Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture

When makan kakis suggested lunch at Barakath Restaurant, I looked forward to it as I had been wanting to try their curry lamb shank bones since reading celebrity chef Damian D’Silva calling this place his “pukul mati" fix (Malay for “beat until you die”).

Barakath restaurant at Dalhousie Lane is one of dozens of small eateries serving traditional Indian dishes on banana leaves in Singapore's "Little India". The type of dishes may be different but Indian banana leaf restaurants are like Chinese "economic rice 经济饭 or mixed dishes rice 杂菜饭" and Malay "nasi campur" shops.

The phrase “pukul mati” (“beat until you die”) refers to the free flow of rice which traditional Indian banana leaf restaurants serve. They're the favourite of workers as a tasty affordable way to fuel their work day.

Barakath owner Ismail had been running the restaurant for nearly twenty years. It was founded by his father as a no name stall in Tekka Arcade and when it moved here at Dalhousie Lane, Ismail named it after his daughter Barakath.

Barakath Restuarant serves a wide range of home cooked style Indian dishes. Ismail said the recipes were from his father, wife and also from himself.

Today, they were serving Hyderabadi briyani and on Fridays and Sundays, they have dum briyani.

Barakath Restaurant uses very fresh fish for their fish dishes. Ismail personally handpicks his fish at Jurong Fish Port. To me, personal attention of the chef / owner on ingredients is a leading tell tale sign of a good restaurant.

Banana Leaf @ Barakath Restaurant Dalhousie Lane

Three of us, we shared two sets of mixed dishes served on a tray laid with a fresh banana leaf.

Chicken Dalcha @ Barakath Restaurant Dalhousie Lane

Overall, the aromas and flavours at Barakath Restaurant were mild and well balanced. There was nothing overly pungent, nor too spicy, salty or sweet. We were able to taste the fresh ingredients' natural flavours. It was indeed like home cooking as Ismail said.

I enjoyed this Chicken Dalcha as the meat was tender and juicy. The curry was mild and I could taste the fresh chicken's natural subtle sweetness.

We had this dry lamb curry which leaned slightly on the salty side. The meat was also slightly chewy, like a wetter (Indonesian) rendang.

This drippy lamb curry with bones was more to my liking. Mild savoury spicy flavours with underlying lamb gaminess all at gentle levels.

Curry Lamb Shank @ Barakath Restaurant Dalhousie Lane

Of course, the lamb shank curry. We had three, one for each of us.

The meat, tendon and fat attached to the shank were so... soft and juicy. It was well infused with the same mild savoury spicy flavours which complemented the lamb's natural gaminess. Those who knocked bones against the table top were rewarded with smooth rich taste of marrow. (Victor did but I forgot - what was on my mind? 😂 )

Chef Damian D'Silva @ Barakath Restaurant Dalhousie Lane

As we were eating and chatting about the next meal adventure...., look who walked into Barakath Restaurant? It was Chef Damian D'Silva, currently Executive Chef of Folklore Restaurant and inaugural MasterChef Singapore judge. What a co-incidence 😃

Chef Damian graciously obliged my request for a picture of him.

What do Singapore celebrity chefs eat off work? Chef Damian D'Silva had briyani rice with chicken dalcha and curry lamb shank.

Chef Damian D'Silva was marketing, personally shopping for ingredients for his restaurant. We were just talking about dedicated chefs who personally hand pick their fresh ingredients, before Chef Damian stepped into the restaurant. Today is a day of co-incidences 😄

Nasi Briyani @ Barakath Restaurant Dalhousie Lane

I shall be back at Barakath Restaurant on a Friday or Sunday for their dum briyani, fish curry, and of course, another round of curry lamb shank (this time, I shall remember to taste the marrow).

The Peak Magazine interview wth Damian D’Silva, Executive Chef of Folklore and Inaugural MasterChef Singapore judge👈 click

Restaurant name: Restaurant Barakath
Address: 11 Dalhousie Lane, Singapore 209680
GPS: 1°18'18.1"N 103°51'07.6"E 🌐 1.305018, 103.852114
Tel: 6392 0422
Hours: 10:00am - 9:00pm

Halal

Date visited: 3 Oct 2018

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Kampung Baru Pandan Laksa @ Sam Shing Miao Temple in Johor Bahru

Six years ago, sharing a table with a stranger, enjoying wanton mee at the no name stall at Kampung Baru Pandan in JB, my table mate suggested that I should also taste their curry laksa. (Friendly table sharing is the norm in Malaysia.) I promised him that I would. Six years later, I am here to fulfil that promise.

Kampung Baru Pandan @ Sam Shing Miao Temple in Johor Bahru

Six years on, this stretch of Kampung Baru Pandan at Jalan Loo Hong Joon hasn't changed much, if at all. The same row of three stalls in the skinny strip between the road and the back of Sam Shing Miao temple 三神庙.

In the long narrow shed shielded on one side by bamboo slats from the morning sun were three stalls - this no name wanton mee & laksa stall, a roti canai stall and another wanton mee stall (Poh Kee). It feels pretty hot inside but I like the kampung atmosphere here.

Mdm 王 runs the stall with her husband and son. This stall was founded by Mdm 王's mother over thirty years ago, just outside the temple. So, this no name stall actually has a name - locals refer to it as the "wanton mee in front of Sam Shing Miao" temple 三神庙前云吞面.

Sam Shing Miao temple is here for over 50 years and moved into this building in 2017.

Six years on, they still have so much green chilis to cut 😱 The cut chili will be pickled in vinegar and eaten with wanton mee.

Mdm 王 said the laksa recipe came from her mother. The laksa was topped with lots of fried tofu skin, a bit of tau pok and fish cake slices. There were no blood cockles.

The curry had light to moderate body. The flavours were mildly sweet savoury with underlying spiciness which was quite assertive and lingers in the aftertaste.

If you like a bit more savouriness, scoop in a teaspoonful of sambal belacan which has robust crustacean savouriness with a bit of chili heat.

The fried tofu skin wet from soaking in pork bone stock took on some of the curry laksa flavours but didn't lose all its crispy crunch. So, it had a nice soft crunch to the bite.

I added these three fried yong tau foo stuffed with minced pork which were served in a separate bowl of curry. The laksa and these YTF together came to RM8.60.

Simple and nice because these were all fresh - made at dawn and ready to serve customers just after 6am.

👉 This is not a curry laksa that will blow anyone's socks off with bursts of sharp or robust flavours. It has its own gentle character, dressed with fried tofu skin and yong tau foo. The sweet savoury flavour is relatively mild though it is moderately spicy. It is a style of laksa that has a strong following from regulars and Kampung Baru Pandan folk. This is a family run stall with earnest, warm hospitality which is part of its charm.

My post on Wanton Mee @ Sam Shing Miao temple in 2012👈 click

My posts on Kampung Baru Pandan food 👈 click

Restaurant name: No official name but locals call its Wanton Mee @ Sam Shing Miao
Address: Jalan Loo Hong Joon, Kampung Baru Pandan, Johor Bahru. Once you enter the side street from Tebrau Highway, the stall is about 500 metres inside. As you enter, you will see old shop houses/ coffee shops on your right. Pass the MCA branch on the right and the small row of food stalls is on your left.
GPS: 1.525996,103.767483
Hours: 6:00am to 1:00pm (closed on Wednesday)

Date visited: 26 Jul 2012, 4 Oct 2018

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Seven years into Johor Kaki blog, I still find that hitting the road, pounding the streets combined with good luck work best for me in find dining. This morning, I was lucky to stumble upon Rosli Roti Canai at the hawker centre at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Block 59.

Rosli Roti Canai (Prata) @ Tmn Ungkul Tun Animah Block 59 Hawker Centre

Driving along Jalan Perkasa 1 in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, I noticed a small hawker centre which I had not visited before. Hawker centres are my favourite find dining grounds.

I swung into the car park between Block 59 and the food centre. These three storey flats are the same vintage as those in Stulang Darat (JB) and Dakota Crescent in Singapore. When I was a child, I lived in similar 3 storey flats at Mattar Road in Singapore before moving to Toa Payoh in 1966. The Mattar Road flats had long been demolished (and, so too was the flat I lived in in Toa Payoh till my late teens).

The tiny hawker centre is one of many small city council ran eateries dotted around Johor Bahru serving the immediate neighbourhood. These hawker centres are gathering points of neighbours - serving for decades quietly, without fanfare, almost invisibly to passers by the thousands who drive by daily along Jalan Perkasa 1.

Almost all the dozen of stalls here serve Chinese food, but walking around the hawker centre, I noticed that many people were having this roti canai (known as prata in Singapore).

So, I ordered my usual for roti canai (prata) - a kosong (plain) and a bawang (filled with onion). The two pieces of roti canai came with two curries for dipping. Everything here above altogether with table service for RM2.50.

这个 Rosli Roti Canai 印度煎饼, 外脆, 里面QQ的, 有弹性, 有咬劲, 又软. 好吃. 配上两种咖喱. 一个咸辣,一个甜辣. 这两片煎饼, 一片普通 (kosong) 一片加洋葱, 总共价钱2块半 (RM2.50). 超值又美味. 皇后59座前面的美食中心 (Jalan Perkasa 1). 只有在星期五,六,跟礼拜天有开. 早上7点半到10点.

