Halal Food Trail and Day Trip in Johor Bahru for Uniquely Johor Food and Experience

I have often been asked where to take friends from overseas or other parts of Malaysia on a day trip to JB to showcase uniquely Johor food or a uniquely Johor dining experience. With suggestions from members of Johor Sedap (Halal) food Group, I selected the following food and places to represent Johor food. Everyone's list will differ, of course, so this is just for reference.

Number One on the list is of course, Laksa Johor. Tasty fish based spicy and savoury gravy blanketing a bed of boiled spaghetti. You may find this unique fusion of East and West cuisine elsewhere but this special dish was invented right here in Johor :)

Laksa Johor even has a nice story behind it. During the reign of Sultan Sir Abu Bakar in the late 1800s, the Sultan travelled to Europe and when in Italy he fell in love with spaghetti. When Sultan Sir Abu Bakar returned to Johor, he directed the Palace Chef to create a dish using spaghetti and traditional fish spicy gravy. And, hence the uniquely Johor dish of Laksa Johor was born.

If I have only one dish to show my guests, Laksa Johor will be the dish I choose to represent Johor.



Click on this picture to see the places that I would bring my guests to for Laksa Johor.

Next is Kacang Pool. Originally an Egyptian dish but Kacang Pool has become very popular in JB. More a snack, so Kacang Pool is ideal for tucking in between meals. The thick slice of buttered toast goes very well with the sunny side up egg, and the bean and beef based gravy. Couple this with a foaming teh tarik and it is perfect.



My favourite place for Kacang Pool is Kacang Pool Haji at the Bomba Larkin food centre.

Mee Rebus is also a common dish in Malaysia and Singapore but only in Johor is it served with tulang or lamb shank bones. The lamb shank bones are slow boiled with herbs and spices in slow charcoal fire. The rich jelly like marrow is infused with herbs and spices, and sucked out with a large straw provided. 



And, the best place to try this dish is at Restoran ZZ, not just because it is the signature dish here but also because of its unique kampung ambiance.

In my opinion, a makan trip to Johor would be incomplete without a visit to Warong Saga. Warong Saga offers a wide range of tasty local staples including Laksa Johor, Nasi Lemak, Tauhu Goreng, Lontong Kering and many more. But the charm of Warong Saga is in its ambiance which will catch your eye the moment you step into the street side warong. Every available flat surface in Warong Saga is plastered with heritage photos and memorabilia of old Johor, transforming the otherwise typical street side warong into a favourite makan hub.



Warong Saga is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so it is easy to fit a visit to this uniquely Johor warong into the day's plan.

Pisang Goreng is common in our region but only in Johor is Pisang Goreng eaten with with sambal kicap. Just a small twist and the whole experience is different.



So I will bring my guest to the famous Pisang Goreng Mawar to experience the Johor way of eating this common snack and also feel the pulse at one of JB's favourite tea time hang outs.

So, there we are, one day day trip and makan trail of unique Johor hawker fare and dining experience to remember Johor by. Nothing extravagant, just pleasant memories of the unique food culture of Johor.

I have often been asked where to take friends from overseas or other parts of Malaysia on a day trip to JB to showcase uniquely Johor food or a uniquely Johor dining experience. With suggestions from members of Johor Sedap (Halal) food Group, I selected the following food and places to represent Johor food. Everyone's list will differ, of course, so this is just for reference.

Number One on the list is of course, Laksa Johor. Tasty fish based spicy and savoury gravy blanketing a bed of boiled spaghetti. You may find this unique fusion of East and West cuisine elsewhere but this special dish was invented right here in Johor :)

Laksa Johor even has a nice story behind it. During the reign of Sultan Sir Abu Bakar in the late 1800s, the Sultan travelled to Europe and when in Italy he fell in love with spaghetti. When Sultan Sir Abu Bakar returned to Johor, he directed the Palace Chef to create a dish using spaghetti and traditional fish spicy gravy. And, hence the uniquely Johor dish of Laksa Johor was born.

If I have only one dish to show my guests, Laksa Johor will be the dish I choose to represent Johor.



Click on this picture to see the places that I would bring my guests to for Laksa Johor.

Next is Kacang Pool. Originally an Egyptian dish but Kacang Pool has become very popular in JB. More a snack, so Kacang Pool is ideal for tucking in between meals. The thick slice of buttered toast goes very well with the sunny side up egg, and the bean and beef based gravy. Couple this with a foaming teh tarik and it is perfect.



My favourite place for Kacang Pool is Kacang Pool Haji at the Bomba Larkin food centre.

