The Dead Cockroach: 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee @ Golden Mile Food Centre

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Some time ago, photos of a particular char kway teow from Golden Mile Food Centre caught my attention.

What makes it so special is that it is topped with so much green vegetables you could barely see the kway teow (flat rice noodle) below.

I had wanted to try it then but never did due to procrastination. Distance is also a factor as the location is rather out of the way for me. It does not make sense for me to go all the way there just to have a plate of char kway teow.

I finally found a justified reason to brave the long distance there after I collated enough stalls that I wanted to try at the food centre. The first stall that I visited, is of course this stall known as 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee.

"Why 91?" you asked? That is in reference to the stall's unit number, #01-91.

The stall is located near the entrance of the food centre which you can see the moment you walked up the flight of stairs.

I arrived at just the right moment when they are ready to accept orders (indicated by the flashing lights outside their stall). I immediately placed an order for a medium ($3/$4/$5) plate with the auntie standing outside, who is busy packing fried whitebait into tiny resealable bags. Those must be for takeaways.

While waiting for my order to be ready, I noticed the "No Pork, No Lard" sign. I can see that this char kway teow stall is really ~~desperate~~ determined to stand out from among the rest.

Char kway teow is not the healthiest choice to consider if you are watching your weight. By omitting the all-important pork lard AND including lots of chye sim, the stall seems to be targeting the health-conscious group.

But, my only concern is how does this plate of char kway teow taste?

To my surprise, there is the unmistakable smell of wok hei wafting to my nose as I make my way to a table. Not strong but it's there.

I believe the vegetables were blanched rather than fried and oil must have been added to the water which explains the glossy sheen. But no, the chye sim were not oily. It tastes rather bland on its own but turns out okay if you stir them in with the kway teow.

The char kway teow is the drier type with no excess sauce or oil collecting at the bottom of the plate, Personally, I prefer the wetter type but this is still moist enough to please.

I would say the flavor is quite balanced without being too sweet.

In tune with their healthier style, I see no sign of lup cheong (waxed sausage). It is not a problem for me as I do not like it.

I kind of like the addition of the fried whitebait which provides a crunchy texture.

Although this is not the traditional style of char kway teow, it did not disappoint. My only gripe is that the see-hum (blood cockles) were thoroughly cooked and not bloody enough.

Would I still visit this stall in future? Yes, but only if I am in the area.

A bit sian to travel so far lar...

Oh, gossip time! My favorite part of blogging is digging up juicy bits before I actually visit the stall.

Prior to my visit, I heard that the auntie has quite an attitude but my personal interaction with her is okay leh. Nothing unpleasant.

But then, I also found out she has a "one pair of chopsticks/spoon per plate" policy which riled some people up. I realized the stall received very low ratings from these disgruntled customers.

Indeed, her utensils were all kept inside a metal chest of drawers instead of putting outside free for the taking. When my order was ready, I saw her taking a pair of disposable chopsticks and spoon from the drawer before handing it to me.

Actually, I can understand where she is coming from. How many pairs of chopsticks do you need to eat one plate of kway teow? Why take more than necessary?

Even if it's for sharing, it is quite a waste to throw away after a few mouthfuls. Why create more waste?

This set me thinking. Should I get myself a pair of reusable utensils? If the stalls I visit used disposables, I will use my own.

What do you think?