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In this series, we pit 2 popular stalls — both known for their unbelievably long, snaking queues — against each other to see which one is truly worth the wait. Char kway teow fans, this instalment is specially for you. For this showdown, we visited Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee and Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow.
I mean, who doesn’t love this gloriously sinful hawker favourite? I know I do. You’ll find noodles kissed with smoky wok hei, filled with lup cheong, crispy pork lard, and cockles (if that’s your jam).
Contenders
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee started out in the 1950s, making them a pioneer in the hawker industry with over 70 years of history. Those who often patronise Hong Lim Market & Food Centre will know that this stall is very popular, evident with its never-ending queues.
This stall may be overseen by the third-generation owner, but the real hero is his 71-year-old father who tirelessly fries the char kway teow alone. By the way, they are also listed under the Michelin Guide.
Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow at 724 AMK Market & Food Centre is managed by an elderly couple, and has been around for the past 42 years. The queue here is also insanely-long, with many senior fans and regulars.
Sometimes, you’ll spot the signboard lights being switched off even when there’s still a queue — that’s an indication that uncle is taking a quick toilet break. I have deep respect for hawkers who endure long hours on their feet, often holding their bladder just to keep up with customers’ orders.
Queueing time
My colleague, Dean and I arrived around 9am at Outram Park Kway Teow Mee. There was already a queue of about 14 people in front of us. While waiting patiently in line, there was a guy jotting down orders on a piece of cardboard and collecting payment.
I think that helped speed up the queueing process, as it took us just 14 minutes and 34 seconds to get our plate of char kway teow.
On the other hand, when we reached Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow at 11am, we were greeted by a queue that had 20 hungry customers ahead of us. When we were halfway through the line, the aunty came over to take our order.
We ended up waiting for about 29 minutes and 37 seconds before we collected our plate of char kway teow.
Cost
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee sells their Regular at S$5 and Large for S$6. Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow is a dollar cheaper: S$4 for Regular and S$5 for Large.
Portion & Taste
When Outram Park’s regular S$5 char kway teow arrived, I noticed that it was slightly more reddish than the usual expected brown hue with specks of chilli everywhere. It had a mixture of kway teow-yellow mee, slices of fish cake, 6 pieces of cockles (yes, I bothered to count) and tau geh.
Despite multiple visits to Hong Lim Market, this is actually my very first time trying their char kway teow. I was kind of disappointed that there wasn’t any lup cheong in it. The reddish colour wasn’t just for show — the spice level delivered a proper kick, but not till the point where it affected the overall taste.
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Though there were slight traces of wok hei present, it left me longing for a little bit more oomph to truly satisfy my personal ‘shiok meter’.
What impressed me most were the fresh, plump pieces of sea hum. Each bite was firm and instantly transported me to the ocean.
Ang Mo Kio Char Kway Teow might be an executive chef’s nightmare when it comes to presentation (messy plating and dirty edges on the plate), but I do know that’s an indication of a real solid plate of char kway teow. There were slightly charred bits here and there, too.
Similar to Outram Park, the S$4 regular plate had all the same partners in crime, with an added bonus of Chinese sausages (yaaas!)
After my first mouthful, I closed my eyes briefly, letting myself sink into a state of char kway teow euphoria. This was my fourth visit to the stall, and while the uncle occasionally fries it a little too wet, the smoky wok flavour is consistently spot-on each time.
Another thing that deserves praise is the unctuous, golden nuggets of pork lard that were super crackly and released luscious bursts of fat with every bite. The cockles were also fresh, but only had 4 pieces. If I had to nitpick, I’d say the noodles could use a bit more spice.
Verdict
People join long queues for all sorts of reasons — some are loyal fans, while others just want to see what the fuss is about. Some people I know are simply unwilling to queue, even for good food.
This showdown was easy to determine the winner. Despite a longer waiting time, Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow‘s version completely won me over with its overall smoky flavour and wonderful pork lard.
So is the long queue at Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow worth it then? Yes, it is!
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