Wan Char Koay Teow @ Hotspot Cafe, Wangsa Maju

**UPDATE 26 May 2015: Wan Char Koay Teow has shifted to a new location (HotSpot Cafe @ Wangsa Maju)**

One thing that makes Wan Char Koay Teow (WCKT) stand out from the rest is their pioneering menu offerings. Besides the usual prawn and cockles, other seafood such as squid, baby lobster, crayfish, clams and even soft shell crabs are available.

Even though Wan is from the east coast, his Char Koay Teow is an adaptation of the original recipe from Butterworth. His method of cooking is somewhat different from what I am used to see in Penang, which is not really a big deal to me as long as the taste is there.

The first thing we noticed about the original CKT (kerang + udang @ RM5 for normal portion) is the more plump than usual cockles – great if you like them big. The prawns were fresh too, evident by their firm and sweet flesh and ease of peeling.
If you want to enjoy the Char Koay Teow at its intended flavor, I’d suggest you ask to omit the pickled chillies, or have it served separately so that the strong vinegar taste does not ‘taint’ the sweetness of the noodles.

For a touch of luxury, the baby lobster CKT is priced at RM15. The baby lobster was dipped into a special curry batter and fried separately before being topped on a serving of ‘kosong’ CKT.

Wan used to use flower crabs for his CKT but after the feedback from the customers about the hassle of having to de-shell the crabs, he decided to experiment with soft shell crab instead.
At RM13 per serving, you get a whole soft shell crab, which is prepared exactly like the baby lobster earlier. Between the lobster and soft shell crab, we actually prefer the latter because there’s more flesh to go around.

Here’s WCKT’s full menu. Satay is also available but at a later time, they need to fire up the charcoal grill. Even though they are operating from one of the coffee shops located at the ground floor of a residential condo, visitors can drive in and park in any empty parking space.

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