One Day Johor Bahru Food Trail December 2013

After the last One Day Johor Bahru Food Trail in March 2013 together with Tony and Maureen, the three of us finally has time to organise another trip across the causeway to check out the food scene in our neighbouring country. It was another full day trip filled with delicious food and great company.

Our first stop brought us to Taman Tasek Guo Tian Zi (南滨园粿条仔). In our previous trip, Tony has shared with us that Kway Teow Kia is staple dish of Johor Bahru where you can't really find it elsewhere in Malaysia. Kway Teow Kia is actually quite similar to our Kway Chap in Singapore except that the kway is thinner and firmer.

Kway Teow Kia 4.2/5

The problem with eating innards is that it has a gamy smell if it is not cleaned probably which I did not get from Taman Tasek Guo Tian Zi (南滨园粿条仔). It shows the hard work behind the dishes. Unlike the kway teow kia I have tried in the previous trip, the braising is lighter allowing the natural flavour of the ingredients to shine. The meal cost $18 ringgit.

Taman Tasek Guo Tian Zi (南滨园粿条仔)
Address: Taman Tasek, Johor Bahru (near the Maybank branch) [Map]

Opening hour:
Daily: 7am - 2pm

Next stop Tony brought us to this popular braised duck stall, Da Jia Fa Duck (八里半大家发鸭肉) which is interestingly located under a big tree. There are many photos of the owner with celebrities and politicians hanging around the restaurants as well as all the media coverage. Accordingly to one of the article in the framed newspaper interview, he used quite a number of herbs to braise the duck and he only uses duck that is more than 3kg.

Duck Neck 4.2/5

Duck Meat 3.5/5

I enjoyed the duck neck which is very tender and flavourful. For the duck meat, I found it a bit too dry for my liking.

Pig's Blood 4/5

According to Tony, in Johor Bahru there were some changes to food regulation and hence you can't get duck blood now. My disappointment is substituted with this delectable bowl of pig's blood which we can't get it in Singapore anymore. Te meal came to about $34.50 ringgit.

Da Jia Fa Duck (八里半大家发鸭肉)
Address: Jalan Kilang Nenas (Jalan Skudai Batu near Lee Pineapple Factory and SJK Kuo Kuang school). [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 830am - 4pm

After 2 heavy meals kickstarting our Johor Bahru Food Trail, we slowed things down a bit to reserve our stomach for more good food. Hence we went to Restoran You Kee XO Enterprise (友记XO烧腊之家) for some herbal soup.

Herbal Soup 4/5

The herbal soup here is brewed in the 2 giant size earthen urns outside the shop by slow burning charcoal at the bottom. Upon order, the staff will retrieve the smaller pot of soup from the urn and serve. We had the Don Chong Cao Herbal Soup which cost $28 ringgit.

Restoran You Kee XO Enterprise
Address: 93 Jalan Pendekar 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Sukdai, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

In our previous trip, we wanted to try the chee cheong fan in Johor Bahru but I think we were too full to do so. I am glad that Tony brought us to Restoran G.Cheong Fun (金宝手工猪肠粉) and I got to try the different style of chee cheong fun compared to Singapore.

Chee Cheong Fan 4.2/5

The Chee Cheong Fan here is thinner and thicker with a nice bite. Instead of sweet sauce, it is drenched with a curry gravy. More interesting is people here eats chee cheong fan with side dishes. We ordered the pig skins with long beans and cockles to go with the chee cheong fan.

Three Colour Milk Tea 4/5

Another new for me is this drink called Three Colour Milk Tea (三色奶茶) which is tea with evaporated milk and gula melaka. It is a very sweet drink but super shiok. We paid $17 ringgit for the meal.

Restoran G.Cheong Fun (金宝手工猪肠粉)
Address: 176 Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630am - 1pm (Closed on Tue)

Next stop was Restoran Chin Chin (晶晶云吞面) for the wanton mee. It is understand that they handmade their own noodles. Looking at the crowd, it seems like their wanton mee is pretty well received.

