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Showing posts with label Dim Sum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dim Sum. Show all posts

Johor Tim Sum at Yoong Lei 古来云来点心 in Mount Austin, Johor Bahru

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

古来云来点心 is one of those famous food names in Johor that has numerous branches registered under various similar English names. There are at least 8 shops under the 古来云来点心 brand. (The Sze Hwa 世华 and Soon Huat 顺发 bak kut teh group of shops run along the same idea.)

I have not eaten at any 古来云来点心 outlet before as the idea that these dim sum are made in a central kitchen far away and the shops are merely "heat and serve" points doesn't appeal to me. But, I did notice that the 古来云来点心 shops usually have a good crowd inside. I mentioned many times when we pass a 古来云来点心 shop that I shall give it a try, and I finally did today.

This 古来云来点心 shop in Mount Austin is headed by a couple - an expressionless man and woman with a few rather cheerful and quick Chinese speaking Indonesian and Thai workers.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The dim sum are neatly laid out in bamboo trays and waiting for orders.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The selected bamboo trays of dim sum are steamed using this large steamer at the front of the shop.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Once properly warmed up, the bamboo trays are served to the waiting customers. It's pretty straightforward - pick, heat and serve.

There were just two of us and these were what we sampled.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I like the inviting look of 云来's big bao 大包. The big bao is nicely shaped and the pattern is bold.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Inside, the tender minced pork filling with egg and chopped onions was sweet and savoury. The white bun was bouncy and nicely sweet.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The big bao had pretty generous meaty fillings.



I especially like 云来's char siew bao.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The meaty char siew filling was moist and tasty. Plenty of juicy good char siew inside. 

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I like 云来's braised fried chicken feet. The flesh which was deep fried, braised and then steamed, had good mouth feel as the skin and fat were wrinkly soft. The watery braising sauce is sweet and savoury.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Looking around and seeing that most tables had at least one of this, we added this glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Starchy glutinous rice with salted eggs and pieces of well marinated chicken - everything infused with the nice aroma of the dried lotus leaf.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The bitter gourd with fish paste - the bitter gourd was fresh and crunchy. The fish paste had some fish flavour but it was otherwise mostly some unknown bouncy filling.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Added a dab of the bottled garlic chili sauce to the bitter gourd with fish cake.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I love chili peppers and so will always order a tray of these at dim sum shops. The chili peppers were fresh and crunchy, but the fish paste filling was the same as that in the bitter gourd which I found a little boring.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The century egg porridge with bits of minced pork was quite tasty though the gruel was not as dense and thick as I liked.

This sampling was good enough for me to want to come back with a bigger group of makan kakis to try more dim sum at a 古来云来点心 outlet or better still at 云来's homebase at Yon Lai in Kulai.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Restaurant name: Yoong Lei Dim Sum 古来云来点心
Address: Jalan Mutiara Emas 9/3, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/3xllr
GPS: 1.54558,103.789156
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm (Closed on Weds)
Non Halal

Date visited: 19 Nov 2013
Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

古来云来点心 is one of those famous food names in Johor that has numerous branches registered under various similar English names. There are at least 8 shops under the 古来云来点心 brand. (The Sze Hwa 世华 and Soon Huat 顺发 bak kut teh group of shops run along the same idea.)

I have not eaten at any 古来云来点心 outlet before as the idea that these dim sum are made in a central kitchen far away and the shops are merely "heat and serve" points doesn't appeal to me. But, I did notice that the 古来云来点心 shops usually have a good crowd inside. I mentioned many times when we pass a 古来云来点心 shop that I shall give it a try, and I finally did today.

This 古来云来点心 shop in Mount Austin is headed by a couple - an expressionless man and woman with a few rather cheerful and quick Chinese speaking Indonesian and Thai workers.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The dim sum are neatly laid out in bamboo trays and waiting for orders.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The selected bamboo trays of dim sum are steamed using this large steamer at the front of the shop.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Once properly warmed up, the bamboo trays are served to the waiting customers. It's pretty straightforward - pick, heat and serve.

There were just two of us and these were what we sampled.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I like the inviting look of 云来's big bao 大包. The big bao is nicely shaped and the pattern is bold.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Inside, the tender minced pork filling with egg and chopped onions was sweet and savoury. The white bun was bouncy and nicely sweet.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The big bao had pretty generous meaty fillings.



I especially like 云来's char siew bao.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The meaty char siew filling was moist and tasty. Plenty of juicy good char siew inside. 

