8-year-old girl at this Johor stall can fry char kway teow better than you

Ordered a delicious plate of char kway teow while in Johor? Don't be surprised if it was fried by an 8-year-old. 

Second-grader Zhuang Kaihui has been helping out at her grandmother's char kway teow stall ever since she was six, and recently picked up the spatula to learn the ropes of frying the dish.

While she may be too young to wield the wok, Zhuang occasionally shows off her skills at the stall, frying up a mean plate of her favourite noodles under the watchful eye of her grandmother, reported by Sin Chew Daily. 

Situated in Kulai, Johor, the stall, which locals christen "21-mile Char Kway Teow" due to the lack of a signboard, has been in operation for 42 years and shows no signs of stopping. 

Run by Zhuang's grandparents, Guo Renyuan, 71, and his wife, He Sendi, 64, the stall sells both char kway teow and coffee.

Guo, whose father previously owned a coffee shop, is in charge of making coffee while his wife fries the noodles with the original recipe passed down from her mother. 

Now, their son, Guo Yihong, 29, is slated to take over the mantle after mastering both the coffee-making and kway teow-frying skills.

And if she does take over the business eventually, Zhuang will be the fourth generation to continue their legacy. 

42 YEARS AND COUNTING

Despite waking up as early as 6.30am to fry noodles for the last 42 years, He expressed a love for what she does, and hopes to continue cooking until the day she's not able to anymore.

Seeing her old customers returning to Kulai for a taste of her char kway teow gives her the most satisfaction, especially when they bring along their entire family.

Her secret to a great tasting plate? "Fresh ingredients and being able to control the fire well," said He.

With their four kids now all grown up, the family's financial burden has lessened over the years.

She now mans the char kway teow stall in the morning, and leaves the business of selling wonton noodles in the evening to her brother.

All four children in their family have been helping out at the stall since they were young, shared He, and managed to master the frying technique for char kway teow.

However, it's only youngest son Yihong who has expressed the greatest interest in cooking and continuing the trade.

Now, whenever the stall gets too crowded or if she's busy, the younger Guo will be the one who will step in to take over the wok. 

Soon, she may even be able to count on her 8-year-old granddaughter to whip up a plate of the stir-fried noodles. 

claralim@asiaone.com