Wanton Mee 3.8/5

Can't say much about the char siew but their egg noodles were really springy. The bowl of char siew wanton mee costs $4.50 ringgit.

Restoran Chin Chin (晶晶云吞面)
Junction of Jalan Lawang and Jalan Kaloi, Skudai (next to MPJBT). [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 4pm (Closed on Thur)

After wanton mee, we made a quick stop at 士乃糕点 to pick up some kueh to bring back to Singapore. The stall is located at Kim Wah kopitiam next to the overhead pedestrian bridge. I was pretty fascinated by the different selections of kueh they are selling.

士乃糕点 (at Kim Wah Kopitiam next to overhead pedestrian bridge)
Address: Jalan Senai 10, Kampung Baru, Senai, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am to 3pm (Closed on Wed)

What brought us to Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock (兴福肉骨茶) is not the bak kut teh but the poached fish. The bak kut teh is quite popular with the local but I did not like the style that is served here.

Poached Fish with Fried Garlic 4.2/5

Using fresh fish from Pontian, the fish is dipped into boiling water and served in a bed of golden brown fried garlic, spring onions and a savory soy sauce. This is really very good with each mouthful filled with the freshness of the fish and aroma of the fried garlic.

Sweet Potato Leaves 4/5

Tofu 4.2/5

The eatery also served other cooked dishes such as the sweet potato leaves and tofu. All are very delectable dishes that came with very yummy sauce.

Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock (兴福肉骨茶)
Address: 74 Jalan Dato Toh Ah Boon, 81200 Tampoi, Johor [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 830am - 430pm (Closed on Mon)

I am glad that we have Tony as our guide as we get to visit Restoran Sam Kong (三江饭店) which is one of the oldest laksa in Johor Bahru since 1930s. Now in the 3rd generation, the restaurant is run by Mr Yong. The soul of the laksa, the broth is prepared daily using the same recipe handed down by his grandfather such as garlic, lemon grass, shallots and other ingredients.

Laksa 4.5/5

The bowl of Laksa comes with generous ingredients such as fishball, fish maw, cockles and tofu stuffed with fish paste. The smooth and springy beehoon was partially cooked and air dried, upon servicing it is then blanched with the laksa broth. Lots of thoughts and efforts into a single bowl of laksa. No matter it is so popular and famous.

Fishball 4.5/5

The last time I have fishball in Johor Baru, I did not enjoyed it because I felt that there were too much flour and not bouncy. The handmade fishball at Sam Kong is quite different. It is packed with fresh fish paste where the ratio of fish is more than flour. May not be as bouncy but had a nice chewy bite that is quite similar to eating sotong ball. No wonder Tony ordered a separate bowl of fishballs for us to try. We spent $14 ringgit here.

Restoran Sam Kong (三江饭店)
8-H, Jalan Ungku Mohsin, Kampung Ungku Mohsin, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm (Closed on Mon)

After conquering 8 places in a single day, we need to take a break and recharge so Tony broough us Cafe Niniq to have cakes and coffee. The cafe is really nice and it shows that the food and beverage scene in Johor Bahru has also evolving with more western influence. Unfortunately I forgot to take picture of the cakes and pastries we had. You can find out more from Tony or Maureen's blog. We spent $48.80 ringgit here.

Niniq Bistro & Bakery
52, Jalan Setia Tropika 1/24, Taman Setia Tropika, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm (Closed on Sun)

We were already having a bit of food coma after all the food in a single day. Since we still have dinner to go, we decided to go for some desserts first. Moshi Moshi is known for the handmade ice cream. It seems like the place is opened up by 4 good friends with themselves as the ambassadors of the cafe.

Can't really remember what exactly is this called but the bowl of grass jelly, red beans and tapioca balls topped with a scoop of black sesame ice cream is quite similar to those Taiwanese dessert.

Moshi Waffle 4.5/5

What caught my attention is their waffle. It comes with a chewy texture like mochi and yet still has that buttery flavour. We were asking ourselves why no one in Singapore is serving this?

