There's never not a good time to not have a plate of char kuay teow, especially if it is a Friday, it is near National Day time, and you happen to be at a hawker center in one of Singapore's (matured) housing estates.
Never mind if the dish is oily, greasy, not very healthy, bad for the arteries yada yada yada.
Just eat.
Because unless you eat it frequently, like every two, three days or something, it is more than fine to relish in the dish that has made its mark as one of Singapore's top street foods.
I dont' know about you, but I find it hard to describe a perfect char kuay teow. Everyone has different tastes, and each plate leaves different feels upon each person.
Someone, for instance, might insist that Hill Street Char Kuay Teow is the best. Another, however, might say that the one at Zion Road is better. And then there's always going to be someone who says that both stalwarts lose out to the Outram Park one at Hong Lim Food Centre "because the queues are longer at lunch time and any time."
Whichever stall is a person's favorite, what is in agreement is that the flavors of wok-fried flat rice noodles, egg noodles, lap cheong, eggs and cockles must come together in such a unique way that each bite is shiok enough to make you wish you could have a second plate or more.
And even if cockles are subjective (some prefer it mai hum) or if you don't want lard (yeas, we know why), the warmth, the deliciousness of the dish must still remain.
My plate of char kuay teow on this particular afternoon came not from any of the famous stalls-I was at Bedok Interchange- but given that the last time I had this was months and months ago, I loved it, and ate it up, lard and all.