Soon Lai Kway Chap 顺来粿汁 in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

Soon Lai 顺来粿汁 serves one of the most loved kway chap in Batu Pahat, and some say, in the whole of Johor.

Soon Lai kway chap started as a street hawker stall more than 70 years ago before moving into its current premises some 10 years ago. MR Lim, the friendly second generation owner has been serving his popular kway chap since he was a child years ago.

MR Lim serves his kway chap with obvious passion and pride. You can literally feel his cheerful glow as he cuts the meat and innards for his steady stream of customers. Many regular customers come with tingkats (traditional tiered food containers) for takeaways.

MR Lim cutting the braised pig intestines, a staple of kway chap.

Look at that big pot of fried shallots on the left of the picture. These fried shallots and shallot oil do wonders to enhance the fragrance of Soon Lai's kway chap.

Look at the big pots of braised tofu skin and chicken feet in the foreground. Soon Lai's tofu soaking in the braising sauce is loaded with delicate herbal flavours while still retaining a slight crunchiness. The chicken feet which are deep fried and then boiled in braising sauce is a hot seller. 

I always indulge in braised chicken feet whenever it is available. Soon Lai's braised chicken feet is among the best that I have tasted.

My favourite is Soon Lai's braised pig lung. The lung felt soft and spongy, and was saturated with fragrant braising sauce. Soon Lai's is the best braised pig lung that I have ever tasted. 

A tender slice of pig's cheek - a nice balance of meat, fat and skin.

For Singaporeans who miss pig's blood, you can get your fix with Soon Lai's braised pig's blood.

Soon Lai's kway (rice sheets) is the broad kind that Singaporeans are familiar with. Soon Lai's kway is soft and smooth, yet it still has the subtle grainly texture and feel of milled rice. The kway is drenched in a bowl of broth flavoured with braising sauce and topped with a generous heap of fried shallots. The braising sauce is pleasantly herbal, and is neither salty nor oily. I drank up two bowls of the tasty herbal broth without feeling any thirstiness at all afterwards.

Batu Pahat is one of my favourite towns as has a lot of good heritage food to offer. Soon Lai kway chap 顺来粿汁 is a worthy standard bearer of Batu Pahat food. 


Restaurant name: Kedai Makan Soon Lai 顺来粿汁
Address: 6-C, Jalan Fatimah, Batu Pahat, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/JeEE
GPS: 1.849104,102.927711
Hours: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Non Halal

Date visited: 25 Jun 2012

Soon Lai 顺来粿汁 serves one of the most loved kway chap in Batu Pahat, and some say, in the whole of Johor.

Soon Lai kway chap started as a street hawker stall more than 70 years ago before moving into its current premises some 10 years ago. MR Lim, the friendly second generation owner has been serving his popular kway chap since he was a child years ago.

MR Lim serves his kway chap with obvious passion and pride. You can literally feel his cheerful glow as he cuts the meat and innards for his steady stream of customers. Many regular customers come with tingkats (traditional tiered food containers) for takeaways.

MR Lim cutting the braised pig intestines, a staple of kway chap.

Look at that big pot of fried shallots on the left of the picture. These fried shallots and shallot oil do wonders to enhance the fragrance of Soon Lai's kway chap.

Look at the big pots of braised tofu skin and chicken feet in the foreground. Soon Lai's tofu soaking in the braising sauce is loaded with delicate herbal flavours while still retaining a slight crunchiness. The chicken feet which are deep fried and then boiled in braising sauce is a hot seller. 

I always indulge in braised chicken feet whenever it is available. Soon Lai's braised chicken feet is among the best that I have tasted.

My favourite is Soon Lai's braised pig lung. The lung felt soft and spongy, and was saturated with fragrant braising sauce. Soon Lai's is the best braised pig lung that I have ever tasted. 

A tender slice of pig's cheek - a nice balance of meat, fat and skin.

For Singaporeans who miss pig's blood, you can get your fix with Soon Lai's braised pig's blood.

Soon Lai's kway (rice sheets) is the broad kind that Singaporeans are familiar with. Soon Lai's kway is soft and smooth, yet it still has the subtle grainly texture and feel of milled rice. The kway is drenched in a bowl of broth flavoured with braising sauce and topped with a generous heap of fried shallots. The braising sauce is pleasantly herbal, and is neither salty nor oily. I drank up two bowls of the tasty herbal broth without feeling any thirstiness at all afterwards.

