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Showing posts with label Pau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pau. 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

Johor Famous Bao 包 at Wee Hoi 惠海 Kopitiam in Gelang Patah

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah
Left to right. David, Leslie, Megan, Lisa (holding the loot of bao), Miki, and James

After Leslie got his bagful of fresh wild caught prawns and we all got our gigabytes of photos at the Pontian fish market, our friend David brought us to Gelang Patah for Wee Hoi's famous old school bao 包. This is the same kopitiam serving Miki's favourite "3 for 1" kopi.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Restaurant name: Wee Hoi 惠海 Kopitiam
Address: 6, Jalan Kacang Panjang, Gelang Patah, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/J1wYl
GPS: 1.446838,103.587325
Hours: 6:00am to 5:00pm (closed on Thursday). Bao arrive around 1:30pm and sold out by 2:00pm.
Non Halal

When we arrived at about 12:30pm, some people were milling around while others were sitting, sipping coffee. They were killing time, waiting patiently for something.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包- Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

When the minivan arrived with blue plastic trays loaded with snowy white buns, the boss and lady boss sprang into action. The first task was to bag the buns for pre-order takeaway customers.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The buns are made by a granny who is an elder relative of the boss Mr Ho. On weekdays. granny makes only 500 buns; a little bit more on weekends. This cardboard box of takeaway order of 100 buns by just one customer got us nervous. We were relieved when a quick check with David confirmed that he had submitted our orders :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The boss Mr Ho, arranges the pearly stash into the small steam display cabinet.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah
Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Actually, I thought this was hardly necessary as the whole stock was taken away or eaten within 30 minutes of arriving at the kopitiam :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Looking like a pile of cushions, our heap of assorted buns for tasting :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The 梅菜包 filling of moist, not overly salty preserved greens wrapped in a pillowy, airy, snowy-hued slightly sweet bun. The bun had excellent bite and mouth feel with a lively bounce (no joke).

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

James patiently peeled the skin off the 扣肉包 braised belly pork bun revealing the soft airy lattice below. I wanted to call this creation the "fur bao" but James preferred to name it the "snow bao".

I actually did not taste the 扣肉包 but Lisa loved it because the tender flavourful stuffing was a nice balance of meat and fat. 

Johor-Famous-Bao-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The peanut bun has generous stuffing of nicely ground fried peanuts with a little bit of sugar.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Crunchy, juicy turnip fillings.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

As quickly as it started, after the frenzy that swept away all the bao, Wee Hoi returned to it's idyllic slumber just like any back row kopitiam in small town Johor.

Leslie was so impressed by the exceptional bun that he felt that it is worth making the trip from Singapore to Johor just for this alone.

Wee Hoi 惠海 is one more good reason to visit rustic Gelang Patah for food. I will surely be back often.

Date visited: 3 Nov 2013
Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah
Left to right. David, Leslie, Megan, Lisa (holding the loot of bao), Miki, and James

After Leslie got his bagful of fresh wild caught prawns and we all got our gigabytes of photos at the Pontian fish market, our friend David brought us to Gelang Patah for Wee Hoi's famous old school bao 包. This is the same kopitiam serving Miki's favourite "3 for 1" kopi.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Restaurant name: Wee Hoi 惠海 Kopitiam
Address: 6, Jalan Kacang Panjang, Gelang Patah, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/J1wYl
GPS: 1.446838,103.587325
Hours: 6:00am to 5:00pm (closed on Thursday). Bao arrive around 1:30pm and sold out by 2:00pm.
Non Halal

When we arrived at about 12:30pm, some people were milling around while others were sitting, sipping coffee. They were killing time, waiting patiently for something.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包- Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

When the minivan arrived with blue plastic trays loaded with snowy white buns, the boss and lady boss sprang into action. The first task was to bag the buns for pre-order takeaway customers.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The buns are made by a granny who is an elder relative of the boss Mr Ho. On weekdays. granny makes only 500 buns; a little bit more on weekends. This cardboard box of takeaway order of 100 buns by just one customer got us nervous. We were relieved when a quick check with David confirmed that he had submitted our orders :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The boss Mr Ho, arranges the pearly stash into the small steam display cabinet.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah
Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Actually, I thought this was hardly necessary as the whole stock was taken away or eaten within 30 minutes of arriving at the kopitiam :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Looking like a pile of cushions, our heap of assorted buns for tasting :D

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The 梅菜包 filling of moist, not overly salty preserved greens wrapped in a pillowy, airy, snowy-hued slightly sweet bun. The bun had excellent bite and mouth feel with a lively bounce (no joke).