Mee Rebus is also a common dish in Malaysia and Singapore but only in Johor is it served with tulang or lamb shank bones. The lamb shank bones are slow boiled with herbs and spices in slow charcoal fire. The rich jelly like marrow is infused with herbs and spices, and sucked out with a large straw provided. 



And, the best place to try this dish is at Restoran ZZ, not just because it is the signature dish here but also because of its unique kampung ambiance.

In my opinion, a makan trip to Johor would be incomplete without a visit to Warong Saga. Warong Saga offers a wide range of tasty local staples including Laksa Johor, Nasi Lemak, Tauhu Goreng, Lontong Kering and many more. But the charm of Warong Saga is in its ambiance which will catch your eye the moment you step into the street side warong. Every available flat surface in Warong Saga is plastered with heritage photos and memorabilia of old Johor, transforming the otherwise typical street side warong into a favourite makan hub.



Warong Saga is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so it is easy to fit a visit to this uniquely Johor warong into the day's plan.

Pisang Goreng is common in our region but only in Johor is Pisang Goreng eaten with with sambal kicap. Just a small twist and the whole experience is different.



So I will bring my guest to the famous Pisang Goreng Mawar to experience the Johor way of eating this common snack and also feel the pulse at one of JB's favourite tea time hang outs.

So, there we are, one day day trip and makan trail of unique Johor hawker fare and dining experience to remember Johor by. Nothing extravagant, just pleasant memories of the unique food culture of Johor.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Johor Bahru Chinese Temple Tour and Makan Day Trip by Car

Friends have asked me to suggest an itinerary for a one day Chinese temple tour and makan day trip to Johor Bahru.

This suggested day trip itinerary is based on three Chinese temples in Johor Bahru, namely, Johor Old Temple 柔佛古廟 in downtown JB, Kuan Yin Temple 观音廟 in Taman Perling and Tin Hau Temple 天后廟 in Skudai.

The suggested eateries are conveniently located near these three temples. I have also added a shopping stop at Sutera Mall for the shopaholics.

As always, this is only a suggested itinerary. We are encouraged to freely change and modify it according to our preferences and to use only what we find suitable for our own needs.

Timings are also rough estimates only as time required varies according to the queues at the checkpoint, waiting time for food, and traffic conditions, just to name a few influencing factors.

If you are driving in a convoy, a convenient assembly point is Woodlands Town Garden.

Once cleared immigration, we start the day with a hearty breakfast. There are three suggested breakfast choices.

We can have otak otak, nasi lemak and fried bee hoon at Storia Café. Storia café is famous for their otak otak.

If you like Hainanese coffee and toast, Kin Wah may be the choice for you. Kin Wah is famous for their half boiled kampung chicken eggs. Kin Wah also serves popular nasi lemak, mee siam and mee rebus for breakfast.

Another popular choice is Hua Mui which is an old established, traditional Hainanese coffee shop. Hainanese coffee and toasts are the hot sellers here. Hua Mui's signature dish is their fried chicken chops.

After a hearty breakfast, we visit Johor Old Temple 柔佛古 in downtown Johor Bahru. This is the oldest temple in Johor Bahru. I suggest we take a 10 minutes walk from Kin Wah or Hua Mui to the temple as parking is difficult in downtown JB, except on weekends.

After visiting the Johor Old Temple, we proceed to the Kuan Yin Temple 观音廟 in Taman Perling.

After visiting the Quan Yin Temple, we break for lunch at Kim Ling coffee shop. Kim Ling coffee shop has a wide range of hawker stalls, such as chicken rice, you char kway, pork organ soup, kway teow kia (kway chap), yong tau foo, Penang char kway teow, and more. There is also a vegetarian food stall in Kim Ling.

While at Taman Perling, you may want to pop by Daily Grain Café for their freshly baked, homemade multi grain bread and banana cakes.

Our stomachs filled, we proceed to the Tin Hau Temple 天后廟 in Skudai.

After visiting the Tin Hau temple, we proceed to Taman Sri Skudai for the famous braised duck shops there.

The oldest established braised duck shop is Skudai Duck Mee.

Just across the same street is Sin Hai Cheng which is also another very popular braised duck shop.

After the sumptuous duck meals, we stop over at Sutera Mall for retail therapy and to burn off calories.

After shopping, we shall proceed to Ban Heong Seng for a special dinner of beggar's chicken / duck, country fish, oyster rice and melon soup.

Please call Ban Heong Seng at least one day in advance to make bookings for the dishes as the "beggar style" of cooking needs long cooking times. Ban Heong Seng is in a quiet old bungalow house. It is cool, breezy and laid back. A good place to chill and catch our breath before the drive back to Singapore, after a long day.

