1818 Nanyang Cafe Char Kuey Teow

We dropped by 1818 Nanyang Cafe in Bandar Puchong Jaya for breakfast, hoping for a reliable start to the day. Unfortunately, the experience proved rather mixed. One plus point going for it is that the stalls are separated from the dining area so it's not stuffy.

After that initial plus point, the experience switched. Jen opted for the Wantan Mee, which she found quite dreadful – so much so that she only managed to eat half of it. It lacked any discernible flavour and was ultimately disappointing.

My Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng with an extra fried egg was alright, which gained back some lost points, though it was not particularly memorable. The unusual combination of curry alongside the sambal didn’t work for me, and I found the sweetish sambal even less appealing. While the chicken itself had a pleasant taste, the skin proved to be overly hard and difficult to enjoy.

Thankfully, things took a turn for the better when we decided to order a Char Kuey Teow. This dish emerged as the clear winner of the meal. Although the cockles weren't the large, juicy variety I like, they had an option for it to be served raw which is how I like it. There were 2 pieces of prawns. There was fishcake (which I don't think belongs in a CKT). Despite the fishcake, the taste was alright, even if the “wok hei” (smoky char) was somewhat lacking. The CKT at 1818 Nanyang Cafe takes awhile to arrive but I will accept the wait since it turned out well.

At just RM9.50, it represented a reasonable deal and salvaged the overall experience.