Pasar Kia Chwee Kueh @ Kin Hua Kopitiam 巴剎仔潮州水粿

First stop across the Causeway today, Kin Wah coffee shop at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee for a quick caffeine fix. 

She bought a pack of six pieces of chwee kueh. My first reaction was, "Alamak, it's all carbs. This is our first stop. We cannot afford to squander tummy space like this leh.... 🤔 ".

I was also not excited that the chwee kueh was packed in throwaway plastic box.

Ngee Heng Chwee Kueh Mobile Stall JAM1315 in Johor Bahru, Taman Pelangi 義興水粿

Ngee Heng Chwee Kueh Mobile Stall 義興水粿  Motorbike # JAM1315 | 1, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru ☎ +6012 737 7970 🕣  7am - 11am

There is something magical about the humble chwee kueh for me. And my favourite, Ngee Heng Chwee Kueh in Johor Bahru, still comes around on a motorcycle 😄

Chwee Kueh @ Loeng Hou / Chew Kueh Kopitiam in Muar, Johor 水粿茶餐室

Chwee kueh 水粿 is a traditional Teochew comfort food commonly found in Johor, and also Singapore.

To me chwee kueh is the traditional classic working man's humble energy food from leaner, harder times. Plain carbo (steamed rice flour milled from broken rice chips) made palatable with savouriness from finely diced preserved radish (chai po) stewed in oil (traditionally lard). Nothing fanciful nor pretentious, but authentic and very charming in my opinion.