Hin Hock 兴福 is a humble shop in Tampoi (near Plaza Angsana) which is famous for their signature poached fresh fish 烫鱼 with fried garlic and savoury blended sauce. Hin Hock was about to move to this new premise a few doors away on the same street when I visited. Restaurant name: Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock 兴福肉骨茶 Address: Jalan Dato Mohammed Seth, Tampoi, Johor Baharu (near Plaza Angsana) Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E29uq GPS: 1.496813,103.702429 Hours: 08:30am to 3:30pm (Mondays off) Non Halal
This is my second visit to Hin Hock, the first was with my friend Foong. I popped in impromptu but this time the boss, Ah Hock and his wife recognised me and refused to accept payment for the food I ate. I also had more freedom to snap pictures at the shop :)
Where is the fish? It's hidden under that mound of golden brown fried garlic and green blanket of spring onions.
The elaborate dip of garlic, shallot, onion, chili padi and soy sauce. I didn't really used this as I found the fish flavourful enough :)
Our plate of poached spinach drenched in a savoury minced pork and soy sauce gravy. Juicy, crunchy and flavourful. Goes well with the fish and rice.
Nice tofu in minced pork and soy sauce gravy.
Let's take a look at the preparation of Hin Hock's signature poached fish.
Ah Hock cutting a Tilapia. There are other fish such as Garupa and Ikan Merah.
The fish is weighed and prepared individually on order. So, you can imagine the frenzy during peak hours. But, service is pretty quick.
Ah Hock dipping the fresh fish into the hot water.
Scooping out the poached fish after a few minutes.
Ah Hock's elder son scooping out the cooked fish.
Each fish gets a heap of crispy fried garlic, scoopfuls of soy based blended gravy, and a sprinkling of chopped spring unions.
Hin Hock's signature poached fish ready to serve. Sweet tender flesh, free of fishy odour, complemented by savoury, crunchy fried garlic bits. This dish has been packing in customers at Hin Hock for over 30 years.
The fried garlic finishes fast as Hin Hock heaps generous amounts on their poached fish. So, the signature fried garlic is made every day. Lots of it.
Ah Hock is quite proud of his bak kut teh though it isn't as popular as his poached fish.
To me, Hin Hock 兴福 is one of the old names that defines the good food scene in Johor.
Dates visited: 19 Apr 2013, 23 Jul 2013
Hin Hock 兴福 is a humble shop in Tampoi (near Plaza Angsana) which is famous for their signature poached fresh fish 烫鱼 with fried garlic and savoury blended sauce. Hin Hock was about to move to this new premise a few doors away on the same street when I visited. Restaurant name: Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock 兴福肉骨茶 Address: Jalan Dato Mohammed Seth, Tampoi, Johor Baharu (near Plaza Angsana) Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E29uq GPS: 1.496813,103.702429 Hours: 08:30am to 3:30pm (Mondays off) Non Halal
This is my second visit to Hin Hock, the first was with my friend Foong. I popped in impromptu but this time the boss, Ah Hock and his wife recognised me and refused to accept payment for the food I ate. I also had more freedom to snap pictures at the shop :)
Where is the fish? It's hidden under that mound of golden brown fried garlic and green blanket of spring onions.
The elaborate dip of garlic, shallot, onion, chili padi and soy sauce. I didn't really used this as I found the fish flavourful enough :)
Our plate of poached spinach drenched in a savoury minced pork and soy sauce gravy. Juicy, crunchy and flavourful. Goes well with the fish and rice.
Nice tofu in minced pork and soy sauce gravy.
Let's take a look at the preparation of Hin Hock's signature poached fish.
Ah Hock cutting a Tilapia. There are other fish such as Garupa and Ikan Merah.
The fish is weighed and prepared individually on order. So, you can imagine the frenzy during peak hours. But, service is pretty quick.
Ah Hock dipping the fresh fish into the hot water.
Scooping out the poached fish after a few minutes.
Ah Hock's elder son scooping out the cooked fish.
Each fish gets a heap of crispy fried garlic, scoopfuls of soy based blended gravy, and a sprinkling of chopped spring unions.
Hin Hock's signature poached fish ready to serve. Sweet tender flesh, free of fishy odour, complemented by savoury, crunchy fried garlic bits. This dish has been packing in customers at Hin Hock for over 30 years.
The fried garlic finishes fast as Hin Hock heaps generous amounts on their poached fish. So, the signature fried garlic is made every day. Lots of it.
Ah Hock is quite proud of his bak kut teh though it isn't as popular as his poached fish.
To me, Hin Hock 兴福 is one of the old names that defines the good food scene in Johor.
Tampoi Laksa is a household name in Johor Bahru and I've been asked many times, since I started blogging about Johor food, "Have you tried Tampoi Laksa?" When I shook my head coyly, the response was always an awkward pause and surprise written all over their faces. And, the words tripped out in disbelief, "You haven't tried Tampoi Laksa?" Their cringed faces and wrinkled noses shouted the unspoken words, "Where have you been, really?"
So today, I am so glad that I finally visited Tampoi Laksa :)
Tampoi Laksa is run by a 3 person team - Mdm Wong, her daughter and son-in-law (not in this picture). The 30 year old street side push cart stall is just in front of their house in Tampoi.
This is the menu of this street side stall - everything at one glance. It says laksa, rojak, cuttlefish kangkong and seeham. We tried everything except for the seeham which was not available on Mondays.
This is the famous Tampoi Laksa. Fiery looking, most of the ingredients covered by the fried tofu skin and submerged under the curry.
The ingredients were quite simple really. The yellow noodles, taugeh (bean sprouts), fish balls, see ham, tau pok and even the fried tofu skin were quite average.
But what sets Tampoi Laksa well apart is their curry laksa. Tampoi Laksa's curry has the usual spices and santan but it also has a subtle umami-ness not usually found in other laksa places. Mdm Wong said they boil anchovy for hours to get the stock (and the umami flavour).
Next time, I will order bee hoon (instead of yellow mee) with my curry laksa in order to better appreciate the gravy's flavours.
Mdm Wong tossing the cut fruits and vegetables with prawn paste and sambal chili to make rojak.
The rojak is made with thick and mildly flavoured savoury prawn paste, so it would suit most palates. The cut fruits and vegetables were fresh and crunchy. The pieces of cut you char kway were not toasted, so they were soft - many people like it this way though personally my preference is for mine to be toasted and crispy.
We also tried this cuttlefish kangkong. The sauce was savoury, slightly sweet, mildly spicy and blanketed with a layer of crushed peanuts. The kangkong was market fresh and the cuttlefish was springily bouncy.
We enjoyed the cuttlefish kangkong. I asked Mdm Wong if they also serve this dish with bee hoon. Mdm Wong said yes and that many customers from Singapore asked for it as they are used to eating this dish with bee hoon.
Tampoi Laksa is also famous for their boiled live seeham (cockles) eaten with savoury sauce and crushed peanuts. Unfortunately for me, the was no seeham on Mondays. Shall have to be back to try the seeham :)
Restaurant name: Tampoi Laksa 淡杯辣沙 Address: 17, Jalan Dato Muthuthambi, Tampoi, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Pfjnn GPS: 1.497811,103.703309 Hours: 5:00pm to 11:00pm (opens daily but no see ham on Mondays) Non Halal
Tampoi Laksa is a household name in Johor Bahru and I've been asked many times, since I started blogging about Johor food, "Have you tried Tampoi Laksa?" When I shook my head coyly, the response was always an awkward pause and surprise written all over their faces. And, the words tripped out in disbelief, "You haven't tried Tampoi Laksa?" Their cringed faces and wrinkled noses shouted the unspoken words, "Where have you been, really?"
So today, I am so glad that I finally visited Tampoi Laksa :)
Tampoi Laksa is run by a 3 person team - Mdm Wong, her daughter and son-in-law (not in this picture). The 30 year old street side push cart stall is just in front of their house in Tampoi.
This is the menu of this street side stall - everything at one glance. It says laksa, rojak, cuttlefish kangkong and seeham. We tried everything except for the seeham which was not available on Mondays.
This is the famous Tampoi Laksa. Fiery looking, most of the ingredients covered by the fried tofu skin and submerged under the curry.
The ingredients were quite simple really. The yellow noodles, taugeh (bean sprouts), fish balls, see ham, tau pok and even the fried tofu skin were quite average.
But what sets Tampoi Laksa well apart is their curry laksa. Tampoi Laksa's curry has the usual spices and santan but it also has a subtle umami-ness not usually found in other laksa places. Mdm Wong said they boil anchovy for hours to get the stock (and the umami flavour).
Next time, I will order bee hoon (instead of yellow mee) with my curry laksa in order to better appreciate the gravy's flavours.
Mdm Wong tossing the cut fruits and vegetables with prawn paste and sambal chili to make rojak.
The rojak is made with thick and mildly flavoured savoury prawn paste, so it would suit most palates. The cut fruits and vegetables were fresh and crunchy. The pieces of cut you char kway were not toasted, so they were soft - many people like it this way though personally my preference is for mine to be toasted and crispy.
We also tried this cuttlefish kangkong. The sauce was savoury, slightly sweet, mildly spicy and blanketed with a layer of crushed peanuts. The kangkong was market fresh and the cuttlefish was springily bouncy.
We enjoyed the cuttlefish kangkong. I asked Mdm Wong if they also serve this dish with bee hoon. Mdm Wong said yes and that many customers from Singapore asked for it as they are used to eating this dish with bee hoon.
Tampoi Laksa is also famous for their boiled live seeham (cockles) eaten with savoury sauce and crushed peanuts. Unfortunately for me, the was no seeham on Mondays. Shall have to be back to try the seeham :)
Restaurant name: Tampoi Laksa 淡杯辣沙 Address: 17, Jalan Dato Muthuthambi, Tampoi, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Pfjnn GPS: 1.497811,103.703309 Hours: 5:00pm to 11:00pm (opens daily but no see ham on Mondays) Non Halal
Hin Hock bak kut teh 兴福肉骨茶 is famous for its BKT (of course) and also for their awesome steamed fish. I have been wanting to blog about Hin Hock bak kut teh for a long time and finally made it today, thanks to my JB friend Foong.
