Johor Bahru Honbin Seafood Restaurant 宏运海鲜 in Permas Jaya

My friend Bryan has been telling me about the steamed catfish at Honbin Seafood 宏运海鲜 for a while, and today we finally gathered a few kakis to pay this restaurant a visit.



Honbin Seafood is located at a quiet corner of Permas Jaya, not far from the AEON JUSCO mall.



The simple menu is written out on this white board. Besides the usual fish, prawns and crabs, Honbin has the proper license to serve certain wild game like terrapins, boar and squirrels.



Hian is the friendly owner and head chef. Honbin started as a street side stall, slowly working their way to today's simple but good size restaurant.



Sally and her husband Hian are visibly and deservedly proud of their restaurant which is the result of their decade of hard work.



First up was this mixed platter of crispy fish roll, fried chicken balls and crispy fried chicken.



The fish roll was made of tender minced fish meat and vegetables wrapped in crispy thin tofu skin. A quite interesting and tasty snack or appetiser.



The fried chicken ball is made of minced chicken and water chestnuts. Would be perfect if the chicken balls were a little more moist.



I like Honbin 's crispy fried chicken with a savoury and sweet sauce. The thin slice of chicken with skin on is fried till the skin is crispy while the flesh still retains some chew and juice. Though different, it did remind me of those small square pieces of roasted suckling pig. I like this.



Steamed catfish is one of my favourite dishes and I will order one whenever it is available. Honbin's steamed catfish is made with wild caught river fish. Very sweet and bouncy white flesh, with not even the slightest hint of muddiness.



Hongbin's herbal turtle soup is made with wild caught terrapin from the rivers near Kota Tinggi.



The clean tasting broth is clear and light with herbal and ginseng flavours and aroma. (Note: This is not the murky, full bodied, umami savoury style of broth commonly served in Singapore.)



The meat and gelatinous parts of the turtle tasted mildly sweet and had mouth feel somewhere between fish and chicken.




We also had Honbin's braised catfish which is made from live fish. The large chunks of tender catfish were braised in a mildly flavoured savoury sauce. I love chewing the chunks of soft meat, skin and fat of the catfish.



Sally is proud of this lala shellfish stir fried with fried garlic and shallots. Savoury garlic and shallot bits blended with natural flavours of chewy bouncy lala.

The total bill including a pot of tea and rice came to RM140 nett for 6 adults, which I thought was very reasonable.

Overall, I found the ingredients fresh and the dishes well executed. Honbin's dishes use less robust flavourings (like sauces) and rely more on the ingredients' natural flavours. I like Honbin because over time I learnt to better appreciate the original flavours of ingredients.

For wild caught ingredients, it is best to give Sally a call at +6012-797-7231 or +6019-754-7930 to find out what is available before proceeding to Honbin.

Restaurant name: Honbin Seafood Restaurant 宏运海鲜
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 1/3, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/ZB51M
GPS: 1.517583,103.821069
Hours: 3:00pm to 1:00am
Non Halal

Date visited: 28 Nov 2013

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My friend Bryan has been telling me about the steamed catfish at Honbin Seafood 宏运海鲜 for a while, and today we finally gathered a few kakis to pay this restaurant a visit.



Honbin Seafood is located at a quiet corner of Permas Jaya, not far from the AEON JUSCO mall.



The simple menu is written out on this white board. Besides the usual fish, prawns and crabs, Honbin has the proper license to serve certain wild game like terrapins, boar and squirrels.



Hian is the friendly owner and head chef. Honbin started as a street side stall, slowly working their way to today's simple but good size restaurant.



Sally and her husband Hian are visibly and deservedly proud of their restaurant which is the result of their decade of hard work.



First up was this mixed platter of crispy fish roll, fried chicken balls and crispy fried chicken.



The fish roll was made of tender minced fish meat and vegetables wrapped in crispy thin tofu skin. A quite interesting and tasty snack or appetiser.



The fried chicken ball is made of minced chicken and water chestnuts. Would be perfect if the chicken balls were a little more moist.



I like Honbin 's crispy fried chicken with a savoury and sweet sauce. The thin slice of chicken with skin on is fried till the skin is crispy while the flesh still retains some chew and juice. Though different, it did remind me of those small square pieces of roasted suckling pig. I like this.



