Japanese Food at Dontaku in City Square Mall, Johor Bahru

 

My friend Kumes have been telling me about Dontaku Japanese restaurant in City Square, one of his favourite hangouts for some time and we finally visited it together last week. City Square has mushroomed with many new eateries since its recent major renovation and has become a mini food paradise. Dontaku is one of the established tenants in City Square and is now tucked at the southern end in a relatively small space. Dontaku is near the Sakae Sushi outlet. 

 

 

Inside Dontaku, the decor is not posh but certainly well appointed. I like this interesting feature wall with various quaint looking bottles and receptacles.

 

 

These green bamboo stands serve as partitions and privacy shields in the tight, small space.

 

 

We started our meal off with a couple of this sake. I'm not sure what brand this was, I only heard Kumes telling the waiter "the usual" :P And, I didn't really pay attention as I am not a big fan of sake. Taste wise, this sake was quite smooth and pleasant.

 

Dontaku serves pretty good Japanese fare at very reasonable prices (especially, if you skip the sake and deserts) at a convenient location with a comfortable ambiance. For foodies and shoppers coming to City Square from Singapore by SMRT bus, Dontaku is one place for a good pit stop for Japanese food.

 

 

First up was this "hamburger steak". There were no buns but it came with a large chunk of salmon and a thick beef patty, both blanketed by a cheesy creamy Japanese mayonnaise.

 

 

I liked the salmon as it was nicely done with the usual flavour of fresh salmon which I liked. The salmon was enhanced by the savoury creamy cheesy Japanese mayo.

 

I am not a big fan of the "hamburger steak" but I can see that Kumes enjoyed it very much. It was a minced beef patty cooked and served with a slightly tangy, savoury gravy with lots of chopped onions. Kumes said this "hamburger" reminded him of those in Japan. It was almost like what he had "over there", he said.

 

 

The ramen came next. I usually eat ramen just to go along with my companions as I always wondered why we have to pay so much for heavily MSG laden soup and flat tasting, "lifeless" noodles. I must confess that I have not tried ramen in "higher class" Japanese restaurants - having experienced only mid-range ramen shops. So, my expectations were not high for this ramen at the simple shopping mall cafe, that Dontaku is.

 

Dontaku's ramen turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The broth was not laced with MSG - the umami  savouriness came from boiling stock bones the old fashioned way. I slurped up the broth noisily and by holding up the bowl in a way that would please any Japanese food connoisseur.

 

 

The ramen noodle had a certain firmness and springiness. It's not quite like the whole egg wanton noodle type of spring but the bounce was definitely there and was quite likable.

 

 

That thin slice of pork was nice too - a good balance of fat and meat. If you are a ramen fan, Dontaku's ramen range is worth a try. Good ramen and reasonable prices. 

 

 

We tried this Dontaku Bento set.  At RM18.00, this was really good value.

 

 

The three big shrimps encrusted in light crackly batter were very fresh, plump and sweet with natural juices. Yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

Everything else in the bento set was pretty good too.

 

 

Before our dessert, we added an order for a simple grilled salmon head to help us finish off our second bottle of sake. I am so glad that we did.

 

The palm sized fresh salmon head was nicely grilled. I ate up everything - all the skin, meat and gelatinous parts including the eyes, leaving only the bones. Kumes is queasy about anything gelatinous, so I got to eat most of the head :) Fish head lovers, remember to try Dontaku's grilled salmon head :)) At RM14, I think this is a very good deal.

 

 

 

We rounded up our meal with a couple of ice creams. This  was the first time that I tried Kuro Goma Black. I liked it for its subtle sesame flavour. RM8 a scoop, which is rather pricey.

 

Give Dontaku a try, if you are in City Square Mall. Nice Japanese fare at reasonable prices sans the sake and ice cream.

 

Restaurant name: Dontaku Japanese Restaurant

Address: Level 3, Johor Bahru City Square (near the Sakae Sushi outlet)

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/dJvah

GPS: 1.461870,103.763401

Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm

Non Halal

 

Date visited: 22 Jan 2013

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Taco Soup

Today is a snow day.

I always get hungry for soup on snow days!!

I rummaged around in the pantry to decide what to make.

Taco Soup it is!!

Didn't really have a recipe so I just started dumping in cans of stuff until it tasted good!

Everybody loved it!!

Taco Soup

1 onion minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs lean ground beef, browned and drained

2 packets of taco seasoning or YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN! (click HERE)

(if you make your own use 2.5 ounces for soup)

1 - 14 oz can Mexican Stewed tomatoes + one can water

1 can or Rotel Tomatoes

2 -  14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 - 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans + 2 cans water

2 - 15.25  oz cans corn, drained

Toppings:

Cheese

Avocado

tortilla chips

sour cream

Brown beef with onion and garlic in your soup pot until cooked, drain any excess fat.

