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Hokkien Char
By Robyn Eckhardt
A great Hokkien char is a bad, bad thing, which is why we don’t do it everyday. If you’ve been abstaining then this invisible-from-the-main-road hawker stall in PJ Old Town is the place to break the fast. I ate here at the behest of a friend of a friend who maintains this is one of KL’s best (if not the best) example of what must be Malaysia’s greasiest noodle speciality. After one bite I knew she was on to something.
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This hawker prepares only two or three orders at a time, so be prepared to wait. When it’s finally your turn you’ll be treated to thick, chewy noodles shellacked with dark soy and lard oil and coiled around tender pork slices, shredded cabbage, and a few perfectly cooked prawns. The noodles and the protein, and even the slick of oil that will be left on the plate when you’re done, are thoroughly imbued with the delectable flavour of smoky char. Accompanying sambal belacan is smooth, almost creamy, and plenty fishy-pungent; it boasts a chilli zip that blooms, suddenly and ferociously, at the back of the tongue in a sort of delayed reaction after you’ve swallowed.
‘I wonder if he charges extra if you order more veggie,’ I wondered aloud as I eyed the sign offering more prawns and pork for a price. ‘Why on earth would you?!’ my dining companion replied, aghast that I would even suggest such a thing. (Diners looking for a relatively lighter meal might try this hawker’s Cantonese fried noodles which, though not as popular as the Hokkien char, nonetheless claim a devoted following.)
He’s right, of course. Hokkien char is all about the meat, the carbs, and, especially, the fat. It’s certainly not about the veg. At least, this Hokkien char isn’t. The underlit, bordering-on-dank hawker centre where this wok jockey creates his masterpiece sits cheek-by-jowl to a church, but after downing this nest of greasy goodness you’ll feel anything but angelic. When it comes to Hokkien mee, that’s a compliment.
Stall No. 8, hawker center next to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Jalan Othman, PJ Old Town. Evenings.