Batu Pahat is one of my favourite towns as has a lot of good heritage food to offer. Soon Lai kway chap 顺来粿汁 is a worthy standard bearer of Batu Pahat food. 


Restaurant name: Kedai Makan Soon Lai 顺来粿汁
Address: 6-C, Jalan Fatimah, Batu Pahat, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/JeEE
GPS: 1.849104,102.927711
Hours: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Non Halal

Date visited: 25 Jun 2012

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Ramly Burger in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

The Ramly burger is a uniquely Malaysian version of the American hamburger. Created by Enche Ramly Moknin in the 1970s, today Ramly burger stands are found in every corner of Malaysia and Singapore. Unlike American burgers which are standardised, each Ramly burger stand offers its own variation according to the flair of the individual owners. Each stand has its own signature and following of fans.

This Ramly burger stand along Jalan Wong Ah Fook (directly across the road from the McDonald's in City Square) is the favourite of my blogger friend Yvonne Lew.

Ramly burgers are made with chicken or beef patties. This was the pinkish hued Ramly beef patty together with the soft buns on the greasy griddle laced with Planta margarine.

The patty was flattened, flipped on the griddle, and given a dash of curry powder.

One of the distinctive marks of the Ramly burger is the egg wrap, often referred to as "special". After the patty was done, the chef proceeded to fry an egg.

The patty was placed on top of the fried egg and then wrapped with the egg. At this stand, only the patty was egg wrapped. In other versions, the patty as well as condiments like lettuce and tomatoes are also wrapped in the egg.

The daging (beef) burger "special" - egg wrapped beef patty sandwiched between soft margarine toasted buns dressed with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and ketchup.

The burger was messily dripping mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. The beef patty was tender and moist with its natural juices, and oozing with flavour from spices and seasonings.

Little wonder that the humble Ramly burger is the sinful "junk" food that even food connoisseurs are unable to resist indulging in, sometimes.

Restaurant name: Ramly burger stand

Address: Along Jalan Wong Ah Fook directly across the road from the McDonald in City Square Shopping Centre in Johor Bahru (numerous Ramly stands are found throughout Malaysia)

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/rLh2

GPS: 1.461559,103.763406

Hours: 6:00pm to midnight

Halal

Date visited: 18 Jun 2012

The Ramly burger is a uniquely Malaysian version of the American hamburger. Created by Enche Ramly Moknin in the 1970s, today Ramly burger stands are found in every corner of Malaysia and Singapore. Unlike American burgers which are standardised, each Ramly burger stand offers its own variation according to the flair of the individual owners. Each stand has its own signature and following of fans.

This Ramly burger stand along Jalan Wong Ah Fook (directly across the road from the McDonald's in City Square) is the favourite of my blogger friend Yvonne Lew.

Ramly burgers are made with chicken or beef patties. This was the pinkish hued Ramly beef patty together with the soft buns on the greasy griddle laced with Planta margarine.

The patty was flattened, flipped on the griddle, and given a dash of curry powder.

One of the distinctive marks of the Ramly burger is the egg wrap, often referred to as "special". After the patty was done, the chef proceeded to fry an egg.

The patty was placed on top of the fried egg and then wrapped with the egg. At this stand, only the patty was egg wrapped. In other versions, the patty as well as condiments like lettuce and tomatoes are also wrapped in the egg.

The daging (beef) burger "special" - egg wrapped beef patty sandwiched between soft margarine toasted buns dressed with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and ketchup.

The burger was messily dripping mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. The beef patty was tender and moist with its natural juices, and oozing with flavour from spices and seasonings.

Little wonder that the humble Ramly burger is the sinful "junk" food that even food connoisseurs are unable to resist indulging in, sometimes.

Restaurant name: Ramly burger stand

Address: Along Jalan Wong Ah Fook directly across the road from the McDonald in City Square Shopping Centre in Johor Bahru (numerous Ramly stands are found throughout Malaysia)

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/rLh2

GPS: 1.461559,103.763406

Hours: 6:00pm to midnight

Halal

Date visited: 18 Jun 2012

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Penn State Gymnastics Camp: A Follow Up

Yesterday, I posted that my daughter was having some difficulty adjusting to life away from home.  It's so comforting to know she prefers living under my watchful, overbearing eyes to the freedom of gymnastics camp.