Oh.. I like this kosong. It was not greasy. It was flaky, crisp outside, while the inside was tender with a slight chew to the bite. By itself, the roti tasted subtly doughy sweet.

The bawang (roti filled with onion) was also well browned and crisp outside.

There was very little bawang (onion) 😂 So, it was basically still a kosong but slightly less crisp due to moisture from onion. It was moist chewy inside. Overall taste was sweeter from the onions.

The red sambal was mildly savoury spicy with prominent taste of anchovies inside. It tasted like a nasi lemak sambal.

The dhal was sweet spicy.

I enjoyed both the sambal and the dhal with my roti.

Rosli Roti Canai has been here at the hawker centre for more than 30 years. Rosli sells only the traditional basic kosong (plain), bawang (onion) and telur (egg) roti canai. There is no murtabak, cheese, banana, strawberry, chocolate, Oreo etc etc. Wait..., now I remember, they actually have sardine prata 😄

Encik Rosli kneads his own dough, flips it and lets it rest before frying on a flat iron griddle.

Encik Rosli flips his dough big and thin. Big and thin roti have more folds and so the outside is crisp while the layers inside shielded from direct searing heat by air gaps remain moist and chewy.

I am lucky to stumble upon Encik Rosli's stall today because he is open only on Fri, Sat and Sun from 7:30am to 10:30am. Just 3 hours a day. The rest of the week, he makes roti canai which he lightly fries and wholesales them off to other stalls. He also retails these lightly fried roti canai for takeaway customers at RM3.50 for six pieces. You just need to take home and brown it by frying or toasting before eating.

👉 If you are around Taman Ungkul Tun Aminah on Friday to Sunday morning, you may like to drop by this small dingy hawker centre for a nice roti canai. Enjoy an authentic foodie experience in a laid back hawker centre where people hang out to share stories (not a soul less eat-and-run once you are done place). Customers are friends with the hawkers, so it is actually an organic intimate community centre.

My list of roti canai stalls in Johor👈 click

Restaurant name: Rosli Roti Canai
Address: Beside Block 59, Jalan Perkasa 1, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai, Johor
GPS: 1°30'27.9"N 103°39'06.6"E 🌐 1.507737, 103.651836
Hours: 7:30am - 10:30am (Mon - Thurs closed)

Halal

Date visited: 5 Oct 2018

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Popular Hawker Centres in Johor Bahru Malaysia

Hawker centres are good hunting grounds for foodies looking for traditional heritage food at affordable prices in Johor Bahru. They are also good places for authentic gritty raw local foodie experiences.

Johor Bahru has numerous city council run hawker centres dotted around the city. Known as "medan selera" which in Malay means "food court".

The hawker centres are usually located near residential areas to serve the neighbourhood with accessible, affordable meals. Most hawker centres are very simply constructed, shielded from the elements with a high roof, furnishings are bare bones, lit with naked fluorescent tubes/ bulbs and cooled with whirling ceiling fans. But, they are comfortable and welcoming - there are no doors, no dress code, everyone is welcome.

At hawker centres run by the city council, the city council crest is prominently displayed at the stalls.

Individual stalls are rented out at nominal rental fees to hawkers who are independent business owners. Many of them are in the trade for decades and take great pride in their profession.

Hawker centre food prices are very reasonable (possibly the lowest price of all genre / type of eateries in Johor Bahru).

This set of 2 pieces of roti canai (one plain and one filled with onion) served with 2 curries cost RM2.50 or US 60 cents (in 2018).

Hawker centres have a wide range of food representing the communities of Malaysia - there are always Malay, Chinese and Indian food stalls.

We can find many heritage dishes at hawker centres. Many of the hawkers have not changed their recipes and methods for decades. So, if you are looking for old school Chinese, Malay or Indian hawker dishes, you will find it at hawker centres.

Hawker centres are good places to meet locals who gather here for their daily coffee / tea and favourite dish. Most food centres are very laid back and relaxing, especially during off peak. Many meet regularly to catch up on the neighbourhood news so hawker centres are like organic community centres.

Hawker centres in Johor Bahru have very little to almost zero media and social media exposure. So, they remain almost exclusively local haunts. If you like to go local during your travels, a JB hawker centre is as local as you can possibly get.

Just note a bit on protocol - relax, there is nothing to it really. When you arrive, first find an available table. In Johor (and Malaysia), sharing a table with strangers is the norm during peak hours. Don't worry about being uncomfortable with strangers. Locals are friendly and welcoming. I appreciate the opportunity for many interesting conversations with locals at hawker centres - they give me many foodie tips like what are their favourite stalls 😄

Order your food at the food stall and return to your table. The hawkers will eyeball where you are seated and bring your food to you when it is ready. (Some stalls may issue you an order number tag for easy identification.) Pay the hawker when the food to served to you. When you are done and after you leave, staff will clear your table for the next customer.

Here is the list of Johor hawker centres which I have visited before (needless to say, there are still many which I have not visited yet). For each hawker centre, I highlighted the stalls which I have tried and liked (again, there are many stalls which I have yet to try. Recommend me your favourites - help me to find the best hawker food in Johor hawker centres 😄 )

Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre - One of JB's largest hawker centres with over 100 food stalls, the popular ones include Yap Wan Tan Mee, Lim Beef Mee, Penang Char Kway Teow, AB Rahmat Nasi Ambeng, and more.

Address: Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°29'13.4"N 103°46'05.0"E 🌐 1.487056, 103.768063

Medan Selera Bomba Larkin Hawker Centre - The famous Kacang Pool Haji with many branches now was founded here. The humble parent stall is still here.

Address: Susur 5, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Johor Baru
GPS: 1°29'08.0"N 103°45'00.3"E 🌐 1.485543, 103.750094

Taman Tasek Hawker Centre - Kway teow kia is one of JB's iconic dishes. In this food centre, we can find one of JB's most popular kway teow kia stalls.

Address: Jalan Tasek near the Maybank branch
GPS: 1°29'07.4"N 103°43'21.3"E 🌐 1.485377, 103.722583

Tepian Tebrau Hawker Centre - A very popular food centre famous for its many Malay style grilled fish stalls. Top stalls here include Tip Top Ikan Bakar and Ayong Ikan Bakar.

Address: Jalan Mohd. Amin, Sri Gelam, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°27'40.0"N 103°44'17.4"E 🌐 1.461102, 103.738157

Taman Serene Hawker Centre - Home to several iconic food stalls which JB folks grew up with including Tan Kee ice kacang with chocolate sauce.

Address: Jalan Biru, Taman Serene, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°28'20.0"N 103°46'28.4"E 🌐 1.472221, 103.774558

Selara Mahsuri Hawker Centre - Mat Corner, one of JB's most popular nasi ambeng stalls is here.

Address: Off Jalan Padi Mahsuri 13 (opposite SMK Bandar Baru Uda), Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°29'42.2"N 103°43'08.7"E 🌐 1.495056, 103.719080

Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Hawker Centre - I just stumbled upon Rosli Roti Canai here.

Address: Beside Block 59, Jalan Perkasa 1, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai, Johor
GPS: 1°30'27.9"N 103°39'06.6"E 🌐 1.507737, 103.651836

Pasar Awam Taman Johor - So far, I've tried the Hakka lei cha and the traditional braised duck stalls here. I like both of them as they are old school and delicious.

Address: Jalan Ledang, Taman Johor, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.508579, 103.690554 🌐 1°30'30.9"N 103°41'26.0"E

Meden Selera Taman Johor Jaya - If you crave for Foochow dishes, there is a stall here serving authentic Hock Chew food.

Address: Jalan Dedap 20, Taman Johor Jaya, JB, Malaysia
GPS: 1°32'27.6"N 103°48'09.3"E 🌐 1.541006, 103.802582

Kulai Hawker Centre - I like the Indian food stall Restoran Murugan here. It still serves banana leaf rice with free flow of curry vegetables.

Address: Jalan Raja, off Jalan Besar, Batu 19, Kulai Besar, Kulai, Johor
GPS: 1°39'12.5"N 103°36'35.0"E 🌐 1.653477, 103.609720

Gerai Jalan Mah Choo - This hawker centre in Yong Peng is most famous for their traditional braised duck stall 永平鸭肉.

Address: 2, Jalan Sekolah Melayu, Taman Selatan, Yong Peng, Johor
GPS: 2°00'59.8"N 103°03'45.8"E 🌐 2.016599, 103.062711

First Edition Date: 6 Oct 2018

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The moment I heard about cheese bak kut teh at Ah Peng Bak Kut Teh in Setia Indah, I just had to try it. As a dry bak kut teh and cheese lover, my intuition tells me that this savoury on savoury pairing will work.

Cheese Bak Kut Teh in Johor Bahru @ Ah Peng BKT 阿彬养生肉骨茶

Ah Peng Bak Kut Teh opened in May 2018 (less than 6 months ago). It's a typical simple shop lot eatery found all over Malaysia.

Owner Ah Peng worked at his uncle's Tian Hua bak kut teh shop for 15 years. Now, Ah Peng has own BKT shop with signature cheese BKT 芝士拉丝肉骨茶 and wellness herbal BKT 养生肉骨茶.

Like me, Ah Peng loves dry bak kut teh and cheese, and so he decided to put them together.

The cheese bak kut teh come sizzling as a dry bak kut teh topped with molten cheese. I like the visual contrast of dark brown pork ribs with thick milky white soft blanket of melted cheese.

