Chuan Kee Restaurant: Kopitiam with long lines for chicken rice but serves average char kuey teow
If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you’ll know that I love char kuey teow. I mean, who doesn’t love the wok hei-infused flavours of a hearty plate of CKT? So, when a reader recommended Spinning CKT at Chuan Kee Restaurant in USJ 4, I knew I had to give it a go.
The corner lot kopitiam was situated at a shop lot near a housing area next to a nasi kandar restaurant. When I walked in, I was surprised at how small the coffee shop was. I think it’s because I’m used to big, bustling kopitiams and hawker centres where it’s nearly impossible to hear yourself speak. But a change in scenery seemed appealing, and the quietness provided a sense of relief.
Right outside Chuan Kee Restaurant, I spotted a hanging yellow banner. Whoever chose that striking hue made the right choice because it caught my attention straight away although, I’m not entirely sure why wok hei is spelt ‘walk hey’… Was it on purpose or a typo? It remains a mystery.
Inside the kopitiam, I observed several stalls offering dishes such as mixed rice, chicken rice, and wantan mee, among others. I also observed a crowd at the chicken rice stall, where numerous patrons were handing containers to the aunty, requesting 3 to 5 portions of chicken rice to take away. It seemed very popular, as the queue continued to lengthen during my mealtime there.
What I tried at Chuan Kee Restaurant
Since I was alone, there were really just 2 things for me to order— my food and a drink. So, I opted for a plate of Char Kuey Teow (small) (RM8) and Teh Ais (RM3.50).
Within 5 minutes, my plate of Char Kuey Teow arrived fresh off the wok. It consisted of flat noodles, prawns, taugeh, Chinese sausage, and spring onions.
Using a chopstick to pick up a substantial amount of noodles, I took a bite, anticipating the promised burst of wok hei flavour mentioned in the recommendation. Unfortunately, I was met with nothing but disappointment. Although the smoky flavours of the kuey teow were present, they didn’t give the wow effect I was looking for. Despite this, I still carried on eating the noodles.
I love a hefty amount of seafood in my Char Kuey Teow, but this dish fell short. I expected 4 to 5 pieces of prawns but there were only 3 (sad noises). But I was happy that the prawns were already peeled which meant I didn’t have to go through the struggle of peeling prawns with my chopsticks.
The prawns were juicy and well-coated with the flavours from the noodles. I could tell it was fresh and of good quality even though I ate all 3 of them at 1 go.
Although I specifically told the uncle not to add any Chinese sausages, he did. As much as I wanted to give it a taste, I couldn’t, so I set it aside. I felt bad for not consuming them but the sausages contained pork fat (which I couldn’t eat) so I couldn’t do much about it. In hindsight, I think the sausages did give the overall dish an extra umami flavour.
The uncle also added quite a lot of taugeh to the dish. Is that his way of telling me I should eat more vegetables? Sneaky! As a fan of bean sprouts, I finished it all. It was crunchy and added some dimension to the dish as the noodles and other elements of the Char Kuey Teow were chewy.
As I was eating my CKT, I also took some sips of my Teh Ais. It was a standard kopitiam-style Teh Ais which was perfectly balanced, not too sweet nor too bland. However, the drink did taste slightly watered down which I believe came from the melted ice. Overall, it did the job of quenching my thirst and I was satisfied.
Final thoughts
In summary, my dining experience at Chuan Kee Restaurant was satisfactory but not exceptional. The Char Kuey Teow and Teh Ais were decent but lacked any standout qualities. I’ve had CKT with a stronger wok hei flavour at other places.
However, the never-ending queue at the chicken rice stall caught my attention, making me consider returning another time to try it out. If you find yourself in the USJ 4 area craving a quick meal, Chuan Kee Restaurant remains a viable choice.
Expected damage: RM8 – RM22 per pax
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