I was certain she would enjoy eating whatever she pleased and pushing the envelope on bedtime.  Instead she was homesick for all my rules and regulations.

Love my girl.

Yesterday morning, when we checked on her before leaving for the rest of the week, she was unhappy.  Uncertain.  Afraid.  She had spent one night there and all she wanted was to come back home.

But I knew leaving her teary eyed in that hallway outside the gymnastics gym was exactly what she needed.  I stepped away and gave her room to grow.  And have fun.  And meet new people.

And then I sat by my phone all afternoon and waited for the camp to call and ask me to retrieve my homesick, hysterical daughter.

They never did.

When I spoke with her last night, her mood had lifted.  She had met a friend named Ashley.  She sounded like herself again, and was finding her groove.

With her tears hopefully behind her, maybe she'll even learn some new gymnastics skills this week.

I'm happy to report I slept much better last night.  Much, much better.  My heart was happy, because my daughter was happy.

And for my munchkins, happiness is everything.

Yesterday, I posted that my daughter was having some difficulty adjusting to life away from home.  It's so comforting to know she prefers living under my watchful, overbearing eyes to the freedom of gymnastics camp.

I was certain she would enjoy eating whatever she pleased and pushing the envelope on bedtime.  Instead she was homesick for all my rules and regulations.

Love my girl.

Yesterday morning, when we checked on her before leaving for the rest of the week, she was unhappy.  Uncertain.  Afraid.  She had spent one night there and all she wanted was to come back home.

But I knew leaving her teary eyed in that hallway outside the gymnastics gym was exactly what she needed.  I stepped away and gave her room to grow.  And have fun.  And meet new people.

And then I sat by my phone all afternoon and waited for the camp to call and ask me to retrieve my homesick, hysterical daughter.

They never did.

When I spoke with her last night, her mood had lifted.  She had met a friend named Ashley.  She sounded like herself again, and was finding her groove.

With her tears hopefully behind her, maybe she'll even learn some new gymnastics skills this week.

I'm happy to report I slept much better last night.  Much, much better.  My heart was happy, because my daughter was happy.

And for my munchkins, happiness is everything.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Conveyor Belt Sushi @ DON Sushi in Carrefour, Johor Bahru

After our meet up with blogger friends in Kuala Lumpur, we had ambitious plans for a big dinner in Johor Bahru before crossing back to Singapore. But we couldn't resist overeating during our Batu Pahat stopover and had very little room left for any big feasting ;P

So we had a change of plan and had to settle for something less daunting.

We stumbled upon DON sushi in the Carrefour along Jalan Kota Tinggi which was offering 30% discount on their conveyor belt sushi (sushi train) between 3:00pm to 6:00pm on Mondays to Fridays.

We took a quick peek before making up our minds. DON sushi looked spacious and well laid out inside. Though it was relatively quiet at 5:00pm on a Monday, a quick glance showed that there was a decent range of sushi on offer on the conveyor belt. Since we never had conveyor belt sushi in Johor before, we decided to give DON sushi a try.

We were impressed with the attentive service. Once we sat down, more varieties of sushi started appearing on the belt to tempt us. Also, our cups of hot green tea were never empty - a pleasant waiter was regularly making his rounds with a tea pot and topped up our cups whenever it was about quarter full J

Here are the sushi we picked for our already overfilled stomachs. I don't have the names of some of the sushi - readers who know, please help me J. I have included the prices which were before the 30% discount.

RM3.50.

RM4.50.

RM5.50.

RM2.50.

Shrimp roe and tuna sushi RM2.50.

Tuna salad maki RM2.50.

Shrimp roe in tofu skin (inari ebiko sushi) RM5.50.

Salmon sushi RM4.50.

Crab (imitation) stick sushi RM4.50.

Crab (imitation) salad (kani salad sushi) RM4.50.

Shrimp (ebi sushi) RM4.50.

I enjoyed Don Sushi's servings but as I have not eaten belt sushi for a long time, I have no benchmark. My companions who frequented conveyor belt sushi outlets regularly felt that Don Sushi's offerings are very similar in taste and quality to those sushi chains commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore shopping malls.