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I like 云来's braised fried chicken feet. The flesh which was deep fried, braised and then steamed, had good mouth feel as the skin and fat were wrinkly soft. The watery braising sauce is sweet and savoury.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Looking around and seeing that most tables had at least one of this, we added this glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Starchy glutinous rice with salted eggs and pieces of well marinated chicken - everything infused with the nice aroma of the dried lotus leaf.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The bitter gourd with fish paste - the bitter gourd was fresh and crunchy. The fish paste had some fish flavour but it was otherwise mostly some unknown bouncy filling.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Added a dab of the bottled garlic chili sauce to the bitter gourd with fish cake.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

I love chili peppers and so will always order a tray of these at dim sum shops. The chili peppers were fresh and crunchy, but the fish paste filling was the same as that in the bitter gourd which I found a little boring.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

The century egg porridge with bits of minced pork was quite tasty though the gruel was not as dense and thick as I liked.

This sampling was good enough for me to want to come back with a bigger group of makan kakis to try more dim sum at a 古来云来点心 outlet or better still at 云来's homebase at Yon Lai in Kulai.

Johor-Tim-Sum-Yoong-Lei-古来云来点心-Mount-Austin-Johor-Bahru

Restaurant name: Yoong Lei Dim Sum 古来云来点心
Address: Jalan Mutiara Emas 9/3, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/3xllr
GPS: 1.54558,103.789156
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm (Closed on Weds)
Non Halal

Date visited: 19 Nov 2013
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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. 

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Deep fried prawn bean curd rolls.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor
 
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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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. 

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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
Hoursa 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
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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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. 

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Deep fried prawn bean curd rolls.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor
 
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.

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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. 

Halal-Dim-Sum-Johor

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
Hoursa 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
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Dim Sum at Chang Man 常满 in Taman Nusa Bestari in Johor Bahru

I was at Chang Man 常满 Hong Kong Dim Sum at the invitation of the owner Adrian Ooi. Chang Man opened for business about two months ago and there was already a steady stream of customers at the restaurant on a Monday morning. I guess this is partly because Chang Man serves dim sum, chicken rice, char siew rice and hor fun which are familiar staples that are usually in demand, and more importantly, the food at Chang Man is good. We tasted some of the dim sum, chicken/ char siew rice and hor fun at Chang Man and it was obvious that a lot of effort had been put in to create good food for customers.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Manning Chang Man was a young dedicated team comprising Adrian, his business partner Kok Weng, Adrian's wife Ivy, and Adrian's younger brother.

Take a look at what we had.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Xiao Long Bao RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor

Many people like to dip their xiao long bao in the traditional vinegar and ginger dip.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Liu Sah Pau RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor
Seafood soup dumpling RM12.00

Dim-Sum-Johor

The seafood soup was delicious and there was this small piece of shark's fin in it.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Chang Man's crab roe siew mai is superb (RM3.80 for 3 pieces). Made with chopped pork and fresh shrimps topped with crab roe, it has excellent mouth feel and flavour. This is a Must Try.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Black roe scallop dumpling at RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor
Hand made fish balls at RM3.80 for 2 pieces.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Dim-Sum-Johor

I love Chang Man's fried carrot cake (RM5.00). It is made with lots of radish so it is tastier and softer than the ordinary version made mostly with flour. 

Dim-Sum-Johor
Har Kao at RM4.50 for 3 pieces

Hor-Fun-Johor

Chang Man's shrimp dumpling soup hor fun at RM6.80. The soup made with bone stock was tasty and has umami taste. That dash of secret yellowish sauce on top was savoury and seemed to be made with salted egg. 

Dim-Sum-Johor

Chang Man does their shrimp dumplings very well. Fresh, succulent and bouncy crunchy with nice prawny sweet flavour.

Char-Siew-Johor

Very good char siew. Good blend of caramelised outer layer, juicy fat and tender lean meat.

Dim-Sum

Chang Man's chicken rice at RM6.00 a set. Chang Man's steamed chicken is made with ordinary farm chicken, yet it has the tender texture and flavour of good kampung chicken.

Chicken-Rice-Johor

The rice that came with the chicken and char siew was very lightly coated with fragrant chicken oil. The grains were separate and very slightly nutty. The accompanying fresh chili was mildly spicy and tangy.

