Blog 18th Anniversary: Street Food

 Street food, with whatever label you call it, is the core of cultural dynamics you encounter in any society.  They are what is daily eaten and drunk by the populace, mostly without any pretension or hype, tending to true sentiments of a lifestyle not tainted by high margins, expensive rents and temporary fads.

Inflation has spiked - and street food preparation, labour supply, venue rentals and pricing have all been shaken to the core.  Even the record rather stabilised prices of hawker food in the sanitised food courts of the republic of Singapore have been affected.  Access to ethnically diverse food in major cities of Australia and New Zealand have put us pause in our tracks with smaller sized servings and price hikes averaging 25 per cent.

Culinary history follows the path of socio-economic evolution in the community.  Increased mobility, exclusive facilitated by better technology and higher standards of living, encourages experimentation, cross cultural influences and changing demands from the dining consumer.
No one society increasingly can claim to be the
exclusive owner of a specific dish.

Even the setting for us to partake street food has been changing.
Smashed is the stereotype of eating street food with us exposed to the elements, risking a dodgy level of hygiene and soaking in an exotic atmosphere.  Most of us do not have to go through the Khao San Road Bangkok vibes or sit on those ridiculous low rise stools in Saigon.
We can eat our street food in air conditioned comfort in Shaghai, London or Vancouver.

Still there can be nothing like trying hawker food in the perceived chaos beside a busy street in Havana, Kinhasa or Napoli.  We keep our wits sharp and senses stimulated downing our coffee, watching out for much talked about bag snatchers and making sure we have not been ripped off looking as obvious tourists.

There is nothing like having ramen seated along a rather narrow counter with salarymen, punk haired youngsters and elderly pensioners in Tokyo.  Many recommended street food outlets are literally off the street, most likely locating their exact spot only after successfully navigating the rabbit warren of lanes and cubicles.

Street food is more freshly prepared, massages our nostrils better and does taste better when we sit not far from the cook.  The roti, teh tarik and curry has more flavour when we see them created right in front of us.  Whether it is Marrakesh, Delhi or Kuala Lumpur, the sounds, smells and sights of the street level can be incomparable.

On an expensive cruise ship buffet, private tour or self managed adventurous track, the basic principles of choosing and consuming street food can be simple.  Avoid raw food or cooked ones which has been sitting out exposed to sunlight, pollution and dodgy handling.  What can be handled by local stomachs does not mean they also suit us.  Try to take small portions for variety.  The ingredients used in Melbourne can be much better than those utilised in other cities.

Authentic street food is not naturally accompanied by wine, no matter what Michelin and Tatler may pronounce.  The best modus operandi when in a produce market or local eatery is to first observe, apply choices seen to your gut inkling and speak to any friendly diners.

Partaking of street food is basically one of snacking.  Several times there is no place to sit down, takeaway packaging is flimsy and we have to use our hands to best relish such food.   When touring, we may not have the numbers, fimancial or diners, to order every thing we want.  Pocket tissues are handy, especially popular in east and south east Asia.

There are distinctive and unique street food in every nation. East Canadian Poutine, Portuguese preserved cod, dried camel meat, indigenious Australian bush tomatoes or South African Biltong come to mind - life is to be lived fully, try everything unique at least once.

Authentic street food around the world usually requires payment in cash, usually this implies crumpled notes and a heavy load of coins.  No tipping is obviously called for in such places.  You have no chance to tap your smart phone or plastic credit card - and you do not want to anyway.

One who goes for street food anywhere also enters a world unseen from a hotel restaurant, allows you to better understand the people and opens doors to other perspectives.

Language can be yet a challenging but delightful interim barrier, but hey most societies do use English, perhaps not in selected communities and even migrant enclaves in Western cities.  Some street food stall holders can cling on to conservative attitudes of not wanting them or their food to be photographed.

Street food reproduced by migrants in their settled countries can taste different from their nations of origin.  Usually they cost more than the same dishes in their hometowns. Street food can however remain precious to immigrants, part of the pyschological comfort required when they find themselves far removed from family and the hometown.

Street food reproduced at airports do cost more and taste less.  Several Asian airlines include their iconic street food dishes as part of the on board menu. 

