Hong Kong style steamboat restaurants that emphasise MSG-free soup base and premium ingredients are sprouting up in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru.
Andy, the boss of Harbour 3 Hong Kong Steamboat 海港火锅 in Batu Pahat invited me to visit his restaurant.
The fully air conditioned restaurant in downtown Batu Pahat is cosy, clean and well appointed.
Like the Harbour Steamboat restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, there are the signature "autograph walls" here in Batu Pahat too. Opened just over a year, the "autograph walls" are already fully covered with scrawls including mine :)
Harbour Steamboat is famous for their soups. Andy, the boss, pouring in the stock bones to make the barrel of premium quality soup base.
We had Macau pork bone soup 澳门猪骨汤 and tom yam soup together costing RM12.50 served in a combi pot . The soups were constantly topped up during the dinner. The soup base was naturally sweet and drinkable. Growing up the Cantonese way, I love to drink bone soup and drank a lot that day. After the meal, I drove to KL and I didn't feel any MSG after-effects (like thirst), so I can vouch for the restaurant's claim of no MSG.
At Harbour 3, the ingredients are ordered separately a la carte style. They are neatly served in snow white dishes which boldly showed off the immaculate quality of the ingredients.
We had large fresh shrimps at RM15 for a set.
Grouper Fish slices at RM12 a set
Chunky slice of fresh Grouper fish. The slice was thick, tender and sweet.
Hong Kong Style Deep Fried Fish Skin at RM8 a set
Crispy fried fish skin is one of my favourite side dishes. Harbour 3 buys the fish skin fresh and fries it at the restaurant when there is an order. Must Try :)
Typhoon Shelter Style Deep Fried Octopus Tentacles at RM15 a set
I love these fried octopus tentacles. Thick, springy, slightly juicy octopus wrapped in a crunchy batter. The octopus and batter were tasty and flavourful too.
Salt and pepper fried homemade tofu at RM8.
Fresh Pork Slices at RM10
Tissue thin fresh pork slices. The custom is to swipe a slice 7 times in the boiling soup and it will be done just right.
It really works :)
Fresh beef slices at RM12
Fresh beef slices eaten the same way as the sliced pork. Tender with a nice sweet, beefy flavour.
We tried various kinds of freshly handmade fish, pork and squid balls.
Handmade fish balls at RM4 a set.
Prawn wanton at RM5 a set
Handmade fresh shrimp dumpling at RM6 a set.
We love the maize from Cameron Highlands. They were sweet and juicy like water chestnut.
A plate full of goodies for mushroom lovers.
I must have veggies with my steamboat. These were super fresh and clean.
Harbour 3 serves four main types of dips, sambal chili, hae bee hiam (dried shrimp chili), fresh ground chili with lime and fermented bean paste. Some people like to mix these together and make their own blended dipping sauce :)
Steamboat is a great form of traditional communal eating. At Harbour 3, we can have premium quality steamboat in a comfy, clean environment at a reasonable price.
Restaurant name: Harbour 3 Hong Kong Steamboat Restaurant Address: 1, Jalan Penjaja 3, Kim's Park Business Centre, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/2LPnf GPS: 1.857286,102.929052 Hours: 4:00pm to 11:00pm Non Halal Date visited: 9 Sep 2013
Hong Kong style steamboat restaurants that emphasise MSG-free soup base and premium ingredients are sprouting up in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru.
Andy, the boss of Harbour 3 Hong Kong Steamboat 海港火锅 in Batu Pahat invited me to visit his restaurant.
The fully air conditioned restaurant in downtown Batu Pahat is cosy, clean and well appointed.
Like the Harbour Steamboat restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, there are the signature "autograph walls" here in Batu Pahat too. Opened just over a year, the "autograph walls" are already fully covered with scrawls including mine :)
Harbour Steamboat is famous for their soups. Andy, the boss, pouring in the stock bones to make the barrel of premium quality soup base.
We had Macau pork bone soup 澳门猪骨汤 and tom yam soup together costing RM12.50 served in a combi pot . The soups were constantly topped up during the dinner. The soup base was naturally sweet and drinkable. Growing up the Cantonese way, I love to drink bone soup and drank a lot that day. After the meal, I drove to KL and I didn't feel any MSG after-effects (like thirst), so I can vouch for the restaurant's claim of no MSG.
