Robert’s Char Koay Teow, Section 17

[Non-halal] Fans of CKT, put your hands up! If you grew up in PJ, chances are you’ve tried the chain of char koay teow stalls called Robert’s Char Koay Teow (CKT).

Founded in 1989, the original namesake Mr. Robert can be found frying at Restoran Kim Wah in Damansara Kim.

However our favourite can be found at the other stall manned by the “dancing uncle” in Section 17 PJ.

Dancing uncle at Robert’s Char Koay Teow

Robert’s CKT in Section 17 is located inside Kedai Kopi Lucky Seng – just opposite the entrance of Seventeen Mall.

Operating for more than 20 years, this stall is manned by Mr Lim. However, regulars would often call him the “dancing uncle” as he would do a dance-like movement when frying the plates of CKT.

A good plate of CKT

Mr Lim’s CKT is one of the better Penang-style CKTs you can find in PJ.

What we enjoy about Mr. Lim’s CKT (RM9 for big) is the good mix of savoury, spiciness and sweetness in the noodles, with decent wok hei.

We like that the noodles are a bit moist (similar to the ones in Penang) with a good amount of chilli paste for some heat.

While the prawns are smaller than what we had expected (vs. huge ones you find at “touristy” Penang stalls), Mr Lim is generous with the amount. More importantly, they are fresh and succulent.

We also like that the cockles (siham) here are slightly cooked so we don’t get the “bloody” raw cockle taste.

The lap cheong (Chinese sausage) here was also thinly sliced, which provided a nice textural contrast to the moist noodles.

Decent pork ball noodles

Besides Robert’s CKT, we enjoyed the Pork Ball Noodles (RM8) here too.

The soup was tasty with a good amount of pepper and natural sweetness from the broth. The meat paste was also flavourful, albeit on the softer side.

We found the dry noodles mix to be perfectly balanced in savoury and sweetness, with topped with a good amount of minced meat and pork lard.

The sliced sausage was also well-seasoned with a tinge of sweetness cutting through the soy-sauce mix.

Verdict

All in, we think Mr Lim still serves one of the better CKTs in PJ/KL.

Personally, Max prefers the CKT at Penang Lang in Kota Damansara for that extra bit of char and wok hei, while Ming enjoys the CKT at Restoran Yum Me Place (formerly known as Shangri-la) for the wok hei and moistness (although the quality is not always consistent).

Where is your favourite CKT in the Klang Valley?

Robert’s Penang Char Koay Teow
Address: 1082, Kedai Kopi Lucky Seng, Jalan 17/29, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Hours: 8am-2.30pm Daily (Closed on Tuesdays)
Phone: 012-373 0360