Puree the Mexican stewed tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes together in a blender.

Pour them and all of the other ingredients into the pot and combine.

(except the toppings!!)

Let simmer on low for one hour and serve with your choice of toppings.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies (You NEED to make these)

Trans fat lovers, this is serious.  These cookies are the best I have ever tasted.

I have had the recipe printed (off Pinterest, naturally) for a few weeks.  However, in all the moving mayhem I've held off on baking just about anything.

Yesterday, while emptying more of my kitchen, I decided to bake the pantry away.  I grabbed this recipe, and went to work.

When these bad boys came out of the oven, I was only sorry I didn't double the batch.  They are large, hold their chunky shape, chewy with a hint of crisp around the edges and soft  in the middle.  

Can you even imagine a combination?  

It must be the cornstarch.   Which translates to I now love cornstarch.

3/4 butter (salted)
3/4 light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chunk chips

Beat butter on low speed until fluffy and smooth (2 minutes).  Add sugars, beat medium high speed until creamed (2-3 minutes).  Scrape bowl.  Add egg, vanilla and beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy (3 minutes).  Slowly incorporate flour, cornstarch and baking soda with mixer on lowest (crawling pace) speed.

Add in chocolate chunks, stir by hand.

Chill dough 10-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350, and scoop heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges look done but centers look a bit gooey.  Remove from oven, and allow cookies to set on pan for another 2-3 minutes before transfer to wire rack.

Makes about 18 large cookies.

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Brighten Someone's Day with a Box Full of Sunshine!!

Box Full of Sunshine

I made these last year for the twin's teacher's gifts at the end of the school year.  By the time I got around to posting them, it was summer....so I figured I would save it for this year.

Of course, I forgot about it until I was cleaning out my camera roll on my iphone! ;)

Good thing it's only January, so you have time to make these!!

labels made with scrapbook paper

I knew I wanted to make these, so for about a month I started collecting

things that were yellow!

packaged in a cake box I got at Hobby Lobby

my inspiration came from a Pinterest post, the picture was from happymoneysaver.com

I filled the bottom of the box with yellow tissue paper, added things like lemonade, Juicy Fruit gum, a sunshine cookie cutter, a yellow gingham dish towel and dish cloth,  yellow tube of bubbles and flower seeds...in what? yes, yellow.

I packaged it up in a cake box and tied it with yellow tulle.

Added the tag I made on the printer and mounted on scrapbook paper, added a few glittery foam flowers....

and Volia!

Teacher gift for SUM...SUM... SUMMERTIME!!

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Red Rice Wine Mee Suah and Wanton Mee at Restoran Lima Ratus in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru

Today, I had a great day with my friend Jo-Hann who showed me the food he grew up with in Taman Perling.

 

We had red rice wine mee suah, wanton mee and shrimp dumplings, the most popular items in Restoran Lima Ratus.

 

Restoran Lima Ratus is a humble shop in Taman Perling run by MR Low and his wife with an elderly helper. And, MR Low had been a noodle seller since the Japanese Occupation in the 1930s, when he was in his early teens.



Sometimes, MR Low's youngest son helps out at the shop after school. I was told that the boy is already a flying wanton mee maestro. I want to catch him in full flight action soon :))



Ah..... red rice wine mee suah, that quintessential Foochow comfort food.



The boss, MR Low, who is over 70 years old is Foochow and had learnt how to make this classic Foochow red rice wine mee suah from his mum. Talk about old school!



The slender mee suah was smooth and soft yet still retaining a slight bounciness. The mee suah sponged up the vinegar tangy, savoury and slightly alcoholic red rice wine very well. This was so delicious! I am so grateful to Jo-Hann for bringing me to MR Low's shop for this. 



The reddish coloured pieces of tender fresh chicken served with the mee suah were well infused with the distinctive flavours of the red rice wine.



The red rice wine broth was tangy, sweet, savoury, and loaded with ground and chopped ingredients like onions. With such a complex blend of flavours, it is little wonder that red rice wine mee suah is the favourite of many people. Though a tad oily, the broth was so delicious that I slurped it all up noisily.

MR Low's homemade egg noodles were also very popular.



I was thrilled to hear that MR Low's self made egg noodles were made with duck eggs - something seldom done nowadays as almost all wanton mee are made with more easily available chicken eggs. 





We had this mee pok and the mee kia. The noodles were crunchy al dente. MR Low's duck egg noodles were also firmer than the usual chicken egg noodles.