I have also worked out a Skudai Highway shopping and makan day trip. It is a good idea to switch items between the two itineraries based on your own preferences. Mix and match as you wish.

Wish you a safe and fruitful trip.

Friends have asked me to suggest an itinerary for a one day Chinese temple tour and makan day trip to Johor Bahru.

This suggested day trip itinerary is based on three Chinese temples in Johor Bahru, namely, Johor Old Temple 柔佛古廟 in downtown JB, Kuan Yin Temple 观音廟 in Taman Perling and Tin Hau Temple 天后廟 in Skudai.

The suggested eateries are conveniently located near these three temples. I have also added a shopping stop at Sutera Mall for the shopaholics.

As always, this is only a suggested itinerary. We are encouraged to freely change and modify it according to our preferences and to use only what we find suitable for our own needs.

Timings are also rough estimates only as time required varies according to the queues at the checkpoint, waiting time for food, and traffic conditions, just to name a few influencing factors.

If you are driving in a convoy, a convenient assembly point is Woodlands Town Garden.

Once cleared immigration, we start the day with a hearty breakfast. There are three suggested breakfast choices.

We can have otak otak, nasi lemak and fried bee hoon at Storia Café. Storia café is famous for their otak otak.

If you like Hainanese coffee and toast, Kin Wah may be the choice for you. Kin Wah is famous for their half boiled kampung chicken eggs. Kin Wah also serves popular nasi lemak, mee siam and mee rebus for breakfast.

Another popular choice is Hua Mui which is an old established, traditional Hainanese coffee shop. Hainanese coffee and toasts are the hot sellers here. Hua Mui's signature dish is their fried chicken chops.

After a hearty breakfast, we visit Johor Old Temple 柔佛古 in downtown Johor Bahru. This is the oldest temple in Johor Bahru. I suggest we take a 10 minutes walk from Kin Wah or Hua Mui to the temple as parking is difficult in downtown JB, except on weekends.

After visiting the Johor Old Temple, we proceed to the Kuan Yin Temple 观音廟 in Taman Perling.

After visiting the Quan Yin Temple, we break for lunch at Kim Ling coffee shop. Kim Ling coffee shop has a wide range of hawker stalls, such as chicken rice, you char kway, pork organ soup, kway teow kia (kway chap), yong tau foo, Penang char kway teow, and more. There is also a vegetarian food stall in Kim Ling.

While at Taman Perling, you may want to pop by Daily Grain Café for their freshly baked, homemade multi grain bread and banana cakes.

Our stomachs filled, we proceed to the Tin Hau Temple 天后廟 in Skudai.

After visiting the Tin Hau temple, we proceed to Taman Sri Skudai for the famous braised duck shops there.

The oldest established braised duck shop is Skudai Duck Mee.

Just across the same street is Sin Hai Cheng which is also another very popular braised duck shop.

After the sumptuous duck meals, we stop over at Sutera Mall for retail therapy and to burn off calories.

After shopping, we shall proceed to Ban Heong Seng for a special dinner of beggar's chicken / duck, country fish, oyster rice and melon soup.

Please call Ban Heong Seng at least one day in advance to make bookings for the dishes as the "beggar style" of cooking needs long cooking times. Ban Heong Seng is in a quiet old bungalow house. It is cool, breezy and laid back. A good place to chill and catch our breath before the drive back to Singapore, after a long day.

I have also worked out a Skudai Highway shopping and makan day trip. It is a good idea to switch items between the two itineraries based on your own preferences. Mix and match as you wish.

Wish you a safe and fruitful trip.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Johor Kaki Makan Trail 1 - Skudai Highway Day Trip by Car

I have been asked by many Singapore readers about makan day trips to Johor Bahru by car. There are so many possible combinations, I don't know where to start. I guess that is also the reason why, they asked me J

So, I've decided to write this series of posts which I shall call "Johor Kaki Makan Trails". This one, which takes us along the Skudai highway, shall be the first (of many more to come).

Here's a summary of the day trip's suggested itinerary. All locations are along the Skudai Highway which is generally northwest from the JB checkpoint.

All timings are rough estimates only as time required varies according to queues at immigration, traffic situation, differing eating speeds, interlude for retail therapy, and the mood J. Best to keep things flexible, free and easy, and go with the flow J.

Suggested itinerary:

07:30am - Depart meeting point in Singapore. Suggested meeting point near to the Causeway is Woodlands Town Garden car park.

Driving directions from JB checkpoint to Taman Tasek our first stop.

8:30am - Taman Tasek kway teow kia

First makan stop Taman Tasek kway teow kia. Enjoy good kway teow kia under big trees and the cool morning air. For drivers, remember to display your parking coupons which are available from petrol stations. RM0.60 for an hour, free parking on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Driving directions from Taman Tasek to Taman Perling, our next stop.