Steamed catfish is one of my favourite dishes and I will order one whenever it is available. Honbin's steamed catfish is made with wild caught river fish. Very sweet and bouncy white flesh, with not even the slightest hint of muddiness.



Hongbin's herbal turtle soup is made with wild caught terrapin from the rivers near Kota Tinggi.



The clean tasting broth is clear and light with herbal and ginseng flavours and aroma. (Note: This is not the murky, full bodied, umami savoury style of broth commonly served in Singapore.)



The meat and gelatinous parts of the turtle tasted mildly sweet and had mouth feel somewhere between fish and chicken.




We also had Honbin's braised catfish which is made from live fish. The large chunks of tender catfish were braised in a mildly flavoured savoury sauce. I love chewing the chunks of soft meat, skin and fat of the catfish.



Sally is proud of this lala shellfish stir fried with fried garlic and shallots. Savoury garlic and shallot bits blended with natural flavours of chewy bouncy lala.

The total bill including a pot of tea and rice came to RM140 nett for 6 adults, which I thought was very reasonable.

Overall, I found the ingredients fresh and the dishes well executed. Honbin's dishes use less robust flavourings (like sauces) and rely more on the ingredients' natural flavours. I like Honbin because over time I learnt to better appreciate the original flavours of ingredients.

For wild caught ingredients, it is best to give Sally a call at +6012-797-7231 or +6019-754-7930 to find out what is available before proceeding to Honbin.

Restaurant name: Honbin Seafood Restaurant 宏运海鲜
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 1/3, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/ZB51M
GPS: 1.517583,103.821069
Hours: 3:00pm to 1:00am
Non Halal

Date visited: 28 Nov 2013

Return to home page.

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Johor Best Cakes - The Sugar Pantry in Permas Jaya, JB

Good words about Sugar Pantry in Permas Mall (near JUSCO Permas) has been spreading fast, though the cake shop is less than a year old. I visited Sugar Pantry at the invitation of the owners, Heng and Yen.

Restaurant: The Sugar Pantry

Address: G-03, Blk B, Permas Mall, 03 Jalan Permas Utara, Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/riT6h
GPS: 1.497335,103.817393
Hours: 12:00 noon to 10:00pm
Non Halal

Sugar pantry is a small, simply laid out shop. Air conditioned, bright, very clean and neat. The decor is minimalist yet cosy. It has a few very inviting, dark blue velvet high back arm chairs which I forgot to take photos of :P



Sugar pantry is like a cake showroom. Their cakes are very appealing visually. You could tell they are premium cakes just by looking at their vibrant colours, carefully sculpted designs and the pride in displaying them in the best light. Clearly a lot of heart and soul as well as hard work have gone into creating these works of art. The best thing is, Sugar Pantry's premium cakes are also reasonably priced.



Yen is the artist behind these works of art. Yen is a Le Cordon Bleu Paris trained pastry chef.



She was the chef in charge of Les Amis' pastry section and a partner in Pavé Chocolates and Confections in Katong (Singapore) before returning to JB to open Sugar Pantry with her husband Heng.

To me, sugar pantry is like a jewelry shop with beautiful handcrafted trinkets on display. The owner is like an artist making the pieces of art. Only difference is Sugar Pantry's artwork is edible, wrong, they are delicious. The thing is, they look so beautiful I did feel a tinge of heartache when I stabbed the cake with my fork.

Yen takes great pride in her cakes. Everything is made at the shop from scratch even the Blueberry and Strawberry jam. This is possible only when there is passion.



Yen uses only natural ingredients like their vanilla which she makes from vanilla pods from Madagascar.

We tried a few of Yen's cakes. They were just the right sweetness and not sugary.




I love tea scones, that quintessentially English pastry because I like the blend of sweet homemade jam and savoury butter flavours as well as the warmness and soft graininess of the pastry.



Éclair au Confiture de Fraise. Don't worry, that whipped cream has body without being heavy and greasy.



Yen is proud of this Nutty Putty (RM11.90) made with milk chocolate and coconut topped with peanut.



Miso, Blueberry and Matcha flavoured macaroons. Yen is a big macaroon fan. She used to eat macaroons for her main meal when she was in Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

We have no more stomach space left to try the following but take a look at Yen's art. Don't they look like jewels?