Moshi Moshi
19 Jalan Mutiara Emas 10/19, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 1130pm

Boneless Chicken Wing 4.2/5

For dinner, we went to the stretch of restaurants at Taman Sentosa to have zichar. Food was not fantastic so I will not recommend it. However, there is something that is rather interesting along the stretch of restaurants selling these Boneless Chicken Wing. The way they skewered the chicken wing made it quite easy to eat. The chicken wing was also very fragrant with all the seasoning and spices grilled over charcoal fire.

For those that is interested in Johor food, you can check out Tony's blog. I like to take the opportunity to thank Tony for the time showing us the great food in Johor Bahru again. Am already looking forward to the next one.

FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition

Embark on an epicurean journey on 28 September 2013 to six leading restaurants in Singapore organised by FIJI Water for a charity trail whereby full proceedings from the ticket sales will be donated to the Children's Cancer Foundation. The first ever FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition will take guests across the island in one afternoon to sample signature dishes handpicked by leading local food critics such as Wong Ah Yoke from Straits Times Life! and Don Mendoza from TODAY.

Each signature dish will be paired with a wine and comes with free flow of FIJI Water. Participants will be chauffeured in a luxurious coach to Tippling Club, Fat Cow, Absinthe, The Pelican, Prive Grill and Hashi for the ultimate gourmand's road trip.

Limited to 80 Seats ONLY! Grab your ticket fast.

Date: 28 September 2013
Time: 12 noon to 6pm
Price: $180 per ticket available from www.tuckshop.sg

The Expedition Menu
- Foie Gras Terrine with Warm Brioche by Chef Francois Mermilliod, Absinthe (Served with a glass of Konrad Gewurztraminer 2013)

- Fresh Live Prawn, Hokkaido Scallop and Mixed Vegetable with Japanese Jelly by Chef Tadashi Takahashi, Hashi (Served with a glass of Evolucion Chardonnay 2011)

- Pigeon, celery, quinoa, goats curd by Chef Ryan Clift (Served with a glass of Mount Fishtail Pinot Noir 2008)

- Wagyu No Kakuni by Chef Dan Segall, Fat Cow (Served with a glass of Konrad Gruner Veltliner 2011)

- The Pelican Lobster Thermidor by Chef Issac Tan, The Pelican (Served with a glass of Chateau Timberlay Rouge 2008)

- Hokkaido Corn and Shrimp Fritter with Lime Aioli by Chef Robin Ho, Privé Grill (Served with Konrad Riesling 2009)

Nostalgic 1960s Food Trail

My humble food blog SG Food on Foot has been shortlisted as one of the Top 10 finalists for OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2013 Best Food Blog category for the second consecutive years. First and foremost a big thank you to all the fans, supporters and friends for making this journey possible. It is a recognition I would like to share it with each and everyone of you. If you are interested how I started this blog you can read about it here.

To vote for my blog, you need to register and vote at OMY Singapore Blog Awards 2013 website at http://sgblogawards.omy.sg/2013/category/?cat=food

For this year's finalists, there is a new challenge set by the organiser. We need to write a blog post in line with the 60s theme this year. Since my blog is about finding food experience near MRT stations, I have decided to go on a Nostalgic 1960s Food Trail around the island to find tradition 60s flavours near the MRT stations.

I hope you will enjoyed the Nostalgic 1960s Food Trail which I have put together. I have enjoyed myself checking out these places. The trail has been an educational journey for me into Singapore food culture and history.

XI DE LI (西得利) since 1966

Traditional Taste for the New Millennium that reads on the signboard, how fitting to kick starts the Nostalgic Food Trail at Xi De Li Snacks. It all began from a 10 years boy selling You Tiao and Hum Chin Pang (Buttery Bun) from his bicycle at Beo Crescent in the morning before rushing off to be on time for school. The founder Ah Sai (addressed by his neigbours and friends) has since passed down the business to his 3 children. Business has since expanded with 9 branches island wide with a central factory in Kaki Bukit. This outlet at Clementi is their main branch. Besides You Tiao and Hum Chin Pang, Xi De LI also offers red bean bun, salted bun, sesame balls, mix fritters and curry puffs at their branches now.