At Harbour 3, the ingredients are ordered separately a la carte style. They are neatly served in snow white dishes which boldly showed off the immaculate quality of the ingredients.
We had large fresh shrimps at RM15 for a set.
Grouper Fish slices at RM12 a set
Chunky slice of fresh Grouper fish. The slice was thick, tender and sweet.
Hong Kong Style Deep Fried Fish Skin at RM8 a set
Crispy fried fish skin is one of my favourite side dishes. Harbour 3 buys the fish skin fresh and fries it at the restaurant when there is an order. Must Try :)
Typhoon Shelter Style Deep Fried Octopus Tentacles at RM15 a set
I love these fried octopus tentacles. Thick, springy, slightly juicy octopus wrapped in a crunchy batter. The octopus and batter were tasty and flavourful too.
Salt and pepper fried homemade tofu at RM8.
Fresh Pork Slices at RM10
Tissue thin fresh pork slices. The custom is to swipe a slice 7 times in the boiling soup and it will be done just right.
It really works :)
Fresh beef slices at RM12
Fresh beef slices eaten the same way as the sliced pork. Tender with a nice sweet, beefy flavour.
We tried various kinds of freshly handmade fish, pork and squid balls.
Handmade fish balls at RM4 a set.
Prawn wanton at RM5 a set
Handmade fresh shrimp dumpling at RM6 a set.
We love the maize from Cameron Highlands. They were sweet and juicy like water chestnut.
A plate full of goodies for mushroom lovers.
I must have veggies with my steamboat. These were super fresh and clean.
Harbour 3 serves four main types of dips, sambal chili, hae bee hiam (dried shrimp chili), fresh ground chili with lime and fermented bean paste. Some people like to mix these together and make their own blended dipping sauce :)
Steamboat is a great form of traditional communal eating. At Harbour 3, we can have premium quality steamboat in a comfy, clean environment at a reasonable price.
Restaurant name: Harbour 3 Hong Kong Steamboat Restaurant Address: 1, Jalan Penjaja 3, Kim's Park Business Centre, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/2LPnf GPS: 1.857286,102.929052 Hours: 4:00pm to 11:00pm Non Halal Date visited: 9 Sep 2013
This delicious nasi lemak with teh tarik all for a grand total of RM6.80.
I have to thank reader Hippototomos Miaw who suggested that I should try her favourite nasi lemak stall in Taman Nira, better known as Low Piak to locals in Batu Pahat. There are several warungs around here at Low Piak where many gather for their meals.
Once we found Low Piak (which is not far from the famous Mohd Shah nasi bryani), tracking down Kak Zai's stall is quite easy. Miaw said to look out for stall number 3 and the banner with Kak Zai on it :)
Bingo! Kak Zai's popular stall.
Kak Zai has been selling nasi lemak for 30 years - 20 years together with her dad and 10-plus years on her own. She is now assisted by her son Mohd Adha and a few workers.
Kak Zai's fried chicken thigh was exceptional. Crispy on the outside while nicely tender and slightly moist inside. Natural chicken sweetness with slight spice aroma and flavour.
The chicken wings and thighs are deep fried only when there is an order and Kak Zai chops them piping hot.
The sambal squids were soft and had that unique savoury flavour.
The rice was average. The coconut fragrance was slight and the rice was in soft clumps and stuck together.
We also had a couple of slices of fried omelette.
I especially love Kak Zai's two sambals, one sweet (manis) and one spicy hot (pedas). Actually both are mildly spicy - one is sweet while the other is slightly salty. I love the sweet and mildly spicy one as it has a unique sotong (squid) flavour. The salty and mildly spicy one is made with anchovies (ikan bilis).
Kak Zai will point out to every customer the two large tubs of manis and pedas sambals.
Customers can ladle in their sambal according to their own preference.
For customers who want to take away their nasi lemak, Kak Zai will wrap it in plastic lined old newspaper - just like the good old days :)
The tea was exceptionally frothy and had just the right balance of sweetness and tea fragrance for me - meaning, it was not overly sweet.
And, quite unexpectedly, the artistry of the teh tarik man caught my eye. Kak Zai's son Mohd Adha is a teh tarik maestro :) I had a lot of fun watching Mohd Adha having fun with tea :) I think Mohd Adha has the potential to be a teh tarik champion :) I hope he takes part in the next national teh tarik championship.