Bundle of Sunshine RM9.90


Claire RM9.90


Mont Blanc RM14.90


Paris Brest RM11.90




Ichigo RM11.90


Mille crepe

We shall definitely be back to sample these.


Cappuccino RM7.90

I always love a robust Cappuccino with my sweet cakes.



Sugar Pantry also serves fresh juices and cocktails to go with their cakes. This one named Kiwi Bird and Pandan Bear (RM11.90) is made with Kiwi fruit, lime, Pandan syrup and fizzy (no alcohol).

The Sugar Pantry is a nice place to chill out with good cakes and coffee.

Date visited: 16 Oct 2013

Good words about Sugar Pantry in Permas Mall (near JUSCO Permas) has been spreading fast, though the cake shop is less than a year old. I visited Sugar Pantry at the invitation of the owners, Heng and Yen.

Restaurant: The Sugar Pantry

Address: G-03, Blk B, Permas Mall, 03 Jalan Permas Utara, Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/riT6h
GPS: 1.497335,103.817393
Hours: 12:00 noon to 10:00pm
Non Halal

Sugar pantry is a small, simply laid out shop. Air conditioned, bright, very clean and neat. The decor is minimalist yet cosy. It has a few very inviting, dark blue velvet high back arm chairs which I forgot to take photos of :P



Sugar pantry is like a cake showroom. Their cakes are very appealing visually. You could tell they are premium cakes just by looking at their vibrant colours, carefully sculpted designs and the pride in displaying them in the best light. Clearly a lot of heart and soul as well as hard work have gone into creating these works of art. The best thing is, Sugar Pantry's premium cakes are also reasonably priced.



Yen is the artist behind these works of art. Yen is a Le Cordon Bleu Paris trained pastry chef.



She was the chef in charge of Les Amis' pastry section and a partner in Pavé Chocolates and Confections in Katong (Singapore) before returning to JB to open Sugar Pantry with her husband Heng.

To me, sugar pantry is like a jewelry shop with beautiful handcrafted trinkets on display. The owner is like an artist making the pieces of art. Only difference is Sugar Pantry's artwork is edible, wrong, they are delicious. The thing is, they look so beautiful I did feel a tinge of heartache when I stabbed the cake with my fork.

Yen takes great pride in her cakes. Everything is made at the shop from scratch even the Blueberry and Strawberry jam. This is possible only when there is passion.



Yen uses only natural ingredients like their vanilla which she makes from vanilla pods from Madagascar.

We tried a few of Yen's cakes. They were just the right sweetness and not sugary.




I love tea scones, that quintessentially English pastry because I like the blend of sweet homemade jam and savoury butter flavours as well as the warmness and soft graininess of the pastry.



Éclair au Confiture de Fraise. Don't worry, that whipped cream has body without being heavy and greasy.



Yen is proud of this Nutty Putty (RM11.90) made with milk chocolate and coconut topped with peanut.



Miso, Blueberry and Matcha flavoured macaroons. Yen is a big macaroon fan. She used to eat macaroons for her main meal when she was in Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

We have no more stomach space left to try the following but take a look at Yen's art. Don't they look like jewels?


Bundle of Sunshine RM9.90


Claire RM9.90


Mont Blanc RM14.90


Paris Brest RM11.90




Ichigo RM11.90


Mille crepe

We shall definitely be back to sample these.


Cappuccino RM7.90

I always love a robust Cappuccino with my sweet cakes.



Sugar Pantry also serves fresh juices and cocktails to go with their cakes. This one named Kiwi Bird and Pandan Bear (RM11.90) is made with Kiwi fruit, lime, Pandan syrup and fizzy (no alcohol).

The Sugar Pantry is a nice place to chill out with good cakes and coffee.

Date visited: 16 Oct 2013

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You Char Kway Streetside Stall in Pemas Jaya, Johor Bahru

My friend Ian introduced me to his favourite you char kway 油炸粿 stall which he visits at least once a week.



This street side stall is located at the alley way beside the well known Sin Yong yong tau foo shop. Diagonally across the road (Jalan Permas 10) is the 7-11 shop.

This humble but very popular stall is run by Mr. Liew and his young son and daughter. The small 3-man team runs like Swiss clockwork serving a constant stream of customers from all walks of life. From workers on their bikes to well heeled customers emerging from luxury sedans.