Restaurant name: DON Sushi

Address: Inside Carrefour Shopping Centre, Batu 7½, Jalan Kota Tinggi, Pandan, Johor Bahru

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

GPS: 1.536378,103.785143

Hours: 11:00am to 9:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 25 Jun 2012

After our meet up with blogger friends in Kuala Lumpur, we had ambitious plans for a big dinner in Johor Bahru before crossing back to Singapore. But we couldn't resist overeating during our Batu Pahat stopover and had very little room left for any big feasting ;P

So we had a change of plan and had to settle for something less daunting.

We stumbled upon DON sushi in the Carrefour along Jalan Kota Tinggi which was offering 30% discount on their conveyor belt sushi (sushi train) between 3:00pm to 6:00pm on Mondays to Fridays.

We took a quick peek before making up our minds. DON sushi looked spacious and well laid out inside. Though it was relatively quiet at 5:00pm on a Monday, a quick glance showed that there was a decent range of sushi on offer on the conveyor belt. Since we never had conveyor belt sushi in Johor before, we decided to give DON sushi a try.

We were impressed with the attentive service. Once we sat down, more varieties of sushi started appearing on the belt to tempt us. Also, our cups of hot green tea were never empty - a pleasant waiter was regularly making his rounds with a tea pot and topped up our cups whenever it was about quarter full J

Here are the sushi we picked for our already overfilled stomachs. I don't have the names of some of the sushi - readers who know, please help me J. I have included the prices which were before the 30% discount.

RM3.50.

RM4.50.

RM5.50.

RM2.50.

Shrimp roe and tuna sushi RM2.50.

Tuna salad maki RM2.50.

Shrimp roe in tofu skin (inari ebiko sushi) RM5.50.

Salmon sushi RM4.50.

Crab (imitation) stick sushi RM4.50.

Crab (imitation) salad (kani salad sushi) RM4.50.

Shrimp (ebi sushi) RM4.50.

I enjoyed Don Sushi's servings but as I have not eaten belt sushi for a long time, I have no benchmark. My companions who frequented conveyor belt sushi outlets regularly felt that Don Sushi's offerings are very similar in taste and quality to those sushi chains commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore shopping malls.

Restaurant name: DON Sushi

Address: Inside Carrefour Shopping Centre, Batu 7½, Jalan Kota Tinggi, Pandan, Johor Bahru

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

GPS: 1.536378,103.785143

Hours: 11:00am to 9:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 25 Jun 2012

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Penn State Gymnastics Camp

Over the weekend, we brought our oldest daughter to her first sleep away camp.  Since we have friends an hour from Penn State, and we love them dearly, we thought Penn State Gymnastics Camp would be perfect for her.  I could stay with our friends in case our Gymnastics Queen needed anything, and she could try sleep away camp. 

Being that she is only just nine, I was worried.  I had nightmares about her remembering her shoes in the shower and eating something other than soft serve for lunch.

The weeks leading up to camp, I was definitely more worried than she was.

Growing up, I went to plenty of sports camps, I probably averaged three a summer when I was in high school.  I was big into field hockey, and there were summers I did three camps in a row.  I would go to Cornell.  Then right to Princeton.  I'd be home a few days and head to Old Dominion.

It was a blast.

There are two big differences between my camp experiences and my daughter's.  The first being I was in high school.  The second being I always went with friends.

She is not in high school.  She also decided to go on her own. 

Thank heavens another girl from her gymnastics team decided to go as well.  The upside is this girl is twelve, and my worries about my daughter waking up on time were relieved.

The downside is that her teammate is not in her group, and not the same level.  Aside from rooming together, my girl is alone.  And without her gym buddies.

Drop off yesterday went well, there was much commotion and excitement with 200 girls moving into the dorms for the week.  We made her bed, unpacked her bags, and she began the mighty "door decoration contest" immediately. 

I could tell my girl was a little apprehensive, but I left her all smiles, ready to start camp.

Last night, I was able to speak to my daughter on her teammates cell phone.  I could sense a little sadness.  But then she asked me exactly what to wear to the shower, since she obviously can't walk down the hall naked.

I hoped my mom radar needed adjusting, and her apprehension on the phone was shower related.

Around 10:20pm, I saw a missed call on my cell.  It was my girl.  In my heart I knew she was homesick.  I comforted myself by knowing I would see her today.  We were driving back to State College to bring my son to a football camp (that is another story).

When we peeked in the gym this morning at Penn State, I saw my daughter.  And I knew she was sad.  She came out to use the bathroom, and Hubby asked her how its going.

She started to cry.