For me, one of the most memorable experiences of street food was discovering Teochew styled roast goose at a popular one person stall in the thick and thin of the morning markets at Shantou on the southern coast of Guangdong Province.   The cooked meat hung seductively, language used was Mandarin for which I am not well versed with and the serving area kept rather clean.  Using hand signals and eye contact, the seller and I developed an optimal exchange.  The latter had a good demeanour, even if he was real busy and I enjoyed a social exchange away from the plasticised environment of street food outlets back home.  Every bite of the yummy roast goose was savoured with gratefulness.

#yongkevthoughts

Penang Char Koay Teow - Fallacies, Mislabels and Essentials

Sydney can be lovely, but I do miss authentic Penang Char Koay Teow, which I must emphasise is a Hokkien or Fujian or Chiuzhou street food delight and not a Straits Chinese or Nyonya dish.CKT, or literally stir fried rice noodles, has humble origins, prepared only when you are ready to eat and makes use of the experience and skills of the ladle stirrer, cooked on a well fortified metal contraption that has been seasoned and heated through the years.  Ideally, charcoal fire is best to bring out the taste and texture of this dish.Those rice noodles prepared several hours ago and served from a hot plate at food courts or even some so called restaurants, do not qualify to be called Penang CKT.Whether you use more of dark soy sauce, or the lighter version, can be due to personal preference, but for Penangites, we do not serve the CKT looking well dosed with dark soy sauce, like in Singapore and Johor, where they have a dish called Orr Koay Teow.To deserve to be called Penang CKT, the following must be observed.The stir fry narrow rice noodles have a caramelised bite to them.Dark soy sauce does not permeate the dish, but oyster and light soy sauces are used with a finesse.There is an appetising  sensation of wok heat when the dish is served.The strength of chillies or chilli paste used do not over whelm the essential taste of this dish.Even for basic versions found in Penang, there are Chinese chives, small slices of Lap Cheong or Cantonese sausage, several small prawns, bean sprouts, shucked cockles, thin fish cake slices and scrambled eggs.Do not fall however for the hype of fancy seafood like a few scallops or king prawns thrown into the mix.Oh yes, the outcome of eggs well stirred with the rice noodles in a quality Penang CKT is most significant.   Whether the dish served to you makes the grade depends on the mastery of how the chef combines the right texture of scrambled eggs with the optimal bite of the rice noodles.Hen eggs will do and duck eggs can be used for other recipes.There is no need to have flourish by the chef dancing around his or her wok, but another test is the aroma swelling up in your nostrils even before when the dish is ready.   You can literally follow your nose to the right coffee shop with a yummy Penang CKT on the island.The source of the flavour or aroma may not be too encouraging for the fastidiously health conscious.  It is the basic pork lard bits that set the tone for the caramelisation of a yummy Penang CKT dish  -  think of Prosciutto strips used to get the Italian dish going.   Pork is considered non- Kosher or Haram and so you may come across non pork lard versions especially in Muslim majority Malaysia.You can get yummy versions in Penang from an equivalent range of Aud 2 to 4 per serve, cheaper than a cup of barista made coffee.In comfy hotel surroundings with attentive staff, you can have yourPenang Char Koay Teow in Malaysia for an average price of Aud 12 per plate.In Australian capital cities, there can be hype in the pricing and making of street food like Penang CKT.   In Canberra, I have come across a basic version priced at Aud 23, and a joint in Haymarket, Sydney offers the dish for as high as Aud 33 per plate with some King Prawns.Penang CKT is recognised as an iconic dish of the island.It is intertwined with childhood memories, comforting moments and a unique persona.   It can be breakfast, supper or lunch.  It is the little reward after a long day's work, over coming a challenge or just an excuse to gather with family or mates.It is not the vehicle to drive excessive profit margins, even if I appreciate the costs of rental and labour in today's food retail.  Never fall for Penang CKT sellers who charge more for adding in seafood or so called market expensive ingredients.If the plate served to you consists of limp noodles, looks so dark and is obviously not made fresh five minutes ago, reject it immediately, as it is not Penang CKT.

Shantou's Rice Noodle Strip Soup

You may have seen this popular street dish even in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand - what seems to be soup with white rice noodle strips, garnished with thin slices of meat, seafood and vegetable.   It is truly appetising, does not encourage over eating and yet wholesome to the palate.    


They are always prepared fresh and their outcomes in taste and flavour rely heavily on the subtleness and balance in the stock soup.   A variety of texture is enhanced by the ingredients chosen to accompany the noodles and soup.   The quality and freshness of the rice noodle strips - Koay Teow - is then the other X Factor.