The pork ribs were cooked by boiling in herbal stock, then stir fried with savoury dark sauce before topping it with mozzarella cheese.

Toss the pork ribs, dark sauce and molten mozzarella cheese together in the clay pot. The stringy mozzarella wrapping the pork ribs like a gummy ball of rubbery yarn.

The pork rib meat was neither very tender nor very juicy (but not dry).

The dominant flavour was savoury salty from the dark sauce and the mozzarella cheese. If you like savoury salty taste, this cheese bak kut teh is for you. It goes very well with sweet boiled white rice.

It's nice though I thought I might like it more if there were some sweetness and a bit of spicy heat in the taste profile.

I also tried the wellness herbal bak kut teh. The soup was made with a blend of over 20 types of herbs.

The pork ribs were tender and sweetish. The soup was herbal sweet garlicky, a bit too herbal for me. If you like herbal soups, this bak kut teh is good for you.

👉 Personally, I don't see cheese BKT as merely a gimmick but as a dish that can become mainstream with a few tweaks. Ah Peng welcomes your feedback, so that he can perfect the dish. Prices are very reasonable, so do give it a try and know what cheese bak kut teh is like. Cheese bak kut teh RM15 per 1 pax serving. Wellness herbal bak kut teh RM11 per 1 pax serving.

Restaurant name: Ah Peng Bak Kut Teh 阿彬养生肉骨茶
Address: 10, Jalan Setia 3/2, Taman Setia Indah, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°34'20.9"N 103°45'24.0"E 🌐 1.572459, 103.756656
Waze: Restoran Ah Peng Bak Kut Teh
Tel: 0137000212 / 0166087623
Hours: 10:00am - 9:00pm (Weds off)

Non Halal

Date visited: 7 Oct 2018

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Orang Asli Seafood Mutiara Biru near Taman Perling Johor Bahru 阿士里海鲜村

Johor Bahru has a few seafood restaurants on platforms over the water along the Johor Straits (facing Singapore) where Orang Asli chefs serve Chinese zhi char 煮炒 style dishes. Last evening, I finally visited Restoran Asli Makanan Laut Mutiara Biru near Taman Perling which had been on my "To Eat list" for a long time.

While waiting for our dishes to be served, I walked about the restaurant. It felt like a typical large Chinese zhi char seafood restaurant but on a wooden platform over the water. It's like an old large village house on stilts above the water - a bit weathered and tired but authentic and still charming, if you look pass the dinginess.

The 41 dish menu is on the wall - most of the Chinese tze char dishes are there. The Orang Asli staff knows the names of the dishes in Mandarin, so ordering is like at any Chinese run zhi char. Beer is available.

Floating fish farms dot the Johor Straits. The land on the horizon is Singapore's Lim Chu Kang.

We were here at low tide. This scene would be prettier at high tide. The tall buildings on the horizon are newly built Danga Bay area condominiums. The "sand dunes" looming behind the house is land reclamation in progress.

There were live fish, oysters and crabs.

My makan kakis from MST Transport which provides land transport between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Chit chatting during dinner, I was impressed by MST Transport's emphasis on the human touch to deliver their services with Integrity, Passion and Reliability.

Here are the dishes we had. We were there at 4pm before dinner time, but once the woks were fired up, the dishes come very quickly.

Crispy Fried Sotong 鹹蛋蘇東.

Butter Prawns 牛油蝦.

Sambal La La Clams 桑巴拉拉.

Cantonese Style Steamed Grouper 醬蒸石斑魚.

Thai Style Fried Chicken 泰式炸雞.

Egg Fuyong 芙蓉煎蛋.

Stir Fried Di Wang Chai 清炒帝王菜.

Stir Fried Baby Kai Lan 清炒菜膽.

Overall, the flavours were moderate to very salty. Greasy though not excessively oily. The ingredients were fresh except for the chicken which was probably frozen meat. The la la clams had a bit of fine gritty sand.

My favourite dishes of the evening were the butter prawns as the savoury sweet sauce was well balanced. The prawns were, however, a little overdone. I like the salted egg fried sotong - crispy outside but the meat was a bit chewy as it was slightly overcooked. The salted egg sauce tasted delicious. The Cantonese style steamed grouper was fresh and quite nicely done though the soy sauce lacked aroma and flavour (except for mild saltiness). The fried omelette was filled with cut onion, julienned carrot etc - quite tasty and flavoursome.

I will be back to this place and try those dishes which would not be too salty and greasy e.g. Indonesian curry prawns, Teochew steamed fish, clay pot drunken prawns, steamed prawns.

👉 The food wasn't exquisite but there were quite nice dishes like the butter prawns and steamed grouper. The restaurant was somewhat run down but I think it can still be quite nice during high tide and when there is a cooling sea breeze. The view is spotty with construction here and there, but the setting sun is still nice when it is orange like an egg yolk. Chinese style zhi char by Orang Asli chefs in a restaurant on stilts over gently sloshing water is a Johor Bahru experience some may like to tick off the bucket list. I have 😄 Prices are reasonable.

Other Orang Asli seafood in Johor Bahru ➤ Restoran Todak in Masai, Teo Orang Asli Seafood in Pasir Puteh.

I shall try out MST Transport the next time I need a land transporter.

Restaurant name: Restoran Asli Makanan Laut Mutiara Biru 阿士里海鲜村
Address: Kampung Orang Asli, Sungai Temon, Sungai Danga, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°27'38.1"N 103°42'17.6"E 🌐 1.460577, 103.704886
Tel: 019 680 8274 (Aman), 016 721 9305 (Kanow)
Hours: 12:00 noon to 10:00pm (Tues closed)

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 8 Oct 2018

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So, late one night buddy Aaron Facebook tagged me a photo of 阳光轩's Penang Hokkien Mee (prawn mee) and said he is coming to JB to try this 😮 Since I can make it in the morning, we decided to have breakfast together at 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 in Taman Ehsan Jaya.

Penang Food in Johor Bahru @ Taman Ehsan Jaya 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面

阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 is a neat little shop lot eatery specialising in Penang favourites. It is popular with families in Taman Ehsan Jaya. The simple interior is very well kept, clean and comfortable.

Bumped into reader Ai Lin and her family who are fans of 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 😄

The menu of the signature items.

They have taken Penang chee cheong fun off the menu - I love Penang CCF 😂 Owner Chloe said that they took it off as they had trouble getting a regular supply of the right hae ko (fermented prawn paste). This tells me how serious 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 is towards serving authentic Penang flavours 👏

阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 have Penang prawn mee 槟城虾面 and Mee Jawa 爪哇面 in its name, so we had those. We also had Penang style mee goreng mamak 檳城炒印度面 and stewed pork belly fried bee hoon 扣肉炒米粉.

阳光轩槟城虾面's Penang prawn mee, besides standard small prawn toppings, also had strips of roast pork belly (like they do in Penang). Both the small prawns and roast pork belly were tasty, their moderately savoury flavour complemented the taste profile of the dish.

The prawn soup had moderate crustacean savouriness. I liked it and would love it more if its umami level was a notch more punchy. (Forgot to taste the house made sambal chili which was provided on every table. This could give the soup the needed umami boost 😂 )

Mee Jawa Penang is the other dish in 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面's name. Mee Jawa Penang is a variation of the Indonesian Mie Jawa.

The starchy sauce made of potato and sweet potato was mainly sweet with a bit of mild spice (but no spicy heat). On top of the yellow noodles, there were pieces of sweet fried spongy flour fritters, fried tau kwa and a piece of savoury crispy fried cracker. This Mee Jawa Penang has many fans though it's a bit too sweet for me.

Penang Mee Goreng Mamak was also mainly sweet with a bit of spicy taste (not much heat) and savouriness. The moistness was just right, neither too dry nor wet. The crushed peanuts sprinkled on top provided some sweet nuttiness. It's not overly greasy too.

Both of our favourite was the bee hoon stir fried with canned stewed pork (Fried Mihun with Braised Pork on the menu). This homely dish is commonly cooked in Hokkien homes but seldom served in eateries. At 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面, the stewed pork fried bee hoon is made with canned stewed pork belly.

I feel this dish tastes better using canned stew pork belly or pork trotter (like here) rather than with freshly stewed pork. The salty preservatives in the can were deeply infused in every fibre of the stewed pork belly. When stir fried with bee hoon, some of these intense savoury saltiness is transferred to the noodles while the stewed meat itself was moderated in flavour. The end result is the tasty well balanced layered savoury bee hoon with a bit of sweetness from the noodles and vegetables.

The Nanyang kopi here is quite nice (something that cannot be taken for granted these days, especially in Singapore). Aaron had the kopi C. I like my kopi O as it had good body and moderately deep coffee bitter flavour.

👉 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面 is a pleasant place for getting your Penang favourites fix in JB. Overall, the flavours are moderate and well balanced. It should appeal to the whole family.

Restaurant name: 阳光轩槟城虾面.爪哇面
Address: Blk G-01-03, Jalan EJ 3/1, Taman Ehsan Jaya Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°32'54.2"N 103°48'44.6"E 🌐 1.548388, 103.812397
Tel: 013 255 5570
Hours: 8:30am - 8:30pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 8 Oct 2018

👆 If you want to try cooking stewed pork bee hoon yourself at home. It doesn't look that hard 😉

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

My thanks to Johor Kaki reader Yoke Wei who tipped me off to Lucky Star Foods 幸运星猪肉粉 in Taman Daya Johor Bahru for their popular pork noodles. Indeed, it is among the best in JB.

Pork Noodle & Bitter Gourd Soup @ Lucky Star Foods Taman Daya 幸运星猪肉粉

幸运星猪肉粉 is a small shop lot eatery. It is busy throughout the day, especially during lunch time. The restaurant is just a couple of units away from the Public Bank branch in Taman Daya, so looking for it is a breeze (especially, if you use Waze). The seats near the entrance can be a little hot due to the morning sun.

幸运星猪肉粉 has been in Taman Daya for around 20 years. It was a coffee shop stall, until they moved into their own shop lot restaurant here nearly 2 years ago.

Besides their signature pork noodles, Lucky Star added soups to their menu when they expanded into their own shop.

At noodle soup shops, I often hesitate between the dry and soup versions - the dry version often have flat, bland tasting sauce while adding noodles directly into the soup changes the soup's taste profile. This time, I took the chance to order the dry version.

Oh.... I was delighted with these kway teow noodles.

It's all about the sauce (though the chewy spongy tender kway teow was nice too).

The drippy dark sauce was well balanced mildly savoury sweet and there was a unique hint of herbalness in the aftertaste. The subtle herbalness complemented the sauce well and is quite addictive - I mean, I went back again the next day to eat the exact same thing because I love it 😋

The accompanying soup was chocked full of minced pork "cake" 肉饼, pork ball, lean meat slices, and offal such as liver.

The soup had medium body. It was actually chicken soup made by boiling lots of chicken. The lead flavour was garlicky savoury, followed by moderate savoury sweet. It was delicious - addictive, actually.

Everything in the bowl was very fresh. We can feel all the natural tenderness and soft crunch as well as taste the natural sweetness. It was taste of good fresh pork - there is no need for me to say more 😄

Oh... this was so good to the last drop 😋

Next, I ordered a bitter gourd soup - a Hakka dish unique to Johor and found in mainly in Johor Bahru and Kulai.

Loaded with fresh porky goodness and slices of bitter gourd in chicken stock.

The chicken soup had the same savoury sweetness but this time it was not spiked with garlic, so it tasted more 清甜 i.e. light savoury sweet.

Folks who have eaten Johor bitter gourd soup before know that the crunchy bitter gourd slices taste sweet with only subtle underlying bitterness. Some would even say that it is just sweet with no bitterness at all - it's there, just so subtle that you have to pay attention to it to realise it.

There were lean pork slices and even a slice of pig tongue. Needless to say, they were all very fresh and taste all natural.

👍 If you like pork noodles (quite different from the KL style), check out Lucky Star Foods 幸运星猪肉粉. I like the tossing sauce's unique savoury sweet herbal taste, robust savoury sweet chicken soup, and top quality fresh pork. Their bitter gourd soup is in the top band of best BGS in Johor Bahru too.

Other nice food to eat in Taman Daya👈 click

Restaurant name: Lucky Star Foods 幸运星猪肉粉
Address: 81, Jalan Sagu 18, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor
GPS: 1°32'48.4"N 103°45'51.1"E 🌐 1.546764, 103.764191
Waze: Public Bank Taman Daya
Tel: 017-636 5692
Hours: 7:30am - 3:00pm (Tues off)

Non Halal

Dates visited: 10 & 11 Oct 2018

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Authentic Klang Bak Kut Teh in JB @ 2.8 Food Centre Mount Austin 阿龍肉骨茶

阿龍肉骨茶 Ah Loong Klang Bak Kut Teh stall has been appearing on social media within days of opening in 2.8 Food Centre (coffee shop) in Taman Mount Austin. So, I went to try lo 😄

I made one round around the coffee shop but couldn't find Ah Loong Bak Kut Teh the first time. It was hidden in a corner inside the coffee shop on the left side.

But don't let the humble looking stall fool you. The boss, Ah Loong comes with stellar Klang bak kut teh credentials.

You see, Ah Loong is the great grandson of Lee Boon Teh 李文地 who is credited as the creator of Klang style bak kut teh in 1940s Port Klang (Port Swettenham). Ah Loong's mother is the grand daughter of Lee Boon Teh. Lee Boon Teh's descendants now run dozens of Klang bak kut teh shops throughout Malaysia and Singapore. Ah Loong worked in several bak kut teh shops before coming to JB.

JB is no less a bak kut teh city than Klang, and perhaps more so than KL, and definitely more than Malacca, Ipoh and Penang.

On my first visit to 阿龍肉骨茶, I ordered the elbow joint 脚弯, a signature cut of Klang bak kut teh (price RM15).

I know...., the look of that fat frightens a lot of people.

But, the elbow joint has the best combination of lean meat, fat, tendon and skin. Different textures, different degrees of tender softness. Slight variations of natural porky sweetness undergirded by gentle savoury sweet herbalness infused from the braising stock.

Yup, the medium body brown stock was exactly like those at those Lee Boon Teh related bak kut teh shops in Klang - smooth well balanced gently savoury sweet with mild herbal aftertaste - quintessentially Klang BKT stock.

I came back for Ah Loong's dry bak kut teh the next day 😄 (Price RM17.)

I wasn't sure what cut to order, so I just went for cham cham (mix of lean and fatty cuts).

The pork was tender and juicy. It was well coated and infused with dark sauce which tasted quite robust - it was well balanced savoury sweet with a bit of spicy heat from dried chili. Tiny slivers of dried cuttlefish added a bit of layered savouriness to the dish.

A puddle of oil pooled at the bottom of the pot. Mix this aromatic grease into your rice, if you like it. Leave it alone, if you don't like too much grease 😄

Overall, it was a nice dry bak kut teh.

👍 These were only my first two visits to 阿龍肉骨茶, so they were just appetisers. They were exactly what Klang bak kut teh tasted like from my experience. I shall be back for Ah Loong's "big bone"大骨 ~~and dry bak kut teh~~ which is one of his top sellers.

Read about the 10 Klang bak kut teh shops which I have tried in Klang👈 click

Restaurant name: 阿龍肉骨茶 (stall in 2.8 Food Centre)
Address: 67, Jalan Mutiara Emas 2A, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°33'11.8"N 103°47'06.0"E 🌐 1.553265, 103.785004
Hours: 11:00am - 11:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 11 Oct 2018, 12 Oct 2018

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Terengganu Curry Fish Noodles 丁加奴咖喱鱼面 was one of my first posts back in early 2012. I was "find dining" in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (Skudai) when I stumbled upon the shop - my curiosity piqued by locals packing the little restaurant.

丁加奴咖喱鱼面 Terengganu Curry Fish Noodle @ Taman Ungku Tun Aminah

The 20 year old shop have since opened branches in Bukit Indah and Mount Austin, but only this parent shop in TUTA gives me the same taste and feeling of 2012.

These little fishes are at the heart of the dish. I am not sure of the species and the staff wasn't sure either. I went to supermarkets to check and these looked like Ikan Mabong to me (can you help?).

I asked the staff about the origin of the dish. He told me that his boss had brought them to Kuala Terengganu to visit the stall before but he couldn't remember its address (except that it was at the seaside). I had tried to look for it in Kuala Terengganu before but failed, and there is no reference to it on the Internet. Hope to ask the boss about it one day. If you know, please let me know (in the comments).

Each set (price RM8.50) comes with two boiled fishes slathered with 2 types of sambal chili (and a bowl of curry noodles).

One sambal was sweet spicy and the other was savoury sourish spicy. Both were nice and none was very sharp spicy.

The fish meat was very tender. It undraped easily from the bones in one piece like taking a thick white coat off a wire hanger.

The tender fish meat was sweet and without any fishy taste. The two mild sambals complemented the fish well.

The fish was cleaned except for a bit of gut left (the staff said it was roe but I am not sure). The soft gut tasted sweet with a bit of subtle underlying bitterness. It's nice once you acquired a taste for it.

The curry mee that come with the fishes. Besides noodles, there were tau kwa, tau geh (bean sprouts) and crunchy kang kong.

The watery curry was mildly sweet savoury spicy. Mixing in the sambal gave the curry a slight savoury spicy boost. It went well with the noodles and, of course, the fish. There was no coconut milk in this curry.

Hmm...., seems I was more hungry in 2012.

👍 If you are in Johor Bahru and want to taste a different type of curry mee, give this Terengganu curry fish noodle shop in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah a try.

Searching the Internet, I found this similar version in Ipoh👈 click

Restaurant name: Restoran Triple One (Terengganu Curry Fish Noodle) 丁加奴咖喱鱼面
Address: 30, Jalan Perkasa 3, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°30'36.4"N 103°38'53.3"E 🌐 1.510118, 103.648139
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 5 Oct 2018

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Best Cheap & Good Korean BBQ in Johor Bahru. Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet

We bumped into Phoebe and family in Taman Mount Austin, and they suggested to us to try Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet. Phoebe and family are veteran food hunters in JB and they know a lot of good family friendly places to eat.

Korean owned Myeong Dong is located on a second level shop lot at Jalan Austin Heights 8/7. There are several Korean themed restaurants on this street. Myeong Dong has been here for 4 years (since 2014) with an established following.

Simply furnished interior with tables well spaced out. Each table was equipped with two gas stoves - one for soup and the other for grilling meat. The space was small but neat and clean.

I read that Myeong Dong can get quite hot inside but it felt cool and comfortable today. Perhaps, it's because we were here on a cloudy drizzly day and during off peak hours. The air conditioners, fans and exhaust fans were in good working order. The Korean boss personally pulled down all the blinds down when the sun came out.

The buffet spread, tucked in a corner, was small and simple.

One side was the meat counter - just different cuts of pork and chicken in various marinations such as curry, spicy, garlic, wine, herb, garlic teriyaki, unmarinated and bulgogi etc.

Kimchi soup, instant noodles and boiled rice.

Lettuce, spicy bean sprout, kimchi, onion, chives, cut green chili, raw garlic and spicy bean paste sauce.

That's all folks - just a small all-you-can-eat buffet spread for RM24 per adult. Drinks are extra - we got a litre bottle of chilled green tea (钓鱼 tea bag type) for RM5.

You know right, even in more expensive buffets with much wider spread, I zero in only on the same few dishes and cuts of meat that I like. I am just lucky that I enjoy pork and chicken more for Korean BBQ, so Myeong Bong's small spread is OK for me 😄

Round 1. We were the first customers of the day. The grilling stove needed a while to reach optimal cooking temperature. Grilling was done on top of a piece of rice paper. We did all the grilling ourselves.

All the meats (pork and chicken) were fresh and just lightly marinated. When done, the meats were tender and juicy. The light marinades complemented the natural sweetness of the fresh pork and chicken. (Fresh meat cannot be taken for granted in all-you-can-eat buffets.)

Second round. I love unmarinated bacon more 😝 The meats were cooked in their own grease with no added oil.

Third and final round. I love their chicken too as they were tender, succulent and sweet.

We had instant noodles cooked in kimchi soup to go with our grilled meats. The kimchi soup was very salty and sour for my taste buds.

The buffet includes one serving of ice cream per pax. A little icy sweet is good after all the meaty and spicy food.

👉 If you are hoping to impress your partner on your first date, please don't bring him or her here. The utensils and furniture are all well used and weathered (some chipped, had burnt marks etc). The food variety is limited.

But, if you are a family with growing kids or bunch of buddies with big appetites, you will really appreciate Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet. The spread may be small but everything is nice. The meats are fresh and marinations are mild, so we can enjoy the fresh meats' natural sweetness. The house made spicy bean paste sauce was very good too. It's the best cheap and good Korean BBQ that I know of in Singapore and Malaysia. At RM24 per pax, I think it is hard to beat.

🎀 Pro Tip: If you have time, come during off peak hours as the place can get hot when crowded. As there is limited staff, they may not be able to keep pace in restocking the buffet spread during peak hours.

Thanks to Phoebe for the recommendation. Read about Phoebe's blog on Myeong Dong👈 click

Other Korean BBQ places you can try in Johor Bahru👈 click

Restaurant name: Myeong Dong BBQ Buffet
Address: 58-01, Jalan Austin Height 8/7, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°33'47.6"N 103°46'44.5"E 🌐 1.563215, 103.779020
Waze: Myeong Dong
Tel: +60 13-351 6748
Hours: 12:00 noon - 11:00pm (Sat & Sun) : 5:30pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Fri)

Non Halal

Date visited: 14 Oct 2018

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Cha Lao Dim Sum in Holiday Villa Hotel near KSL 茶楼点心

Johor Bahru now has a pretty dim sum hangout, if you like to indulge in the Cantonese pastime of yum cha (drinking tea) with your kakis (buddies) in a cha lao (tea house). It's simply called 茶楼 Cha Lao Dim Sum which is located at Holiday Villa Hotel.

Cha Lao Dim Sum and Holiday Villa are located just across Jalan Serigala from KSL Mall (in Taman Abad or Century).

When you step into Cha Lao you can see the busy kitchen through the window. Chefs were busy hand making the dim sum for customers. The chefs looked like seasoned hands.

The dining room is on the second level of the restaurant. There is also a lift to the second level.

The contemporary Chinese decor and furnishings are simple yet elegant and comfortable.

But, it can get crowded and rumbles with banter during peak hours - just like any good cha lao lah 😄

I like this nod to cha lao tradition like this dim sum dolly.

We were here on two separate occasions and these were the dim sum we had.

Overall, I like the flavours of Cha Lao's dainty dim sum as they are well balanced and fine compared to those at average dim sum places. Prices are slightly premium but worth it considering the better quality of dim sum with nicer ambiance and good service. (中点 Mid size plates RM6.80++ each, 大点 large size plates RM7.80++ each, 单点 a la carte plates prices vary.)

Our favourite was this 红油炒手 or Szechuan style wanton which we ordered double servings (on both visits).

Another of our favourites was their Fried Carrot (Radish) Cake.

Check the full Johor Kaki dim sum listings👈 click

Restaurant name: Cha Lao Dim Sum 茶楼点心
Address: Shop 6, Ground Floor Menara Malpakat (Holiday Villa Hotel), Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°29'11.8"N 103°45'42.3"E 🌐 1.486609, 103.761755
Waze: Holiday Villa
Tel: 07 290 3394
Hours: 8:00am - 12:00 midnight

Non Halal

Dates visited: 5 Sept 2018, 15 Oct 2018

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Lovely Lunch at Balé Club Restaurant @ Leisure Farm Resort Johor

You know right, if you go to Bale Club Restaurant at the Equestrian Resort in Leisure Farm Resort in Gelang Patah, Johor, you can get an excellent meal in a cool beautiful hideaway surrounded by lush greenery. Actually, few people know 😝

Balé Club Restaurant @ Leisure Farm Resort Johor

The main dining hall at Bale Club is set under the cone of a giant hut. It felt nice and cool, helped by the giant fan hanging from the ceiling.

The restaurant looks out to the club infinity swimming pool, green playing fields and the riding club beyond.

Bale Club Restaurant serves mainly Leisure Farm Resort residents and is also open to the public. When you come in, just register at the guard house as you drive in - inform the security guards that you are going to Bale Club Restaurant.

Follow the signs to the Bale Club, looking out for the two giant huts.

Bale Club Restaurant recently revamped their kitchen and menu.

We started with a Thai Pork Salad (price RM18++).

It's simply a heap of fresh iceberg lettuce and julienned carrot mixed with sautéed minced pork, toasted peanut and a bit of julienned red chili pepper. The pile was dressed with lime juice.

Mild sweet savoury flavours from the sautéed minced pork complemented the sweetness in the crunchy juicy vegetables. Mild spiciness punctuated the salad which also featured crunchy nuttiness.

Meat Balls (price RM22++).

The house made minced pork balls with herbs were tender and juicy. The savoury sweet meat balls were infused with tangy savoury sweetness by stewing them in tomato sauce.

If you are a fan of IKEA meat balls.... don't order this, as it will be very hard to go back to those after having these 😂

Snapper En Papillote (price RM55++).

It's a slab of wild caught snapper fish wrapped in parchment paper and baked together with fennel, tomato, shallots, olives, salsa verde and white wine in the envelope.

Oh... that tender juicy snapper was so sweet. The mild savoury sweet zesty flavours in the envelope complemented the sweet fish well.

This was my favourite dish of the day.

Slipper Lobster Pasta (price RM38++).

Squid ink pasta done soft al dente served with tomato sauce, sautéed slipper prawns tail and topped with garlic breadcrumbs.

Hawaiian Pizza (price RM28++ for 12 inch pizza).

I love this pizza.

The thin crust was browned at the rim and it was crispy like a biscuit. The crust was slathered with tomato sauce then baked with mozzarella cheese, fresh pineapple slices, bacon slices and green chili toppings.

I like the well balanced clean tasting mild savoury sweet tangy zesty flavours. I also like it that the crispy pizza crust was not greasy.

I think it is worth driving to Bale Club Restaurant just for their pizzas, if you are in the Nusajaya area of Johor.

👉 Bale Club Restaurant is a nice relaxing place off the beaten track to enjoy a nice quiet lunch or dinner in beautiful surroundings. The food was delicious and prices were reasonable. The service staff were earnest and friendly.

Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.

Restaurant name: Bale Club Restaurant
Address: 1 Jalan Polo, Leisure Farm Resort, 81550 Nusajaya, Johor
GPS: 1°23'39.1"N 103°36'18.6"E 🌐 1.394206, 103.605166
Waze: Leisure Farm
Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 17 Oct 2018

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Buddy EJ brought me to Usman Restaurant in Singapore's Little India. EJ had been eating here for nearly 20 years and his raving about Usman's "white nasi briyani" got me excited. I am a nasi briyani fan and had never even heard of "white briyani" before, till now.

Usman Restaurant. What to Eat in Singapore Little India

Usman Restaurant is located at the intersection of Serangoon Road and Desker Road in Singapore's Little India. This historic precinct is the best place for authentic Indian cuisine in Singapore (Johor and Batam).

A beautiful cheerful wall mural across Desker Road from Usman Restaurant.

Usman was typical of Indian restaurants in Little India, though the corner shop was relatively large. Opening out to the colourful, busy Serangoon Road, the non air conditioned eatery felt spacious and breezy.

They have menu cards and the menu was also on the wall. I always felt a bit lost with so many unfamiliar names of Indian dishes. Usman specialised in Pakistani and north Indian food.

About a dozen curries and dhals (also spelt dal, daal) were on display.