I went over and hugged her big, and told her to shake it off.  She has the whole week left.  No time for tears.  I wanted her to go back in that gym and make friends.

Even though she never said it, I knew she wanted to come home.

I sent her back in the gym.  And then I told Hubby we had to blow that pop stand.  The more we hung around, watching through the windows, the more she wanted to see us. 

It was time to be strong for her, because she needed to be at camp on her own.

Wish me luck this week as I console her from the phone.  It may be a long week in Pennsylvania.  I'm hoping not, because that gymnastics camp was no joke.

Those girls were having a blast.  Now I just hope my daughter does too.

Over the weekend, we brought our oldest daughter to her first sleep away camp.  Since we have friends an hour from Penn State, and we love them dearly, we thought Penn State Gymnastics Camp would be perfect for her.  I could stay with our friends in case our Gymnastics Queen needed anything, and she could try sleep away camp. 

Being that she is only just nine, I was worried.  I had nightmares about her remembering her shoes in the shower and eating something other than soft serve for lunch.

The weeks leading up to camp, I was definitely more worried than she was.

Growing up, I went to plenty of sports camps, I probably averaged three a summer when I was in high school.  I was big into field hockey, and there were summers I did three camps in a row.  I would go to Cornell.  Then right to Princeton.  I'd be home a few days and head to Old Dominion.

It was a blast.

There are two big differences between my camp experiences and my daughter's.  The first being I was in high school.  The second being I always went with friends.

She is not in high school.  She also decided to go on her own. 

Thank heavens another girl from her gymnastics team decided to go as well.  The upside is this girl is twelve, and my worries about my daughter waking up on time were relieved.

The downside is that her teammate is not in her group, and not the same level.  Aside from rooming together, my girl is alone.  And without her gym buddies.

Drop off yesterday went well, there was much commotion and excitement with 200 girls moving into the dorms for the week.  We made her bed, unpacked her bags, and she began the mighty "door decoration contest" immediately. 

I could tell my girl was a little apprehensive, but I left her all smiles, ready to start camp.

Last night, I was able to speak to my daughter on her teammates cell phone.  I could sense a little sadness.  But then she asked me exactly what to wear to the shower, since she obviously can't walk down the hall naked.

I hoped my mom radar needed adjusting, and her apprehension on the phone was shower related.

Around 10:20pm, I saw a missed call on my cell.  It was my girl.  In my heart I knew she was homesick.  I comforted myself by knowing I would see her today.  We were driving back to State College to bring my son to a football camp (that is another story).

When we peeked in the gym this morning at Penn State, I saw my daughter.  And I knew she was sad.  She came out to use the bathroom, and Hubby asked her how its going.

She started to cry.

I went over and hugged her big, and told her to shake it off.  She has the whole week left.  No time for tears.  I wanted her to go back in that gym and make friends.

Even though she never said it, I knew she wanted to come home.

I sent her back in the gym.  And then I told Hubby we had to blow that pop stand.  The more we hung around, watching through the windows, the more she wanted to see us. 

It was time to be strong for her, because she needed to be at camp on her own.

Wish me luck this week as I console her from the phone.  It may be a long week in Pennsylvania.  I'm hoping not, because that gymnastics camp was no joke.

Those girls were having a blast.  Now I just hope my daughter does too.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mommyhood Beach

If you read my blog regularly...you know several weeks ago we started a patio.  "Started" meaning we dug the hole.  A perfect 10x10 square for what was supposed to house some patio stone.  And the patio stone was supposed to house a firepit, and some chairs. 

When the project was complete we were going to chill on our patio all summer.  I imagined music and smores.  Hubby imagined friends and beer.

Same difference. 

The patio hit a road block a few weeks ago, when Hubby bought play sand to fill the hole.  I was fairly certain he needed something more along the lines of patio sand.  For pavers.  And people making patios.

The trouble was that Hubby had already dumped all 33 bags of playsand before I was able to nag him and tell him he can't just buy any sand when making a patio.  He was not in the mood for my 'tude, if you catch my drift. 

The upside to this whole scenario was that the munchkins were pretty stoked about this sand situation.  I think within minutes of seeing it they were playing in it.  And this continued for hours.  Days.  Weeks.

On Sunday, it was rather warm, and the sun was shining.  The kids wanted to swim, but along with no central air, we have no pool.

Unless you count the $30 blow up one in my garage from last summer.