In Shantou, my group of six fellow travellers and mates came across a really crowded eat shop, with mainly locals concentrating on their individual bowls of piping hot Manna.    Even more lively was the scene around the preparation  - a few really focused staff going about cooking the dish in earnest and amazing silence.   The garnish, cut meats, herbs and seafood were all ready to be used and waiting in bowls.     There was a variety of noodles to be chosen according to the preference of customers - egg versions, rice types and vermicelli.   It was late breakfast time.

The  venue had a wide front, easily two shop fronts.    Winter was not too far away and so the lure of hot soups was obvious.       


A spattering of Teochew and Mandarin languages could be heard.   People came and went, as this was a pit stop on a busy day.    Just like in south-east Asia, there were accompaniments of  cut chilli strips,  Shasha sauce or pounded chilli in oil.     The large containers of boiling water had cooking smoke rising above, adding to the pace of the place.  

I relished in the pieces of seafood, deep fried fish cake, bean sprouts, Capsicums, meat balls, quail eggs, fish balls, blanched cabbage  and more.

The piping hot soups are garnished with garlic oil, coriander, fresh shallots and scallions.

The proof of the pudding, so to speak, is in the stock soup, which is usually made by having an interplay of flavours with pork bones, dried squid and chicken.

George Town Culinary Delights

Char Koay Teow at the corner of Penang Road and Keng Kwee Avenue  -  Joo Hooi coffee shop.

When you have only a few days to sample the culinary delights of  Penang,  you know you are going to be snacking every few hours, throughout the day and night.  Food places open late into supper time, some only do business in the morning and yet others start serving in the afternoon.  If you are fortunate to be able to drop by places for home cooking, that is even better.   The best mindset for a foodie journey here is with an open mind, to share the dishes discovered and to drink lots of water.

Several types of curry to accompany your Nasi Kandar - Chulia Street.



Being located at the northern end of the Malacca Straits, Penang is bound to offer many spices, herbs and a diversity of cooking styles to you.   An important consideration is whether your stomach can weather all this variety.    The earnest would go seek out the original best for each dish but practical reality may not permit that.  I suggest to just go with the flow wherever you are in George Town, for you are bound to come across trying something unplanned, unexpected and unthought of.

Crunchies, hard boiled egg, fresh lettuce, noodles and potato slices entice you to the South Indian Mee Rebus.



Be mindful of how much carbohydrates, sugar, deep fried stuff and chillies you are accumulating along the way.    Compare this with how much sitting and walking you are doing per day.   


The art of participating and watching can be fun as well  - we can observe what the people at other tables are eating,  we can note how the vendors prepare their specialities and we can share a variety of things on our own table together.    Several dishes are stir fried to order, others have ingredients all sorted out before being poured with the gravy or soup.

Servings of  Bee Kueh Moy at the Maple Palace Restaurant, Northam  Road.

The glutinous black coloured rice is mixed with coconut milk, a sprinkling of sugar and salt.



If you are not at a restaurant, but in a hawker centre, Kopi TIam or on the roadside waiting beside the hawker,  it is useful to have small coin change.  There are still paper currency one Ringgit notes, but nothing pleases a food seller in this scenario as having the  exact change.  

Pie Tee with chilli dip at Aunty Gaik Lian's, Bishop Street.

When plunking down at a table in a Kopi Tiam, it is imperative to order drinks, hot or cold, from the coffee shop operator.   It can get pretty crowded in certain coffee shops to get a seat, so one has to be fast acting and hawk eyes in such situations.   You pay only when you receive the food or drinks at your table.     Yes, the vendors still bring the food you ordered to your table, in contrast to many self managed queue and bring your own serves from the counter in many other nations.

Teochew Cendol.
Check out:  https://kindlyyours.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/making-of-cendol-dessert.html

Vehicle parking can get to be a congested affair, so I recommend walking, cycling or using the motor bike in George Town.    Visualise the heritage area as a series of laid out lanes and roads, that they are connected in some way and you are well on the way to conquer foodie street hubs like Carnarvon, Chulia, Kimberley,  Bishop, Beach and Penang.   


Seek refuge in shopping centres when the afternoon sun gets too humid.   Alternate between air-conditioned and street side eating.   The best time is after the sun sets, when the locals come out and when a party atmosphere comes alive.

Vegetable Acar or pickles with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Made at the kitchen of Ms. Yong Kooi Chun.

