Taiping Char Kuey Teow with Fishballs @ Larut Matang Food Court
October 28, 2010 | 18,908 viewsSorry people, I can only manage a short post today. (*Are you thanking the heavens above?!!) Life’s kind of hectic lately, and I have been giving much thought to life, the challenges and the ripple effects. So much so that I was perpetually deep in thoughts recently and ended up exiting at the wrong exit on the highway!!! Huh …… I could use a break right now.
Fried Kuey Teow with a difference. Only in Taiping, folks. Wet Char Kuey Teow with fishballs and Char Siew (barbecued pork) @ RM3.00/USD1 per plate
A safe place for breakfast in Taiping; the wettest town in peninsular Malaysia, has to be the Larut Matang Food Court on Jalan Panggung Wayang in town centre. I wrote about the breakfast experience once way back in 2008; when we first started getting knee-deep into our jobs; travelling at breakneck pace and frequency yet loving every minute of it. 🙂
How life has changed (or has it?) since then ……
Stall No 78 – Taiping Style of wet Char Kuey Teow (CKT) with fish balls. Don’t dismiss the notion of combining flat rice noodles, fish balls and slices of lean Char Siew yet, for this stall whips up a rather tasty version (albeit slightly too greasy)
Truth is; I still do not know what to order here. Yes, pathetic me. When life gives you a plethora of choices, your mind tends to play tricks on you. And indecisiveness kicks in. Then contemplation, comparison and even condemnation takes over.
But I believe most of the folks here go for the tried and tested hawker fares like Char Kuey Teow, Chee Cheong Fun (here’s a post on another famous Taiping Chee Cheong Fun, but not from this food court), noodle soups, Nyonya kuih, and some light bites like the rarely heard of “Chai Tou Kueh”.
A bowl of Koay Teow Th’ng with a difference again. You get patties of minced pork, prawns, fish cakes, fish balls, pig’s tripes and even lettuce in the mix. (RM3.20/USD1.10)
Crisp on the thin layer outside, with a soft, almost mushy centre; this Fried Radish cake is served with a reddish sweet sauce not unlike the ‘tim cheong’ for Chee Cheong Fun. (RM0.40/USD0.13 each)
Still not an avid fan (yet) of Taiping style of Char Kuey Teow, as opposed to Penang’s, this plate of cholesterol-laden goodness from Stall No 78 actually did manage to impress somewhat. Wetter than the Northern version, with generous cuts of lean char siew and fish balls, there was this very moreish flavour to the noodles; not sure from the aromatic ‘wok hei’ or the addition of MSG, but I did not feel much thirst thereafter. If only the noodles were not swimming in oil ……
The ‘Chai Tou Kueh’ makes great light snack to go along with the mains, or eaten on their own to start the day with. Never seen any other sauce served with the fried radish cakes (lor bak gou) other than the sweet sauce (‘tim cheong’). By the way, NO plates given. Only wrapped in a layer of newspapers lined with some blotting papers.
Maybe next time we will settle for a piece of roti canai, a serving of nasi lemak, or even a cup of teh tarik from the HALAL end of the food court.
“HAPPY WEEKEND PEOPLE !!!”
LARUT MATANG FOOD COURT
Jalan Panggung Wayang
34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
E100 44′ 25.8″ N4 50′ 58.8″
Google Map to Larut Matang Food Court
RM3.20 for the koay teow soup is a steal considering the amount of ingredients used! If you noticed, the take away for the CKT is wrapped in a newspaper cone.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Oh, I did not notice that. Very traditional, the images of the olden days when CKT and Char Koay Kak were wrapped in cone-shaped newspapers.
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john lee Reply:
May 26th, 2011 at 9:06 am
best char keow teow is in aulong pasar stall 11.
u never try u never know compare to larut matang.
they are nice bcos they insert the pig oil too many….
sure is nice to eat but will affect your health in future.
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Barney Reply:
August 11th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Hey! You are right, Aulong FKT was the best. Those days I use to frequent the second last stall along Ah Chai ice kachang stall. The best CKT I’ve eaten. But the best of all was the tick tock wan tan mee at night. This old man use to peddle his wan tan mee in a three wheeler knocking two bamboo sticks making the noice tick tock. Always will pass my house at Edinbrough road around 9:30 pm. Well it’s been almost thirty years now and I don’t think he is still around.
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I know this place. I have eaten the kuey teow with my wife too. 😀
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Char Fish Ball Koay Teow??? 1st time seeing this…. looks weird to me. 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Initially, yes. But after a few slurps, the fish balls make great replacement for fish cakes anyway.