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

James patiently peeled the skin off the 扣肉包 braised belly pork bun revealing the soft airy lattice below. I wanted to call this creation the "fur bao" but James preferred to name it the "snow bao".

I actually did not taste the 扣肉包 but Lisa loved it because the tender flavourful stuffing was a nice balance of meat and fat. 

Johor-Famous-Bao-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

The peanut bun has generous stuffing of nicely ground fried peanuts with a little bit of sugar.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

Crunchy, juicy turnip fillings.

Johor-Famous-Bao-包-Wee-Hoi-惠海-Kopitiam-Gelang-Patah

As quickly as it started, after the frenzy that swept away all the bao, Wee Hoi returned to it's idyllic slumber just like any back row kopitiam in small town Johor.

Leslie was so impressed by the exceptional bun that he felt that it is worth making the trip from Singapore to Johor just for this alone.

Wee Hoi 惠海 is one more good reason to visit rustic Gelang Patah for food. I will surely be back often.

Date visited: 3 Nov 2013
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Dim Sum at Hock Chiang Hin Kopitiam 福振兴餐室 in Old Downtown (Near City Square), Johor Bahru, Malaysia

 

My friends from Singapore often asked me, where can they find traditional dim sum within walking distance from City Square in JB.

Recently, I stumbled upon Hock Chiang Hin 福振兴餐室, one of the oldest kopitiams in JB and it serves traditional dim sum :) There used to be at least three dim sum shops in JB downtown, but now, Hock Chiang Hin is the only one left.

Hock Chiang Hin had its grand heydays when it was the nearest kopitiam to the JB CIQ - less than a stone's throw away. In those days, many workers and commuters going to Singapore will pick up some paus from Hock Chiang Hin before crossing over to Singapore. After the CIQ shifted, most of these regulars were gone.

But good old Hock Chiang Hin is still here and the paus are still as good as ever - many still say that they are the  best in JB. After trying them, I begin to appreciate that claim :)

 
 
 
At Hock Chiang Hin, all the dim sum and paus are freshly made right here in the traditional way at the kopitiam everyday.


Hock Chiang Hin is the only such kopitiam in downtown JB, so if you want freshly made dim sum and paus, this is it.
 

Ordering is easy. Just say or point to what catches your fancy :)
 

This is Hock Chiang Hin's signature big pau 大包 at RM2 each.


The snowy skin was light and porous with many "holes". The skin tasted slightly sweet and the texture was soft, bouncy and fluffy.
 

The filling made with sliced pork was tender, moist and juicy. Well marinated, tasty and quite sweet.
 

The little brother was equally good - small (pork) pau.


The vegetable pau for herbivores.
 

The lo mai kai 糯米鸡 was a tight mound of glutinous rice well infused with syrupy sweet and savoury sauce. The large pieces of chicken were well marinated and tender. Made according to traditional tastes and needs, the lo mai kai might be a tad greasy for modern tastes. In those days, workers appreciate an affordable meal that kept their stomachs filled much of the day.

These were the other dim sum that we tried today.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum had its roots as affordable food for commuters at the transit stop between JB and Singapore. Its traditional taste tended towards being filling, meaty and relatively plain compared to the dainty contemporary dim sum (especially in more exclusive restaurants) that emphasizes flavours. Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum had remained pretty much in the traditional mould of affordable street food.

Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum are reasonably priced - starts at RM1 and the most expensive item, their signature big pau, is RM2. 
 

A dab of this chili sauce makes the dim sum tastier :)

These are heritage pictures of Hock Chiang Hin (with much thanks to 陈由东, a third generation owner). For the owners, the shop is the centre of everything. All major events and milestones are celebrated at the shop.

 
Hock Chiang Hin in the 1940s. The gentleman in the middle is the founder.
 
 
The wedding of the second generation owners.


Seventies. That signboard in the background is still around, in the kitchen now. Panda was a popular party guest :))


Only one of that old style ornate marble tables is left at the kopitiam. Go take a look at Hock Chiang Hin. It's authentic heritage furniture - not a replica.
 