Recently, there were many restaurants opened in Johor Bahru by young entrepreneurs who had worked several years at big restaurants and in hotels overseas and beyond Johor. Adrian and his partner had worked in KL and in Singapore. These new dim sum shops serve premium quality dim sum in modern café style setting at slightly higher prices than at kopitiams.

This is an exciting time in the Johor Bahru food scene with contemporary concept eateries offering traditional cuisine with a touch of innovative flare and finesse. The energy and aspirations of these young entrepreneurs deserve our support for bringing buzz and class that will raise the Johor Bahru food scene to a higher level.

Rating: 3-Star out of 3 (I will plan a special trip just to eat this).



Dim-Sum-Johor

Restaurant name: Chang Man 常满 Hong Kong Dim Sum Chicken Rice Hor Fun
Address: 24G, Jalan Bestari 5/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/DfrpV
GPS: 1.481122,103.665189
Hours: 8:00am to 8:00pm (Closed on alternate Fridays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 21 Jan 2013
I was at Chang Man 常满 Hong Kong Dim Sum at the invitation of the owner Adrian Ooi. Chang Man opened for business about two months ago and there was already a steady stream of customers at the restaurant on a Monday morning. I guess this is partly because Chang Man serves dim sum, chicken rice, char siew rice and hor fun which are familiar staples that are usually in demand, and more importantly, the food at Chang Man is good. We tasted some of the dim sum, chicken/ char siew rice and hor fun at Chang Man and it was obvious that a lot of effort had been put in to create good food for customers.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Manning Chang Man was a young dedicated team comprising Adrian, his business partner Kok Weng, Adrian's wife Ivy, and Adrian's younger brother.

Take a look at what we had.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Xiao Long Bao RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor

Many people like to dip their xiao long bao in the traditional vinegar and ginger dip.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Liu Sah Pau RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor
Seafood soup dumpling RM12.00

Dim-Sum-Johor

The seafood soup was delicious and there was this small piece of shark's fin in it.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Chang Man's crab roe siew mai is superb (RM3.80 for 3 pieces). Made with chopped pork and fresh shrimps topped with crab roe, it has excellent mouth feel and flavour. This is a Must Try.

Dim-Sum-Johor
Black roe scallop dumpling at RM4.80 for 3 pieces

Dim-Sum-Johor
Hand made fish balls at RM3.80 for 2 pieces.

Dim-Sum-Johor

Dim-Sum-Johor

I love Chang Man's fried carrot cake (RM5.00). It is made with lots of radish so it is tastier and softer than the ordinary version made mostly with flour. 

Dim-Sum-Johor
Har Kao at RM4.50 for 3 pieces

Hor-Fun-Johor

Chang Man's shrimp dumpling soup hor fun at RM6.80. The soup made with bone stock was tasty and has umami taste. That dash of secret yellowish sauce on top was savoury and seemed to be made with salted egg. 

Dim-Sum-Johor

Chang Man does their shrimp dumplings very well. Fresh, succulent and bouncy crunchy with nice prawny sweet flavour.

Char-Siew-Johor

Very good char siew. Good blend of caramelised outer layer, juicy fat and tender lean meat.

Dim-Sum

Chang Man's chicken rice at RM6.00 a set. Chang Man's steamed chicken is made with ordinary farm chicken, yet it has the tender texture and flavour of good kampung chicken.

Chicken-Rice-Johor

The rice that came with the chicken and char siew was very lightly coated with fragrant chicken oil. The grains were separate and very slightly nutty. The accompanying fresh chili was mildly spicy and tangy.

Recently, there were many restaurants opened in Johor Bahru by young entrepreneurs who had worked several years at big restaurants and in hotels overseas and beyond Johor. Adrian and his partner had worked in KL and in Singapore. These new dim sum shops serve premium quality dim sum in modern café style setting at slightly higher prices than at kopitiams.

This is an exciting time in the Johor Bahru food scene with contemporary concept eateries offering traditional cuisine with a touch of innovative flare and finesse. The energy and aspirations of these young entrepreneurs deserve our support for bringing buzz and class that will raise the Johor Bahru food scene to a higher level.

Rating: 3-Star out of 3 (I will plan a special trip just to eat this).



Dim-Sum-Johor

Restaurant name: Chang Man 常满 Hong Kong Dim Sum Chicken Rice Hor Fun
Address: 24G, Jalan Bestari 5/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/DfrpV
GPS: 1.481122,103.665189
Hours: 8:00am to 8:00pm (Closed on alternate Fridays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 21 Jan 2013
reade more... Résuméabuiyad