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Yeah, the fried fishball kway teow is one of a kind… we pack it back to KL when we visit. It heats up fine in the microwave 😉
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Very different, as the kuey teow itself is unlike the usual sar hor fun from Ipoh, or the thinner varieties from Penang.
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wet CKT? Definitely not my cup of tea 😛 Stall 78? so many stalls in that food court?
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Yeah! A total of FOUR rows of hawker stalls, spanning a length of 100 metres at least. There’s a different section at the end for Halal food, so the Muslims can go for their breakfast-brunch fix.
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Yup, the CKT is Good but the KG. Sepatang is nice too (Traditional way to cook CKT by using charcoal). I use to have lunch there with my wife. You should try the “Or-jean” Oyster omelet.
Normally I didn’t like Or-jean since have have bad experience at “tung ku teng” Ipoh garden and other place at Ipoh. So I personally don’t like “Or-jean” but the Larut matang food court’s “Or-jean” are the best “Or-jean” I ever try. Since my wife ask me to try it.
I not sure the “Or-jean” Stall still at there or not and I have only been there since last year.
I Think the best things is never end and it should be there.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Hi baron. Thanks for the notice. Or Chien from which stall? Did not see one there lah, wasted.
Now I don’t know when’s the next round of Taiping getaway.
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baron Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Hi J2Kfm.
Sorry, I’m forgot the stall name and the stall number
I will take a photo and email it to you, Once i been there next month.
You can try it on next round. I you like sea food you can go to Kg. Kuala Sepatang about 18Km from taiping. It is a fish Village. You can try thier baked Crab. Those sea food is fresh and cheap.
But those people don’t speak eng or canton. They only speak Mandarin and hokkien.
I will email the photo of that shop to you too.
If go time, next time we go for “jalan jalan cari makan lah”.
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Oh the Kuala Sepetang one is it Restoran Tepi Sungai? Guess that’s the most popular one.
And thanks, I have received your e-mail. Did not notice about the Or Chien stall the other day. Was it even opened in the morning?
baron Reply:
November 1st, 2010 at 10:35 am
No J2kfm, the Restoran tepi sungai is popular among outsider and it is not cheap due to it’s popularity. My parents in law always complain thier food is expensive and in term of taste wise is not different (Use of fresh seafood) and why have to pay more to get same things. I have been there once with my parents. The food at there is nice but a bit expensive compare with the shop I try to recommend. The shop a corner lot near the field and opposite Am bank. it is popular among the villagers. They have operate there for few decades since my wife still small.
about that Or Chien stall @ larut matang, i’m not sure they have opened in morning but we went there during afternoon and evening.
The ingredients used to cook the CKT is really unique.. First time seeing ppl put char siew with CKT.. haha.. Gotta try this out soon if i happen to visit there 🙂 Thanks for sharing there, J2Kfm..
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J2Kfm Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 11:37 am
You’re welcomed, wyyv. Seldom seen, rarely found elsewhere.
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Thanks baron. I am awaiting for the piece of information on that seafood restaurant! Much like Tanjung Tualang’s many seafood restaurants, the locals tend to go for the less famous yet cheaper and worthy ones.
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The first time I ate the Taiping Kway Teow, I nearly cried! I was newly married and living in Taiping, I so missed the Ipoh CKT and hadn’t expected the new tastes I was experiencing. I am enjoying reading your blog.
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Am from taiping and I still drool after seeing the food… lol.
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Heh! Guys, nothing like the good old days of the 60’s lah. Remember the casual market minus the L&M building and beside it was the fruit stalls plus ice kachang closer to the old bus station. The end stall use to have a jukebox where you can slot 20cents and have you favorite Cliff Richard’s “Summer Holidays” or ” The Young Ones”. Varietyery of food for your pallet and very cheap. Can looks u get such now? I miss the old Taiping lah. Now when I visit Taiping it looks alien to me. Only a handful of old timers doing business the rest are all new faces. But there is some consolation the taste of Chee Choing Fun is still the same. I can’t get that in USJ Subang……
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taiping, here i come. Apart from taiping for 20+ Over years.
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Remember the lady owner of the ice Kachang stall who called all the boys from SGI and KE “John” and all the girls from convent and TMGS “Mary”?
Those were the days hwen curry noodles cost 20 cents.
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It’s no exactly spectacular but it is kinda good . However the uncle quite rude . Best if you order from the aunty . The uncle has no respect to u no matter who you are . His just wants to fry his kuey tiaw and go home .
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