When people ask me what is my favourite food, mee pokdoesn't come to mind. But whenever I am at a food centre, after going around a couple of times looking, more often than not, it is the mee pok stall that I settled for. When I am far from home and miss home food, it is mee pok that I think of, not char kway teow, and certainly not chili crab.
So when my friend Jeff shared on Johor Yummy group about his favourite mee pok shop in JB, I wasted no time to check it out. You can trust Jeff's word on mee pok - his brother runs the famous mee pok shop in Permas Jaya, JB.
When I saw that customers were spilling over the side walks at 11:00am at Poh Kee 宝记, I knew this has to be something special. Somehow, popular old style noodle shops in JB look similar in the way the people gather :)
I approached the lady boss hesitantly and mumbled half audibly something to the effect of "Boss, your food is very nice. May I take some photos of you at work?" The lady boss's spontaneous response immediately put me at ease :)
Soon the friendly boss, Mr. Tan, joined us at our table to chat. Mr. Tan was in the logging industry in Indonesia before retiring and returning to Johor Bahru. Since returning to JB, Mr. Tan sold wanton mee for a while in Taman Pelangi and when the opportunity arose about a year ago, he moved here to start this Teochew kway teow stall.
Mr. Tan and his wife are food lovers and have been making and enjoying old style Teochew kway teow soup all these years. So, when the time came to make it a business, it was almost second nature for the Tans. Furthermore, the Tans already had a following from their wanton mee stall and friends from their logging business. Within a year, Poh Kee Teochew noodles stall became a famous name in JB.
My friend Euginn's RM5 bowl of mee pok comes with 3 pork balls, a fish ball, a few slices of fish cake, some small prawns and a small handful of minced pork. There was also a small bowl of prawn and pork soup.
My RM7.00 bowl had the same ingredients except for a larger mound of mee pok noodles.
The broad mee pok noodles were gently crunchy, pleasingly al dente. The sauce was subtly spicy from the home made chili sauce and had savoury hints from lard and soy sauce.
This prawn is not big but it is a wild sea prawn. Mr. Tan said that only this species of wild sea prawn can produce that distinctive prawny umami (savoury) flavour in the soup.
To me, Poh Kee's handmade fish ball set it apart from the rest. Poh Kee's fish balls are 100% fish meat with no starch added. They are bouncy but in a nicer way than starch/fish balls.
Mr. Tan gets up at 5:00am each business day to make these fish balls using Ikan Parang. Only a small quantity is made each day - just enough for the day's business. So, everything is fresh.
The thin slice of fish cake. Same flavour as the fish ball but a different mouth feel.
Each bowl comes with three pork balls. Bought from supplier so they were average, though good enough.
The pork bone and prawn soup was savoury and the prawny umami flavour was distinct.
The pot of lard at Poh Kee 宝记. For some people, just a dollop of this potent liquid makes all the difference :)
Another customer's RM5 mee kia. I like Poh Kee's style of minced pork - Lau Tee another famous mee pok stall in JB has the same style of minced pork. Finely ground pork with little fat, blanched in the savoury prawn broth. At average stalls, the minced pork is coarser and has more fat.
Poh Kee is another excellent Teochew noodle stall in JB worth trying.
Restaurant name: Poh Kee 宝记 Teochew Noodle Soup Address: 75, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad/ Century, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Uz9Qf GPS: 1.480886,103.756985 Hours: 7:30am to 2:30pm (alternate Thursdays closed) Non Halal
Date visited: 12 Aug 2013
When people ask me what is my favourite food, mee pokdoesn't come to mind. But whenever I am at a food centre, after going around a couple of times looking, more often than not, it is the mee pok stall that I settled for. When I am far from home and miss home food, it is mee pok that I think of, not char kway teow, and certainly not chili crab.
So when my friend Jeff shared on Johor Yummy group about his favourite mee pok shop in JB, I wasted no time to check it out. You can trust Jeff's word on mee pok - his brother runs the famous mee pok shop in Permas Jaya, JB.
When I saw that customers were spilling over the side walks at 11:00am at Poh Kee 宝记, I knew this has to be something special. Somehow, popular old style noodle shops in JB look similar in the way the people gather :)
I approached the lady boss hesitantly and mumbled half audibly something to the effect of "Boss, your food is very nice. May I take some photos of you at work?" The lady boss's spontaneous response immediately put me at ease :)
Soon the friendly boss, Mr. Tan, joined us at our table to chat. Mr. Tan was in the logging industry in Indonesia before retiring and returning to Johor Bahru. Since returning to JB, Mr. Tan sold wanton mee for a while in Taman Pelangi and when the opportunity arose about a year ago, he moved here to start this Teochew kway teow stall.