Usman Restaurant serves white briyani on Fridays only. Compared to the "usual" nasi briyani, white briyani looked pale and rather less photogenic.

But hey, white briyani is no sloth in flavour compared to its more colourful cousin. The pale creamy looking fluffy rice tasted deliciously gently savoury sweet from the ghee, herbs, spices and basmati rice. I guess a bit of flavour was infused from the chicken embedded in the rice as well. The ghee gave the rice a rich taste and feel (without feeling greasy). I love this white briyani rice.

But, the chicken though quite tender and moist, tasted a little bland to my taste buds. The white briyani comes with a small dish of flavoursome spicy dhal which gave the dish the required flavour boost.

Usman Restaurant only serves chicken white briyani (there is no beef or lamb versions).

Luckily we got an idea - seeing these paya, curry lamb shanks in the food display, we quickly ordered a couple.

Public domain photo

The lamb shank bones were quite long and high calibre 😄

The gently savoury sweet white briyani and mildly spicy curry lamb shank were a perfect match for us.

The lamb shank had a bit of meat, lots of sinewy tendon, some collagen and plenty of infused mild spice flavours.

Not much marrow inside - it's mostly grainy spice trapped inside the hollow.

Simply shiokadoo. No, shiokadoodoo.

We also had naan - one garlic and one plain - it would be a major crime to leave a good north Indian restaurant without tasting their naan.

The dough of flour, yeast and ghee were kneaded in house and freshly baked in their charcoal fired tandoor oven.

The chewy naan was soo... good together with the spicy haleem, a thick spicy stew of wheat grain, lentil, spices, ghee and meat that packed a quite sharp hot sting (which dissipated quickly).

From the dozen side dishes in the display, we had Aloo Gobi which is curry cauliflower and potato.

Pakora - deep fried fritters of spiced mashed potato wrapped in spiced batter.

Their freshly baked tandoori chicken looked seriously good. Shall definitely try them at my next visit.

Saw another customer having this Chicken Jalfrezi Hot Plate. Couldn't resist popping over for a snap to remind myself to come back for it 😄

The default level of sweetness is very, very high. I couldn't carry on after one sip of the tea. Remember to ask them to cut down the sweetness, if you like less sweet.

👉 There are at least a hundred good authentic Indian restaurants in Singapore's Little India. Usman Restaurant is one which I would like to visit again - I would like to taste their tandoori chicken, palak paneer (cheese and spinach), sizzling Jalfrezi hot plate, and of course, encores of white briyani.

Another review on Usman Restaurant by ijustwantfood👈 click

My Singapore Little India listing👈 click

Restaurant name: Usman Restaurant
Address: 238 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218085 (intersection with Desker Road)
GPS: 1°18'35.1"N 103°51'14.5"E 🌐 1.309744, 103.854020
Tel: 6296 8949
Hours: 12:00 noon - 2:00am

Halal

Date visited: 19 Oct 2018

If you want to try cooking chicken white briyani at home 👆

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I haven't been back to Sg Rengit for lobsters for over 3 years. After trying various lobster places there, I concluded that on balance Jade Garden Seafood Corner was the safest bet. But, I have continued looking for alternatives. This trip, I think I found a worthy alternative in Super Lobster Restaurant 龍皇海鮮樓.

Truth be told, we actually wanted to check in at Jade Garden first since we had not been back for years. But, it was closed today (Monday), so we did what we always do - ask locals for recommendations.

We checked with a few local folks and all of them pointed us to Super Lobster 龍皇海鮮樓, so Super Lobster it will be today.

Super Lobster a Worthy Alternative to Jade Garden in Sg Rengit 龍皇海鮮樓

Finding Super Lobster Restaurant was easy as it is directly opposite tiny Sungai Rengit town's KFC outlet. Sg Rengit had developed rapidly due to the mega oil and gas projects and mega resort in Desaru nearby. The previously sleepy old town lost ~~a bit~~ most of its old charm and rustic feel. The surrounding roads were dusty and gritty with lots of construction related vehicles.

Live local spiny lobsters. Checked.

Live local mud crabs. Checked.

Super Lobster is a large restaurant spanning 3 shop lots. It is popular with locals and people who work around Sungai Rengit. Besides lobsters, I saw many people having their working day meal here. (Their fried rice seemed popular but today was lobster and crab day 😄 )

Super Lobster Restaurant has 11 different preparations of lobsters such as butter, salted egg, steamed, baked, black pepper, spicy chili, red wine etc. For our first visits, we always go for the restaurant's "Superior Broth"上汤龙虾 preparation (known as "Special Soup" at Super Lobster).

Lobster prices are of course seasonal. Today, the large 大龙 (actually medium) lobsters cost RM210 per kilo. ("Giant" size 巨龙 is actually just large.)

Super Lobster's "Superior" or "Special" sauce is thick and tasted gently sweet and herbal with notes of Chinese cooking wine 绍兴酒 and underlying flavour of fresh lobster.

The lobster meat was oh... so... tender and delicately crunchy with a light spring. It was naturally sweet and clean tasting, the way live spiny lobsters taste.

辣子螃蟹 Chili Crab - the delicate live crab meat tasted clean and sweet.

Super Lobster's chili crab sauce was thick and tasted a little like nasi lemak sambal chili - it was savoury sweet spicy with a bit of egginess from the egg blended into the sauce.

The golden fried buns were slightly crisp outside and fluffy soft inside. The sweet buns were perfect for sponging up the chili crab sauce.

The butter prawns 奶油虾 could have been even better if the prawns were more fresh.

Ostrich meat stir fried with spring onion, onion, garlic and savoury sauce.

The ostrich meat was lean and tender but fibrous and chewy. The flavour was nicely savoury with accents from the ginger, onion and spring onion.

Luo Han Chai 罗汉斎, a stir fried mix vegetable dish rounded up our lunch.

Our total bill came to RM390.

👉 Super Lobster Restaurant 龍皇海鮮樓 in Sg Rengit is worth a try for their live lobster and crab dishes. Locals also recommended their crayfish and house made tofu dishes but these were not available during our visit. (Worth checking out if you are visiting nearby Desaru which is less than 30 minutes drive away.)

Johor Kaki posts about Jade Garden Seafood Corner 👈 click

Restaurant name: Super Lobster 龍皇海鮮樓
Address: 7,9,11 Jalan Jenahak 1, Sungai Rengit, Pengerang, Johor
GPS: 1°21'18.5"N 104°13'40.8"E 🌐 1.355135, 104.228001
Tel: 07 8246 108
Hours: 11:00am - 10:00pm

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 22 Oct 2018

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Singapore Old Airport Road Nasi Briyani @ Selera Rasa

Selera Rasa at Old Airport Road Food Centre serves the best nasi briyani you can buy for $3.50 in Singapore. (Prices went up a notch this month after selling at $3 for years.)

There was a queue when we got here at 11am.

Many were regular customers like Milton who brought me here. The stall was founded by Tuan Jefri who runs it with his wife and daughters.

Selera Rasa serves chicken, mutton and fish beryani.

Everything here for $11.

For Milton and I, nasi briyani means mutton briyani 😂

So, we had two mutton briyani ($3.50 each) with two pieces of fried chicken at the side ($2 each). I love it that Selera Rasa serve their food in beautiful floral plates (instead of Earth damaging Styrofoam).

The long grain basmati rice was light and fluffy. The grains well infused with mild spices were not greasy.

Every mouthful was filled with delightful spice flavour and aroma. The cardamon was prominent, so was the nice tingling spicy hot aftertaste. A few hours later, I was still burping briyani spices, the "perfumed" gases escaping through my mouth and nose 😆

I wish there was more rice but it was a fair amount for a $3.50 serving.

Selera Rasa gives quite a generous chunk of mutton with each serving.

The meat was tender leaning towards firm and was still moist. There wasn't any mutton gaminess which is good news for many people (though personally, I would love some natural mutton taste).

The fried chicken was great value at $2 a piece. Marinated with spices and fried till brownish red outside.

The meat had quite a firm texture and most of the savoury flavour came from the marination outside.

👉 Selara Rasa serves the best nasi briyani that I know of which $3.50 can buy in Singapore. It's a secret little affordable indulgence for its fans at Old Airport Road Food Centre. Thanks Milton for the delicious recommendation.

Restaurant name: Selara Rasa
Address: Stall #01-42, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore
Nearest MRT: Dakota (Circle Line)
GPS: 1°18'29.0"N 103°53'10.0"E 🌐 1.308049, 103.886117
Hours: 10:00am till sold out, usually 1:00pm (Sat & Sun off)

Halal

Date visited: 26 Oct 2018

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Fun fact: The nearest MRT station to Old Airport Road Food Centre is Dakota station. It is named after the Douglas Dakota DC-3 airliner. The Dakota began life in 1941 as a military workhorse and became a successful airliner after the Second World War. Several thousand Dakotas were built and some are still flying today.

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When you visit Singapore and want authentic experiences in the sunny island, visiting a Chinese temple and tasting Nyonya food should be in your itinerary. If you come to Chong Wen Ge Cafe 崇文阁, you can taste good Nyonya laksa and visit Thian Hock Keng Temple at the same time.