Xi De Li (西得利)
Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre
Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3
#01-39
Singapore 120448
Tel: +65 67499018
Website: http://www.xideli.com.sg/index.html
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 4pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the bus stop and turn right to the cluster of HDB blocks behind. Journey time about 3 minutes.

Delicious Duck Noodle (美味鸭面) since 1969

If you are still hungry after coffee and You Tiao. The next stop brings us to one of the earliest HDB estate and hawker centre in Singapore. Founded by Mr Chua's father in law back in 60s selling the braised duck noodles dish to coolies and workers at Teochew Street in Clark Quay. The stall is now run by Mr Chua and his wife, you can find him waking up at midnight and braising and simmering the delicious Teochew style duck at his stall at 2am.

Delicious Duck Noodle (美味鸭面)
Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre
48A Tanglin Halt Road
Stall No. 23
Singapore 148813
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 4am - 2pm
(Closed on Mon and Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Sheng Siong supermarket. Turn right at Sheng Siong supermarket. Cross the traffic light at Tanglin Halt Road and walk towards destination. Journey time about 3 minutes.

FOSTERS STEAKHOUSE since 1960

Singapore used to be under British control before merging with Malaysia in 1963 and eventually becomes an independent country in 1965. Hence it is inevitable that there were restaurants serving the British citizens in Singapore. For lunch, we are going to walk down memory lane to a ode charm classic English steakhouse, Fosters Steakhouse since 1960. Fosters Steakhouse was first established at 25 Amber Mansion of old Orchard. Moving another 2 times to Specialists Shopping Centre and Palais Renaissance before settling down at the current venue, tucked at a corner of Holland Village.

Fosters Steakhouse
Holland Village
277 Holland Ave
Singapore 278994
Tel: +65 64668939
Website: http://www.fosters-restaurant.com/
Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. At the exit, turn right and walk to the end of the shop houses. Journey time about 3 minutes.

RI YE XIANG (日夜香) since 1965

For some light bites after the heavy lunch, the next stop brings us to Ri Ye Xiang (日夜香) since 1965. Mr Edward Koh has been preparing Rojak since the age of 20. With 48 years of history, Ri Ye Xiang probably is one of the oldest surviving rojak stalls in Singapore. Rojak which means mixed in Malay is a dish born from our cultural diversity of Singapore incorporating both Chinese and Malays elements in the ingredients.

Ri Ye Xiang (日夜香)
Kopitiam
Blk 450 Clementi Ave 3
Singapore 120540
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 3pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight towards CityVibe and continue straight to block 450. Journey time about 3 minutes.

HILLMAN RESTAURANT (喜临门大饭店) since 1963

Dinner for the day which is also our last stop of the Nostalgic Food Trail brings us to Hillman Restaurant since 1963 founded by the late Mr Wong Lin Ooh and Madam Chan Ah Chee located along Cantonment Road (now the Pinnacle at Duxton) serving Cantonese Claypot cuisines before moving to the current location in 2003. Ironically, this is where the late Madam Chan started her roadside hawking days back in the early 1940s. The restaurant has won many recognition and awards in the culinary industry and it is currently run by the 2nd and 3rd generations.

Hillman Restaurant (喜临门大饭店)
135 Kitchener Road
Singapore 208518
Tel: +65 62215073
Website: http://www.hillmanrestaurant.com
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit I. Cut across City Square Mall to the exit to Kitchener Road. Cross the traffic junction and turn left onto Kitchener Road. Journey time about 8 minutes.

One Day Johor Bahru Food Trail March 2013

I got to know Tony aka Johorkaki last year when I asked him to write a guest post to introduce 5 of his favourite JB food places near the Malaysian immigration. Tony is a local Singaporean who blogs about JB food. He travels at least twice a week into Johor to check out new food places and shares it on his blog with fellow Singaporean and Malaysian readers. On a mission to introduce Johor food to the world, I am very happy to see Tony recently being awarded the winner for Malaysia Ministry of Tourism’s Malaysia International Fabulous Food 1Malaysia Blog Award 2013. That is a great achievement for a blog that is started slightly more than a year ago. Congratulation JohorKaki!

As you may know Maureen aka MissTamChiak and me have organised several hawker food trails and foodies gatherings, Tony has also joined us on a few occasions. It was at one of these gatherings we discussed about doing a Johor food trail and finally we put it to plan on 11 March 2013 on a Monday morning.

After meeting Tony at 8am, he drove us into Johor. Traffic was quite smooth since its a Monday morning and within 15 minutes we were at the other side of the causeway. Our first stop for breakfast was Bukit Chagar Roti Canai.

Roti Canai 4/5

Bukit Chagar Roti Canai has been around for more than 24 years. It only opens in the morning from 6am to 11am. Usually they will be sold out by 10am so be there early. We ordered both the plain and egg roti canai a total of 5 pieces which cost us around $8 ringgit. I preferred the plain roti canai over the egg one. The roti canai seems a bit more thicker compared to the one I have in Singapore. It had a nice crisp on the exterior but yet fluffy and airy inside.

Bukit Chagar Roti Canai 
Junction of Jalan Bukit Chagar and Jalan Ungku Aziz (Next to Pine View apartments and PDRM apartments. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 11am

Our next breakfast stop was at Restoran Tua Thow for their Teochew style Kway Teow Soup. The stall has been around for more than 30 years. Tony told us some people refer this place as Kway Teow Soup opposite Larkin Fire Station.

Kway Teow Soup 4.5/5

Kway Teow Soup 4.5/5

We ordered the big portion at $10 ringgit. The luxurious bowl of KwayTeow Soup has so many ingredients in it! There were prawn, fish maw, pork liver, pork kidney, lean meat, fishball, fish slice and meatball. I have never seen such generous servicing in Singapore. It felt like I am having a combo bowl of seafood plus pig's organs soup in Singapore. The soup was clear and sweet without the trace of MSG being used while the rice noodle was soft and smooth.

Restoran Tua Thow Kway Teow Soup
Susur 4, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak (Next to Shell petrol station, opposite Larkin Fire Station). [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 730am - 230pm (Closed on Fri)

Our next stop is TUTU area along a street of shophouses where many eateries are located. Tony has been raving about the famous fried durian fritter so we definitely must give it a try. It seems like Wah Cai has become a little celebrity in Johor Bahru being featured in numerous media and TV courage. Wah Cai uses a double fried method which gave the fried goodies an exterior crisp while retaining the freshness of the item inside.

Fried Durian Fritter 4.5/5

Fried Durian Fritter 4.5/5

I hate to admit it but I am totally sold. This is beyond awesome! Yes I maybe bias since I love durian but for the durian lovers out there you probably will stand by me. This is the real thing using premium durians (D24 and D101) that is further encased with a light batter deep fried but not stealing the limelight of the fruit giving it a whole new dimension of enjoying the king of fruit. The Fried Durian Fritter costs $2.50 ringgit a piece.

Fried 3-In-1 Nian Gao (Chinese Cake) 4.2/5

Fried 3-In-1 Nian Gao (Chinese Cake) 4.2/5

Fried Banana and Cempedak Fritter 4/5

While at the restaurant, we couldn't help ourselves to try the other fried goodies. The other signature item at Wah Cai is the 3-In-1 Fried Nian Gao ($1.50 ringgit per piece). It is called 3-In-1 because the Nian Gao is sandwiched by a slice of Yam and Sweet Potato. Wah Cai also supplies their Nian Gao to the stall at Malaysia Boleh at Jurong Point Singapore. Other delectable items are their Fried Banana Fritter ($1.50 ringgit per piece) and Fried Cempedak Fritter ($2.50 ringgit per piece).

Restoran Wah Cai (华仔炸年糕）
86, Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA), Skudai, 81300 Johar Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 430pm

At the same stretch of shop houses, just a few door steps away from Wah Cai is the popular Lai Kee Fish Ball Noodle. Lai Kee has been around since 1987. Lai Kee and Wah Cai both started in the same coffeeshop further down the street and now they have their own shops. Business at Lai Kee can be so good that you need to queue up for a good 30 minutes for a seat. The boss told us that weekends is their most busy period where queue is already formed before the shop opens at 7am.

Fish Ball Noodle Dry 3.8/5

Fish Ball Noodle Soup 3.8/5

We tried both the Fish Ball Noodle Dry and Soup ($4.50 ringgit each). Lai Kee uses only Ikan Parang (西刀鱼) to make their fish ball. Half machine and half hand made, the fish ball is dense and firm. For me the star is their fish cake which was very springy. If you like to have a taste of tradition, this has to be the place to come where the restaurant still fried their own pork lards, chilli, makes their own fish ball, fish cakes and pork ball every morning.

Restoran Lee Kai Fishball Noodle (来记西刀鱼丸）
90, Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA), Skudai, 81300 Johar Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 430pm

Our next stop was at 伍佰美食馆 where a 75 years old uncle, Mr Low from Fuzhou runs the restaurant with his wife and an old helper. Accordingly to Tony, this is the best Red Rice Wine Mee Sua (红糟鸡面线).

Red Rice Wine Mee Sua (红糟鸡面线) 4.8/5

I only tried Red Rice Wine Mee Sua (红糟鸡面线) once in Singapore from some food court stall and I regretted ordering it. If not for Maureen who is a big fan for red rice wine mee sua, I probably would have given this a miss. Thanks to Mr Low, Maureen and Tony, this bowl of awesomeness was worth  travelling all the way down to Johor Bahru for it. A medley of flavours sending my taste buds dancing with delights accompanied with tender chicken and smooth silky mee sua soaking up the essence of the tangy sweet broth.

Wanton Mee 3.5/5

The Wanton Mee here is also pretty good. Mr Low does not use a lot of sauce or gravy for his wanton mee unlike the Singapore version. It can be a bit dry for some but the star is the egg noodles. The restaurant makes the egg noodles themselves using duck eggs. The egg noodles seem to have a more firmer and springy texture compared to those commonly made from chicken eggs. The restaurant also serves spinach egg noodles.

Restoran Lima Ratus 
4, Jalan Undan 18, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 3pm (Closed on Wed)

After all the eating, we took a break and went for an hour foot reflexology before continuing the second half of our food trail. The second half starts with Teck Sing Paper Baked Herbal Chicken (德星药材纸包鸡).

Paper Baked Herbal Chicken 4.5/5

Wrapped in thick layers of parchment papers, the chicken was baked to tender soft with a nice subtle and sweet herbal taste. The aromatic Paper Baked Herbal Chicken ($18 ringgit) can be easily dissect and the meat fell off the bone with ease. The only slight disappointment was the use of kampong chicken that does not have much meat. Nevertheless, this is finger licking good.

Restaurant Teck Sing (德星药材纸包鸡)
3 & 5, Jalan Sutera Satu, Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm

After driving and eating around Johor Bahru for almost three quarter of the day, we headed to Taman Serene Hawker Centre opposite San Low Seafood Restaurant for some Ice Kachang and Rojak. Accordingly to Tony, Tan Kee Pelangi has been very popular with students for decades as it is near to the Chinese school. With the new location, the owner has renamed the new stall after their daughter as Joo Yee with the old name in bracket.

Ais Kachang 3.8/5

Like the Ice Kachang in Singapore the ice kachang at Joo Yee comes with an abundance of ingredients such as red beans, corns and attap seeds underneath the heap of crushed ice. So what is so special about the Ais Kachang (Ice Kachang in Malay)? It has to be the generous chocolate syrup topping. Accordingly to Tony, the stall makes their own chocolate syrup from cocoa powder and you can have unlimited serving of it.

Rojak 4.2/5

Joo Yee (Tan Kee Pelangi) not only sells dessert, the stall also sells Rojak. The Rojak only comes with grilled Youtiao and Tau Pok mixed with a savoury nutty sauce. While Maureen and Chuan Kai prefer the sweet sauce version, I enjoyed Joo Yee's savoury rojak. We sent $9 ringgit at the stall for the Ais Kachang and Rojak.

