June 5, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – On Sunday, Ong Siew Kean was crowned new char koay teow champion of Penang.
Now, the 53-year-old hawker is just dead tired. Even her hands hurt as she has to work non-stop.
She has been on her feet for long hours, dishing out plate after plate of char koay teow for customers at her stall.
“I open the stall at 6.30am and am usually done by noon. But these past few days, I am done by 11am. The orders are coming in non-stop from the moment I open the stall,” said the affable hawker fondly known as Winny Ong.
“I even ran out of plates and had to borrow some from the chicken rice stall,” she jokingly said when met at her stall in Pulau Tikus yesterday.
“I just want to rest after I’m done for the day.”
Ong won the coveted title for dishing out the state’s best char koay teow at an intense cooking competition held at the Toi Shan Ningyang Wui Kwon clan temple in King Street on June 1.
Thirty of Penang’s top char koay teow hawkers competed over roaring flames.
“Business was always good, especially during school, public holidays and weekends, but now there are more customers.
“I use 10 bags of flat rice noodles a day. So far, I have not increased the quantity of ingredients as I want to finish whatever I have for now,” she said.
Ong, who learnt the art of making the dish from her brother-in-law, said most of her family members are skilled at cooking char koay teow.
“My sister ran a popular char koay teow stall in Air Itam for many years.
“Other family members also cook it, but they have since retired.
“I have been in the business for over 20 years, and I used to operate in Relau,” she said.
Ong, who is still ecstatic over her win, said it was the first time she had joined a competition.
“I never thought I would win. I just wanted to join for the sake of gaining experience,” she added.
Despite the newfound fame and recognition, Ong said her prices will remain the same.
“The economy is not good, I cannot do that to the people. The fact that my business is doing great is already a big deal for me,” she said.
Lawyer See Liang Teik, 56, was seen enjoying more than one plate of Ong’s char koay teow and raved about the taste.
“I have been to this coffee shop many times but this is the first time I am trying her char koay teow.
“Her frying skills are good, and it lives up to the hype. It is tasty and aromatic, and the texture of the noodles is just right,” he said.
See had read about the competition and decided to come over with friends to sample it.