Barefoot Char Koay Teow

Prior to my trip to Penang, I was actively craving a plate of Penang Char Kway Teow, especially one fried with duck egg, which is surprisingly scarce in Singapore. After watching a few YouTube reviews and getting a recommendation from my sibling, we decided to check this stall out. Upon reaching Cecil Street Food Centre, we made our way to the far end to locate it. I was excited and immediately rushed to place my order.

Stall of Barefoot Char Koay Teow

The lady taking orders had a rather extraordinary method, she literally wrote the orders on the eggs. The stall only accepts cash, and a number tag is issued upon ordering. It’s entirely self-service, and I waited close to 30 minutes for my plate to be ready. Customers can choose between a duck egg or a chicken egg, which was a nice touch.

Number to be called

When our order was finally ready, we collected it and took a closer look. The Char Kway Teow was fried over charcoal fire, and the prawns were undeniably plump, with that expected smoky wok hei clinging to the koay teow. However, the first mouthful left me disappointed. All my expectations of a satisfying plate of Char Kway Teow came crashing down, it simply wasn’t as memorable as what I had in Penang months ago. The ingredients included duck egg, Chinese sausage, and prawns, but somehow the overall balance just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Barefoot Char Koay Teow - RM 8.50

Would I wait another 30 minutes for another plate? Probably not. There are better versions out there, and this one just isn’t my style. Browsing through the Google reviews later on, I began to understand why opinions were so mixed. Turns out, I’m not in the minority who felt the same way.

Barefoot Char Koay Teow
Location: Pasar Lebuh Cecil, Lebuh Herriot, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia