This is an exceptionally addictive soup with no equal in my experience. It's from Dong Fang Hong Sotong Ball Seafood Soup 东方红墨鱼什锦汤 in Hong Lim Food Centre, Singapore.
Ai yo yo.... the soup is made with chicken, crab, fish bones, and run off water from making squid balls, fish balls and pork balls - win already lor... . It is so rich with complementary layers of natural savoury sweet flavours.
Dong Fang Hong is run by three sisters - 阿云, 阿丽 and Joanne (right). The stall was founded by their father. 阿云 in her seventies now, started working at the stall when she was 14 years old. Every day, the sisters start work at the stall at 3am to prepare the soup and make the squid, fish, and pork balls. They also make fish dumplings.
When I complimented the sisters for staying true to tradition, big sister 阿云 replied matter of factly "要做就要做到最好, 这是我们爸爸传下来的 Once we are committed to do this, we have to do our best. It is our father's legacy". 👏👏👏
Open for business from 11am - 2pm (Mon - Thurs), there is always a long line at Dong Fang Hong. It is one of the inside facing stalls at the ground level.
Prices at $4.50 (S), $5.50 (M) and $6.50 (L). Add 50 cents for rice or your choice of noodles including kway chap.
First things first, the soup. Ai yo yo... it's the essence of everything in that slightly cloudy spoonful - fish bone, chicken, flower crab, dried sole fish (ti poh), fried garlic, dried seaweed, mang kuang 芒光, button mushrooms, run off water from making fish balls etc.... I don't know what other secret ingredients the sisters put into their additive potion. The taste is complex yet it is coherent as it is just many many complementary layers of natural savoury sweetness. Aiyoh... I am addicted liao 😱
The signature sotong ball. You can taste and smell the squid, and feel the lively gentle spring to the bite. There were tiny bits of chopped squid in the hand made squid balls.
Hand made fish ball spiked with bits of embedded chive and chili. Wicked. Too wicked. Nice springy tender crunch. Subtle sweet taste of fresh yellowtail fish balanced with briny savouriness from the soup.
Hand made Teochew fish dumpling (known as her keow in Teochew).
Savoury sweet minced pork ball.
The sisters...., they are taste extremists. As if the soup is not flavoursome enough, they mined it with squares of savoury ti poh (dried sole fish) that explode in savoury bursts in the mouth 😄 I promise I will not drink anybody else's soup any more😂 No one else's soup can make me this happy 😄
We had one bowl of just soup with everything and a second bowl of soup with everything plus (generic) kway chap inside. It's down to personal preference, I prefer the soup with everything plus rice in a separate bowl. That way I can savour the flavour of the soup without anything interfering with the finely tuned taste profile.
Recommended for you👍 I leave it to you. If you don't want to suffer the dilemma of leaving your current favourite soup stall, my advice is to stay away from Dong Fang Hong Sotong Ball Seafood Soup 😜 As for me, it is already too late - I have tasted it 😋 Don't say I never warn you.
Restaurant name: Dong Fang Hong Sotong Ball Seafood Soup 东方红墨鱼什锦汤 Address: 531A Upper Cross Street, #01-47 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre GPS: 1°17'07.5"N 103°50'44.6"E 🌐 1.285410, 103.845719 Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm (Fri, Sat & Sun off) Non Halal
I was invited to visit the Empress Porridge outlet at Fusionopolis Galaxis just beside One North MRT station.
Empress Porridge started as a tiny takeaway porridge kiosk at the Kent Ridge Wing of NUH in 2012. Just two years on, Empress Porridge has a larger second outlet at Fusionopolis Galaxis (One North MRT station) and a growing catering service. Retired banker, Mr. Goh's mum used to cook this flavourful, nutritious porridge for the family. She taught this recipe to Mr. Goh's wife (Ms Goh Swee Hong).
When the Goh family children were all grown up, Mr and Mrs Goh had a lot of energy and even more time at their hands - it's a common predicament of Singapore baby boomers. (They say 60 is the new 40.) One day in 2012, news got to the Gohs that a 200 sq feet food kiosk had become available at the Keng Ridge Wing of NUH. Mrs. Goh mooted the idea of serving their family heirloom porridge which she was confident would be well received. The Gohs held a family council and put the decision to a vote. Four voted "Thanks, but no thanks mum". Mum voted "yes". As is common in many Singapore families, "Empress" has the last word. And thus, Empress Porridge was born 😄
Mrs. Goh was right - their signature Empress porridge was an instant hit with doctors, nurses, patients and visitors alike at NUH (National University Hospital). They love the well balanced savoury sweet flavours from the natural ingredients like dried scallops, dried clams, dried shrimps, dried cuttlefish, fresh pork collar, stewed peanuts, brown and white rice etc. The healthful soft porridge was delicious and had a heartwarming, home cooked comforting feel and taste. The kiosk soon expanded from 200 sq ft to 300, and now at 500 sq ft to accommodate more customers.
In May last year (2018), Empress Porridge opened its second outlet at One North (Fusionopolis Galaxis). This 700 sq ft outlet is now the flagship. It's right beside the Spinelli coffee outlet at the ground level, so it is easy to find even in the sprawling complex.
The compact space inside the simply furnished Empress Porridge is comfortable though it can get a bit tight during lunch hours.
Empress Porridge now has a Wu Mi Zhou 无米粥 (or 毋米粥) No Rice Porridge Hot Pot set at S$15 per pax (minimum 2 pax). I know of no other place in Singapore that serves this dish. (Would love to visit that too, if you let me know where. I love wu mi zhou. )
The set comes with fresh prawns, fish slices, and a choice of beef, chicken or house made pork balls.
Seasonal greens, white and brown mushrooms, and crispy bean curd rolls.
The watery "porridge" is actually the slippery sweet tasting cloudy starchy water from boiling rice - it is served without the rice grains, hence the name "no rice porridge". It is kept simmering over a mini table top stove and serves as the "soup" to cook the fresh ingredients.
No rice porridge differs from the usual hot pot soup base as it is just subtly sweet and so does not add much, if any, of its own flavours to the meat or vegetables (unlike soup base). So, no rice porridge is best for cooking fresh, high quality ingredients in hot pots. We were able to taste the natural sweetness of the fish, chicken, beef and pork fully. It is a nice, clean tasting alternative to the usual soup base for hot pot (which imparts its own flavour to the ingredients).
The no rice porridge hotpot set comes with this savoury sauce and chopped aromatics. No, we didn't feel the need to add this to the porridge nor dip the cooked ingredients into it. The natural taste of the fresh ingredients were perfect as they were.
The no rice porridge hot pot set comes with a "有味饭 yao mei fan" boiled rice with Chinese mustard, bitter gourd, dried prawns etc to round up the hot pot meal with a tasty bowl of satisfying carbs.
Whether you get the Empress Porridge or the Wu Mi Zhou, order their har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken) - it is one of the best I've tasted. The fresh chicken was marinated overnight with good quality har cheong (fermented prawn paste). It is deep fried at the shop till crispy golden brown outside while the inside remained tender and juicy. The crispy outside had just the right level of har cheong savouriness which was well infused into the chicken's tender fibres. The natural sweetness of the fresh chicken complemented the savoury har cheong.
Sweet potato soup made with three types of sweet potatoes and longan. Nice, as it has layers of different types of sweetness (yet is not overly sweet).
Information for you👉 I will be back for the signature Empress porridge, no rice porridge hot pot and har cheong gai. The subtle sweetness of no rice porridge does not interfere with the natural flavours of fresh ingredients so we can taste it in its full glory. (My favourite style of hot pot.) When I am at NUH, Empress Porridge will be at the top of my mind when I need a tasty, healthful, quick light meal. Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Restaurant name: Empress Porridge Address: 1 Fusionopolis Pl, #01-15 Galaxis, Singapore 138632 (beside Spinelli coffee outlet) GPS: 1°17'59.0"N 103°47'17.9"E 🌐 1.299709, 103.788308 Nearest MRT: One North Tel: 9384 5639 Hours: 9:30am - 7:30pm (close at 12 noon on Sat, off on Sun) Non Halal
I had the privilege to enjoy lunch at the just opened Subrosa Private Dining restaurant. The East meets West inspired menu was interesting, food was delicious, ambiance was elegant yet comfortable, service was professional yet warm, and pricing was reasonable.
The shop front along Jalan Besar is understated, so look out for the bold red signboard and window frames. Subrosa is just beside the Ponggol Nasi Lemak outlet.
Seating is by appointment only via 📞 +65 6610 0555. This is the dining hall at the ground level. Inside Subrosa, it's a quiet, cool, calming sanctuary from the heat, grime and hustle and bustle of the tropical city outside. There is an equally elegant dining room at level two available for exclusive group bookings at no extra charge (with minimum spending of $1000).
Steven Snowdon is Head Chef at Subrosa. Born and raised in London in a family of restauranteurs, Steven started his culinary career at age 16. Chef Steven has worked in 5-star hotels, Michelin star restaurants and even cooked for the British Royal family. Chef Steven's foundation is British, Italian (mum is from Italy) and French with strong Asian influences from living in Asia (mainly The Philippines).
Together with Singapore Chef Francis Lee who has over 20 years of private chef experience, Chef Steven creates farm to table dishes that uses fresh local grown produce, prepared according to both Eastern and Western traditions, using traditional and modern techniques, showcasing local (Singapore) customs and heritage, satisfying local palates with the familiar as well as delighting them with surprise flavours, aromas and textures.
Chef Steven started his career as a baker and he is still passionate about breads. Breads at Subrosa are kneaded in house from scratch and baked just before serving, so they always come to you fresh, piping hot, straight from the oven.
Today's prix fixe menu at $108++ per pax. The menu changes regularly as Chefs Steven and Francis constantly create new dishes. The exact dishes served vary from day to day. Chefs Steven and Francis visit the local wet markets everyday - if they feel the day's produce is not up to mark, they do not hesitate to take the dish off the menu for the day. Conversely, if the butcher or fishmonger have a special cut or catch of the day, Chefs Steven and Francis will serve that on the menu of the day. That's exactly what mums and dads do when cooking for the family. So, you can feel the personal touch of Chef Steven and Francis when you dine at Subrosa.
Manageress Elaine started us off with house baked artisanal breads fresh off the oven which we ate with freshly made truffle butter. There is nothing like fresh breads straight from the oven - pinching apart the finger scorching hot bread released puffs of mesmerising aromatic steam. We felt the heartwarming moist soft chewiness with each bite. The underlying taste of wheat and other grains was complemented by the smooth savoury taste of Maldon sea salt from Essex, England.
The breads paired perfectly with savoury richly smooth aromatic house made truffle butter.
Fresh is Best. Scallop, fermented melon, cucumber, dill, lemon and smoked trout roe. The fresh scallops were cured with Essex sea salt minutes before serving. It's like putting the briny taste of the sea back into the shell fish. The zesty clean taste of the crunchy vegetables and greens delighted my tongue like it was enjoying the gaiety of a flavour party in the mouth.
The Cocktail. Crab, aerated shrimp, Bloody Mary tomato. Umami tsunami. Every spoonful of the aerated shrimp (heads and tails) puree and hand pulled crab meat was a rush of umami on the taste buds. A crustacean umami kick l won't soon forget.
I've tried other fusion interpretations of Cantonese steamed cod elsewhere but they didn't really worked for me because they lacked any surprise twist. Subrosa's version was memorable for me because they replaced the usual soy sauce dressing with duck consommé. That threw me off, and seized my attention in a delightful way.
How much do I love the duck consommé? I drank up the leftover consommé like it was a soup. Smooth black vinegar and ginger taste overlaid the natural savoury sweetness of duck.
A common Singaporean My complain about fine dining: "You know right? A lot of times, go fine dining, so expensive after that still hungry, have to go top up with char kway teow at hawker centre or go home eat instant noodle." Here at Subrosa, they included an atas Hokkien mee with live lobster in the menu, so you always go home satiated and satisfied 😄 (Atas means gentrified in Singlish.)
The rich brown stock made with lobster had a strong crustacean umami kick. The bee hoon and yellow noodles were well infused with the savoury stock and had underlying toasty wok hei (taste of caramelised sauce and starch outside the noodles).
The live lobster slices were done just right with subtle briny sweetness in its delicately crunchy flesh. A Hokkien mee you will remember. Golden Duck. Cured duck, foie gras, pickled blackberries, cardamon and carrot.
Two of my favourite things together - duck and foie gras. The meaty sous vide duck breast was oh... so.. tender and juicy. It had a hint of braised duck taste but the flesh was velvety smooth. The savoury braised duck flavour was complemented by more robust savouriness from rich foie gras. Sweetness from the carrot puree balanced the dish's flavours.
Tropical Passion. Coconut, mango, lime, passionfruit. A sweet zesty end to the scrumptious lunch. The mango puree tasted like a mango jam (or mango kaya).
Information for you👉 If I want an excellent meal for a special occasion or a date in Singapore, Subrosa Private Dining would be one of the places at the top of my mind. With Subrosa, many more people can afford to experience top quality private fine dining in Singapore. Great value (S$108++) considering the quality of ingredients plus the expertise and effort that went into each dish. Subrosa has a stash of fine wines to pair with your meal. Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Restaurant name: Subrosa Private Dining Address: 369, Jalan Besar, Singapore 208997 GPS: 1°18'46.0"N 103°51'35.1"E 🌐 1.312782, 103.859744 Tel: +65 6610 0555 Hours: 11:00am - 12:00 midnight Non Halal Date visited: 4 Jan 2019
The humble bean curd is found everywhere in Malaysia and Singapore, but only in Ipoh do people say it is a Must Eat for visitors. No where in Malaysia and Singapore can you find bean curd as smooth and as aromatic as those in Ipoh. (I am not sure how Ipoh bean curd compares with the best in Guangzhou China.)
Soy bean curd is known as tau fu fa 豆腐花 in Cantonese, which is the lingua franca of Ipoh. The unique qualities of spring water in Ipoh is widely offered as the (open) secret behind for the special softness of Ipoh bean curd.
There are several famous brands of tau fu fa in Ipoh. I've heard of Funny Mountain 奇峰豆腐花 but our Ipoh buddy Gilbert brought us to local favourite Woong Kee Ta Fu Fa 旺记祖傳豆腐花 at Jalan Ali Pitcha, Taman Jubilee.
It's a humble dingy corner shop lot. There was a long bar top type ledge at the window looking down at the grimy side alley and a beat up delivery van - nothing pretty to look at actually 😂 Enjoying tau fu fa perched at the window made me feel like a school boy again gallivanting with classmates after school. That's what foodie memories are made of.
Eating with a bowl in hand, sitting on flimsy stackable plastic stools along a corridor beside a drain - it's fun too.
In Ipoh, bean curd is eaten plain or with lots of different toppings. At Woong Kee Tau Fu Fa they have rice balls, red beans, gingko nuts, crushed peanuts, sesame seed paste, grass jelly etc.
I started with a plain one dressed with gula Melaka since I like palm sugar and we don't have bean curd this way in Singapore.
The bean curd was so soft and smooth, I couldn't resist a second go at it. This time with grass jelly. The grass jelly which was itself very soft, was firmer than Woong Kee's bean curd. The silky smooth, jiggly soft bean curd slides down the throat like perfect half boiled (poached) egg. I can smell and taste the soybean flavour, with a subtle sweetness on my tongue.
Recommended for you👍 When you visit Ipoh, you miss out if you leave one of Malaysia's culinary capitals without tasting their signature soybean curd (tau fu fa). One of the best you can try is at Woong Kee Tau Fu Fa 旺记祖傳豆腐花. SmartDory says Woong Kee Tau Fu Fa is the best soybean curd in Ipoh👈 click
Restaurant name: Woong Kee Tau Fu Fa 旺记祖傳豆腐花 Address: Jalan Ali Pitcha, Taman Jubilee, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia GPS: 4°35'28.7"N 101°05'05.0"E 4.591302, 101.084731 Tel: 016-533 3210 Hours: 1:00pm - 5:00pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Every time I come to Ipoh, my local buddies will bring me to Chang Jiang White Coffee 長江白咖啡 at Jalan Windsor without fail. I had procrastinated writing about it because Chang Jiang really doesn't need any more introduction - too famous liao lah. Ask any Ipohite for Ipoh White Coffee recommendation and Chang Jiang is bound to be mentioned (along with Nam Heong and Sin Yun Loong in the same breath).
My first taste of Chang Jiang's Ipoh white coffee was some two decades ago. We were driving around town looking out for nice food the old way (which is still my preferred way). Pulled up at this dingy coffee shop and had the best white coffee we ever had. We had been back regularly ever since at this old shop. One of the siblings subsequently opened Chang Jiang White Coffee at Jalan Windsor in 2014. The Jalan Windsor shop is a hipster type cafe while the original Chang Jiang at Jalan Pasir Puteh (now renamed 江氏白咖啡 in Chinese) still retained the old rustic kopitiam charm.
Chang Jiang White Coffee cafe at Jalan Windsor is in a repurposed 1960s vintage single storey bungalow. Parking can be very tight but patience is usually rewarded with a slot 😄
The patio / verandah outside is a nice place to chill.
It is air conditioned inside and the decor retains the rustic charm of old kopitiams with small round marble top tables, folding chairs, large hanging mirrors, glass window louvres, signboard with hand carved gold painted calligraphy etc.
Chang Jiang White Coffee cafe is often full house and seating is by queue number 😂 But, waiting time is usually short as customers come and go briskly. Despite the crowds, processes are well oiled at Chang Jiang - we never had missed or mixed up orders, nor unduly long waits for our food and drinks during the dozen times we were here before (since 2017).
I like the old school look of this menu (though old school kopitiams have no menus 😄 ).
The frothy Ipoh white coffee is black coffee with condensed milk and evaporated milk. The black coffee has smooth round body which is further thicken with the two types of (tinned) milk. On the taste buds the coffee was sweet from the milk with a subtle underlying coffee bitterness. Together with the coffee aroma, Ipoh white coffee can be an addictive brew.
My preferred way of drinking Ipoh white coffee is kopi O siew tim 少甜 which is known as kopi O siew dai in Singapore. Either way, it is coffee with less sugar and no milk. I like the smooth round body and well balanced sweet bitterness with nice coffee aroma.
Nanyang kopi and kaya (coconut milk and egg jam) butter toast is the perfect pair. There's also the usual soft boiled eggs as well as wanton mee, fried wantons, braised chicken feet and even macaroni soup.
Recommended for you👍 Ipoh white coffee is one of the town's most travelled revered food icons. When in Ipoh, a taste of Ipoh white coffee in its birth place is a Must. One of the most popular places to taste it is Chang Jiang White Coffee 長江白咖啡 @ Jalan Windsor.
Restaurant name: Chang Jiang White Coffee 長江白咖啡 Address: 7, Jalan Windsor, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia GPS: 4°35'22.3"N 101°05'45.5"E 🌐 4.589540, 101.095966 Tel: 05 253 8896 Hours: 8:00am - 6:00pm Non Halal
Photo credit: Wikipedia Bumped into the famous Dr. Watch while having brunch at Havelock Road Hawker Centre in Singapore. He is one of the watch experts Singapore courts tap on when they need a professional assessment on the authenticity of ultra luxury watches. He said that it is very difficult for a layman to discern between a $250,000 watch and a $500 clone.
Chewing on a tenderly springy hand made fish ball, I wondered if the situation is similar between artisanal hawker food and their clones. In recent years, more and more Singapore luminaries such as Professor Tommy Koh have added their voices to the opinion that Singapore hawker centre food is too cheap and that that is the cause of the decline of Singapore hawker culture.
One school of thought posits that there is a kind of cultural snobbery among Singaporeans who think nothing about paying $25 for a serving of ramen but balk at paying $15 for bak chor mee. Bak chor mee goes from $3 to $8 today depending on serving size and location (of the hawker centre).
Other experts expressed that Singapore hawkers are unfairly shouldering the social burden of keeping cooked food affordable for the masses (which is the raison d'être of hawker centres at its inception in the 1960s). “The price of a plate of chicken rice or wanton mee is S$4 in Singapore, in Malaysia it is easily 5 ringgit or 6.5 ringgit in Kuala Lumpur” said Wong Chiang Yin, who served on a public consultation panel for hawker centres.
If you go to a Singapore hawker centre today, you will find two types of food - artisanal hawker food and clone hawker food with mass produced, factory made bulk ingredients. The balance between artisanal hawker food and clone hawker food has been tipping in the clones' favour steadily for years. Examples of hawker dish ingredients which are often factory produced include all forms of noodles, fish balls, pork balls, chee cheong fun (rice rolls), pre-mixed sauces, pre-mixed spices, factory fried shallots etc. My observation is that it is the availability of clone hawker dishes that is depressing the price of artisanal hawker food in hawker centres. The prices of food at Singapore hawker centres are benchmarked at the level of clone hawker dishes. The profit margin is attractive for clone hawker food vendors but less profitable for artisanal hawkers as hand made food is hard to scale. The thing about staple food (which is what hawker centre food is about) is, given a choice of a $8 artisanal dish and its $3 clone, many people will just take the $3 option because for most of us it suffices that it fills the stomach, is safe to eat and affordable. Right now, the problem is many people are not willing to pay more for lovingly hand made artisanal food with better ingredients - that is a nice-to-have luxury, the important thing is to fill the stomach within budget.
My concern is the louder and more frequent calls to rise the price of hawker food may lead to raising the price of hawker centre food across the board - clones and artisanal in one fell swoop. Raising the price of clones (mass produced, factory made food served at hawker centre) deprives many people of affordable food. It is also not the solution to our declining hawker culture but may instead hasten the demise of artisanal hawker food by making selling clone hawker dishes more lucrative. To answer the question, is Singapore hawker food too cheap? For artisanal hawker food, it is indeed too cheap. For clone hawker food, it is definitely not cheap. We need to find a way to pay our artisanal hawkers more to preserve our heritage hawker food (and it is also what they deserve). But no, paying more for clones, mass produced, factory made bulk food sold at hawker centres is not the way. What others say about price of Singapore hawker food 👉 Cultural snobbery👈 click Social burden👈 click Mental block👈 click Hawkers underpaid👈 click
Driving around Permas Jaya at night looking for dinner, we stumbled upon the bright lights of Hongdae Korean BBQ restaurant and decided to pull over to check it out. The food was tasty and pricing was reasonable. Service was good too.
Simple furnishings, bright, clean and well kept, every table was equipped with a table top BBQ stove and "elephant trunk" exhaust. (There were no platforms with sunken wells for our feet which are one of the trademarks of traditional Korean BBQ places.)
Two of us, we picked the two person set which came to RM88 after taxes.
Service was very quick. The ban chan (small side dishes) were laid out within minutes of ordering our BBQ set. They were OK but nothing particularly memorable among these.
The BBQ stoves were charcoal fired but we didn't feel excessive heat. In fact, we felt cool and very comfortable.
The staff was really quick. The slices of unmarinaded pork belly were on the grill before I took a shot of them 😂
The staff quietly and efficiently grilled the pork belly slices expertly and cut them into bite size squares when they were lightly seared.
Next on the grill, mildly spicy marinated pork.
The grilled marinated pork too were cut into bite sizes. The meat was done relatively dry by default. If you like your meat more tender and juicier, let the staff know beforehand.
We enjoyed the ssambap (Korean BBQ meat in lettuce wrap).
The savoury spicy sweet tofu stew was beyond our expectation as it was loaded with crustacean umami from prawns and clams. There were also squids. Love Hong Dae's delicious rendition of this dish.
Steam eggs.
Information for you👉 Nice food, good efficient service, reasonable pricing. A good Korean BBQ option in JB.
Restaurant name: Hong Dae Ip Gu Address: 46, Jalan Permas 10/7, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor GPS: 1°29'45.7"N 103°48'48.4"E 🌐 1.496038, 103.813446 Tel: 017 352 5632 Hours: 11:00am - 11:00pm Non Halal
Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry is synonymous with the best beancurd tarts in Singapore - afterall, they created it. The soft, velvety smooth beancurd filling is delightfully refreshing with delicate taste and aroma of gently sweetened soybean with hints of almond. The stiff buttery crusty cup provides crumbly bite to the famous pastry. Le Cafe's beancurd tart can be addictive and is one of the uniquely Singapore things visitors must try. I have been eating Le Cafe beancurd tarts long before I started blogging.
Le Cafe used to offer egg tarts like most other bake shops. They also had kaya (coconut jam) tarts. Beancurd tarts were added in the 1990s and soon became a hot seller. Now, Le Cafe no longer makes egg or kaya tarts - just the signature beancurd tarts which they created. (They also have mixed beancurd tarts with lychee, red beans, grass jelly, gingko nuts etc dropped into the bean curd but I personally prefer the basic original tau huay 豆花 version.) But, Le Cafe is more than beancurd tarts.
Peeking into the glass display at Le Cafe, childhood feelings of happiness and anticipation welled up inside me. After years of macaroon, mille crepe, opera and other gâteau, I didn't realise that there grew a distance between us. I had forgotten about my humble old friends which had given me so much happiness - the pure and simple kind.
Then, I saw these rock buns in Le Cafe. Rock buns were my favourites during my childhood. I like the crumbly buttery feel and that the cakes were not overly sweet. Bits of candied fruit added sweeter highlights to the buttery sweet treat. I enjoyed rock buns more than bread with kaya spread during my childhood. I was Ang Moh Pai 红毛派 once (people who prefer Western to local things were referred to as Ang Moh Pai in Old Singapore.)
Buttery fruit cake was another favourite and a luxury at that time.
Vintage old school buttery cupcake with cherry 🍒.
Sugee cake with icing.
Mr Wee's parents founded 麗英 Le Cafe in 1949 (that's 70 years ago 😮 ). The old coffee shop was at the David Elias Building at Middle Road. In Old Singapore, the more atas (uppity) among Hainanese coffee shops were the precursors of modern day hipster cafes. They served Ang Moh cakes to go with bitter Nanyang Robusta coffee and Ang Moh teh (English style tea). Most of the Ang Moh cakes were Hainanese interpretations of English cakes.
Mr. Wee had been working at his parents' coffee shop and bakery since he was a teen. Working at the coffee shop after school is just everyday life in those days.
The 1928 vintage David Elias Building is still there at Middle Road but Le Cafe moved in 2018 and now has 3 outlets - at Mackenzie Road, Cambridge Road, and Veerasamy Road. Middle Road together with Purvis and Seah Streets made up the Hainanese enclave of Old Singapore. As late comers to British Malaya, many Hainanese went into the food and beverage line. It was here that Singapore Hainanese chicken rice was created. Here was also the home of Hainanese British food like pork chops and English cakes like those offered by Le Cafe. To that, add beancurd tarts as examples of Singapore F & B creativity.
Mr. Wee is now mostly at the shop at Mackenzie Road. The operations of Le Cafe is now in the hands of the third generation.
It is good to see Le Cafe winning over new generations of fans for their traditional cakes.
Le Cafe makes seasonal versions of old favourites - I took pictures of these fruit cakes before the last Christmas.
Le Cafe's hot seller during Chinese New Year is their traditional pineapple tart, reputedly Singapore's best.
Recommended for you 👍 If you are visiting Singapore, Le Cafe's signature beancurd tart is a top choice. You will not find such a tart anywhere else in the world. If you are like me, looking to indulge in the nostalgic cakes of your childhood, Le Cafe still makes them to very high standards. (Note: Le Cafe beancurd tarts are not available from January to March as all hands are committed to make their famous pineapple tarts for Chinese New Year.) Restaurant name: Le Cafe Confectionery and Bakery Address: 31/33 Mackenzie Rd, #01-01, Singapore 228686 GPS: 1°18'17.0"N 103°50'58.3"E 🌐 1.304716, 103.849516 Nearest MRT: Steps from Little India station exit A Tel: 6337 2417 Hours: 10:30am - 7:00pm (close at 4pm on Sunday) No pork, no lard, no Halal cert Date visited: 6 Dec 2018
I had been wanting to taste old school Teochew duck porridge for a long time. Buddy brought me to Hong Qin 鸿勤鱼粥.鸭粥 when we happened to be in the Aljunied area of Singapore yesterday.
Hong Qin Fish & Duck Porridge is at a corner coffee shop along busy Sims Avenue near the intersection with Geylang East Ave 1 (and 3 minutes walk from Aljunied MRT station). Hong Qin is under the flight path of aeroplanes using Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase (to its northeast). You will see aircraft passing low overhead as they come in to land. The roar of fighter jets overhead is music to my ears (really).
The menu is at the front counter. Hong Qin is most famous for their duck porridge, fish soup, braised duck and braised pork trotters.
Boss Tay Kim Song joined the stall founded by his dad once he completed his full time National Service in 1985. His wife joined him soon afterwards. Together, they wake up at 3am every working day to prepare the dishes. At Hong Qin, the Tays still cut the fish from whole Ikan Batang (most stalls in Singapore use pre-cut fish from suppliers). Asked if any of their grown up children will be carrying on their grandparents' legacy, Mr. Tay replied that he don't wish for his children to live a hawkers' hard life.
The main thing I came to Hong Qin for - their popular Teochew duck porridge.
The dish consists of a dark soupy savoury herbal sweetish broth with boiled rice and piled with chunky pieces of duck. I enjoyed this broth as it had a complex blend of flavours which were at the right intensity and was well balanced. The tender naturally sweet rice infused the flavoursome broth, making it extra appetising. The meaty chunks of duck were tender (but not soft) and infused with broth flavours. Hong Qin's version of Teochew duck porridge rekindled my love for this "old man dish" which I haven't had for a very long time.
Before they moved to this large shop, Mr. Tay's wife used to run the fish soup stall side by side with his duck porridge stall. As mentioned, Mr. Tay's wife personally cut the whole Ikan Batang (Spanish Mackerel) fish, waking up at 3am to do it every day. This is rarely done in today's Singapore.
Clear watery soup with gentle savoury sweet flavour.
Just fresh Ikan Batang fish simply blanched in soup. Just natural fish sweet flavours in the tender white flesh, what's more to say? 😄 Oh, I like it with skin on as it added another layer of texture and flavour.
Hong Qin is also famous for their braised pork trotter and stewed vegetables.
Hong Qin's braising stock was quite mild - well balanced savoury herbal sweet, so we can taste a bit of the tender juicy pork's natural sweetness. Same for the stewed vegetables 梅菜 - just the right level of salty-savouriness.
Braised duck wings - perfect beer food.
Recommended for you👍 Not many places in Singapore serve traditional Teochew duck porridge. Hong Qin is a good place to enjoy this dish.
Restaurant name: Hong Qin Fish and Duck Porridge 鸿勤鱼粥.鸭粥 Address: #01-127, 134 Geylang East Ave 1, Singapore 380134 GPS: 1°18'57.1"N 103°53'08.1"E 🌐 1.315861, 103.885593 Hours: 5:30am - 3:00pm (off on alternate Tues) Non Halal Date visited: 14 Jan 2019
Poon Choi 盆菜 is a Hakka tradition that has become synonymous with Chinese New Year celebrations of Chinese communities around the world.
I had the privilege of Mr. Lai Fak Nian 赖发源, owner of Plum Village 梅村酒家 hosting us to traditional poon choi.
Plum Village is a small simple restaurant with decor that may seem a bit obiang to Ang Moh Pai but I like the warm homely vibes. Plum Village was founded by Mr. Lai's father more than 50 years ago. It was a joint venture with a Hakka master chef from Hong Kong. Their first location was in Blk 94 in old Toa Payoh before they moved here off Upper Thomson Road (in 1984, 35 years ago). Today, Plum Village is the only Hakka restaurant in Singapore, and perhaps even the last one. That's sad as Plum Village's food is delicious, but even more important, Hakka cuisine is a vital part of Singapore's culinary tradition. Hakka people originated from the Henan 河南 area in north China and migrated southwards from around 200 BC due to wars. They settled in many areas in south China and Taiwan (and from there, the world). Hakka cuisine has many variations depending on where they settled. Plum Village's cuisine represent Meizhou 梅州. The familiar lei cha 擂茶 is from Hoppo (Hepu 合浦). Abacus seed 算盤子 (yam & starch gnocchi) is from Taipo 大埔. Hakkas from different regions may not find all Hakka dishes familiar.
The menu book at Plum Village was a weathered clear folder. The typewritten menu and handwritten prices were slipped into the worn transparent pockets. No photos but the written descriptions in Chinese and English were clear enough. Mr. Lai developed the menu from his father's time and also from his own field trips to Hakka villages in China. It had a cross section of various streams of Hakka dishes with the core dishes from Meizhou (Mr. Lai's ancestral home).
It's a small comfort that Mr. Lai has put his recipes into a book (first published in 2009, now in its 6th reprint). Meanwhile, if you love traditional Hakka food, I highly recommend visiting Plum Restaurant before it closes. Now, let's get back to poon choi (peng cai in Mandarin Chinese).
Modern day poon choi has an image of ultra lux extravagance (with some restaurants competing to see who can throw the most exclusive, expensive atas ingredients into the pot).
But, original poon choi is a humble Hakka dish for communal dining and bonding. Its ingredients are everyday dishes like carp fish, pork trotter, chicken, pork balls, fish balls, tofu, yam, beef balls, dried oysters and other easily available dishes stewed in a large pot with pork bone stock. The rich blend of flavours from all the ingredients is further enriched by the fellowship and bonding around the table. Camaraderie is perhaps the most important ingredient of all.
Gentrified versions of poon choi started emerging in 1980s Hong Kong with the economic boom. Lux ingredients like sun dried scallops, sun dried abalone, fish maw, shark fin etc started popping up in poon choi to capitalise on the growing affluent HK clientele. At that time, the lux Chinese New Year dish of choice was Buddha Jump over the Wall 佛跳墙. Gentrified poon choi tapped into the luxury market and gradually edged out Buddha Jump over the Wall.
Plum Village offers both the original poon choi and also the lux versions.
Plum Village's poon choi tasted so wonderful I was lost for words. Just kept eating and eating. Poon choi is the real melting pot. All the ingredients together in harmony, yet no single ingredient overpowers another. I could taste the natural flavours of the pork, fish, chicken etc. On top of that, all the flavours mell and blend together to form another layer of flavour that hold everything together (like the metaphoric social fabric that binds peoples together). So, right there on the table is a dish that symbolises togetherness, mutual respect for everyone in the community. No wonder poon choi is today a favourite Chinese New Year celebration dish.
Just one piece from the pot to let you see what I mean. Dried oyster wrapped with minced pork and then folded into lace pork fat (caul fat 猪网油). Where to find this in Singapore and Johor you tell me? Except in some lucky folks' grandma's house 😄
When you are at Plum Village, you must remember to order Hakka Radish Balls because they taste wonderful and nowhere else in Singapore or Johor sells these. Steamed shredded radish, minced pork, dried shrimp and dried cuttlefish held together with a bit of tapioca flour.
The radish balls felt soft and gummy in the mouth. Every bite was rewarded with layered bursts of savoury sweetness from the dried cuttle fish, dried shrimps, minced pork and shredded radish - teasing your taste buds in that order.
Pork belly stewed with rice wine and red yeast rice. The red colour symbolises happiness.
Such fatty stuff is not for everyone, but I super love the layers of sweetness from the rice wine and the tender juicy fat 😋
The familiar comforting Red Rice Wine Chicken with Ginger. Fresh chicken briefly boiled in house made glutinous rice wine with bits of ginger till just done - winsome aromatic dish of sweet on sweet flavours with hints of ginger heat. I noticed it is very popular with ladies.
Prices look very reasonable at Plum Village.
Information for you👉 The last, the best, the only authentic Hakka restaurant in Singapore now. If you are a Hakka food fan, buy a house nearby come here quick before Mr Lai retires (he is in his 70s now and had mulled about retiring since 2017 😱 ). If you want poon choi or a table for Chinese New Year, call now ☎ 6458 9005 👌 Pro-tip: If you are a cooking enthusiast, when you are in Plum Village, ask for Mr. Lai's cookbook. The gem costs only S$16. Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting. I will be back as a normal paying customer.
Restaurant name: Plum Village 梅村酒家 Address: 16 Jalan Leban, Singapore 577554 (steps from Sembawang Food Centre) GPS: 1°22'18.4"N 103°49'45.1"E 🌐 1.371784, 103.829188 Waze: Jalan Leban Tel: 6458 9005 Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm | 6:00pm – 10:00pm Non Halal
I've been to Hop Sing three (maybe more) times through the years and gradually grew to like it as a nice quiet place for good homely meals. Hop Sing is a simple little Cantonese restaurant tucked away in Ponderosa Golf and Country Club in Johor Bahru (near Taman Molek).
Hop Sing restaurant is located at level 1 of Ponderosa GCC's main club house.
Hop Sing Head Chef Lean Poh Leong who hailed from Ipoh worked his way up in Ponderosa GCC for nearly 2 decades to reach the top position in Hop Sing today. A Hakka, Chef Leong added Hakka home cooking touches to Hop Sing's classic Cantonese menu. Good examples are his Deep Fried Ginger Chicken and Hakka Braised Duck with Ginger.
For this post, I shall focus on Hop Sing's Chinese New Year offerings, namely the Fortune Set Menu (8-10 pax RM998+) and Prosperity Set Menu (8-10 pax RM1388+). We had the Fortune Set Menu.
The whole atmosphere at the Ponderosa GCC clubhouse was thick with Chinese New Year festive mood.
Dressed as a Mandarin orange for the formal picture 😄
Hop Sing too was dressed up for Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year set menu dishes were auspiciously named for well wishes in the year ahead.
We started with the customary joyous loh hei yee sang 七彩旺来鱼生 to put us in the celebratory mood. The communal dish symbolises good fortune in the year ahead. Every ingredient in the yee sang is specially chosen for its auspicious symbolic significance.
Braised Superior Dried Scallop and Crab Meat Soup. This dish named 招财进宝 means "attract and receive wealth and good fortune". It's a great starter with well balanced savoury and sweet flavours in the starch thicken soup. I like the depth of savoury sweet flavours from the dried scallops and hand pulled fresh crab meat. Scallops and crab meat felt tenderly squeaky to the bite while white fungus added bits of soft springy crunch I heard it mentioned at the table that there was no shark fin used in the soup. Personally, I feel there is no need for any apology for the omission as the soup tasted great in its own right.
Steamed Grouper in Hong Kong Style. This dish named 一帆风顺 which means "smooth sailing". Standard fare in Cantonese restaurants and Hop Sing's rendition did justice to the fish and the dish. The soya sauce based dressing sauce had just the right savouriness to bring out the natural sweetness of the fish. The tender juicy flesh was done just right so we can taste the freshness of the fish (even though it wasn't a live fish).
The staff portioned and served us the dishes individually which I always appreciate.
Roasted Crispy Chicken. 春风满面 "Filled with the freshness and energy of Spring". This was the dish I looked forward to at wedding banquets as a child. Hop Sing's rendition of this old school stalwart reminded me of the savoury flavours with tender and crisp mouthfeel that evoked the magic of those years. The roast chicken was served with a customary small dish of salt but I didn't use it at all as I like the taste of Hop Sing's roasted crispy chicken as it was.
Braised Broccoli with Dried Oysters, Seafood Balls and Vegetables. 东成西就 "Success in all directions".
Everything in this dish was tasty. The fish and squid in the house made seafood balls gave it a nice springy bite and layers of savoury sweet flavours. There was a generous amount of good size stewed Chinese black mushrooms and robustly savoury dried oysters. Everything was nicely held today with a thick savoury brown sauce.
Deep Fried Prawns in Soya Sauce. This traditional dish named 嘻哈大笑 which means "Joyous laughter".
Old school savoury har lok 虾碌 worth getting our fingers and manicure greasy for.
Chef's Special XO Sauce Fried Rice. 丰衣足食 "Well clothed and well fed". Looked ordinary but this fried rice packed a nice well balanced savoury sweet punch. The most striking thing was the rice's tender spring to the bite. This fried rice was deceptively addictive and one can unknowingly overindulge.
Talk about over indulge.... I had four bowls of this 😱 This Peanut Paste 花生糊 dessert wasn't part of the Fortune Set Menu (the standard menu dessert was Chilled Sea Coconut and Longan). But, our dear host Yvonne knew all of us were crazy over Chef Leong's peanut paste so she swapped the dessert for us. Chef Leong wok fried the peanut to bring out its flavours before milling it into a paste, then boiled it into a thick gruel. The aroma and taste of peanut balanced with sweetness was hard to resist. Only my buddies at the table knew how many bowls I had before Yvonne stopped me.... 😂
Information for you👉 Hop Sing restaurant at Ponderosa Golf & Country Club is worth considering for your Chinese New Year celebration gatherings. The clubhouse is well dressed up for the CNY mood. Hop Sing's Chinese New Year dishes are tasty and filled with auspicious meaning and well wishes.
Disclosure: We were guests of Ponderosa Golf & Country Club
Restaurant name: Hop Sing 金閣樓 Address: Ponderosa Golf and Country Club, 3 Jalan Ponderosa 1, Taman Ponderosa, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia GPS: 1.512283, 103.784991 🌐 1°30'44.2"N 103°47'06.0"E Tel: +607 – 354 9999 Ext 255, +6017 – 766 2636 (Ms Lai Yee) Hours: Lunch | Dinner No pork, no lard, no Halal cert (alcohol served)
Date visited: 17 Jan 2019
Fun fact: Hop Sing restaurant is named after the character Cantonese Chef Hop Sing in the TV series Bonanza. The Bonanza series had 431 episodes running from 1959 to 1973. Many parts of Ponderosa Golf and Country Club are named after places in the TV show. Indeed, Ponderosa is the name of the ranch in Bonanza. Victor Sen Yung, the actor who played Hop Sing in Bonanza was an accomplished cook and published a cookbook of his wok dishes in 1974. Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
We were in Ulu Tiram (went there for durians) when we stumbled upon Pang & Tan Yong Chun Mee Hoon Kueh stall. They have the usual soup and dry mee hoon kueh, but we opted for the more fancy laksa and ginger gourd soup versions.
I have never tried bitter gourd soup mee hoon kueh before. This turned out to be the most loaded mee hoon kueh soup that I have ever had and it tasted good too (price RM8).
First things first, the kueh. The dough is hand kneaded at the shop. The rested dough is flatten and hand torn into irregular shape kueh when there is an order. The kueh had a nice soft chewy spring to the bite which I like. They had a nice subtle wheat taste.
