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Where’s your favourite hawker stall? If you ask me, I have a few favourites, and one of them is Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow in the coffeeshop at Blk 132 Jalan Bukit Merah.
This stall is located near my grandma’s house and has been around for as long as I can remember. Whenever guests visit my grandma and ask us for food recommendations in this area, Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow is the first place that comes to mind.
On a recent visit, I noticed that the stall is now manned by a different elderly couple. Surprisingly, the standard of the food did not drop, but a question lingered in my mind: what happened to the previous uncle and aunty who ran the stall?
I didn’t have a chance to ask the new owners this question, as they were always occupied with cooking and handling other customers. That’s probably because I mostly visited on weekends, when there was a longer queue. Looks like the residents here like this fried kway teow stall too!
This time, I decided to avoid the crowd and visit on a weekday morning. With just 2 customers to attend to, the hawker uncle, Uncle Koh, was able to have a brief chat with me.
I pointed to the photo of the original boss (Uncle Tan) on the signboard and asked, “What happened to this uncle? Did he retire?” My guess was right. After Uncle Tan and his wife retired more than a year ago, the stall was passed to his sister and brother-in-law (Uncle Koh).
What to order at Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow
There are 3 items on the menu: Fried Carrot Cake, Fried Kway Teow and Fried Hokkien Mee, all at the same price (S$3.50 for small, S$4.50 for medium, S$5.50 for large).
My companion and I ordered a small carrot cake and a small fried kway teow. Uncle Koh started cooking and when the food was done, I could smell a faint wok-hey aroma.
We started with the fried carrot cake, which was garnished with my favourite: spring onion. It looked appetising!
The small pieces of carrot cake were soft and chewy. With the egg absorbing the sweet dark soya sauce, the dish was superb! If you want an extra kick to the flavour, you can ask for chilli. It’s not too spicy and suitable for those who can’t take too much heat.
Next up was my go-to dish at this stall, the fried kway teow! Mixed with yellow noodles, bean sprouts, cockles, egg and lard, there were multiple flavours in that single plate of fried kway teow.
At my first bite, I was reminded of the reason I keep coming back to this stall: the plate of kway teow achieves a harmonious balance between the different ingredients, without any overpowering flavours. Often, I find char kway teow too sweet to my liking, but this one is perfect!
When eating the fried kway teow, my favourite part is always the crispy lard. While my parents tell me that lard is unhealthy, I like to indulge once in a while. Furthermore, the food here isn’t too oily; adding the lard makes it just right!
To prevent wasting food, we didn’t order the hokkien mee this time, but I would definitely recommend it. When eating anything with yellow noodles, I usually get cautious because of the soapy, bitter taste that often accompanies it. Somehow, that never happens at this stall.
Who Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow is best for
If you’re looking for affordable and quality fried carrot cake, kway teow or hokkien mee, you should try Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow! While their dishes are teeming with a range of flavours, they don’t overwhelm your tastebuds.
How to get to Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow
The nearest MRT station is Tiong Bahru (EW17). Head towards Exit A and walk for 18 minutes. Alternatively, alight at Outram Park (EW16/NE3/TE17) and take buses 147 or 961 at Exit 4. Alight at Blk 140.
Do we recommend Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow?
Of course we do! Sheng Cheng Char Kway Teow is a hidden gem mostly known to residents. Since it is tucked within a quiet coffee shop, you can enjoy a delicious yet peaceful meal there.
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