The Liew family team got their work process neatly worked out :)





Mr. Liew, the boss, prepares the dough. When Mr. Liew kneads and tosses it, his dough looks soft like small pillows.



Liew junior fries the dough under dad's watchful eye.



Junior Liew may be young but you could see from these you char kway that he has got good technique :)





Customer's bagful of hot and fresh you char kway ready to go :)



Ms. Liew mostly handles the sales but will sometimes take over the frying to give her little brother a break.



The Liew family moved from Raub in Pahang and have been running this street side stall for 5 years.

I asked Mr. Liew what made him bring his family from Raub to Johor Bahru? "求生存 Seeking for survival" he replied in an instant.

Through sheer hard work, providing good food at a reasonable price, Mr. Liew's you char kway stall is now well established in Permas Jaya.

Mr. Liew's fried goodies have good mouth feel and are not overly greasy. The goodies are always fresh because they are made on the spot and the turnover is very high. In fact, customers are usually waiting to get the goodies straight and hot from the wok. Mr. Liew sells his food at 80 sens per piece.



Liew junior striking a confident pose, frying the tau sar 豆沙 balls.





Mr. Liew's hottest seller - tau sar ball with black sesame seeds.



Master Liew frying the peanut balls.









The peanut ball with white sesame seeds is loaded with a generous amount of crunchy crushed peanut filling. My personal favourite :)





The ham cheem peng 咸煎餅 - see how airy and puffy the bread is?



Mr. Liew's very popular donuts.







Some of the other fried goodies from Mr. Liew that you may wish to try.



Mr. Liew uses bottled vegetable oil to fry his food.


Liew's stall is across the road from the 7-11 shop

Restaurant name: Liew Kee you char kway (street side stall)
Address: 21, Jalan Permas 10, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru (next to Sin Yong yong tau foo shop)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/eoixO
GPS: 1.497145,103.815345
Hours: 3:00pm to 7:00pm (Sunday off)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 3 Aug 2013

My friend Ian introduced me to his favourite you char kway 油炸粿 stall which he visits at least once a week.



This street side stall is located at the alley way beside the well known Sin Yong yong tau foo shop. Diagonally across the road (Jalan Permas 10) is the 7-11 shop.

This humble but very popular stall is run by Mr. Liew and his young son and daughter. The small 3-man team runs like Swiss clockwork serving a constant stream of customers from all walks of life. From workers on their bikes to well heeled customers emerging from luxury sedans.

The Liew family team got their work process neatly worked out :)





Mr. Liew, the boss, prepares the dough. When Mr. Liew kneads and tosses it, his dough looks soft like small pillows.



Liew junior fries the dough under dad's watchful eye.



Junior Liew may be young but you could see from these you char kway that he has got good technique :)





Customer's bagful of hot and fresh you char kway ready to go :)



Ms. Liew mostly handles the sales but will sometimes take over the frying to give her little brother a break.



The Liew family moved from Raub in Pahang and have been running this street side stall for 5 years.

I asked Mr. Liew what made him bring his family from Raub to Johor Bahru? "求生存 Seeking for survival" he replied in an instant.

Through sheer hard work, providing good food at a reasonable price, Mr. Liew's you char kway stall is now well established in Permas Jaya.

Mr. Liew's fried goodies have good mouth feel and are not overly greasy. The goodies are always fresh because they are made on the spot and the turnover is very high. In fact, customers are usually waiting to get the goodies straight and hot from the wok. Mr. Liew sells his food at 80 sens per piece.



Liew junior striking a confident pose, frying the tau sar 豆沙 balls.





Mr. Liew's hottest seller - tau sar ball with black sesame seeds.



Master Liew frying the peanut balls.









The peanut ball with white sesame seeds is loaded with a generous amount of crunchy crushed peanut filling. My personal favourite :)





The ham cheem peng 咸煎餅 - see how airy and puffy the bread is?



Mr. Liew's very popular donuts.







Some of the other fried goodies from Mr. Liew that you may wish to try.



Mr. Liew uses bottled vegetable oil to fry his food.


Liew's stall is across the road from the 7-11 shop

Restaurant name: Liew Kee you char kway (street side stall)
Address: 21, Jalan Permas 10, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru (next to Sin Yong yong tau foo shop)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/eoixO
GPS: 1.497145,103.815345
Hours: 3:00pm to 7:00pm (Sunday off)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 3 Aug 2013

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