Heritage Photo

The founder is the gentleman on the left and the present owner 由东 is the little boy just in front on the left.

Eating dim sum at Hock Chiang Hin is an opportunity to appreciate our culinary heritage, and its flavours and tastes. It's also a chance to experience one of JB's rare historic shops.
 

Restaurant name: Hock Chiang Hin 福振兴餐室
Address: Along Jalan Siu Nam opposite the ESSO petrol station
Map:
http://goo.gl/maps/WB09l
GPS: 1.459103,103.766126
Hours: 6:00am to 1:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Non Halal

Dates visited: 15 Nov 2012, 19 Nov 2012
 

My friends from Singapore often asked me, where can they find traditional dim sum within walking distance from City Square in JB.

Recently, I stumbled upon Hock Chiang Hin 福振兴餐室, one of the oldest kopitiams in JB and it serves traditional dim sum :) There used to be at least three dim sum shops in JB downtown, but now, Hock Chiang Hin is the only one left.

Hock Chiang Hin had its grand heydays when it was the nearest kopitiam to the JB CIQ - less than a stone's throw away. In those days, many workers and commuters going to Singapore will pick up some paus from Hock Chiang Hin before crossing over to Singapore. After the CIQ shifted, most of these regulars were gone.

But good old Hock Chiang Hin is still here and the paus are still as good as ever - many still say that they are the  best in JB. After trying them, I begin to appreciate that claim :)

 
 
 
At Hock Chiang Hin, all the dim sum and paus are freshly made right here in the traditional way at the kopitiam everyday.


Hock Chiang Hin is the only such kopitiam in downtown JB, so if you want freshly made dim sum and paus, this is it.
 

Ordering is easy. Just say or point to what catches your fancy :)
 

This is Hock Chiang Hin's signature big pau 大包 at RM2 each.


The snowy skin was light and porous with many "holes". The skin tasted slightly sweet and the texture was soft, bouncy and fluffy.
 

The filling made with sliced pork was tender, moist and juicy. Well marinated, tasty and quite sweet.
 

The little brother was equally good - small (pork) pau.


The vegetable pau for herbivores.
 

The lo mai kai 糯米鸡 was a tight mound of glutinous rice well infused with syrupy sweet and savoury sauce. The large pieces of chicken were well marinated and tender. Made according to traditional tastes and needs, the lo mai kai might be a tad greasy for modern tastes. In those days, workers appreciate an affordable meal that kept their stomachs filled much of the day.

These were the other dim sum that we tried today.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum had its roots as affordable food for commuters at the transit stop between JB and Singapore. Its traditional taste tended towards being filling, meaty and relatively plain compared to the dainty contemporary dim sum (especially in more exclusive restaurants) that emphasizes flavours. Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum had remained pretty much in the traditional mould of affordable street food.

Hock Chiang Hin's dim sum are reasonably priced - starts at RM1 and the most expensive item, their signature big pau, is RM2. 
 

A dab of this chili sauce makes the dim sum tastier :)

These are heritage pictures of Hock Chiang Hin (with much thanks to 陈由东, a third generation owner). For the owners, the shop is the centre of everything. All major events and milestones are celebrated at the shop.

 
Hock Chiang Hin in the 1940s. The gentleman in the middle is the founder.
 
 
The wedding of the second generation owners.


Seventies. That signboard in the background is still around, in the kitchen now. Panda was a popular party guest :))


Only one of that old style ornate marble tables is left at the kopitiam. Go take a look at Hock Chiang Hin. It's authentic heritage furniture - not a replica.
 
Heritage Photo

The founder is the gentleman on the left and the present owner 由东 is the little boy just in front on the left.

Eating dim sum at Hock Chiang Hin is an opportunity to appreciate our culinary heritage, and its flavours and tastes. It's also a chance to experience one of JB's rare historic shops.
 

Restaurant name: Hock Chiang Hin 福振兴餐室
Address: Along Jalan Siu Nam opposite the ESSO petrol station
Map:
http://goo.gl/maps/WB09l
GPS: 1.459103,103.766126
Hours: 6:00am to 1:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Non Halal

Dates visited: 15 Nov 2012, 19 Nov 2012
reade more... Résuméabuiyad