“Koay chiap” is a popular Teochew breakfast dish of thick, wide rice noodles in a deeply savory pork-duck broth, flavored with garlic, soy sauce, star-anise, cloves and other Chinese herbs.
It’s called “kway chap” in Singapore and “guay jap” in Bangkok, which have large Teochew-Chinese populations.
Penang’s “koay chiap” is predominantly duck-meat-based, although the garnishes included soy-braised pork, pig’s intestines and pig’s blood. Soy-braised hard-boiled eggs is also a common garnish. It’s served as an all-in-one dish.
Singapore’s “kway chap” is never served with all the garnishes and the noodles (called “kway”) together in one bowl like Penang’s. Instead, the “kway” is always served separately in a bowl of broth, whilst the garnishes are served in a separate side-platter, all neatly chopped up. Singapore “kway chap” is only pork-based, no duck.
Pickled mustard leaves and stems is a common garnish for “kway chap” in Singapore, but does not exist for the Penang version.
KL’s “kueh chap” is almost similar to Penang’s: both pork and duck-meat used. During my last trip to KL a fortnight ago, I tried the “kueh chap” at Teochew Lao Er, where its garnishes included soy-braised tofu - common in Singapore, but not for Penang.
The common features in all three cities’ rendition: the thick, wide, rice noodles, and the soy sauce-based broth.
