basically you are saying the overall std drop so a 60 score gets an A in the O levels… hahahha 😀

[@nicteng]

I tried a few times. If you ask me, I find the CKT rather ok, but not as good as advertised.

[@KezzaTianzun]

Hello Gregory! I was brought up in Singapore but I have been living in the UK for the past 20+ years. I always miss Singapore food and have taught myself to make some dishes including char kway teow. Just a quick question, do you think pork lard for kway teow is an important factor for replicating that distinct flavour? Let me know thank you!

[@GregoryLeow]

yes, pork lard is incredibly important to the dish but it depends on what era you are trying to recreate. For older CKT lovers, the glory days were the pre-1970s where pork lard and the usage of duck eggs was the norm. Nowadays, chicken eggs are more common and CKT hawkers use a mix of palm oil and pork lard. That said, people I know will prefer the pre-1970s version when they do get to taste it from a hawker stall in Malaysia. Taste-wise, pork lard imparts a big aroma and a deep round richness which can't be replicated using vegetable oil and CKT is all about richness.

[@KezzaTianzun]

@@GregoryLeow Great thank you for your response that is very helpful to me. I've had to practice making CKT dozens of times to get it right, so far its already very good and close to a good hawker's one but just missing that small something there which I couldn't figure out. It's a bit difficult to get lard around here these days because too many people care too much about health and a lot of shops near me don't sell it so I'll have to go find somewhere. I've been binging your CKT videos to try and learn the different elements/techniques from the different hawkers haha.

[@GregoryLeow]

@@KezzaTianzun in Singapore, the pork butcher will sell you the pork fat to make lard. Try asking if they'll sell you?

[@bobbyng6436]

No more decent CKT anymore....be it hong lim, zion, ghim moh or telok blangah crescent. Gave up on CKT long ago.

[@lindapreza8571]

Then cook yourself!!!

[@MrZipher20]

Over hyped I think

[@jsurfin1]

Might be an unpopular opinion but it's not fair to those waiting in line to have someone ahead who is ordering 10 packets at a go. Max should be for a family of five.

[@Rapheon]

Totally agree. It's absurd.

[@davidecd]

Used to be really good. Now, I find it just average.

[@stardust8856]

18 zion road char kway teow is the worst. A dark overly oily tasteless plate of gooey mess. Overhyped and overrated. No thanks. Once is enough, no come back

[@louisyeoh2297]

5yrs ago is good but throughout this 5yrs I still try n try but every round disappointed n disappointed. No more nice to eat. Give up. Definetly out of top 10. Dunno why still long Q? Suspect there are many new comers to try but maybe one day all give up. Outram one still top 3 to me. There are many not popular but super nice.... hiaz....

[@lindapreza8571]

Hahaha!

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

The owner must pass down his skills.

[@lindapreza8571]

Wow no need is not easy to be cha kway teow!

[@rudytrulytruly7467]

@@lindapreza8571 ,the young people don't like this skill.

[@leedonlee5050]

Not so nice now.

[@lindapreza8571]

Oh! Really?

[@deschan2246]

Lousy!!!!

[@lindapreza8571]

Hahaha

[@schadenfreude6274]

Singapore food is boring. Richard from Asia Hikelopedia is right. There may be alot of coffee-shops, hawker centres conveniently located, but they all basically sell the same things. There will always be Chicken Rice, WTM, Malay Food, Indian Food, Cai Fan or some other variations. Singapore claims to be very diverse in foods, but if you look carefully, they're all eating the same things over and over again with slight variations.

[@weeliattan3137]

As compared to Taiwan? Lol.

[@RabidRedRacoon]

@@weeliattan3137 LOL yeah , the Taiwanese are good at marketing but we know the taste are just sub par

[@kaiserlow652]

So which country do u think has more diverse food?

[@celestialstar124]

@@kaiserlow652 i also want to hear what he gonna reply to this question.

[@kaiserlow652]

@@celestialstar124 🤭

[@woonchungliong4173]

The hawker's wife speaks like an Indian! Very strange but it's true! TQ

[@lindapreza8571]

Hahaha!

[@woonchungliong4173]

@@lindapreza8571: Are you the Filipina asawa of the Char Kway Teow chef in the video? Salamat Po!

[@woonchungliong4173]

@@lindapreza8571: In your free time, I would recommend you to listen to Philip Arabit Channel in KZbin! He's a very famous Filipino imposter & immitator of Matt Monroe, Tom 'Harry' Jones, Kenny Rogers, Rod Stewart & Freddie Aguilar! TQ