Johor Kaki Travels for Food

Monday, 20 August 2018

Ngoh Curry Puff @ Dessert House in Golden Mile Tower Singapore 娥姐咖哩角卜

Buddy Milton has been looking for the best curry puff in Singapore. One of the best he has found so far is under the media radar, at the basement of Golden Mile Tower.

Wild Boar Meat in Pontian. The Wild "Iberico" Pork of Johor ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What does wild boar meat tastes like? Most people would think that it would be fibrous and gamey - not very nice and far from domesticated pork. Well, I thought so too after trying several wild boar places in Johor - good as a novelty but hardly something for everyday meals. But, that's before I tasted the Watermelon Boar 西瓜猪 of Pontian. That tastes like Spain's Iberico pork, no kidding.

A comforting soup is like a big bear hug.
It warms you up from the inside out.

It lights up your eyes and makes you smile.

Qinhu National Wetland & Medicine Buddha near Taizhou in Jiangsu, China

We visited Qinhu National Wetland Park 溱湖国家湿地公园 on the way from Nantong to Taizhou during our 7-day tour of Jiangsu, China. The wetland park is located in the northeast part of Jiangyan District, Taizhou City. The beautiful park is easily accessible by car from Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Changzhou, and Nantong - all within 2 hours of driving.

Omakase is a special kind of fun dining. Friends, good food, drinks and chefs all together, laughing all through our 3 hour lunch (it didn't seemed we were there that long 😄 ). Hana Hana 華花 Japanese Restaurant have this omakase lunch only from 1:30pm on Friday and Saturday - I can't think of many better ways to have a great time together with friends.

Sanford Mineral Water Springs from Bintan to the World Beyond

When you are in Batam and Bintan (Riau Islands in Indonesia), you will see Sanford mineral water everywhere in hotels, coffee shops, ferry boats, provision shops, supermarkets etc. Sanford mineral water produced in Batam and Bintan has the biggest market share there and is still growing.

East Treasure Chinese Restaurant in Joo Chiat Singapore 东宝之卧虎藏龙

We gathered at the newly opened East Treasure Chinese Restaurant 东宝之卧虎藏龙 in Joo Chiat Singapore. The comfortable restaurant have a few tasty unique signature dishes which use good quality fresh ingredients, and are well executed yet prices are friendly to the wallet.

Ah Koong Fishball at Taman Sentosa Johor Bahru 亚坤纯正西刀鱼丸

Ah Koong Fishball Noodle is like an old family friend. It was my father, a true Johor kaki, who first brought me to the restaurant in Taman Sentosa in 1990 JB. Often, when I was at work, my dad would bring my toddlers from Singapore to JB for day trips. Ah Koong Fishball was a regular stopover. My dad and the kids like the comfortable environment and the fried fish cake.

Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih Cafe in Taman Sentosa Johor Bahru 亜利太平糕

Buddy Jeff mentioned Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih to me before but I couldn't find them at their old address at Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre. Yesterday, buddy KC alerted me that Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih is now in Taman Sentosa, a few shops away from Ah Koong (fishball noodle shop popular with Singaporeans). Lost & Found - it's good to have JB foodie buddies 😄

Breakfast at Tin & Tin (Cathay) Hainanese Beef Noodle stall at Shang Ji coffee shop near the JB CIQ. There are probably at most 5 beef noodle stalls in Johor Bahru now.

Fei Fei Crab 肥肥蟹 in Plaza Sentosa Johor Bahru. Got More Pattern than Badminton

When I was living in Kuala Lumpur, one of my memorable dining experiences was their specialist crab restaurants - they do crabs in many different flavours just like those roti prata shops that do prata in "more pattern than badminton" as we say in Singlish. Now one of them, Fei Fei Crab have come to Johor Bahru (for one year already actually).

Iberico Pork Bak Kut Teh @ Restoran Kota Zheng Zong in Sentosa Johor Bahru

Friends in JB have been raving about it, since Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh launched their Iberico pork rib BKT last month. Truth be told, I was skeptical as the fad of substituting "normal" pork in traditional Chinese dishes with Iberico pork had been raging for some time. I've tasted Iberico pork char siew in a few places and it didn't work well for me. But, after trying the Iberico pork rib BKT at Kota Zheng Zong, I agree that Spanish pork really took BKT to the next level. The price premium was rather hefty though.

San Lou Dry Bee Hoon Creator Ah Kaw @ Restoran Ah Kaw 亚九咖喱鱼头

San Lou Dry Bee Hoon 三楼干米粉 is one of Johor Bahru's iconic dishes. I first tasted and blogged about JB San Lou Dry Bee Hoon in 2011, and have eaten it numerous times since. Since 2011, I had hoped to interview Ah Kaw 亚九, the creator of JB San Lou Dry Fried Bee Hoon. I finally met the legendary hawker today, after more than 7 years.

Singapore’s national day is here, August 9th. Canada Day was a month ago, July 1st.

Why am I mentioning these dates and what do these countries have in common?

Sentosa Mee Hoon Kueh in Taman Molek JB 大豐麵粉粿 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Checked in for late lunch at 大豐麵粉粿 Kedai Makanan Mee Hoon Kueh in Taman Molek, Johor Bahru. 大豐麵粉粿 started in 1986 as a push cart stall in Taman Sentosa. Thirty two years on, it is still one of the top mee hoon kueh shops in JB. I like 大豐麵粉粿's mee hoon kueh because it is staidly old school Hokkien.