Some of the best food are found in relatively simple spots, whilst others are served in heritage buildings, beside the sea or in contemporary buildings.   I always look forward to reunion lunches at a dear Aunt's place.  


On a recent  visit, I was taken by the family of a close friend to try out the home cooking of an elderly friend of theirs, an ex-teacher who carries an interesting conversation  and who still shows her good culinary skills.   I also found there is a coffee shop at the corner of Rangoon and Macalister Roads that hosts both Muslim and Chinese lunch dishes.  Penang locals also have fondness to gather at the ten seater round table, where Chinese customary practice also come into play.

The making of Ban Chien Kueh at Pulau Tikus.

And now we address the question of the all essential drink - why do you just stick to that faceless, bland spring water, as most travellers do?    As long as you know drinks have been boiled   -  and the water supply is pretty safe in Penang -  you can have no qualms for risking the condition known as Delhi belly.    Cold desserts and mixes are another matter all together, unless you are in a bar or restaurant.  Make the practical choice and use your own judgement.  George Town is a modern metropolis, although critics may not think so with street side eating.  There are bottled drinks of all sorts from cold fridges, ranging from herbal teas, American labels and own made concoctions.   


In a Kopi Tiam, the common drinks you can see ordered are Kopi Orh Peng (iced black coffee); Barley Peng  (cold barley drink);   nutmeg juice;  hot beverages like Horlicks, Milo and local coffee blends; lime juice;  orange juice; Teh Peng ( tea with ice cubes); and more.

Traditional fish curry Straits Chinese style or Ikan Tumis from Ms. Ung.

When you come across a crowd, or people eagerly lining up, even when the weather is inclement,you can be sure they are on to a good thing.   Comparable to Singaporeans, Penangites love to check out the latest sensation, the hype and the rumour of tasty things.   I am reminded of the rush to stock up on packets of White Penang Curry Mee a few years ago.

A medley of roasts.

They are still gathering around stalls like the Char Koay Teow along Siam Road (from afternoons only) and the Cendol stall at the corner of Keng Kwee Street and Penang Road.
One afternoon Sonny drove past the Malay curry food stall in Tanjung Bungah, near the Mar Vista apartments.   There is an implied sense of the robust need by the Chinese community to try any yummy food, crossing inter-racial lines and culinary traditions.  Foodies now transverse the island, west, south or north, to check out the new and persistently good food.

The dough for the Ang Ku or Red Tortoise cakes from Ms. Teoh Sian Kin.

What about the standards found in hotel buffets and breakfast options?   For the devotee in foodie land, there is a difference in the authenticity of the cooking skills and outcomes of several street food items.   Somehow, the outcomes of the dish often miss an ingredient, a cooking technique and the oomph of street cooks.  


However, such opportunities to partake food in a Penang hotel cannot be totally dismissed all together.   They do provide a sampling opportunity of coming across a whole variety in one spot.   If you do like some specific dishes, then it is time you make the effort to chase the good ones out there, away from the hotel environment.

You come across food stalls like this, when walking along covered five foot ways in the heritage quarter of George Town. 

Many of Penang's iconic dishes involve much on the input and attitude of the cook and preparer.    The exact formula, measured quantity and precise recipe does not work for such dishes.   The most tasty food in Penang result from years of experience, a secret technique or tip that makes the difference and the mood of the cook.   Look at whether your targeted stall holder is smiling or reasonably okay on the day you visit.  Are the helpers also in a reasonable mood?    



Servings can be smaller than what most Americans or Australians are used to.   Use this to your advantage, for you are only meant to sample this diversity of food.    Yes, beer can be relied upon to be available in the coffee shops. restaurants obviously offer wines and hard liquors.    Do try to match your drink with the food, whether the latter is plain, zesty, spicy or neutral.

The younger generation has taken over this well known southern Chinese roast meat outlet of Sin Nam Huat.

It is always on balance to engage street sellers with some conversation.  Penangites have the ability to speak in more languages than the average person.There are various dialects within the Chinese community and mandarin has been most popular for many years now.   Most of the Indians hail from the south of the sub-continent, with Tamil and Hindi conversations prominent.    English remains perhaps the Lingua Franca understood by all races, thanks to previous colonisation by the Brits.   Malay is the National Language in Malaysia.   


A visitor may soon observe the mix up of words from different languages in one sentence articulated by most Penangites.     There is often a soft accent, some times bordering to a sing song tone, especially noticeable to foreigners.    Do enjoy the difference and there is an air of informality about Penang, which adds to the enjoyment of trying out its various culinary offerings.