My mommybrains decided to make a beach out of our giant sand pit.  I blew up that pool with our mini air pump and placed it right on the edge of my patio-turned-sandbox.  I filled that sucker with water and told the munchkins to grab their suits.

Mommyhood Beach was born.

The afternoon was spent running and leaping into our classy blow up pool.  And of course playing on the beach.

When life gives you lemons, make that lemonade.  When Hubby dumps playsand in the patio hole, make a beach.

If you read my blog regularly...you know several weeks ago we started a patio.  "Started" meaning we dug the hole.  A perfect 10x10 square for what was supposed to house some patio stone.  And the patio stone was supposed to house a firepit, and some chairs. 

When the project was complete we were going to chill on our patio all summer.  I imagined music and smores.  Hubby imagined friends and beer.

Same difference. 

The patio hit a road block a few weeks ago, when Hubby bought play sand to fill the hole.  I was fairly certain he needed something more along the lines of patio sand.  For pavers.  And people making patios.

The trouble was that Hubby had already dumped all 33 bags of playsand before I was able to nag him and tell him he can't just buy any sand when making a patio.  He was not in the mood for my 'tude, if you catch my drift. 

The upside to this whole scenario was that the munchkins were pretty stoked about this sand situation.  I think within minutes of seeing it they were playing in it.  And this continued for hours.  Days.  Weeks.

On Sunday, it was rather warm, and the sun was shining.  The kids wanted to swim, but along with no central air, we have no pool.

Unless you count the $30 blow up one in my garage from last summer.

My mommybrains decided to make a beach out of our giant sand pit.  I blew up that pool with our mini air pump and placed it right on the edge of my patio-turned-sandbox.  I filled that sucker with water and told the munchkins to grab their suits.

Mommyhood Beach was born.

The afternoon was spent running and leaping into our classy blow up pool.  And of course playing on the beach.

When life gives you lemons, make that lemonade.  When Hubby dumps playsand in the patio hole, make a beach.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

JB Food on Foot Day Trip - Walking Food Tour of Jalan Lumba Kuda Area (Food near CIQ and City Square), Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Besides JB Old Town, another foodie day trip option is the area near Jalan Lumba Kuda which has a cluster of good food shops that are also within 10 minutes of walking from the JB Immigration building. However, unlike the JB Old Town where there are quaint old style streets, the Jalan Lumba Kuda area is just rows of shop houses.

The heydays of the Jalan Lumba Kuda area were over since the demolition of the old Johor Bahru checkpoint, but these food shops are still doing a thriving business as their loyal fans - old and new - keep coming back to them. There is nothing much to see here – the only attraction here is the good food. The walk too, under the flyovers is not very scenic – but these are no deterrent for hard core foodies J

How to walk there?

Eating places near CIQ and City Square

After you clear Malaysian immigration, take the escalator down to the lowest level where the JB Sentral (bus station) is. Step out of the building, turn to your right and walk along Jalan Jim Quee in the direction of Singapore. You will walk pass the bus interchange. You will also find yourself under the flyovers.


After about 5 minutes walking, you will see on your left, a cluster of low rise shop houses. That is where the 8 popular food stalls are.

BREAKFAST

If you take a walk down sleepy Jalan Lumba Kuda, you will find a long, laid back row of shop houses that had seen better days – now occupied by car workshops, provision shops, small shoplot hotels, and a few quiet eating places. My favourite along this stretch is Heng Kee coffee shop which houses Hup Kee wanton mee and Ah Song Hakka mee.

Wanton mee fans may want to give Hup Kee a try for breakfast. This small wanton mee stall is popular among customers here but seems to be relatively unknown outside the neighbourhood. Delicate sesame flavoured sauce on al dente QQ noodles - simple and nice. The wantons are tiny, smooth, tender and tasty morsels handmade in the old way.

Ah Song Hakka mee is the other stall drawing the breakfast crowd to Heng Kee coffee shop. Toss and stir the sauce and the fried minced pork with the crunchy noodles for a nice bowl of tasty Hakka mee. The hand made fresh fish balls here are bouncy and loaded with fresh fish flavours. You can also choose various equally delicious hand made yong tau foo pieces to go with your noodles.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Another hot spot is Shang Ji coffee shop which opens for breakfast and lunch. There are 3 stalls here which I like.

Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles stall may look ordinary, just like any other but wait – the owner MR Tan Ah Teng is an accomplished chef with many achievements in his more than 40 years in the food business. New fans and old are finding their way back to this food enclave for Tin & Tin’s tender, tasty chunks of beef in delicious soup and smooth kway teow wrapped in flavourful beefy sauce.

Shang Ji braised duck noodles stall is just next to Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles. The well balanced flavours of the braising sauce here turns ordinary yellow noodles into a smooth, rich and delicious treat. The noodle is so good that it almost turned the equally excellent tender, rich and naturally sweet braised duck meat into a sideshow J

Tan Kee Cathay laksa is yet another ordinary looking stall that is big on taste. Tan Kee’s spicy curry is loaded with tofu, fried tofu skin, and fish ball. The tender tofu is fresh and soaks up the flavourful and not too spicy curry to create a wonderfully tasty treat. Johor Cathay laksa differs from Singapore laksa in that Cathay laksa relies more on spices and less on coconut milk for its flavours.

A couple of shop units away is Jadi Baru Botak coffee shop which is famous for its asam fish head. Their signature asam curry fish head pulls in large crowds during lunch. Jadi Baru Botak’s fresh fish head is cooked in spicy, tangy asam gravy and is served in a clay pot that is bubbling, bursting steam bubbles – an agitating sight that excites the appetite J

Next door to Jadi Baru Botak is the renowned Hwa Mei bak kut teh. Hwa Mei is one of the oldest bak kut teh shops in JB. The bak kut teh at Hwa Mei is still prepared using the decades old methods and blend of herbs. Not too salty, nor too oily, Hwa Mei’s bak kut teh is literary like savouring naturally sweet tender ribs in hot fragrant and tasty tea.

The first shop you see when you walk into the Lambu Kuda enclave from Jalan Jim Quee is Nasi Padang Ina or Restoran Causeway. Ina is the favourite lunch joint for many office and government workers in the area. Always jam packed during lunch, Ina serves one of the best nasi padang in town - plenty of tasty choices. The nasi padang here is authentic because the boss who has been running this shop for the past 20 years with his wife and daughters is from Padang.

 

Ah Yong's Hainanese beef kway teow noodles 永美茶餐厅 - 家乡牛腩面 is the newest stall in this area and already building a strong following. Ah Yong from Malacca had been selling beef noodles for over 10 years before coming to JB. Even the Singapore taxi uncles plying the Singapore-JB route have found this place - that speaks volumes about the taste of Ah Yong's beef kway teow :) 

DINNER

In the evening, there is none of the buzz seen during lunch time. Only Nasi Padang Ina/ Restoran Causeway is opened for dinner here, serving ayam penyet and asam pedas – which is a good combination for dinner. Restoran Causeway’s ayam penyet set comes with a freshly deep fried whole chicken leg and white rice. Restoran Causeway’s excellent sambal chili sets the ayam penyet here apart from the ordinary. The asam pedas comes with a choice of various fresh fish – the soupy gravy is roughly balanced between sour and spicy hot. 

Another day trip option is a walking food tour of JB that you may like to try is the JB old downtown area.

Wish you happy eating.

As always, to enjoy a safe trip, apply the usual safety precautions e.g. watch out for fast traffic when crossing the roads and move away from “scratch and win” scammers.

Besides JB Old Town, another foodie day trip option is the area near Jalan Lumba Kuda which has a cluster of good food shops that are also within 10 minutes of walking from the JB Immigration building. However, unlike the JB Old Town where there are quaint old style streets, the Jalan Lumba Kuda area is just rows of shop houses.

The heydays of the Jalan Lumba Kuda area were over since the demolition of the old Johor Bahru checkpoint, but these food shops are still doing a thriving business as their loyal fans - old and new - keep coming back to them. There is nothing much to see here – the only attraction here is the good food. The walk too, under the flyovers is not very scenic – but these are no deterrent for hard core foodies J

How to walk there?

Eating places near CIQ and City Square

After you clear Malaysian immigration, take the escalator down to the lowest level where the JB Sentral (bus station) is. Step out of the building, turn to your right and walk along Jalan Jim Quee in the direction of Singapore. You will walk pass the bus interchange. You will also find yourself under the flyovers.


After about 5 minutes walking, you will see on your left, a cluster of low rise shop houses. That is where the 8 popular food stalls are.