Mr. Tan and his wife are food lovers and have been making and enjoying old style Teochew kway teow soup all these years. So, when the time came to make it a business, it was almost second nature for the Tans. Furthermore, the Tans already had a following from their wanton mee stall and friends from their logging business. Within a year, Poh Kee Teochew noodles stall became a famous name in JB.
My friend Euginn's RM5 bowl of mee pok comes with 3 pork balls, a fish ball, a few slices of fish cake, some small prawns and a small handful of minced pork. There was also a small bowl of prawn and pork soup.
My RM7.00 bowl had the same ingredients except for a larger mound of mee pok noodles.
The broad mee pok noodles were gently crunchy, pleasingly al dente. The sauce was subtly spicy from the home made chili sauce and had savoury hints from lard and soy sauce.
This prawn is not big but it is a wild sea prawn. Mr. Tan said that only this species of wild sea prawn can produce that distinctive prawny umami (savoury) flavour in the soup.
To me, Poh Kee's handmade fish ball set it apart from the rest. Poh Kee's fish balls are 100% fish meat with no starch added. They are bouncy but in a nicer way than starch/fish balls.
Mr. Tan gets up at 5:00am each business day to make these fish balls using Ikan Parang. Only a small quantity is made each day - just enough for the day's business. So, everything is fresh.
The thin slice of fish cake. Same flavour as the fish ball but a different mouth feel.
Each bowl comes with three pork balls. Bought from supplier so they were average, though good enough.
The pork bone and prawn soup was savoury and the prawny umami flavour was distinct.
The pot of lard at Poh Kee 宝记. For some people, just a dollop of this potent liquid makes all the difference :)
Another customer's RM5 mee kia. I like Poh Kee's style of minced pork - Lau Tee another famous mee pok stall in JB has the same style of minced pork. Finely ground pork with little fat, blanched in the savoury prawn broth. At average stalls, the minced pork is coarser and has more fat.
Poh Kee is another excellent Teochew noodle stall in JB worth trying.
Restaurant name: Poh Kee 宝记 Teochew Noodle Soup Address: 75, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad/ Century, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Uz9Qf GPS: 1.480886,103.756985 Hours: 7:30am to 2:30pm (alternate Thursdays closed) Non Halal
This is my second visit to Shahrzad at the invitation of Mohd the owner. Again, I was very impressed with the Persian and Arabian cuisine prepared by Chef Ahmad whom I met during my first visit to Shahrzad.
Our appetiser was the traditional Iranian Kashk e Bademjan (RM12). The soft egg plant fibres sponged up the creamy blend of olive oil and savoury Iranian yogurt.
The Kashk e Bademjan is eaten with freshly baked naan. A pinch of rich and savoury, olive oil saturated Kashk e Bademjan on a bite size piece of bread worked wonders to get our digestive juices flowing :)
The refreshing Shirazi Salad, crunchy and dripping with juices from the lemon, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. Interesting blends of tangy and sweet with a mix of soft, pulpy and crunchy textures. Mohd said Iranian mothers make this staple healthy salad regularly at home.
Wholesome barley soup made from scratch from fresh ingredients such as chicken, carrots, celery, and of course, barley and drizzled with a dash of dairy cream. RM7 per serving.
Our main course was the signature Shahrzad Platter (RM199++) for four persons. The platter consists of (from left to right), Lamb Cutlets, Iranian Minced Lamb, Saffron Chicken, Barg Kebab, and the Arabian Shish Taouk.
The Shandiz lamb cutlets made from Australian or New Zealand lamb were expertly grilled by Chef Ahmad over charcoal. Marination is simple, mainly just salt, pepper, and olive oil to bring out the natural flavours of the lamb. I am a lamb lover and so especially enjoyed this flavourful dish. In the mouth, the lamb was tender, moist, smokey from the tiny streaks of fat, and had that subtle yet distinct gaminess of lamb that mutton lovers appreciate.
Second from the left is the Iranian minced lamb. Actually, I am not a fan of minced meat in restaurants as some places took the opportunity to ground in lower quality meat and they are often too fatty, anyway.