The anchovy and soy bean based soup was thick and had a complex savoury sweetness from the essence of many different ingredients cooked inside.
The thin slices of bitter gourd gave the dish a nice mild bitter sweetness. The thin bitter gourd slices were slightly overdone, so there wasn't much crunchiness.
The bowl was fully loaded with minced pork, lean pork slices, strips of pork belly, pork balls, pig intestine and an egg. The minced pork was seasoned with white pepper giving it and the soup a slight pepperiness. Overall, it reminded me of Kuala Lumpur style pork noodle soup but this time with mee hoon kueh and bitter gourd.
Laksa mee hoon kueh with the kueh hidden under the fiery looking laksa curry (price RM7).
I like this laksa curry as it was moderately rich, sweet, savoury and spicy. The curry body was smooth and the sweet savoury spicy flavours were well balanced.
The same hand torn kueh works well with the laksa curry.
The blood cockles though small were fresh and they gave generous amounts of it.
Information for you👉 If you are in Ulu Tiram and mee hoon kueh is your cup of tea, you may consider Pang & Tan Yong Chun 永春面粉粿. It is among the best in JB and their bitter gourd soup has the most fully loaded MHK soup of all. I shall be back for their regular soupy mee hoon kueh.
Restaurant name: Restoran Pang & Tan Yong Chun 永春面粉粿 Address: 48 Jalan Cantik 5, Taman Pelangi Indah, Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia GPS: 1°34'41.3"N 103°48'00.9"E 🌐 1.578129, 103.800258 Waze: Pang & Tan Yong Chun 永春面粉粿 Tel: 019-776 5855 Hours: 8:30am - 3:30pm Non Halal
I was invited to the Moonlight Cake House outlet in Taman Pelangi in Johor Bahru which just reopened after major rebuilding lasting 2 years.
The Moonlight Pelangi outlet has three levels - the cake and pastry shop is at the ground level. The restaurant / cafe is at level one and the top level is for private events (with catering services).
Simon is the Executive Sous Chef of Moonlight in charge of the group's restaurants in Johor Bahru.
We were at a blogger party hosted by Moonlight Cake House. I enjoy meeting friends who share a common passion.
Simon started us off with Mushroom Soup in French Puff (price RM11.80++). The thick creamy soup made with shiitake mushroom, shimeji mushroom and garlic is served in a house made French puff bowl. I like the savoury sweet flavours and the soft spongy chewy crisp French puff.
Bamboo Charcoal Homemade Chicken Burger (price RM17.85++). House made minced chicken patty with tomato, lettuce, caramelised onion, gherkin (pickled cucumber), house made sauces and cheddar cheese between house made puffy soft bamboo charcoal buns. Served with crisscross potato chips.
Grilled Norwegian Salmon (price RM38.40++). Grilled slab of salmon with mashed potato, shimeji mushroom, cherry tomato, rocket greens on mango sauce. (Other sauce options: tomato or butter white sauce.) I am not a fan of grilled salmon as I don't really like its "salmon" taste. But, this at Moonlight didn't have that taste and I quite enjoyed it.
Salted Egg with Chicken and Floss Fried Rice (RM15++). Springy soft-crunchy savoury fried rice topped with crispy fried chicken chop and chicken floss. I like the rice fried with salted egg yolk a lot and would come back for it.
Piccata Chicken Breast with Mozzarella Cheese and Cream Yellow Mustard (price RM21.30++). Pan fried Parmesan flavoured chicken breast served shimeji mushroom, asparagus and mashed potato.
Seafood Risotto (price RM22.55++). Risotto with mussel and tiger prawn baked in tomato sauce. Served with topping of shaved Parmesan cheese. I like the mouthfeel of the soft-crunchy risotto rice.
Australian Lamb Shank (price RM49++). 28 hour sous vide lamb shank served with spaghetti sautéed with tomato sauce and olive oil. I like the very tender and juicy sous vide lamb shank. There was a bit of gamey taste (which I enjoyed) underlying the savoury tangy tomato sauce. The spaghetti was done soft (one notch below al dente).
Moonlight Sharing Platter (price RM43.30++). Garlic butter grilled butter prawns, mussels, sous vide chicken breast, sausage, crispy fish, corn on cob and potatoes.
My friend Sis Lin took a picture of me at work 😄
Information for you👉 Fans of Moonlight Cake House @ Taman Pelangi, your favourite cake shop and cafe is now opened with an all new look and menu. Come and check it out. Disclosure: This was an invited tasting.
Restaurant name: Moonlight Cake House (Pelangi outlet) Address: 160, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru (opposite Hong Leong bank) GPS: 1°28'45.7"N 103°46'28.4"E 🌐 1.479373, 103.774554 Waze: Moonlight Cafe Tel: +607 333 9922 Hours: 9:00am - 1:00am No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Ipohite buddy Gilbert brought us to Kedai Kopi Kwong Hong Gunung Rapat 广丰茶室酿料粉 which is famous and popular with locals for their yong liew fun (which we call yong tau foo in Singapore). But, the Ipoh version differs from that in Singapore in many ways.
Famous eateries in Ipoh are always packed full of people and buzz.
Relax. A bit of patience is always rewarded with a table as traffic flow is brisk 😄
The action at the front was frenetic but everything was very organised.
Just pick your choice from the lots of different yong liew and hand it over to the counter staff at the kitchen in front. Tell them the type of noodles that you want and whether served with soup or dry (without soup).
There's the usual tofu filled with fish paste.
There's lots of other yong liew such as these leafy greens and cauliflower filled with fish paste which I have never seen before. They are really creative in stuffing fish paste in anything imaginable - stuffed mushroom, stuffed baby corn, stuffed fried pig skin, etc. (I am just mentioning a small fraction of what is available).
We randomly picked different types of yong liew, both the fried and boiled types. I liked everything. (We would have ordered more stuff but this was just one stop in our whole day/ whole night Ipoh food trail.)
I especially like the boiled type of yong liew because the fish paste was fresh, had nice springy texture and unique savoury sweetness - the best fish paste that I have tasted before. (I didn't ask the owners what fish they use as they were very busy.)
The tender pork ball was naturally sweet and savoury. The smooth soft tofu was great as this is Ipoh... don't forget 😄
They have various kinds of fun (noodles) but we all ordered the same loh shi fun (rat tail noodles) without any pre-arrangement 😄
Subtly sweetish bouncy loh shi fun was great in the savoury sweet anchovy and soy bean soup. The fat and juicy crunchy sweet Ipoh nga choi (bean sprouts) were the best thing in the bowl.
Recommended for you👍 Kwong Hong yong liew is one of the essential Ipoh food stops for visitors. The Ipoh style of yong tau fu is unique and Kwong Hong is one of the best places to taste it.
Restaurant: Kedai Kopi Kwong Hong 广丰茶室酿料粉 Address: 684, Jalan Gunung Rapat, Taman Cemerlang Rapat, Ipoh, Perak GPS: 4°34'19.0"N 101°06'54.0"E 🌐 4.571946, 101.115000 Waze: Kedai Kopi Kwong Hong Hours: 12:00 noon - 5:00pm (Monday off) Non Halal Date visited: 1 Dec 2018 Hour long video by Gerry Ko. His videos have rambling, deadpan delivery, raw jerky, random, boring images but over all quite cute lah and good tell-it-as-it-is authentic stuff 😄
My current best of Johor food hunt project is to look for the best steamed song fish head in the state. Restoran Hai Ji was the second song fish head I tried in JB and the first that I liked. (I have been a fan of steamed song fish head since I tasted the legendary Chan Sow Lin steamed song fish head of Kuala Lumpur over 20 years ago.)
As usual, I turned to my Facebook friends for help. Restoran Hai Ji 海记松鱼头 in Taman Johor Jaya was one of their recommended steamed song fish head places. Please share with me your favourite places for song fish head.
Restoran Hai Ji is a typical Malaysian style shop lot no frills eatery. The owners hailed from Ipoh and have been running Hai Ji for nearly twenty years here. Pictures of the signature dishes were on the sun bleached signboard overhead. I could only clearly make out the steamed song fish head.
All of Hai Ji's dishes are on this one page menu - they are mostly Cantonese zhi char 煮炒 dishes. They serve song fish head in two ways - steamed with mashed ginger 姜熔 and stewed 红烧松鱼头. Hai Ji's song fish are seasonally priced. They showed us the raw fish and told us the price before proceeding to cook it. Seeing that the fish was fresh, we gave them the go ahead.
The steamed song fish came completely smothered under a thick blanket of olive green colour mashed ginger. The fish was resting in a watery pool of brownish green sauce. (Price RM43.)
