Woks of Taste Char Kway Teow – Former Aerospace Engineering Students Fires Up Char Kway Teow With Wok Hei!

Many young hawkers are slowly taking up the mantle of producing simple hawker food without any of the added fanfare or fusion twists, and the owner of Woks of Taste Char Kway Teow is one of them. Located within Upper Boon Keng Market & Food Centre, the stall is helmed by 24 year-old Samuel who has single-handedly mastered the ways of the wok. A steady stream of customers keeps him busy from the moment his shutters open. 

Previously an aerospace engineering student, the young chef dropped out of university to pursue his love for cooking. His journey started with the Hawkerpreneurship programme and he taught himself the know-hows of cooking char kway teow. Having grown up with a love for it and his father taking him on trips to Johor Bahru (JB) to sample the many different kinds there, Samuel said that char kway teow was naturally his dish of choice. 

When asked what sets his rendition of char kway teow apart from others’, Samuel was confident that his skills with the wok, and unique blend of seasonings for the dish, is it. 

You can opt for either the $3, $4 or $5 plate of char kway teow and add extra toppings of egg ($0.50), cockles ($1) and lup cheong (Chinese sausage) ($1). 

I went for the $4 portion and was quite impressed by the hefty portion served on the plate. The mix of yellow noodles and kway teow were on the drier side and there was definitely an adequate amount of wok hei infused into the carbs! The sweet, savoury mess of noodles were tossed with chilli and the hint of spiciness didn’t draw too much attention away from the smokiness present.

The slivers of lup cheong were pleasantly sweet and satisfying, and while the cockles were on the smaller side, there was a fairly generous amount of them and each one packed a small punch of brininess that did wonders to the overall mish-mash of flavours on this plate. 

Another thing that got a thumbs up from me was the large pieces of lard that were perfectly crispy and definitely made this dish a lot more indulgent. 

Woks of Taste Char Kway Teow has undoubtedly proven themselves, and ignited yet another spark of hope that our hawker culture will live on. I’ll definitely be back for another plate of char kway teow!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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