Fish curry sure to lift the appetite and aroma for diners.

For those who long for food outside the Malaysian demographic mould, there are also several outlets in Korean,  Japanese, Thai and Euro cooking traditions.    Walking around shopping centres like Queensbay, Gurney and Straits Quay, you can come across franchised and  boutique eating restaurants.   The Suffolk House offers fine dining, together with an experience of high tea, colonial style, in the restored and heritage home of Captain Francis Light.    


The culinary experience in Penang can be said to range from grassroots to cosmopolitan, from take away to relaxing, from sweating to warm ambiance, from gatherings of friends to business occasions.   For me, nothing is like sampling food prepared fresh in front of you, where you can speak to the preparer and watch the fascinating process of a dish coming out to be served in front of your eyes and other senses.

Lobster with Cantonese noodles is a festive dish at the CRC Restaurant.

Penang food may have risks of being a lost art, but it is the living culture reflected in them that underlies their value and experience.   Skills may not be passed on from the older generation, the young may not pound with the mortar and pestle anymore and talents may have moved on with significant emigration. 


Originators of food must not delegate the key cooking stage to others due to economics, cost of operating a business and sheer lack of labour.   UNESCO has blanketed a consciousness of heritage, tradition and continuity to many aspects of the George Town character, not least of all is the daily regime and life style of its residents.   The people of Penang must embrace this responsibility and passion from the past to propel to the future. 

Chicken pie as made by Hainanese cooks for the colonial era in the 20th century - this one is from Yeng Keng Hotel, Chulia Street.

Klang Valley Culinary Delights

The sizzle of oil, the puffing up of dough and the appetising aroma in the air.    The stuff of what one expects walking around markets, this one in SS2, a suburb of Petaling Jaya, part of the developed housing and commercial areas outside Kuala Lumpur.   It was morning and the stalls had been set up after a few days of holiday over the Lunar New Year.  Those simple looking and yet tasty Eu Char Kwai, in Cantonese or the Yao Tiao in Mandarin, for oil fried crullers,  at once simmering in the large wok and then soon enough, laid out to rest and settle to crunchy.    These look like breadsticks but have a different flavour.

The gluten has to be well formed and rested over night in the dough making these Chinese styled crullers.

The crullers are good for dunking into coffee and congee, as you please.  The stall holders wear aprons and masks.   The time spent in front of cooking oil can have its disadvantages - and so does standing outdoors, in front of vehicular traffic swirl.  There are so many forms of the fried snacks, some with fruits like Cempadak inside, others with banana slices and some others still with flat cuts of sweet potato.   The Cempadak fruit is sweeter than the standard jack fruit, although but share similar characteristics on the outside.

The fruit is also compared to breadfruit and mainly sourced from south-east Asia and southern India.   How does one know when the sticky yellow fruit inside is ready to eat?  If we think like a monkey, which does devour such delicacies in the wild, use our nose and sense of smell.  Rich in  fibre, Riboflavins,Vitamins C and A plus potassium, this fruit is used in making cakes, ice cream flavours, desserts and eaten as they are, fresh.

Ang Jiu Mee Suah, a niche soup of thin strip longevity hand pulled noodles, swirling around bite sized reddish coloured chicken parts, is a Fuzhou tradition.   The colour comes from the glutinous red wine utilised to marinade the meat.   Ginger and sesame oil are used to lift up the flavours.

I was fortunate to sample this in suburban Petaling Jaya, at the Wing How Coffee Shop in Taman Suria, Sungei Way.   This is not an easy find for me, as I have hardly come across this dish.    Ideally, organic chicken is preferred when preparing this  comfort food.   One can eat with cut chillies in a light soy sauce, as in common practice in most of south-east Asia.  

Kaffir lime fruits look stone-like hardy, are not as inviting as the Kumquats and the related plant is more valued for its aromatic leaves than its fruit.  The contents of this fruit help to sharpen a stir fry, add more zest to a seafood curry and also add fibre.   They are also known as the Makrut Lime or the Papeda in Mauritius.   They are common in tropical regions of Asia, have unique shaped double leaves and can be available in areas of south-east Asian migrants in Western countries.

In Thailand, the leaves are used in making the iconic Tom Yum soup, where the sharp citrus like flavours add a zest to the soup.   The rinds of the fruit are added to make a thicker Thai curry paste.  Away from the kitchen, the juice of this lime is also used as cleansers for clothing and for hair wash.