The fish was fresh and meaty. The white flesh was tender, smooth and juicy. It was sweet with a bit of earthly taste (yes, song fish is an acquired taste but most people are OK with the signature earthly taste after 1 or 2 tries). As the fish was fresh, the very mild earthly taste was dominated by the sweet taste and so it didn't bother us at all.
The mashed ginger was soft and smooth. It tasted gently sweet spicy with subtle ginger heat. Together in the mouth, the fish, mashed ginger and savoury sauce combined for a well balanced sweet spicy savoury taste. We love it (though I would love it even more, if the ginger packed a sharper sting).
This piece of soft fat is the litmus test of the freshness of song fish head. Today, it tasted sweet with very little earthly taste. We happily ate it all up. (If the fish was not as fresh, the fat tastes unbearably earthly.)
⚠ Eating song fish head can be dangerous as the fish is very bony with big and small bones. The small bones are like tiny fish hooks with sharp barbs while big bones are like nails and razor blades. Please be very careful, especially with children or seniors.
We also had Hai Ji's Hakka fried pork (price RM12). It didn't looked very pretty but it was one of the better Hakka fried pork that we have tried before. The slight crispness outside complemented the tender moist inside. The fermented bean curd seasoning balanced the naturally sweet fresh pork.
Information for you👉 My first visit to Hai Ji and I liked both the steamed song fish head and Hakka fried pork - the only two dishes we tried tonight. We will be back to try more dishes at Hai Ji as we believe they have many dishes which we will like here.
Restaurant name: Restoran Hai Ji 海记松鱼头 Address: 31, Jalan Dedap 8, Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru GPS: 1°32'25.3"N 103°48'20.1"E 🌐 1.540350, 103.805594 Tel: 019 721 9469 Hours: 12:00 noon - 2:00pm | 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Tues off) Non Halal
Friends who are familiar with Bukit Mertajam 大山脚 in Penang will know about the iconic lok lok there (known as chiam chiam 串串 or batang rojak on Penang island). It is cut fresh fruits eaten with sauce based on hae ko (fermented prawn paste). Now, there is BM High School Lok Lok stall which is at Level 3 of City Square Johor Bahru (steps from the Old Town White Coffee outlet).
BM High School Lok Lok stall operates out of a trishaw just like those commonly found in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
This uniquely Penang street food is called many different names - lok lok, chiam chiam, rojak buah, fruit rojak, fruit stick, batang rojak etc. It is basically cut fruits eaten with hae ko based sauce. (It is quite different from Singapore rojak in the way it is prepared and in taste.) Fresh cut fruits are skewered and kept fresh on a bed of ice cubes. There are also some deep fried items and dried cuttlefish. Prices range from RM1 to RM2.90 per stick (according to colour code on the stick).
Pick the choice of fresh fruits you like. I couldn't resist the cuttlefish 😋
Hand your chosen fruits to the staff who will ladle in your choice of sauce (and collect your payment).
If you eat at the stall, your lok lok will be served in a bowl.
My Chinese New Year haircut. If you choose to eat your lok lok on the go, it will be served in a disposable cup. The cut fruits were fresh, slightly chilled, crunchy and juicy with all its natural fruity sweetness, citrusy zest etc.
But, Bukit Mertajam lok lok (fruit rojak) is as much about fresh fruit as their heavy thick hae ko sauce. BM High School Lok Lok stall offers two types of sauce - original (non spicy) and spicy. The original sauce is savoury sweet from hae ko and gula Melaka (?) with a bit of nuttiness from crushed toasted peanuts. The spicy sauce is the same but with an added layer of mild chili spiciness. Personally, I like the spicy version more because of the added hot kick. The savoury sweet spicy sauce combines wonderfully with the natural sweetness or sourish zest of the fresh fruits.
I liked the thick sauce so much that I was eating it with the satay stick 😂 Next time, I shall bring a spoon to eat the sauce 😜 Better still, I hope BM High School Lok Lok will sell the sauce next time so I can eat fruit rojak anytime at home with my own cut fruits 😄
Information for you👉 If you are in City Square Mall Johor Bahru, check out this speciality from Bukit Mertajam Penang. It's so simple yet delicious and something different from Singapore rojak. Read about the other famous Penang style rojak buah (fruit rojak) stall in Johor Bahru👈 click
Have you tried Penang style fruit rojak? What do you think about it?
Restaurant name: BM High School Lok Lok Address: Level 3, Johor Bahru City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, JB GPS: 1°27'43.2"N 103°45'51.9"E 🌐 1.462015, 103.764422 Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Feilo Heng was the third steamed song fish head we tried in our search for the best song fish head in Johor Bahru.
If you know any good steamed song fish head place, please share it with me 😊
Restoran Feilo Heng in Taman Anggerik is a large breezy and bright corner shop lot. It is very clean and well kept. The 王 family running Feilo Heng hailed from Kota Bahru, Kelantan where they sold bak kut teh. They then moved to Kuala Lumpur where they learnt the craft of cooking steamed song fish head. Over a decade ago, the family moved to Johor Bahru and served steamed song fish head as well as bak kut teh. Feilo Heng's founder had passed on, and the restaurant is now run by his wife and two sons.
Feilo Heng's fish come live from Perak and are processed at the restaurant.
The steamed song fish head came in a pool of bubbling hot watery brown sauce.
The fish was blanketed in a thick green jacket of mashed ginger and a sprinkling of tiny fried garlic bits.
Feilo Heng's song fish was very fresh, in fact, the freshest we have tried in JB so far. The white flesh was tender and juicy. It tasted sweet and there was very little earthiness. The mashed ginger was just mildly spicy. The mashed ginger together with the savoury sauce combined very well with the sweet flesh. It was delicious.
The soft and smooth fatty belly was sweet.
The smoothest part of the fish was this ball of fat in the head. It was sweet and we happily ate all of it.
Johor Kaki reader Keith Timothy reminded me that the eyes is one of the litmus tests of the fish's freshness. I ate up this sweet gooey slippery soft gelatinous blob in an instant 😋
We also had the bak kut teh as it is one of Feilo Heng's popular dishes. It's the mildly savoury herbal type. The pork was done a little firm, stiff, chewy.
Feilo Heng offers the option of yam rice which we liked. It tasted sweet savoury with yam and a bit of pork in the tender nutty rice.
Recommended for you👍 Good steamed song fish head in Johor Bahru with live fish and nice mashed ginger with savoury sauce.
⚠ Eating song fish head can be dangerous as the fish is very bony with big and small bones. The small bones are like tiny fish hooks with sharp barbs while big bones are like nails and razor blades. Please be very careful, especially with children or seniors. Restaurant name: Feilo Heng 肥佬兴茶餐室 Address: No.15, Jalan Anggerik 2/5, Taman Anggerik, Johor Bahru GPS: 1°31'58.9"N 103°41'26.0"E 🌐 1.533040, 103.690566 Waze: Restoran Feilo Heng Tel: 012 731 6790 Hours: 11:30am - 2:00pm | 6:00pm - 9:00pm Non Halal
You know right... hunting and sharing good food have its hazards. Not least among them is overloading on grease, salt, sugar and don't know what chemicals. At the moment, there are very few healthier options in JB that are also tasty, filling and affordable. So, I am grateful to buddy KK of Magistrate magazine for introducing us to Friends & Fig restaurant in Southkey.
Friends & Fig has bare bones, minimalist decor. But, it is a clean and comfortable place which is quite cool actually.
People & Fig is the brainchild of friends Mint and Christine (right). A third partner (not in the picture) is a nutritionist. The ladies are firm believers of the principle "You are what you eat". I subscribe to this too and know very well that 病从口入 i.e. illness enters through our mouths. So, I am glad that Mint and Christine put their beliefs in action at Friends & Fig.
Friends & Fig serves plant based natural food, smoothies and cold press juices to help customers attain healthier mind, body and soul. All dressings, sauces, soups etc are made from scratch in the restaurant using only natural ingredients. All food served are free of MSG, refined sugar, modified starch, emulsifiers, stabilisers, preservatives, flavour enhancers and other bad stuff so often used in average eateries these days.
Friends & Fig dishes come in Super Bowl sets in the menu and "design your own" bowls. There are also daily special set bowls. Today's special is their top seller "Nasi Unlemak". What's that 什么来的? 🙄
Mint and Christine let us try the Super Bowl sets, daily special and design you own bowls.
Nasi Unlemak should be called Un-Nasi Lemak as there is neither white rice nor coconut milk and tasted nothing like the dish it is named after. But, whatever it is, it was our unanimous favourite dish of the evening as it was full of interesting textures and flavours.