But Shahrzad's minced lamb is just superb. When I bite into the minced lamb, the rich saturated flavours bursted in my mouth and filled it with delightful aromas that rush up my nose. I dislike sounding dramatic but I swear it raised the corners of my mouth in a broad smile :)
The Saffron Chicken are large orangey chunks of marinated and grilled chicken breast meat. I am not a fan of chicken breast either as they are often dry, bland and stringy. Shahrzad's saffron chicken is different. Chef Ahmad made the thick chunks of breast tender and flavourful by skillful grilling and slightly moist by having the fibres soaked up the fragrant saffron and olive oil marinade.
The Barg or Leaf kebab is so named because the lamb is flatten to shape like a leaf. Lean cut with very little, if any, fat. Tender and fragrant especially when eaten straight from the grill.
Similar to the saffron chicken but the Arabian Shish Taouk is made with marinated boneless chicken thigh. Grilled till slightly charred on the outside, the inside still slightly moist.
I like Iranian style saffron rice. The fluffy long, pearly white grains are topped with bright yellow saffron dyed grains. In the mouth, the saffron rice is nutty, fragrant and has a rich creamy flavour. The aroma hangs like a puff of perfume in the mouth and nose. Mohd said the saffron rice is cooked in a special four step process in order to achieve this taste. I love this - it is non greasy and very different in taste and tecture from starchy local rice.
We rounded up our scrumptious lunch with avocado milk shake sweetened with honey (RM11). Mohd told me that this creamy dessert is very popular in Dubai.
My drink, a refreshing green apple juice :)
I love the rich flavours at Shahrzad. To me, Shahrzard is one of the new jewels of the more and more exciting Johor food scene.
Restaurant name: Shahrzad Restaurant Address: 94, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/igU6S GPS: 1.481487,103.757157 Hours: 11:45am to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 11:45pm (Closed on Monday) Halal Date visited: 22 May 2013, 18 July 2013
This is my second visit to Shahrzad at the invitation of Mohd the owner. Again, I was very impressed with the Persian and Arabian cuisine prepared by Chef Ahmad whom I met during my first visit to Shahrzad.
Our appetiser was the traditional Iranian Kashk e Bademjan (RM12). The soft egg plant fibres sponged up the creamy blend of olive oil and savoury Iranian yogurt.
The Kashk e Bademjan is eaten with freshly baked naan. A pinch of rich and savoury, olive oil saturated Kashk e Bademjan on a bite size piece of bread worked wonders to get our digestive juices flowing :)
The refreshing Shirazi Salad, crunchy and dripping with juices from the lemon, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. Interesting blends of tangy and sweet with a mix of soft, pulpy and crunchy textures. Mohd said Iranian mothers make this staple healthy salad regularly at home.
Wholesome barley soup made from scratch from fresh ingredients such as chicken, carrots, celery, and of course, barley and drizzled with a dash of dairy cream. RM7 per serving.
Our main course was the signature Shahrzad Platter (RM199++) for four persons. The platter consists of (from left to right), Lamb Cutlets, Iranian Minced Lamb, Saffron Chicken, Barg Kebab, and the Arabian Shish Taouk.
The Shandiz lamb cutlets made from Australian or New Zealand lamb were expertly grilled by Chef Ahmad over charcoal. Marination is simple, mainly just salt, pepper, and olive oil to bring out the natural flavours of the lamb. I am a lamb lover and so especially enjoyed this flavourful dish. In the mouth, the lamb was tender, moist, smokey from the tiny streaks of fat, and had that subtle yet distinct gaminess of lamb that mutton lovers appreciate.
Second from the left is the Iranian minced lamb. Actually, I am not a fan of minced meat in restaurants as some places took the opportunity to ground in lower quality meat and they are often too fatty, anyway.
But Shahrzad's minced lamb is just superb. When I bite into the minced lamb, the rich saturated flavours bursted in my mouth and filled it with delightful aromas that rush up my nose. I dislike sounding dramatic but I swear it raised the corners of my mouth in a broad smile :)
The Saffron Chicken are large orangey chunks of marinated and grilled chicken breast meat. I am not a fan of chicken breast either as they are often dry, bland and stringy. Shahrzad's saffron chicken is different. Chef Ahmad made the thick chunks of breast tender and flavourful by skillful grilling and slightly moist by having the fibres soaked up the fragrant saffron and olive oil marinade.
The Barg or Leaf kebab is so named because the lamb is flatten to shape like a leaf. Lean cut with very little, if any, fat. Tender and fragrant especially when eaten straight from the grill.