The freshly pulled frothy tea bubbling over :)
Kak Zai's is one of the better nasi lemak that I've had. Superb sambal, good fried chicken, sambal sotong. Great teh tarik :)
I will be back at Low Piak to check out the other stalls as well.
Restaurant name: Warung Zai (Kak Zai) Nasi Lemak Address: Low Piak, Taman Nira, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/omWQI GPS: 1.861844,102.924696 Hours: 7:30am to 12:30pm (off on Tuesday) Halal
Date visited: 9 Sep 2013
This delicious nasi lemak with teh tarik all for a grand total of RM6.80.
I have to thank reader Hippototomos Miaw who suggested that I should try her favourite nasi lemak stall in Taman Nira, better known as Low Piak to locals in Batu Pahat. There are several warungs around here at Low Piak where many gather for their meals.
Once we found Low Piak (which is not far from the famous Mohd Shah nasi bryani), tracking down Kak Zai's stall is quite easy. Miaw said to look out for stall number 3 and the banner with Kak Zai on it :)
Bingo! Kak Zai's popular stall.
Kak Zai has been selling nasi lemak for 30 years - 20 years together with her dad and 10-plus years on her own. She is now assisted by her son Mohd Adha and a few workers.
Kak Zai's fried chicken thigh was exceptional. Crispy on the outside while nicely tender and slightly moist inside. Natural chicken sweetness with slight spice aroma and flavour.
The chicken wings and thighs are deep fried only when there is an order and Kak Zai chops them piping hot.
The sambal squids were soft and had that unique savoury flavour.
The rice was average. The coconut fragrance was slight and the rice was in soft clumps and stuck together.
We also had a couple of slices of fried omelette.
I especially love Kak Zai's two sambals, one sweet (manis) and one spicy hot (pedas). Actually both are mildly spicy - one is sweet while the other is slightly salty. I love the sweet and mildly spicy one as it has a unique sotong (squid) flavour. The salty and mildly spicy one is made with anchovies (ikan bilis).
Kak Zai will point out to every customer the two large tubs of manis and pedas sambals.
Customers can ladle in their sambal according to their own preference.
For customers who want to take away their nasi lemak, Kak Zai will wrap it in plastic lined old newspaper - just like the good old days :)
The tea was exceptionally frothy and had just the right balance of sweetness and tea fragrance for me - meaning, it was not overly sweet.
And, quite unexpectedly, the artistry of the teh tarik man caught my eye. Kak Zai's son Mohd Adha is a teh tarik maestro :) I had a lot of fun watching Mohd Adha having fun with tea :) I think Mohd Adha has the potential to be a teh tarik champion :) I hope he takes part in the next national teh tarik championship.
The freshly pulled frothy tea bubbling over :)
Kak Zai's is one of the better nasi lemak that I've had. Superb sambal, good fried chicken, sambal sotong. Great teh tarik :)
I will be back at Low Piak to check out the other stalls as well.
Restaurant name: Warung Zai (Kak Zai) Nasi Lemak Address: Low Piak, Taman Nira, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/omWQI GPS: 1.861844,102.924696 Hours: 7:30am to 12:30pm (off on Tuesday) Halal
I was enjoying a curry mee at Batu Pahat's "glutton street" when a stranger walked up to me and asked if I am "Johor Kaki". Daniel introduced himself and we quickly settled down to a nice conversation like old friends :) Naturally I asked Daniel about what to eat in Batu Pahat. Daniel said I should try "Bus Station Chinese nasi beriani" 车站黄姜饭 which is just around the corner from "glutton street" at Jalan Jenang.
Daniel took his leave and when I finished my curry mee and went to settle my bill, the lady boss told that my meal was already paid for by Daniel. Thanks Daniel for the treat, it was nice to meet you :)
We took a short walk to "Bus Station nasi beriani" 车站黄姜饭. 车站黄姜饭 is a kopitiam type of shop. Everything is very basic, no frills and laid back.
I couldn't get much from the somewhat reserved shopkeepers, only that they are at this shop for about 3 years. They probably have been in business a long time before moving here since this shop is no where near the bus station 车站.
The shop is open only briefly from 9:30am to 1:00pm and it closes on unspecified days - quite common practice for smaller towns. The business is small scale or more like larger scale mum's home cooking. In my humble opinion, few can beat mum's cooking - so the closer a shop is to mum's cooking, the better.