10:00am - Daily Grain Café

Second stop - aromatic coffee and nutty multigrain toast at Daily Grain Café. We can also buy their famous freshly baked, all natural banana cakes. 

Driving directions from Taman Perling to Sutera Mall.

11:30am - Retail therapy and burn off calories at Sutera Mall.

Driving directions from Sutera Mall to Wah Cai in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah.

2:00pm - Wah Cai 3 in 1 Chinese Cake

Fried durian at Wah Cai 3 in 1 Chinese Cake. For the best taste and flavour, eat the fried durian on the spot, fresh off the wok.

 

While at Wah Cai, pop over to Lai Kee and pick up their famous fried fish cakes, freshly made everyday with 100% ikan parang.

Driving directions from Wah Cai to Eng Kee/ Lai Kee.

2:30pm - Restoran Eng Kee

Fried pork trotter at Eng Kee. I'll let the picture speak for itself. Eng Kee only prepares a few pork trotters everyday. Safer to call in advance, if your group is larger than 4 people.

Driving directions from Eng Kee to Plaza Angsana.

4:00pm - More retail therapy and burning off calories at Plaza Angsana.

Driving directions from Plaza Angsana to Ban Heong Seng.

6:30pm - Ban Heong Seng Restaurant

Dinner at Ban Heong Seng famed for its beggar's chicken and duck. Other signature dishes are their country fish, oyster rice and melon. Remember to call the restaurant one day in advance to order as beggar's chicken and duck require long cooking time and are prepared to order.

9:00pm - Depart for Singapore.

Driving directions from Ban Heong Seng to JB checkpoint.

Have a safe day trip and happy eating J.

I have been asked by many Singapore readers about makan day trips to Johor Bahru by car. There are so many possible combinations, I don't know where to start. I guess that is also the reason why, they asked me J

So, I've decided to write this series of posts which I shall call "Johor Kaki Makan Trails". This one, which takes us along the Skudai highway, shall be the first (of many more to come).

Here's a summary of the day trip's suggested itinerary. All locations are along the Skudai Highway which is generally northwest from the JB checkpoint.

All timings are rough estimates only as time required varies according to queues at immigration, traffic situation, differing eating speeds, interlude for retail therapy, and the mood J. Best to keep things flexible, free and easy, and go with the flow J.

Suggested itinerary:

07:30am - Depart meeting point in Singapore. Suggested meeting point near to the Causeway is Woodlands Town Garden car park.

Driving directions from JB checkpoint to Taman Tasek our first stop.

8:30am - Taman Tasek kway teow kia

First makan stop Taman Tasek kway teow kia. Enjoy good kway teow kia under big trees and the cool morning air. For drivers, remember to display your parking coupons which are available from petrol stations. RM0.60 for an hour, free parking on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Driving directions from Taman Tasek to Taman Perling, our next stop.

10:00am - Daily Grain Café

Second stop - aromatic coffee and nutty multigrain toast at Daily Grain Café. We can also buy their famous freshly baked, all natural banana cakes. 

Driving directions from Taman Perling to Sutera Mall.

11:30am - Retail therapy and burn off calories at Sutera Mall.

Driving directions from Sutera Mall to Wah Cai in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah.

2:00pm - Wah Cai 3 in 1 Chinese Cake

Fried durian at Wah Cai 3 in 1 Chinese Cake. For the best taste and flavour, eat the fried durian on the spot, fresh off the wok.

 

While at Wah Cai, pop over to Lai Kee and pick up their famous fried fish cakes, freshly made everyday with 100% ikan parang.

Driving directions from Wah Cai to Eng Kee/ Lai Kee.

2:30pm - Restoran Eng Kee

Fried pork trotter at Eng Kee. I'll let the picture speak for itself. Eng Kee only prepares a few pork trotters everyday. Safer to call in advance, if your group is larger than 4 people.

Driving directions from Eng Kee to Plaza Angsana.

4:00pm - More retail therapy and burning off calories at Plaza Angsana.

Driving directions from Plaza Angsana to Ban Heong Seng.

6:30pm - Ban Heong Seng Restaurant

Dinner at Ban Heong Seng famed for its beggar's chicken and duck. Other signature dishes are their country fish, oyster rice and melon. Remember to call the restaurant one day in advance to order as beggar's chicken and duck require long cooking time and are prepared to order.

9:00pm - Depart for Singapore.

Driving directions from Ban Heong Seng to JB checkpoint.

Have a safe day trip and happy eating J.

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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