Joo Yee (Tan Kee Pelangi) 彩虹陈记
Jalan Biru (Stall in hawker centre opposite San Low seafood restaurant), Taman Serene, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 5pm

Tony was sharing with us since morning that Kway Teow Kia is a staple dish of Johor Bahru. For the whole day he was trying to bring us to one but most of them were closed on Monday. We finally managed to visit Restoran Woon Kiang (汶强粿條仔) which is open on Monday. For the whole day, I was wondering what is the difference between Kway Teow Soup and Kway Teow Kia and now I have my answer.

Kway Teow Kia 4/5

Kway Teow Kia 4/5

Kway Teow Kia is actually the same as our Kway Chap in Singapore. Except for the Kway which is narrow and firmer, the rest are pretty the same. You can order a varieties of dishes to go with the bowl of kway, mainly consists of pig innards and braised duck.

Restoran Woon Kiang (汶强粿條仔)
#G-06, Jalan Pandan 1, Pangsarpuri Impian, Stulang, Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6pm - midnight (Closed on Tues)

I have read about this mobile Pasar Malam thing in Johor Bahru that is set up at different places on different day of the week. Since it is a Monday, we headed down to Taman Century where the Pasar Malam stretches outside the KSL City Mall. It is quite a an interesting scene where vehicles are converted into stalls selling a whole varieties of stuff just in front of the residential houses.

Pasar Malam at Taman Century (Mondays Only)
Outside KSL City Mall. [Map]

Motorbike Penang Rojak

Tony was sharing with us that there is this uncle selling Penang Rojak on his motorbike next to Pelangi Shopping Centre. We didn't manage to find him earlier in the day but we are so lucky to spot him at the Pasar Malam.

Penang Rojak 4.2/5

Riding down on his motorbike to Johor to find a living, the rojak uncle has been selling his Penang Rojak on the same motorbike for the past 20 over years. Penang Rojak mainly consists of fruits and these are picked by the uncle every morning to ensure they are fresh and sweet. The gluey sweet and savoury sauce topped with grounded peanuts over the cut fruits was a heavenly enjoyment.

No Name Penang Rojak (Motorbike)
Along Jalan Maju next to Pelangi Shopping Centre in Taman Maju Jaya. [Map]

Opening Hours next to Pelangi Shopping Centre:
Mon-Tue: 1230pm - 345pm
Wed-Sun: 1230pm - 5pm
(Closed on Thur)

Black Carrot Cakes

Black Carrot Cakes 3.5/5

There was a long queue of customers at this mobile stall at the Pasar Malam and we couldn't help to buy a packet of the Black Carrot Cakes ($5 ringgit) to find it out ourselves. It was quite ordinary. The radish cake was rather mushy but I enjoyed the generous amount of eggs. It was also not too sweet which suits my palate.

Our last stop of the day was at Cedar Point Food Centre for supper. There were many stalls at the food centre but our limited stomach space prevented us from checking them all out. We settled for
Sin Kee Ikan Bakar to have grilled fish and some vegetables.

Four Heavenly Kings 3.5/5

Grilled Sambal Fish 3/5

We order both the Grilled Four Heavenly Kings and Sambal Fish for $28 ringgit. The grilled four heavenly kings were actually long beans, petai, lady's finger and kacang botol. The greens were fresh and crunchy. The fish we ordered the local called it the "chicken fish", not sure why but it was rather bland. Nevertheless, the sambal here is really good, fragrant but yet not too spicy.

Cedar Point Food Centre
Jalan Musang Bulan 2-16, Taman Century, 80250 Johor Bahru. [Map]

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6pm - Midnight

I would like to once again extend my thanks and appreciation to Tony for bringing us around and introducing to us the delicious Johor food. I am also attracted to the dedication and warm of the hawkers we have visited. I have learnt a lot in this trip. I hope this blog post will also serve as a guide for those who is interested to explore Johor.