车站黄姜饭 sells only one thing - "beriani rice" with curry chicken at RM4.60 a set.
The rice is not the basmati type - just ordinary fragrant rice. The rice was light, fluffy, mildly flavoured with cumin and kept warm in a steamer. Those pickled cucumbers and pineapples at the side were crunchy, sweet and mildly tangy.
Each set comes with two large chunky pieces of chicken and curry. The curry is quite lemak with santan, smooth and mildly spicy. The creamy curry was sweet from having tomatoes among its ingredients. There was a gentle aroma of spices. The chicken was tender. Many people prefer this mild curry compared to the more pungent, robust variety. I like both types.
Even though 车站黄姜饭 is certainly no Michelin Star restaurant, it's deep in the fibre of the lives of Batu Pahat folk - part of the sense of place that makes a country or town a home.
Batu Pahat is actually the nasi beriani capital of Malaysia, anchored by famous shops like Nasi Baryani Mohd Shah and Nasi Bariani Power. 车站黄姜饭 is actually "the other", lesser known nasi beriani shop. So, if you want to try nasi beriani besides the big name mainstream shops, you might want to give 车站黄姜饭 a try.
Restaurant name: 车站黄姜饭 "Bus Station Nasi Beriani" Address: 36-5, Jalan Jenang, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/sCnRj GPS: 1.854069,102.927748 Hours: 09:30am to 1:00pm (no fixed off day) Non Halal
Date visited: 18 Mar 2013
I was enjoying a curry mee at Batu Pahat's "glutton street" when a stranger walked up to me and asked if I am "Johor Kaki". Daniel introduced himself and we quickly settled down to a nice conversation like old friends :) Naturally I asked Daniel about what to eat in Batu Pahat. Daniel said I should try "Bus Station Chinese nasi beriani" 车站黄姜饭 which is just around the corner from "glutton street" at Jalan Jenang.
Daniel took his leave and when I finished my curry mee and went to settle my bill, the lady boss told that my meal was already paid for by Daniel. Thanks Daniel for the treat, it was nice to meet you :)
We took a short walk to "Bus Station nasi beriani" 车站黄姜饭. 车站黄姜饭 is a kopitiam type of shop. Everything is very basic, no frills and laid back.
I couldn't get much from the somewhat reserved shopkeepers, only that they are at this shop for about 3 years. They probably have been in business a long time before moving here since this shop is no where near the bus station 车站.
The shop is open only briefly from 9:30am to 1:00pm and it closes on unspecified days - quite common practice for smaller towns. The business is small scale or more like larger scale mum's home cooking. In my humble opinion, few can beat mum's cooking - so the closer a shop is to mum's cooking, the better.
车站黄姜饭 sells only one thing - "beriani rice" with curry chicken at RM4.60 a set.
The rice is not the basmati type - just ordinary fragrant rice. The rice was light, fluffy, mildly flavoured with cumin and kept warm in a steamer. Those pickled cucumbers and pineapples at the side were crunchy, sweet and mildly tangy.
Each set comes with two large chunky pieces of chicken and curry. The curry is quite lemak with santan, smooth and mildly spicy. The creamy curry was sweet from having tomatoes among its ingredients. There was a gentle aroma of spices. The chicken was tender. Many people prefer this mild curry compared to the more pungent, robust variety. I like both types.
Even though 车站黄姜饭 is certainly no Michelin Star restaurant, it's deep in the fibre of the lives of Batu Pahat folk - part of the sense of place that makes a country or town a home.
Batu Pahat is actually the nasi beriani capital of Malaysia, anchored by famous shops like Nasi Baryani Mohd Shah and Nasi Bariani Power. 车站黄姜饭 is actually "the other", lesser known nasi beriani shop. So, if you want to try nasi beriani besides the big name mainstream shops, you might want to give 车站黄姜饭 a try.
Restaurant name: 车站黄姜饭 "Bus Station Nasi Beriani" Address: 36-5, Jalan Jenang, Batu Pahat, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/sCnRj GPS: 1.854069,102.927748 Hours: 09:30am to 1:00pm (no fixed off day) Non Halal
.jpg "Harbour 3 Hong Kong Steamboat 海港火锅 in Batu Pahat, Johor")
