Damian D’Silva, chef-partner, Rempapa

“I have been frequenting this eatery, located in Chinatown Complex, for over 20 years. Watching the chef masterfully fry up the noodles is entrancing.

His version is not overly sweet and his technique of constant scraping and stirring provides the dish with a good mix of flavour, texture, and wok hei. He also puts in the right amount of pork lard to ensure there are morsels of lard in every bite; chinese sausage is used to deliver the right amount of sweetness without tasting like plastic; and beansprouts are fried to perfectly assure crunch without tasting raw. It’s the best execution of char kway teow I know of today.”

Liu Ching Hai, Chinese executive chef, Summer Palace

“My go-to char kway teow is from Penang Fried Kway Teow, a hawker stall located at Upper Boon Keng Hawker Centre. I have lived around this neighbourhood for more than a decade and discovered it by chance while exploring the area on one of my days off. This was over 10 years ago and has become one of my favourite haunts since.  

The owner, a lady in her 70s, still mans the stall and cooks every dish herself. Her technique is remarkable, with each plate having that perfect wok hei taste and aroma. Over the years, it has always remained affordable and consistently tasty.”

David Tang, executive chef, Rosemead

“My favourite stall to visit for char kway teow is Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow at Old Airport Road Food Centre. I stumbled upon the stall a few years back when I moved to the Geylang neighbourhood and have been patronising it since.
 
While Singapore-style fried kway teow is quite different from the Hong Kong variant (fried hor fun) that I frequently ate while growing up, one point in common is wok hei. Packed with garlic and not overly sweet, I fell in love with Dong Ji’s rendition for its savouriness, texture of fresh prawns, and egg coated noodles.”

Leon Yee, chef de cuisine, Peppermint

“Char kway teow has been sort of a comfort food for me since young. One of my favourites, which I have been patronising for almost 20 years, is Hai Kee Char Kway Teow. My cousin introduced this stall to me during my secondary school days, when I was 14 years old.
 
It used to be located in Margret Drive Food Centre with crazy long queues way before opening time, and it has since moved to Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre. The stall’s version of char kway teow is bursting with see hum and pork lard and despite the long queues, each portion is cooked individually and maintains flavour and consistency.
 
It is well balanced with wok hei and sweetness—I would pretty much say that what makes his char kway teow good is the see hum water. It acts as a binding agent with the egg to give that slippery and messy looking plate of char kway teow its irresistible appeal and flavour.”