Similar to the saffron chicken but the Arabian Shish Taouk is made with marinated boneless chicken thigh. Grilled till slightly charred on the outside, the inside still slightly moist.
I like Iranian style saffron rice. The fluffy long, pearly white grains are topped with bright yellow saffron dyed grains. In the mouth, the saffron rice is nutty, fragrant and has a rich creamy flavour. The aroma hangs like a puff of perfume in the mouth and nose. Mohd said the saffron rice is cooked in a special four step process in order to achieve this taste. I love this - it is non greasy and very different in taste and tecture from starchy local rice.
We rounded up our scrumptious lunch with avocado milk shake sweetened with honey (RM11). Mohd told me that this creamy dessert is very popular in Dubai.
My drink, a refreshing green apple juice :)
I love the rich flavours at Shahrzad. To me, Shahrzard is one of the new jewels of the more and more exciting Johor food scene.
Restaurant name: Shahrzad Restaurant Address: 94, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/igU6S GPS: 1.481487,103.757157 Hours: 11:45am to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 11:45pm (Closed on Monday) Halal Date visited: 22 May 2013, 18 July 2013
Shahrzad Restaurant opened for business just a month ago along Jalan Dato Sulaiman in Taman Abad, Johor Bahru. Mohammad, the boss invited me to try out Shahrzad's authentic Iranian and Arabian food.
The gracious lady boss, Marjan, sharing the fine points of Iranian food and culture with us. Both Mohammad and Marjan emphasised that they wanted to showcase Iranian hospitality through Shahrzad restaurant. Hence, visiting Shahrzad felt like visiting an Iranian home. In Iran, it is customary for the hosts pull out all stops to make sure that the guests feel at home and welcome. And, the best way to do so is to serve the best food.
Inside the Shahrzad, the decor is clean and simple. There is a comfortable air conditioned dining hall and a cosy, casual outdoors dining area.
But what fascinated me most was Shahrzad's private dining rooms. Shahrzad has two private rooms, that are set up like Arabian tents where hosts treat their guests with their best food. Mohammad and Marjan wanted to recreate this atmosphere in Johor Bahru. The walls and ceiling are draped with beautiful fabric personally sewn by Marjan. This is the non smoking private room.
This is the popular smoking room where guests enjoy authentic Iranian cuisine seated on comfortable cushions. Many guests enjoy shisha gatherings in this room.
In the kitchen, Chef Ahmad is the man behind all the authentic Persian cuisine at Shahrzad restaurant. Chef Ahmad hails from Iran and he has many years of experience working in 5-Star hotels in Dubai. Chef Ahmad was handpicked at the recommendation of Shiraz Restaurant, the top Persian restaurant in Singapore.
Mohammad gave me permission to visit the kitchen. I spotted these green chilies and the halved tomato. They looked so fresh, succulent and inviting, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of them :)
We started our lunch with a traditional Iranian welcome dish - freshly baked flat bread (naan) with basil leaves, cheese and olives.
Hummus RM11
Hummus and bread - the classic Arab staple that reminds me of my own travels to the Middle East. Shahrzad's hummus is a blend of chickpea paste and imported sesame paste generously doused with olive oil.
Shirazi Salad RM8
Next, we had Shirazi Salad which is a colourful mix of crunchy chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and herbs tossed in a tangy and sweet sauce. Very refreshing and seems to appeal especially to ladies :)
Mushroom soup RM9
Shahrzad's rich mushroom soup is made from fresh vegetables, herbs and butter.
The skewered chicken, lamb and tomatoes on the charcoal grill. The marinaded meats toasting over slow fire from white hot charcoal letting off puffs of aromatic greasy fumes.
Shandiz Kebab RM58
Shandiz is a small town in northeastern Iran renown for their lamb kebab. Shahrzad restaurant uses prime cut imported Australian lamb to recreate this dish in Johor Bahru, hence the premium pricing. The char grilled meat was tender, juicy and savoury. The fats were creamy and smokey. Chewing the meat and fats together releases that pleasant flavour that lamb lovers love. I also love those juicy grilled tomatoes and chilies :)
The chicken saffron kebab at RM29.
The chunks of chicken leg were fragrant, tender and savoury. The chunks of meat were juicy as they were made with chicken leg and skilfully grilled by Chef Ahmad.
All of Shahrzad's kebabs are served with a generous portion of top quality Basmati rice. The rice is fluffy and not starchy. The rice is flavoured with aromatic saffron and special ingredients that give it satisfying body.