Thian Hock Keng 天福宫 established in 1839 is the oldest and most important temple of Singapore's Hokkien community which is the largest Chinese dialect group in the country. Thian Hock Keng was built to worship Mazu 媽祖, the Chinese sea goddess. Early immigrants who came to Singapore by sea from Fujian China came here to thank and pray to Mazu for journey mercies.

Chong Wen Ge Nyonya Café beside Thian Hock Keng Temple 崇文阁

Chong Wen Ge is just beside Thian Hock Keng, on the temple's left hand side.

In its past life, Chong Wen Ge was Chong Hock Girls’ School established in 1915. The classrooms were on the upper floor, the offices and tuck shop at the ground level and there was also a three storey pavilion built in 1852 where scholars enjoyed poetry.

Chong Wen Ge Cafe is in the old tuck shop at the ground level.

Chong Wen Ge Cafe owner Soh Boon Huat is a developer and prominent temple volunteer. When the opportunity to operate a cafe at Chong Wen Ge was available, he took it in a leap of faith.

Two previous tenants had bowed out but Mr Soh figured that it is not often in life that one can have the chance to run a cafe in such a beautiful setting in a historic temple in the financial and spiritual heart of Singapore.

With the tenancy in hand, Mr Soh had to quickly figure out what to serve in his cafe. He turned to his wife for her family's heirloom Nyonya laksa recipe.

So, that's how we have a Nyonya cafe in Singapore's oldest Chinese temple - a uniquely Singapore combination. On the strength of Mrs Soh's Nyonya laksa and Nyonya kueh from a leading supplier, Chong Wen Ge Cafe is thriving and will be celebrating its third anniversary soon.

Chong Wen Ge's Nyonya laksa curry is rich - the crazy rich Asian, over the top kind of rich. It's the kind of full body creamy richness which is many Singaporeans' concept of laksa curry, hence it is popular with locals. The milky sweet coconut flavour was complemented by mild spices, dried shrimp savouriness and gentle chili heat. I finished the tasty laksa curry to the last drop, even though I prefer my curry to be less creamy.

The lightly blanched bean sprouts added juicy crunch and sweetness while the finely chopped laksa leaves gave the curry fragrance. (Nyonya laksa price $11.80.)

Stirring in the house made sambal chili added more dried shrimp savouriness and a bit more mild chili heat.

In the bowl, there were 3 good size fresh prawns and a few (maybe 5) canned razor clams.

If Nyonya laksa is too lemak or rich for you, Chong Wen Ge also have Nyonya mee siam. The mee siam sauce was also thick but without the coconut milk. Fermented bean paste and ground dried shrimps provided the savouriness and body to the sauce. Tamarind and lime gave it tanginess and chili added spicy heat to the dish. (Price $10.80.)

Chong Wen Ge Cafe's Nyonya kueh were nice too. Though I would prefer Nyonya kueh that are half a notch softer, I like it that CWG's kueh are not overly sweet. CWG's Nyonya kueh supplier supply the same kueh to top Singapore hotels. (Price $1.50 per piece.)

Restaurant name: Chong Wen Ge Cafe 崇文阁
Address: 168, Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068619
GPS: 1°16'50.8"N 103°50'51.4"E 🌐 1.280780, 103.847615
Nearest MRT station: Telok Ayer (Downtown Line)
Tel: 9099 3535
Hours: 11:00am - 5:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 27 Oct 2018

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Last night, we had dinner at Wee's Family Coffee Shop at Bedok Reservoir Road. It's a family oriented restaurant with all the usual zhi char 煮炒 dishes plus several unique offerings, all at reasonable prices.

Wee's Family Coffee Shop @ Bedok Reservoir. Singapore HDB Zhi Char

Humble HDB zhi char shops are ubiquitous in Singapore, yet relatively unheralded in Singapore's food scene. Where there are HDB flats, there are HDB zhi char shops. It is uniquely Singapore, something found only on this sunny island. It's a cultural heritage that was spawned together with the birth of HDB (Housing Development Board) and is still thriving today.

HDB zhi char shops are closely intertwined with the lives of 80% of Singaporeans who live in public housing (HDB flats). HDB zhi char shops are independent businesses which serve restaurant style food at affordable prices to folks who live in the HDB flats right above and around them.

It's the F & B equivalent of budget airlines - now everyone can eat restaurant dishes.

Many HDB dwellers have their daily meals here with simple fried rice or noodles. Singaporean families and friends eat together and bond more often at HDB zhi char restaurants than at hawker centres which are basically fast paced eat-and-run places.

Many Singaporeans celebrate special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries at HDB zhi char shops. On Mother's Day, Father's Day etc, you will find most HDB zhi char places booked solid with multi-generation families. On such occasions, folks indulge in restaurant type dishes like Singapore chili crab etc.

I like Wee's Family's chili crab because the thick heavy sauce was crustacean savoury and mildly spicy. The 1 kilogram Sri Lankan crab was stewed briefly in the sauce to extract its briny crustacean savouriness. Some may feel that this is slightly on the salty side but I like it this way.

The live 1 kilogram weight Sri Lankan crab was meaty.

Wee's Family's asam catfish is unique - something that I have not tasted before this. (This dish is normally made with sea bass. If you like catfish, you need to call ahead to order ☎ 6743 7482.)

It reminds me of Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin or catfish with durian from the Malay Peninsular's east coast (it's a story for another post).

Sweeping aside the jackfruit, onion, tomatoes, chili peppers etc revealed a 1 kilo weight black catfish. Truth be told, I expected a bit of earthly taste in the black catfish, so I wasn't overly excited at first.

But, the soft moist meat was delightfully sweet (with no trace of earthiness at all). The complementary sweetness from the jackfruit was prominent with more mild vegetable sweetness and subtle chili spiciness in the background.

Looking at the aftermath, I was not the only one who liked this dish. This was my favourite from last night's dinner.

Steamed Sotong (squid) 蒸苏东.

The fresh squid was steamed with a mild watery sourish sweet sauce and topped with fried garlic bits. Wee's Family uses squid with thick meat which has more spring to the bite and more natural flavour.

Wee's Family's rendition of Salted Fish Pork Claypot 咸鱼花腩锅 uses meat from the pig's "armpit"不见天肉 instead of the usual pork belly.

The "armpit" 不见天肉 is a choice cut coveted for its extra tenderness, juiciness and sweet taste. The savoury sauce with salted fish and subtle heat from dried chili was mild so we can appreciate the delicate natural flavours of the fresh pork. Onions added a layer of sweetness to the dish.

Claypot Pork Liver 砂锅猪腰. The fresh pork liver was briefly cooked in a rather robust savoury salty sauce and served simmering hot in a claypot. Gently chewing the fresh pork liver into a "hoon hoon"粉粉 "powdery mash", we could still taste the liver's natural flavour. I wish the savoury salty sauce was a notch milder so that I can taste the fresh liver more.

Give Singaporeans salted egg whatever, and you will score 😄

But seriously, Wee's Family Salted Egg Crayfish 咸蛋虾婆 was really quite nice. The real salted egg yolk batter was crisp and quite mild savoury tasting. The crayfish meat encased inside the nugget was tender and juicy, and we could still taste its delicate natural sweetness.

The "Tricolor" Noodles was created by owner Milton Wee when he had to quickly improvise a dish for a group of friends, some of whom won't eat chicken, and others won't take pork etc. So, he decided to mash three types of eggs together to make a noodle dish.

Milton's friends love the three egg sauce, so did most of us at tonight's dinner. Ehh..... I am just ok with it 😜 Its a gooey mash of fresh egg, century egg and salted egg yolk with mushrooms to make a mild sauce of layered savouriness with some sweetness from wolf berries. The Hock Chew noodles themselves were excellent because of their al dente texture.

👉 I will be back to enjoy this unique asam catfish at Wee's Family Coffee Shop and also other dishes (which I haven't tried) at this family oriented HDB chi char shop. If I have overseas guests, this is one of the top of my mind places to take them to experience HDB zhi char and Singapore chili crab.

Our total bill for all the food, rice and drinks came to $190. We were a party of 6 pax.

Restaurant name: Wee's Family Coffee Shop 黄家咖啡店
Address: 117 Bedok Reservoir Rd, Singapore 470117
GPS: 1°19'53.5"N 103°54'29.4"E 🌐 1.331533, 103.908174
Tel: 6743 7482
Hours: 11:45am - 11:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 29 Oct 2018

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There's a running joke among Singaporeans that Yishun is a strange place known for many negative things like a slasher, cat killer, and other weird happenings. That, of course, are all tongue in cheek, poking fun at Yishun folks. Maybe, the rest of us are just jealous that Yishun people have so many nice food like 925 chicken rice, Chong Pang Chuan Kee duck rice, and 928 laksa 😂

Of course, I am joking about others being jealous of Yishun folks but I am serious about Yishun's good food. Take for example, Yishun 928 laksa - it is right up there with the best on the whole island. The very best, if you ask Yishun people. And, I am with them on this - I have been eating this since my pre-blogging days.

No, we are not "say say only" (lip service) - these are Yishun folks queuing for their 928 laksa at 3pm on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.

The 20+ year old shop has no name - the signboard just says "Laksa 叻沙 ". Everyone knows this as 928 Yishun Laksa as it is located at block 928 Yishun... duh... .

The counter and walls of the tiny shop were plastered with media accolades earned over the years. Prices start at $2.80 for a small (snack size) serving, to $3.30 for large.

