Frankie used to be THE char kuey teow man here.
Mention ‘Damansara Perdana char kuey teow‘ or ‘8888 char kuey teow‘ and the man in question would be Frankie.
The situation got a bit more interesting recently when a young (ok, maybe not that young but younger than Frankie) Igor started to work his wok at the coffeeshop right beside Frankie.
And that coffeeshop is Restoran 9999.
And given that both kopitiam are side by side, with the symbolic numbering of 4 similar digits, I thought this has the makings for a very good article.
Firstly, let me set the record straight.
I have certain preset criteria of how I like my Penang Char Kuey Teow and I’m pretty adamant about these factors:
1. Moist (but not greasy!), loose kuey teow.
I hate knots of lumpy kuey teow that made me feel like I was chewing on clumps of starch.
2. Charred bits from the wok with alluring smoky aftertaste.
A bit of char adds much character and aroma to the dish.
3. Bloody (as in spurting out blood when bitten into) juicy cockles please.
If you are going to add those miniscule, rubbery, shrivelled cockles, do me a favour and omit them so I can save time from picking them out.
4. A sprinkling of crispy pork lard qualifies for extra brownie points.
Make sure the croutons are fresh without any rancid taste.
5. Crunchy beansprouts but not raw ones please.
The beansprouts should be cooked yet remained crispy and fresh. That shouldn’t and doesn’t mean raw!
6. Lap cheong (Chinese wax sausages), chives and egg is a must.
Duck egg is preferred, but chicken is fine too. I don’t really care for prawns.
7. Overall flavourful with adequate heat from the chillies.
No one likes salty or bland char kuew teow right?
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So, did I find my fix at Igor’s or Frankie’s?
Sadly, no, I didn’t.
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Frankie’s Char Kuey Teow – Restoran 8888
Total of 3 visits
1st visit – I couldn’t find the photos but it appeared on my FB timeline TODAY as FB memories – what a coincidence!
2nd visit – 10th April 2016
3rd visit 19th April 2016.
The kway teow was too salty for me although the overall taste is flavourful with a distinct smoky aroma.
I couldn’t finish more than 3-4 bites each time because it was just bloody salty!
I went twice (recently) to be sure and the taste is pretty consistent.
However, on each visit feedback from my dining partners varies. Some agreed it was overly salty for them, while some didn’t have any trouble with the noodles.
That goes to show that it really depends on personal preferences.
From the charred bits it is obvious that Frankie’s char kuey teow does pack some wok-hei.
Another plus point is that the egg is broken up and mixed in thoroughly with the noodles. Frankie uses a thinner kway teow which would have been a bonus if I could actually enjoy them.
From 3 visits, I don’t remember any crunchy pork lard nor juicy cockles.
Prices:
CKT/Rice/Loh Shi Fun/Mee RM5.50 (s). RM6.50 (B).
Duck egg – RM6.50 (S). RM7.00 (B).
Hours: 10 am – 2/3pm (finish)
Off day: Mondays, not fixed.
1st visit: 21st April 2014.
2nd visit: 10th April. 3 of us shared 2 plates.
A friend of mine like it better with an extra egg.
Frankie offers fried rice and loh shi fun too other than just mee and kuey teow.
My favourite drink to wash off all the salt – the pumpkin barley.
3rd visit: 19th April 2016.
Urgh.. those offensive rubbery cockles again.
Some said Frankie’s kuey teow is ‘moist’, but I thought it was quite greasy.
And a bit lumpy at some parts too.
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Igor’s Char Kuey Teow – Restoran 9999
Total of 2 visits :
1st visit – 11th March 2016
2nd visit – 19th April 2016
The initial plate I had on 11th March was better.
It could be that I ordered ‘spicy‘ then and for the 19th April visit my friend asked for ‘normal and a bit of chilli’.
Whatever it is, the 19th April plate was a mass of uneven bland and salty kuey teow.
The beansprouts were almost raw and the cockles rubbery. Lup cheong was present in abundance though, while the prawns were not only of substantial size, but also fresh with a firm and bouncy texture.
There were large slices of fishcakes as well.
I didn’t have any issues with my first plate, but the recent 19th April visit had me wondering what went wrong. My duck egg came in large pieces instead of mixed in with the kuey teow.
Well, at least Igor didn’t try to kill me with salt.
1st visit – 11th March.
Pork lard!
2nd visit – 19th April.
Hardly any egg with the noodles because the duck egg was in 3 large pieces. No pork lard either.
Those cockles … sigh.
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Well, the hunt for a good char kuey teow (that I like) continues.
Last but not least, the above are merely my preferences and thoughts.
Both CKT are well-received (popular) so that goes to show that taste is indeed subjective.
Restoran 4 Eight (8888) – Frankie.
Jalan PJU 8/5C, Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Restoran Empat Sembilan (9999) – Igor.
Jalan PJU 8/5D, Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Hmmmm, difficult choice! Based on description, I think I’d like the texture of Frankie better … But I want the cockles and lard at Igor! One thing though: I loathe lap Cheong in ckt, and I always push it aside, cos I feel the sweetness overwhelms the ckt … Would be happy to have extra see hum instead 😀
Loved Igor’s one. Guess its just a personal preference with the cockles and lard.
Yups. dont mind paying extra for the juicy cockles but i guess that might not be everyone’s cup of tea (paying extra for cockles).
I’m sure Igor got his fans. can’t please everyone 🙂 I didn’t mind my first plate, the 2nd one was a bit of a let-down.