The mee kia and mee pok after a good stirring of the sauce. The sauce was quite subtle and delicate, and unobtrusively complemented the noodles, which were the star of the dish. I was so enthralled with the noodles and engaged in conversation with MR Low that I forgot to pay too much attention to the sauce. Foodies who prefer their noodles to have more sauce, please remember to let MR Low know.

Like the sauce, neither did I busy myself with the char siew, though I did remember that they were pretty tasty.



The wantons and shrimp dumplings were freshly handmade at the shop.



The shrimp dumplings were slurpingly soft and slinky smooth. They could literally slide down one's throat.



The shrimps inside were fresh and had a bouncy bite. The chopped chestnuts in the dumplings added to the dumplings' crunchiness.



The wantons had the same smooth skin as the shrimp dumplings. The meat were packed quite tight though the wantons were still tender to the bite and had that pleasant sesame aroma.



MR Low is famous for his red rice wine mee suah 红糟鸡面线 and wanton mee. Not many people know that MR Low has a talent for mimicking bird song. MR Low mastered his talent since his teens and has been entertaining his friends and customers. Click on the picture to watch MR Low perform his bird song.

For those who are interested, Lima Ratus is one of those shops in JB that Singapore Media Corp artistes sometimes patronise incognito.



MR Low's shop, is in the back row and had a sun bleached signboard, so it is rather inconspicuous. It is best to study the Google map and set your GPS before setting off for Restoran Lima Ratus.
 
Restaurant name: Restoran Lima Ratus
Address: 4, Jalan Undan 18, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/npMCL
GPS: 1.481969,103.683761
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Weds)
Non Halal

Date visited: 29 Jan 2013

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Halal Dim Sum at Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant at Puteri Pacific Hotel in Johor Bahru

I have been looking for a Halal dim sum in Johor Bahru and finally made it to Kai Xuan restaurant at Hotel Puteri Pacific today. Kai Xuan is a good Chinese restaurant to bring and to recommend to my Muslim friends. Puteri Pacific hotel is just 10 minutes' walk from City Square shopping centre.

The decor, ambiance and cleanliness were excellent as befitting a restaurant in a Five Star hotel. The service was attentive, though I must say that this was a relatively quiet Monday noon.



This is the whole dim sum list. We just tick what we want, and it will be prepared and served steaming hot. The dim sum at Kai Xuan is served a la carte buffet style. For RM36++ for adults and RM18++ for children, we can enjoy "all you can eat" Halal dim sum.



While waiting for our orders to arrive, we were served this little dish of fried and diced tofu appetiser. I picked a little piece to nibble, out of curiosity. It was good! Tangy and savoury, just perfect to "open the stomach" as they say in Chinese.

Here are what we had today. 





Chee cheong fun with prawn fillings. The prawns were bouncy and fresh, and the "fun" skin was soft and thin.



Shark fin siew mai dumpling. No real shark fin, of course - which is a good thing :)



Crystal prawn dumpling. I like plump, juicy fresh prawns.



Though not very photogenic, the Mango Seafood Roll was my favourite. Fresh mango and fresh shrimps wrapped and fried in savoury skin are a great combination.



Deep fried prawn bean curd rolls.









Deep fried prawn bean curd rolls come with nice mayonnaise dip.


 
Crab Roe Siew Mai. Meaty and solid, but I am not really a fan of the filling type of dim sum.

Dim sum uses a lot of prawns and Kai Xuan had taken a lot of care to ensure that this key ingredient is done well. The prawns in Kai Xuan's dim sum had that bounciness and taste that come with fresh plump prawns that are prepared skilfully. Order all their prawn items, they're done right.



As I was keen to know the people behind all these delicious dim sum, I asked restaurant manager Joanne for permission to photograph the dim sum Chef at work. Joanne graciously gave me the green light. (Thanks! Joanne.) Mdm Wong had been the dim sum Chef at Kai Xuan for over 20 years. Mdm Wong shared that she learnt her craft from the Hong Kong sifu (master) when Kai Xuan first started serving dim sum 20 years ago.

While enjoying Kai Xuan's dim sum, I actually wondered for a moment, what took me so long before I tried this? No kidding.

For another take and more on Kai Xuan's dim sum, here is the interesting post from Harris Chai of The Simplest Aphrodisiac blog.

For good quality dim sum in a Five Star hotel and "all you can eat" at RM36++ for adults and RM18++ for children, I believe that this is the best dim sum deal in Johor Bahru. 



Restaurant name: Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant (in The Puteri Pacific Hotel)
Address: Level B1, The Puteri Pacific Hotel, Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/4xcgl
GPS: 1.460787,103.762097
Hours: a la carte Dim Sum buffet is served 11:30am to 2:15pm on Mon to Sat, 8:30am to 2:15pm on Sunday
Certified Halal

Date visited: 28 Jan 2013

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