In the Nasi Unlemak bowl there were (blue) butterfly pea brown rice with extra virgin coconut oil, sambal monkey head mushroom, potato, buckwheat tempeh, bitter gourd sambal, sunshine egg, and lotus root chips. I especially love the mildly sweet spicy taste and spongy feel of the sambal monkey head mushroom.
Friends & Fig's Hakka Lei Cha (another daily special bowl) is not so different from the original dish but I would say it even tasted a bit better. The rice bowl is made with quinoa brown rice, shimeiji chai poh, tofu, French beans, raw carrot, raw purple cabbage and sunflower seeds. The thick traditional cha (green tea) is made with peanut free basil soup - it was full of aromatic herb flavours. I like Friends and Fig's lei cha a lot.
Japanese Bowl (price RM17.90). Soba noodles eaten with kimchi, roast pumpkin, kyuri (Japanese cucumber), tofu, cherry tomato, furikake seasoning, edamame etc.
The Japanese bowl is dressed with balsamic roasted sesame sauce.
Anti-Cancer Bowl (price RM23.60). Mixed greens, cauliflower rice, purple cabbage, garlic chips, onion pickle, turmeric and spice cauliflower, carrot, kyuri, broccoli, furikake, sweet potato, nut dressing (peanut free). Taste wise not really my cup of tea but it is comforting to hear that it's supposed to help keep cancer away.
A "design your own" bowl with zucchini, avocado, corn, cherry tomato, broccoli, and leafy greens. Customers can pick and choose their own choice of ingredients available at the restaurant.
Another "design your own" bowl, this time with lotus chips, falafel, egg, zucchini, sweet potato, orange, mixed green base, and buckwheat tempeh etc
Eaten with signature nuts but not nuts dressing (peanut free).
There were two soups of the day during our visit. This was the cauliflower soup.
The pumpkin soup.
Cold pressed juices and smoothies formulated for detox and cleansing.
Information for you👉 Pardon the un-pretty mess but yeah... we finished everything. It tastes good, feels satisfying and felt good for our body and wallet too as prices are reasonable for what we are getting. Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting
Friends and Fig is on level 2 of Block F of Southkey. Take a lift to go up. Restaurant name: Friends & Fig Address: No 02-15, Block F, Komersil Southkey Mozek, Persiaran Southkey 1, Kota Southkey, Johor Bahru GPS: 1°29'48.0"N 103°46'33.0"E 🌐 1.496661, 103.775826 Tel: +60 19-718 0072 Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert (no meat)
Date visited: 24 Jan 2019
Where else can I get healthy and tasty no meat dishes in Johor Bahru?
I was invited to visit TROVE Johor Bahru, the newest hotel in JB. It's just 5-10 minutes by car from the JB CIQ, so it is very convenient for visitors coming from Singapore.
The 27 storey hotel has 283 rooms. TROVE was Hotel Selesa in its past life - the new owners Care Luxury Hotels & Resort completely refurnished the building inside and out. The spanking new hotel opened in Dec 2018 after nearly two years of major revamp.
The spacious reception lobby at the ground level is elegantly functional minimalist yet felt warm and welcoming. I was shown around the hotel.
The grand ballroom on level 8 seats 600. This used to be the swimming pool area in the old Hotel Selesa but was completely rebuilt into this spacious pillarless grand ballroom. There are 2 smaller ballrooms and 7 function rooms for meetings, seminars, conferences and events.
TROVE Hotel's 283 rooms across 27 floors are decorated according to 5 different themes. Customers can choose the type of theme they like.
Local Love theme rooms feature local arts and crafts in pop art style.
Into the Woods themed rooms pay homage to Johor's precious natural heritage.
Precious Moments themed rooms are well appointed suites on the highest floor (27th) suitable for honeymoons and special occasions.
Some of the Precious Moment rooms are equipped with Jacuzzis.
The basic toiletries are provided, so you don't have to pack your own (if you are like me who is not fussy about toiletries). (Note: The Elemis brand toiletries only for suite rooms.)
Many hotels have done away with bottled water and TROVE Hotel is the same. Each room is provided with an in-room hot and cold water dispenser. I like the convenience of having the water dispenser in room (compared to having a shared one outside along the common corridor). (Note: The capsule coffee machine only for suite rooms.)
I stayed in this room. Access to the floors and room is by security key card.
I stayed in a Fun with Geometry themed room which is decorated with traditional Islamic designs with a modern twist. I slept very well thanks to the thick spring mattress which had the right firmness for me. Oh... I am glad to note that TROVE is a smoke free hotel - one of my pet peeves is stale tobacco smell in the carpet, curtains and bed linen. No such issues at TROVE.
The wifi signal strength is strong and internet speed is fast at TROVE Hotel (something I still can't take for granted even in famous brand 5 star hotels). TROVE has a multistorey car park which is free for hotel guests.
View of Johor Bahru city looking north from TROVE Hotel. KSL City mall is on the left and Pelangi mall on the right.
Lada & Clove restaurant is on the 8th floor.
Lada and Clove serves breakfast buffet (as well as lunch, high tea and dinner). For breakfast, there's basic rice and noodle dishes with side dishes. There's a porridge station, egg station (live cooking), cereal, bread, pastries, fruits etc. Juices, coffee and tea are available.
Egg Benedict is on the a la carte breakfast menu.
Nasi lemak Antarabangsa (price RM25 nett). Fenugreek rice cooked in coconut milk served with chicken rendang, chili paste prawns and sambal.
Fish head curry (price RM40 nett).
Soba noodles with grilled salmon wrapped in seaweed served with lemon tomato butter sauce (price RM48 nett).
English Afternoon Tea set at RM68 for two persons - available from 12 noon to 4pm on Saturdays.
The high tea set consists of TROVE's signature chicken skewer, scones, chocolate brownies, open face sandwiches, cheesecake and more.
Information for you 👉 TROVE JB is a good option for home base to explore Johor Bahru because of its central location. The hotel's comprehensive meeting and event facilities make TROVE JB a prime venue for meetings, conferences, corporate training, exhibitions, product launches, weddings and banquets. Disclosure: My stay was hosted by TROVE Johor Bahru.
Address: 15/2, Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, off Jalan Tebrau, Johor Bahru GPS: 1°28'39.7"N 103°45'47.8"E 🌐 1.477703, 103.763279 Waze: Hotel Trove Johor Bahru Tel: +60 7-272 8888
I have been wanting to try Cantonese Delights at Hong Lim hawker centre for years but was always put off by the long queue. I finally tried it today because l was early and had some time till my next meeting.
As l stood in the queue, l asked the lady ahead of me what is good at Cantonese Delights (one of the reasons l haven't eaten here is l don't know where to start trying from their extensive menu). I asked the right person - lady is a regular and she gave me a few pro-tips which l put to good use right away.
I was alone, so for my maiden visit l ordered curry chicken mee and added fried chicken cutlet on the side - a hack taught to me by the lady. All these for S$6.
The curry chicken noodles had the aroma which l missed from my childhood (l was just talking to buddy John about this). The curry was thick creamy savoury sweet spicy - l love the old school taste and aroma.
Someone was just asking on Facebook whether curry must have potato - I don't know lah, but to me it's yes, yes, yes because it makes the curry sweeter and I like the taste and bite of curry infused boiled potato. Also, the first curry that I have ever tasted as a child had potato 😋
The chicken drumstick was tender and juicy like poached chicken at the best chicken rice stalls of Singapore. The juicy smooth chicken flesh was naturally sweet. Curry chicken noodles is just one of Cantonese Delights' many menu items, but it "got fight can win (as we say in Singlish)" the famous curry chicken specialists of Hong Lim hawker centre.
The chicken cutlet was okay as it was crisp outside, tender inside but it was not specially memorable. Taste was savoury with underlying chicken sweetness.
The sweet savoury soya bean based soup was like those one gets at good yong tau foo stalls. Truth be told, the soup was nice but doesn't pair very well with either the fried chicken cutlet or curry mee. By the way, Cantonese Delights is also popular for their yong tau foo (which I will try next time).
No one normal eats curry mee with fried pork lard but Tony is Tony lah... Nice - crisp, crunchy with porky taste in the grease.
Recommended for you👍 Really good and cheap chicken curry mee you must try if you are a curry fan. Sweet, very lemak, mild spices. I shall be back for more Cantonese Delights dishes.
Restaurant name: Cantonese Delights 广东家乡小吃 Address: Hong Lim Food Centre, #02-03, 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531 GPS: 1.284966, 103.846049 🌐 1°17'05.9"N 103°50'45.8"E Hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm Non Halal Date visited: 28 Jan 2019
