Joo Hooi Cafe (愉園茶室)

The Penang Road chendol stall next to Joo Hooi has been feeding peeps for generations. What's the secret to their success? Besides being strategically located, their chendol used to be the cheapest around (read cheapest) and wasn't as sweet as the others. Nothing quite like having the Joo Hooi oyster omelette with a couple of bowls of these.

Don't think any lesser of it being just eggs! Duck eggs are fattier, which then helps with the shiokness of each plate of CKT & bringing out much for flavor!
Just look at that plump prawns that came together in such a small plate, definitely worth the 30 minutes wait!

Something different from the usual coconut based laksa that we have here in Singapore, the Penang Laksa has it sour yet spicy punch from the Assam with sardine bits & fresh onions to give it an additional crunch! Rated as one of the best in the area, walking all the way to this little eatery definitely made it worth it!

This is a delightful dish of mixed fruits and vegetables - cucumber, turnip, pineapple, mango, guava, as well as youtiao (dough fritters) and cuttlefish, coated with a savory shrimp paste that's thick and gooey like the consistency of caramel sauce. It's generously sprinkled with crushed roasted peanuts and makes an enjoyable sweet-and-savory salad snack.

Note: Opt for 'non-spicy' if you'd prefer it that way, as the default from what I've experienced is quite spicy.

"It's basically kuay tiaw, but thicker and layered." I'm not sure where I heard this from but I think it's a close description.

These steamed flat rice noodle rolls are hand-cut and usually drizzled with shrimp paste mixed with a sweet sauce, along with chili sauce if you want it hot. It is then sprinkled with some sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

This version had the noodle rolls sitting atop the sauces, and the chili paste in the corner, barely touching any of the other ingredients. I thought this was a 'respectful' and 'considerate' plate of chee cheong fun - "dip as much sauce as you want, and there's chili in the corner at your disposal". It really was quite delicious too. Thumbs up.

The wait is long, but persevere my friend, because this is some delicious sh*t. More akin to silky scrambled eggs than what you'd find in a typical 'Orh Luak', flecked with charred bits and swimming with plump, briny oysters, just watching the auntie swirl this in her wok for 15 minutes while waiting for my food was enough to make me salivate.

The dragon's breath is strong in this one, young Padawan.

Taste: 4.5/5