Who Will Take Over Penang's Famous Siam Road Char Koay Teow ?

The Legendary Siam Road Char Koay Teow
In 2017, Penang's Siam Road Char Koay Teow was ranked 14th globally in the 2017 World Street Food Congress list. Many local Penangites know this CKT well because they were babies when they had their first bite of this amazing CKT to the point where their own babies also went through this rite of passage.

Mr Tan, who has been dishing Siam Road's CKT is probably about 73 years old. The question is - who will take over ? His male heir / apprentice will most likely be the one. Thank God for this arrangement between father and son.

I reckon the magic in Siam Road's CKT lies in his ever faithful wok ,

The Wok Of Goodness and Happiness
totally coated with remnants of charcoal for 40 years. His son/apprentice is always by his side observing and copying every flick of the oil , every wrist movement of the frying spatula , every scoop of koay teow and most important, every annoyed expression when the customer repeatedly ask when will his/her CKT be ready.

Charcoal Charcoal Charcoal - the cornerstone of every great CKT

The intensity of the fire which is fueled by selected charcoals. 40 years of knowing which shape of charcoals to put in, the quantities of charcoal and when to chuck in these charcoals to produce a gastronomical wonder

He used a manual fan for 40 years (see above photo). In 2019, he changed to an electric fan (2nd photo). Technology and development

The CKT of Siam Road

Finito Bella

Diba Titiu Falls , Kg Kiau, Sabah, Borneo

DIBA TITIU FALLLS
What's the best way to get to the starting point of this hike? First, contact the Diba Titiu person in charge. Ask for the price, group configurations (I went solo becuase je n'aime pas groups), distance, etc.

Second, rent a car, use Waze and arrive there by dawn. I love driving that part of the Crocker Range at the break of dawn. No cars, mist all around and the sun rays peeking out from lush valleys. Head to Kampung Kiau and drive all the way to the end of the road where you will find a settlement. Kg Kiau is at the foothill of Mount Kinabalu. This area is always cold. I have a colleague, JY from Kg Kiau. She says that sometimes, she does not bathe for 3 days because of the cold climate. Such an awesome place. But no matter how awesome this place is, there's rubbish everywhere.

I met with this elderly Dusun who will be my guide. I was told to sign my name and off we went. I wasn't able to see the view because we were at a dead end surrounded by bamboo houses and structures. The start of the hike was at the back of a house and within 10 minutes, I saw this magnificent view

What A View

Crocker Range Valley

One important thing. Get there early because you get to feast your eyes on the majestic Mount Kinabalu in all her glory. By 9am, she will be covered by clouds all the way until 6pm.

REMEMBER, START HIKING BEFORE 9AM

We hiked and hiked. No small talk. Maybe a few words like - If I wanna live by the river with no interaction from anyone , can I ? He just shrugged at my abnormal murmurs. I try to avoid asking the same questions he was probably subjected to by Mickey Mouse hikers ..like "How long does it take to get there ? and " Got leeches ? " I think I did the guide a favor by not asking him those mundane questions nor had any conversation with him. He was grateful, I could tell from his eyes.

MY GUIDE - YODA

As we walked deeper and deeper, the forest became thicker. The canopy gave us a respite from the blistering heat.

TRAIL - CENTURIES OLD

HE WALKED THIS TRAIL EVER SINCE HE WAS YOUNG

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BRIDGE

SMALL STREAM BUT WILL TURN INTO A RAGING RIVER IF THERE'S HEAVY RAINFALL UPSTREAM
After a few hours, we finally reached Diba Titiu Falls. According to the guide, the waterfall was previously blocked giant trees and boulders until a recent earthquake in 2015 cleared the way for a sight to behold.

EXCELLENT WATERFALL

ENCHANTING

LOCATED AT THE SIDE OF THE FINAL DESTINATION. TOO COLD TO SWIM. BRRRRR
We started our journey back and by 3PM or so, I reached near the start of our hike and the view of Mt Kinabalu has vanished.

WHERE ART THOU

Salient Points
a) It takes 3 1/2 hours if it's just the guide and you. No meaningless chit chats, just go go go. The guide will appreciate it. He gets to go home faster.

b) Leeches galore

c) Skip the lunch provided by the tour guide. No offence but I prefer the Sinalau Barkas you can find along the route to Kg Kiau or head back to Kota Kinabalu for some splendid seafood. Lobsters for RM15.00 !!!

SINALAU BARKAS-WILD BOAR

GLORIOUS SEAFOOD