BREAKFAST

If you take a walk down sleepy Jalan Lumba Kuda, you will find a long, laid back row of shop houses that had seen better days – now occupied by car workshops, provision shops, small shoplot hotels, and a few quiet eating places. My favourite along this stretch is Heng Kee coffee shop which houses Hup Kee wanton mee and Ah Song Hakka mee.

Wanton mee fans may want to give Hup Kee a try for breakfast. This small wanton mee stall is popular among customers here but seems to be relatively unknown outside the neighbourhood. Delicate sesame flavoured sauce on al dente QQ noodles - simple and nice. The wantons are tiny, smooth, tender and tasty morsels handmade in the old way.

Ah Song Hakka mee is the other stall drawing the breakfast crowd to Heng Kee coffee shop. Toss and stir the sauce and the fried minced pork with the crunchy noodles for a nice bowl of tasty Hakka mee. The hand made fresh fish balls here are bouncy and loaded with fresh fish flavours. You can also choose various equally delicious hand made yong tau foo pieces to go with your noodles.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Another hot spot is Shang Ji coffee shop which opens for breakfast and lunch. There are 3 stalls here which I like.

Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles stall may look ordinary, just like any other but wait – the owner MR Tan Ah Teng is an accomplished chef with many achievements in his more than 40 years in the food business. New fans and old are finding their way back to this food enclave for Tin & Tin’s tender, tasty chunks of beef in delicious soup and smooth kway teow wrapped in flavourful beefy sauce.

Shang Ji braised duck noodles stall is just next to Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles. The well balanced flavours of the braising sauce here turns ordinary yellow noodles into a smooth, rich and delicious treat. The noodle is so good that it almost turned the equally excellent tender, rich and naturally sweet braised duck meat into a sideshow J

Tan Kee Cathay laksa is yet another ordinary looking stall that is big on taste. Tan Kee’s spicy curry is loaded with tofu, fried tofu skin, and fish ball. The tender tofu is fresh and soaks up the flavourful and not too spicy curry to create a wonderfully tasty treat. Johor Cathay laksa differs from Singapore laksa in that Cathay laksa relies more on spices and less on coconut milk for its flavours.

A couple of shop units away is Jadi Baru Botak coffee shop which is famous for its asam fish head. Their signature asam curry fish head pulls in large crowds during lunch. Jadi Baru Botak’s fresh fish head is cooked in spicy, tangy asam gravy and is served in a clay pot that is bubbling, bursting steam bubbles – an agitating sight that excites the appetite J

Next door to Jadi Baru Botak is the renowned Hwa Mei bak kut teh. Hwa Mei is one of the oldest bak kut teh shops in JB. The bak kut teh at Hwa Mei is still prepared using the decades old methods and blend of herbs. Not too salty, nor too oily, Hwa Mei’s bak kut teh is literary like savouring naturally sweet tender ribs in hot fragrant and tasty tea.

The first shop you see when you walk into the Lambu Kuda enclave from Jalan Jim Quee is Nasi Padang Ina or Restoran Causeway. Ina is the favourite lunch joint for many office and government workers in the area. Always jam packed during lunch, Ina serves one of the best nasi padang in town - plenty of tasty choices. The nasi padang here is authentic because the boss who has been running this shop for the past 20 years with his wife and daughters is from Padang.

 

Ah Yong's Hainanese beef kway teow noodles 永美茶餐厅 - 家乡牛腩面 is the newest stall in this area and already building a strong following. Ah Yong from Malacca had been selling beef noodles for over 10 years before coming to JB. Even the Singapore taxi uncles plying the Singapore-JB route have found this place - that speaks volumes about the taste of Ah Yong's beef kway teow :) 

DINNER

In the evening, there is none of the buzz seen during lunch time. Only Nasi Padang Ina/ Restoran Causeway is opened for dinner here, serving ayam penyet and asam pedas – which is a good combination for dinner. Restoran Causeway’s ayam penyet set comes with a freshly deep fried whole chicken leg and white rice. Restoran Causeway’s excellent sambal chili sets the ayam penyet here apart from the ordinary. The asam pedas comes with a choice of various fresh fish – the soupy gravy is roughly balanced between sour and spicy hot. 

Another day trip option is a walking food tour of JB that you may like to try is the JB old downtown area.

Wish you happy eating.

As always, to enjoy a safe trip, apply the usual safety precautions e.g. watch out for fast traffic when crossing the roads and move away from “scratch and win” scammers.

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