Chatting with the boss, he said that he is keeping prices at that level because many of his customers are school students. Indeed, the auntie at the counter seemed to know most customers personally. I heard a young man respectfully informing her that he has started working and where he is working as if she is family. That's kampung spirit right there in the Yishun heartland. Family is not by blood only.

I ordered a large serving when my turn came after a 10 minute wait.

The curry is the soul of curry laksa - Yishun 928 Laksa's curry is full bodied and tastefully rich, not crazy rich. It tastes sweet spicy with a slight savoury aftertaste. The sweetness was not cloying but the spicy sting was quite robust. The mild savouriness came from hae bee (dried shrimps) which were boiled to soft pulp, surrendering all their flavour to the curry.

Customers help themselves to the sambal chili and finely chopped laksa leaves for more savoury spicy kick and aromatics respectively.

There's tau pok, fish cake slices, hard boiled egg, bean sprouts and even a piece of "crab" stick.

The auntie asked me if I would like extra hum (blood cockles) for additional $1. I replied yes and said "please cook it well done". Auntie said OK and assured me that their curry was very hot, so the hum will be well done.

Indeed, when I took a spoonful of 928 Laksa's curry, it was very hot - hotter than at any other curry laksa place.

The tender blood cockles were just the size of the nail on my pinkie but they had nice briny blood taste.

I finished the whole bowl of laksa to the last drop, though I forgot to take a photo of the empty bowl to prove it 😂

Finding our way to Yishun 928 Laksa has never been easier. From Yishun MRT, walk to the south wing of Northpoint City. Head south (towards city), exit Northpoint City and block 928 is just across the street.

👍 928 Yishun Laksa is so accessible - easy to get to, opens from breakfast till dinner - it's hard to resist popping by for a "snack" whenever I am in the area. It's one of my favourite curry laksa in Singapore and Malaysia.

Restaurant name: 928 Yishun Laksa
Address: 928 Yishun Central 1, #01-155, Singapore 760928
GPS: 1°25'38.8"N 103°50'14.7"E 🌐 1.427431, 103.837429
Tel: 9731 9586
Hours: 8:30am - 7:00pm (Sunday off)

Non Halal

Date visited: 30 Oct 2018

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A One Night Getaway at Batam Turi Beach Resort

We enjoyed a one night getaway at Turi Beach Resort which was awarded “Best Resort in Batam” by the Batam Tourism Office in 2014. Located at the northeastern corner of Batam island, Turi Beach Resort is just a short 30 minute hop across the Straits of Singapore, making it a perfect beach getaway for city folks to relax and recharge.

Our weekend escape started at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. There are two ways to get to Turi Beach Resort in Batam. One way is from Singapore's Harbourfront Ferry Terminal to Batam's Sekupang Ferry Terminal. The second way is from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Batam's NongsaPura Ferry Terminal.

We chose Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal because both the sea journey and the land transfer from NongsaPura Ferry Terminal to Turi Beach Resort are much shorter. Using Batam Fast ferry service, we arrived at Batam's NongsaPura Ferry Terminal in just 30 minutes.

After clearing immigration, golfers can launch into their game at Tamarin Golf Resort straightaway with one of these red hot Ferraris 😄

A ten minute shuttle bus ride took us from NongsaPura Ferry Terminal to Turi Beach Resort.

The road leading to Turi Beach Resort is lined on both sides with a green wall of arching bamboos.

The Delightful Durian Elephant is the centrepiece at Turi Beach Resort's spacious airy lobby. Turi Beach Resort bought this at the auction of Asian Elephant Foundation to raise funds for Asian elephant conservation.

The covered bridge linking the lobby to the cottages of Tirta Wing.

First things first. Our first business after checking in was lunch at Taming Sari Café. It's a bright and spacious space serving Indonesian as well as Chinese and Western dishes.

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From the window seats we enjoyed a warm sea breeze and splendid view of the sea.

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This was my first time tasting Rijstaffel, a heritage Indonesian dish with Dutch influence. It is basically items from the Indonesian menu served with nasi kunyit rice beautifully presented in banana leaves.

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Everything in the Rijstaffel was nice and the most memorable was this beef rendang ala Turi. It was tender with a firm spring. We can smell the mild spice aroma with every bite. The taste was well balanced mild sweet spicy, so most people will be able to enjoy this rendang. (The Rijstaffel requires pre-booking.)

Executive Chef Dani and his crew make the beef rendang with spices from scratch, frying the beef in spices and coconut milk for at least 5 hours till the curry is reduced to a paste. Made in the traditional way, every fibre in the beef is deeply infused with spice flavours and aroma which are released with every bite.

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We rounded up our delicious taste of Indonesia on a sweet note with creations by pastry Chef Eva.

The best thing to do after our sumptuous and scrumptious lunch was to stroll around and enjoy the beautiful land and sea around the resort. The entire sea facing resort is enveloped in tropical green. These are the sea facing Tirta Wing cottages - you can get from your air conditioned suite to the warm white sands in 30 seconds flat 😄

Green lawns, shady leafy trees, swaying palms, sandy beach, the blue horizon, sound of gentle lapping waves, the smell of the sea, the sea breeze softly touching our skin.

It's a wonderful escape from city life, even if it is just for a few days.

How we want to live is up to us.

Turi Beach Resort is one of Batam's best sea sports centres. There's jet skiing, kayaking, snorkeling, fly boarding, banana boat, parasailing and more.

Fly boarding makes a good backdrop for a beach photo. (Out there on the horizon is the famous 220 metre long Turi jetty which was under renovation during our stay.)

The Jack Nicklaus designed Tamarin Golf Club is reputedly relatively challenging. Being a nine hole course, it is great also novice golfers and families.

While admiring the beautiful greens of Tamarin golf course, a Batam Fast ferry boat trundled up the channel towards NongsaPura Ferry Terminal.

After a tour, it was time to check into our rooms in the Riani Wing. The deluxe rooms were spacious, clean and smelled fresh, all basic amenities were provided, and all fixtures were working perfectly. (My pet peeve in hotels is stale smelling rooms and was pleased that my room at Turi smelled so fresh and clean 👍 )

Free wifi with good signal strength was available in the rooms, lobby, restaurants.

We met at the in house Nogusaya Teppanyaki and Grill for dinner. (Taming Sari Cafe was serving seafood BBQ buffet.)

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I always look forward to teppanyaki meals because I love to watch the chefs in action.

We called it a night after a 3 hour long dinner of teppanyaki beef, chicken, fish and prawns 😄 The sweet zesty pancake and ice cream dessert was memorable - be sure to order this when you are at Nogusaya Teppanyaki.

I was dead tired by the end of dinner, so I sunk into bed after a good shower. The thick mattress was firm and I slept like a log till I was woken up by the sound of pattering rain splashing on leaves at dawn. I would prefer to wake up to the chirping of birds but it was raining the morning we were in Turi Beach Resort. Which also meant that I missed Turi's famous, spectacular sunrise, this round 😂

We had buffet breakfast at Taming Sari cafe to start our day. The spread consisted of local and Western breakfast dishes. Quality was good. Ingredients were fresh, flavours were balanced with nothing too salty or sweet. The food was also not overly greasy. The brewed coffee was good - the blend had nice body and robust flavour. I am happy to have breakfast here.

Our stomachs filled, we were out to enjoy the scenic beach again.

This was the view of Turi Beach Resort as we took a walk on the beach westwards towards Nongsa Point Marina.

It takes just 15 minutes of leisurely walking and stopping for photos to get to from Turi Beach Resort to Nongsa Point Marina.

Beautiful boats from around the world at Nongsa Point Marina.

Luxurious sea facing villas at Nongsa Point Marina.

While walking the beautiful grounds of Nongsa Point Marina, we bumped into Executive Chef Koh.

Chef Koh whipped up lunch for us.

Lunch at Nongsa Point Marina's well appointed Selera Restaurant which serves Indonesian, Chinese and Western cuisine.

Chef Koh's elegant modern interpretation of the Rijsttafel is a fusion of Indonesian and Chinese dishes. There's ayam penyet, otak otak as well as mini yam ring and stir fried beef. The portions were just right and the food was delicious with an interesting mix of textures and flavours.

Chef Koh's fried rice was so... tasty. The rice grains had nice nutty tender mouthfeel, well infused with mild savoury flavours to complement the rice's sweetness. It had a bit of toasty wok hei and was not overly greasy at all.

We took the Batam Fast ferry from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal to take us to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The sea journey took 30 minutes.

👉 We had a good relaxing time at Turi Beach Resort and also Nongsa Point Marina. I think Batam is a good hassle free weekend / holiday escape which is highly accessible from Singapore. There is no stressful Causeway or Tuas jam like JB 😄

Thank you Antonio H. Canovas GM of Nongsa Resorts for your hospitality.

Screen grab from Google Map

Nongsa Resorts include Turi Beach Resort, Nongsa Point Marina & Resort, Nongsa Village, Tamarin Golf & Footgolf Club, Nongsapura Ferry Terminal and Infinite Studios.

Turi Beach Resort

Address: Jalan Hang Lekiu Nongsa, Batam, Riau, Indonesia
Tel: +62 778 761080

Date visited: 4-5 Nov 2018

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Where do Singapore Celebrity Chefs Eat Off Work? Chef Damian D'Silva @ Barakath Restaurant

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928 Yishun Laksa ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A One Night Getaway at Batam Turi Beach Resort