Bean curd wraps over fish ball rolls are best dipped in chilli sauce, provide finger licking food and yet can be eaten anytime  (the Fu Zhou version pictured below).    The type of specific fish that is grounded or shredded to mix into the balls can affect its ultimate taste.     The wraps are often eaten as snacks by themselves and in Yum Cha sessions.  The Cantonese, Hokkiens, Teochews and Hakkas do include this in their culinary menu.

The original Nasi Lemak, when it was  more of a take away snack on the run, is wrapped with banana leaves, which add to the  flavour.    No meats, no veg!   The approach of this dish is stimulating the palate with a minimum of ingredients, while adopting the maximum impact of a well done Sambal.   The one I had in KL recently had anchovies soaked in the paste, a wholesome half hard boiled egg, peanuts and a well braised squid slice.

Reflecting the best of Thai street food, it is not so much of the ingredients but how they are mixed together and presented.   In addition, it is also the interplay of texture and contrast in flavours - chilli hot, sour, savoury.   This rice based creation has now moved on to upmarket restaurants which seem to want to add curry more than Sambal, meat more than crunchies and size more than yum.  

Often served with cucumber slices, to offset the chilli's fiery heat, this dish has a critical component - in how you prepare the coconut milk flavoured steamed rice, often uplifted in aroma by using a tied up leaf of the Pandanus or screw pine plant.   The whole thing comes out as a wholesome and appetising combination.   There are also variations in recipe if you make the Straits Chinese version -  where lemon grass can be an option, and deep fried chicken also offered as an accompaniement.

The Sambal is usually made with tamarind juice, shrimp paste, small prawns, chilli paste, red onion, shallots and garlic.  The proof of such a good condiment is in the taste, texture and balance of ingredients.

   

Pho Toan Thang Vietnamese Restaurant Homebush NSW

It was a rather early Sunday morning - the crowds had not arrived as yet.   Some shops, cafes and restaurants were already opened for business, including Pho Toan Thang.


PTT is a family run business that has both Vietnamese and Cantonese hues in its food and atmosphere. People were having breakfast here!    The grocery across the paved walkway, Tan Hung Long, was awaking from just opened mood, but next door, K.W. Barbeque, already had people lining up.    The roast ducks, pork and soy chicken were going fast from the display window - and I saw a fresh batch of marinated chicken feet brought in form the kitchen behind.  


The PTT menu can be seen replicated across many such comparable Indo-Chinese themed restaurants across metropolitan areas in Australia today.    Many Aussies are familiar with now staple items like pork chops with tomato flavoured rice, beef Pho and hotpots of seafood.   I was more curious as to why many people would line up at TT for lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner soon later in the day.


The PTT staff spoke Cantonese, but also was conversant in Mandarin and English.   I chose a typical dish to test the waters at PTT.   The chicken rice noodles soup I got had a different taste from traditional Pho in Vietnam.   It may be just me, but it seemed more southern Chinese in character than Hanoi.    PTT provided generous clean cuts of breast meat slices.  The mint and bean sprouts were there on a  separate plate.  The soup however was more clear than expected.   The narrow rice noodles served were what I like best in a  soup, with its rather appetising texture.  A squeeze of lemon, some sauce and the piping hot bowl became better.


The colour of the tomato flavoured rice here is not so orangey.   I noticed the pork trotters, crispy chicken, Bahn Mi, and salt fish flavoured fried rice with chicken at other tables.    Many of my mates with a Vietnamese family background have told me this restaurant is one on the familiar weekend  circuit on countless family routines around Sydney.


 Not much time to ponder more about food....there is more grocery shopping to do, and then head to a home party!




Pho Toan Thang Vietnamese Restaurant visited is located at  Shop 9, 90-95 The Crescent, Homebush NSW.
Opening hours are from 9am to 8pm daily.
Contact +61 2 9764 3687

Preparing Char Koay Teow

Clockwise from noon - Kuchai,  chili mix, rice noodles,a concoction of soy and oyster sauce, ground garlic, eggs, Cantonese sausage or Lap Cheong, fresh prawns de-shelled or not and fresh bean sprouts.

Wok must be heated up to a right start.

Some prefer to sizzle the garlic first, others the biggest ingredient to get them going.

Some put preserved radish, others do not.  Once the wok gets going, the aromas rise up to the nose.