Indulge in a hawker classic at the best char kway teow stalls in Singapore.
The humble char kway teow is undoubtedly one of Singapore’s iconic hawker dishes, even though it doesn’t win points for presentation and notoriously has a negative score on the health-o-meter. A standard char kway teow plate comprises flat noodles, cockles, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced fishcake, and bean sprouts. The ingredients are then stir-fried with dark soy sauce and pork fat.
Historically, its high-calorie content is a remnant of the dish’s original purpose – an economical option to fill the bellies of the hard-working coolies and labourers of Singapore’s founding days. Today, it’s enjoyed as a cheat day treat and is available at every hawker centre. Here are the best places in Singapore to lap up a hearty plate of char kway teow.
Where to find the best char kway teow in Singapore
1. Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
What really makes this stall’s char kway teow shine are the crispy fried lard bits. Plus, the hawkers don’t skimp on ingredients or flavour, and it’s got a potent dose of wok hei (charred, smoky flavour) that ties the dish together. Expect to queue if you decide to patronise the stall – it’s one of the most famous char kway teow stalls in Singapore, after all.
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee, #02-17, Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531
2. Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow
Those living in Ang Mo Kio can consider themselves lucky to have this in their ‘hood. The noodles are coated with a generous layer of dark soy sauce. The sausages are cooked beforehand, lending a charred saltiness to the dish. Of course, we have to rave about the pork lard. There’s plenty on our plate, which makes slurping the noodles all the more enjoyable.
Ang Mo Kio Fried Kway Teow, #01-22, 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, Singapore 560724
3. Hai Yan Fried Kway Teow Mee
While there are plenty of char kway teow stalls in Singapore, we’d gladly travel to Telok Blangah for this treasure. The husband-and-wife team is a pro not only in preparing the dish but also in providing top-notch service. If you do end up here, take a look at its offering. Do you notice there isn’t any cockle? Instead, it comes with fish cake slices, pork lard, scrambled eggs, and a sprinkle of bee hoon noodles.
Hai Yan Fried Kway Teow Mee, #01-38, Telok Blangah Rise Market & Food Centre, 36 Telok Blangah Rise, Singapore 090036
4. Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food
If you’re looking for something different, this stall might be the answer to your prayers. Its fried kway teow combines flat and yellow noodles and despite being fried, the final product is a wetter version with a lighter appearance. The piece de resistance is the otah pairing, which just elevates the dish. We reckon Lai Heng’s offering stands out from the sea of char kway stalls in Singapore.
Lai Heng Fried Kuay Teow & Cooked Food, #02-20, Shunfu Mart Food Centre, 320 Shunfu Road, Singapore 570320
5. Hill Street Char Kway Teow
Singaporeans know that long queues outside food establishments mean the offerings are good. The two-step wok-frying process ensures the char kway teow has plenty of flavour and wok hei, which we love. There are the usual suspects like beansprouts, cockles, and eggs, but what we like most are the crispy puffs of pork lard. Be sure to eat it fresh after they’ve prepared ’em.
Hill Street Char Kway Teow, multiple locations including Bedok South Road and Smith Street
6. Armenian Street Fried Kway Teow
In the business for over half a century, it’s not surprising that this char kway teow stalwart has the formula down pat. It’s slightly wet with plenty of wok hei, along with an ample serving of plump cockles, fresh crunchy bean sprouts, lap cheong, and eggs. The dark soy sauce has a nice hint of sweetness but doesn’t detract from the rest of the ingredients.
Armenian Street Char Kway Teow, Anchorvale 303 Food Court, 303 Anchorvale Link, Singapore 540303
7. Thye Hong Fried Hokkien Mee
Don’t be fooled by the name – this establishment offers char kway teow too. Thye Hong more than proved itself when it was handpicked by the Singapore Tourism Board to showcase its char kway teow at the Culinary Institute of America in California. The dish is served with a generous portion of cockles, lap cheong, and eggs tied together with a fierce dose of charredness.
Thye Hong Fried Hokkien Mee, Stall 5, #04-36/37, Nex Food Junction, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore 556083
8. Penang Fried Kway Teow
This joint makes our list for serving a rather hard-to-find Penang variant of this greasy comfort food. This version uses thinner strands of flat rice noodles and is cooked in a savoury, spicy broth rather than the sweet black sauce most of us are familiar with. It also includes prawns, cockles, fish cakes, and Taiwanese sausages, along with the absolutely essential wok hei taste.
Penang Fried Kway Teow, #01-08, Upper Boon Keng Food Centre, 17 Upper Boon Keng Road, Singapore 380017
9. Chomp Chomp Fried Kway Teow Mee
Chomp Chomp may be famous for Ah Hock’s fantastic Hokkien mee, but its fried kway teow stall is worthy of your attention, too. It packs a punch, and many foodies can attest to that statement. The dish is slightly drier with a rather sweet dark sauce and a less eggy flavour. The highlight of this dish is the luscious noodles’ silky, chewy texture.
Chomp Chomp Fried Kway Teow Mee, #01-35, Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269
10. No. 21
One of the best ways to enjoy char kway teow is with a cool sea breeze, ice-cold beer, and sand between my toes. So it’s worth a trip to this stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village for its unique red rendition. The mystery red sauce not only gives the char kway teow a wetter consistency but imparts a distinctly peppery flavour. As a bonus, the dish also includes fresh prawns.
No. 21, #01-21, East Coast Lagoon Food Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 468960
Ignore the calories and just enjoy your plate of char kway teow from the best stalls in Singapore!