It's easy to miss Hin Hock bak kut teh because this weather beaten sign is inconspicuous and usually partially hidden by parked cars. The dining area is also difficult to spot when one is just driving by. (Anyway, Hin Hock is moving soon to new premises but it will just be nearby.)
Ah Hock has been running Hin Hock bak kut teh for over thirty years with his wife and is now assisted by his son (in the background).
Foong and I shared this steamed tilapia fish. It was the best steamed tilapia I have ever tasted whether in Malaysia or Singapore. The whole large fish half submerged in a drippy sauce was smothered in a blanket of savoury fried garlic and chopped spring unions. The tender fish was juicy and meaty, and there was not even the slightest hint of fishiness. Between ouhs and ahs... Foong and I finished this fish pretty fast.
The sauce was savoury and not overly salty. The sauce tasted so delicious, it was drinkable to me. Hin Hock reminded me of the legendary Chan Sow Lin steamed fish in KL which was my favourite when I was living there for a few years. (Of course, Chan Sow Lin's signature is their steamed Song fish head.)
The success of Hin Hock is based on one simple little secret - fresh fish from Pontian.
Customers get to pick and choose the fresh fish they want like it is in a fish market.
The other secret is this fried garlic.
Ah Hock's son dousing the fish with generous doses of Hin Hock's signature sauce and piled in huge heaps of fried garlic and chopped spring unions.
The cooking area which is out in front is a frenzy of activity.
Ah Hock making bak kut teh for the large lunch crowd.
Serving the braised pork knuckles.
Ah Hock cutting the pork.
Perfectly done three layer belly pork.
Cooking the popular tofu.
Pig's tail boiling in a clay pot.
Ah! Shall come back for this awesome steamed Ikan Merah and other great food below at Hin Hock.
The simmering braised pork knuckles in a clay pot.
Sweet potato leaves.
Tofu.
Hin Hock bak kut teh is a 5 out of 5-star eatery. If you are a steamed fish fan, come and try it and I am confident that you too will be impressed. I will be going back to Hin Hock bak kut teh soon to try their other dishes and blog about it :))
Restaurant name: Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock 兴福肉骨茶 Address: Jalan Dato Mohammed Seth, Tampoi, Johor Baharu Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E29uq GPS: 1.496813,103.702429 Hours: 08:30am to 3:30pm (Mondays off) Non Halal
Date visited: 19 Apr 2013
Hin Hock bak kut teh 兴福肉骨茶 is famous for its BKT (of course) and also for their awesome steamed fish. I have been wanting to blog about Hin Hock bak kut teh for a long time and finally made it today, thanks to my JB friend Foong.
It's easy to miss Hin Hock bak kut teh because this weather beaten sign is inconspicuous and usually partially hidden by parked cars. The dining area is also difficult to spot when one is just driving by. (Anyway, Hin Hock is moving soon to new premises but it will just be nearby.)
Ah Hock has been running Hin Hock bak kut teh for over thirty years with his wife and is now assisted by his son (in the background).
Foong and I shared this steamed tilapia fish. It was the best steamed tilapia I have ever tasted whether in Malaysia or Singapore. The whole large fish half submerged in a drippy sauce was smothered in a blanket of savoury fried garlic and chopped spring unions. The tender fish was juicy and meaty, and there was not even the slightest hint of fishiness. Between ouhs and ahs... Foong and I finished this fish pretty fast.
The sauce was savoury and not overly salty. The sauce tasted so delicious, it was drinkable to me. Hin Hock reminded me of the legendary Chan Sow Lin steamed fish in KL which was my favourite when I was living there for a few years. (Of course, Chan Sow Lin's signature is their steamed Song fish head.)
The success of Hin Hock is based on one simple little secret - fresh fish from Pontian.
Customers get to pick and choose the fresh fish they want like it is in a fish market.
The other secret is this fried garlic.
Ah Hock's son dousing the fish with generous doses of Hin Hock's signature sauce and piled in huge heaps of fried garlic and chopped spring unions.
The cooking area which is out in front is a frenzy of activity.
Ah Hock making bak kut teh for the large lunch crowd.
Serving the braised pork knuckles.
Ah Hock cutting the pork.
Perfectly done three layer belly pork.
Cooking the popular tofu.
Pig's tail boiling in a clay pot.
Ah! Shall come back for this awesome steamed Ikan Merah and other great food below at Hin Hock.
The simmering braised pork knuckles in a clay pot.
Sweet potato leaves.
Tofu.
Hin Hock bak kut teh is a 5 out of 5-star eatery. If you are a steamed fish fan, come and try it and I am confident that you too will be impressed. I will be going back to Hin Hock bak kut teh soon to try their other dishes and blog about it :))
Restaurant name: Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock 兴福肉骨茶 Address: Jalan Dato Mohammed Seth, Tampoi, Johor Baharu Map: http://goo.gl/maps/E29uq GPS: 1.496813,103.702429 Hours: 08:30am to 3:30pm (Mondays off) Non Halal