Shahrzad restaurant is conveniently located near major hotels like New York Hotel, KSL Resort and Hotel Grand Paragon. Shahrzad is just 15 minutes drive from downtown Johor Bahru or JB CIQ.
If you want to experience authentic Persian cuisine in Johor Bahru, Shahrzad restaurant is the place.
Restaurant name: Shahrzad Restaurant Address: 94, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/igU6S GPS: 1.481487,103.757157 Hours: 11:45am to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 11:45pm (Closed on Monday) Halal
Date visited: 22 May 2013
Shahrzad Restaurant opened for business just a month ago along Jalan Dato Sulaiman in Taman Abad, Johor Bahru. Mohammad, the boss invited me to try out Shahrzad's authentic Iranian and Arabian food.
The gracious lady boss, Marjan, sharing the fine points of Iranian food and culture with us. Both Mohammad and Marjan emphasised that they wanted to showcase Iranian hospitality through Shahrzad restaurant. Hence, visiting Shahrzad felt like visiting an Iranian home. In Iran, it is customary for the hosts pull out all stops to make sure that the guests feel at home and welcome. And, the best way to do so is to serve the best food.
Inside the Shahrzad, the decor is clean and simple. There is a comfortable air conditioned dining hall and a cosy, casual outdoors dining area.
But what fascinated me most was Shahrzad's private dining rooms. Shahrzad has two private rooms, that are set up like Arabian tents where hosts treat their guests with their best food. Mohammad and Marjan wanted to recreate this atmosphere in Johor Bahru. The walls and ceiling are draped with beautiful fabric personally sewn by Marjan. This is the non smoking private room.
This is the popular smoking room where guests enjoy authentic Iranian cuisine seated on comfortable cushions. Many guests enjoy shisha gatherings in this room.
In the kitchen, Chef Ahmad is the man behind all the authentic Persian cuisine at Shahrzad restaurant. Chef Ahmad hails from Iran and he has many years of experience working in 5-Star hotels in Dubai. Chef Ahmad was handpicked at the recommendation of Shiraz Restaurant, the top Persian restaurant in Singapore.
Mohammad gave me permission to visit the kitchen. I spotted these green chilies and the halved tomato. They looked so fresh, succulent and inviting, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of them :)
We started our lunch with a traditional Iranian welcome dish - freshly baked flat bread (naan) with basil leaves, cheese and olives.
Hummus RM11
Hummus and bread - the classic Arab staple that reminds me of my own travels to the Middle East. Shahrzad's hummus is a blend of chickpea paste and imported sesame paste generously doused with olive oil.
Shirazi Salad RM8
Next, we had Shirazi Salad which is a colourful mix of crunchy chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and herbs tossed in a tangy and sweet sauce. Very refreshing and seems to appeal especially to ladies :)
Mushroom soup RM9
Shahrzad's rich mushroom soup is made from fresh vegetables, herbs and butter.
The skewered chicken, lamb and tomatoes on the charcoal grill. The marinaded meats toasting over slow fire from white hot charcoal letting off puffs of aromatic greasy fumes.
Shandiz Kebab RM58
Shandiz is a small town in northeastern Iran renown for their lamb kebab. Shahrzad restaurant uses prime cut imported Australian lamb to recreate this dish in Johor Bahru, hence the premium pricing. The char grilled meat was tender, juicy and savoury. The fats were creamy and smokey. Chewing the meat and fats together releases that pleasant flavour that lamb lovers love. I also love those juicy grilled tomatoes and chilies :)
The chicken saffron kebab at RM29.
The chunks of chicken leg were fragrant, tender and savoury. The chunks of meat were juicy as they were made with chicken leg and skilfully grilled by Chef Ahmad.
All of Shahrzad's kebabs are served with a generous portion of top quality Basmati rice. The rice is fluffy and not starchy. The rice is flavoured with aromatic saffron and special ingredients that give it satisfying body.
Shahrzad restaurant is conveniently located near major hotels like New York Hotel, KSL Resort and Hotel Grand Paragon. Shahrzad is just 15 minutes drive from downtown Johor Bahru or JB CIQ.
If you want to experience authentic Persian cuisine in Johor Bahru, Shahrzad restaurant is the place.
Restaurant name: Shahrzad Restaurant Address: 94, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/igU6S GPS: 1.481487,103.757157 Hours: 11:45am to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 11:45pm (Closed on Monday) Halal
