About Tony Boey Johor Kaki Food Blogger

What is Johor Kaki about?

I am on a quest to understand how food connects people and places across time, especially in Singapore, Johor, Malacca and Riau islands.

Tony Cafe Famous Fried Chicken Wing & Meat Ball @ The Adelphi near City Hall MRT Station

Tony Cafe have been on my eat-list since reading buddy Jill's hilarious post about how Tony Cafe's boss won't let her have more than one fried meat ball even though she was a long time regular 😄 Her story made me super curious about what is so good about Tony Cafe's fried meat ball 😂

Remember Empress Place Food Centre @ Singapore River? Opened 1973, Demolished 1993

Empress Place Food Centre opened in 1973 and was demolished in 1993 to make way for development at Singapore River. (Image courtesy of NAS.)

(Note: This is not the Empress Road Market & Food Centre near Farrer Road MRT station which still exists.)

Geylang Laksa Prawn Noodles @ 45 Sims Drive, Sheng Hui Coffee Shop

We were on a food trail at block 45 Sims Drive, Sheng Hui coffee shop. Geylang Laksa Prawn Noodles (Since 1964) stall wasn't on our eat-list but we bumped into another buddy Kwok Peng who pointed it out to us. Turned out that this was the most memorable dish I had at this stop 😄

Super Loco Mexican Restaurant & Bar @ Robertson Quay. Brunch in Singapore

We had a nice chill out Saturday morning brunch at Super Loco Mexican restaurant at Robertson Quay of Singapore River.

Dumplings RU. One & Only Russian Restaurant in Singapore. Menu & Review

Today, I joined the Russians in indulging in their comfort food and vodka in the only Russian restaurant in Singapore.

Singapore River Fengshui. Belly of the Carp & Dragon Gate 鲤鱼跳龙门

When you look at a map of Singapore River, you will see the shape of a fish with Boat Quay looking like the bulging belly of a fertile female carp. Image courtesy of Flickr.

Nasi Briyani Dubai Express @ Sims Vista near Aljunid MRT Station

Thanks to buddy Tony Tan for introducing me to this under-the-radar nasi biryani stall - Dubai Express at Sims Vista Market & Food Centre.

Origin & Father of Bak Chor Mee. Singapore Hawker Culture Heritage 新加坡肉脞面的历史.驼背面

Bak chor mee or minced meat noodle stalls are everywhere in Singapore, yet are less heralded than chicken rice, bak kut teh, Nyonya laksa etc. The humble bak chor mee has been in Singapore for nearly 100 years though its present forms have evolved much from its original version. The original, that "father of bak chor mee" is a uniquely Singapore dish, a truly intangible cultural heritage.

Amazing Her Kiao Fish Dumplings @ Chao Yang Fishball Noodle. Eunos MRT Hawker Centre

I am excited to share with you a new find I stumbled upon today at Eunos Crescent Hawker Centre - Chao Yang Fishball Noodle 潮阳手工鱼丸粿条面汤.

Back to Basics Wee's Prawn Mee @ Wee's Family Coffee Shop near Kaki Bukit MRT Station 🦐

In today's Singapore, prawn noodle is a popular dish but there seems to be an obsession with big, big, big. Big prawns, big umami kick, big portions. I love today's big, big, big style too but find going back to basics sometimes refreshing and just as satisfying. For a delicious, down-to-earth prawn mee, I go to Wee's Family Coffeeshop at block 117, Bedok Reservoir Road.

Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau. Rare Singapore Hawker Dish #2 生成豆干包

Today, Sylvia my avid foodie friend showed me her long time favourite Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau. It is a vanishing Singapore hawker dish and it would be a pity if it disappears as it is so delicious.

What is the Difference between Singapore & Johor Teochew Bak Kut Teh?

Clear peppery, Teochew bak kut teh is synonymous with Singapore bak kut teh. Across the Causeway in "Little Swatow" or Johor Bahru, Teochew bak kut teh soup is brownish savoury herbal. Looking at the two bak kut teh, some people may be surprised to hear that they are both Teochew bak kut teh sharing the same roots.

How did the siblings turned out so differently? 🤷‍♂️

Famous Eunos BCM Bak Chor Mee. 100 Years of Soup Minced Pork Noodles in Singapore

Today, I stuffed myself with delicious Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee and listened in rapture about minced pork noodle's one hundred year history in Singapore. (I got more research to do, but here's the first instalment.)

Mystery of Keramat Sultan Iskandar Shah @ Fort Canning Park. Oldest Religious Monument in Singapore

Keramat Iskandar Shah at Fort Canning Park is a shrine dedicated to Sultan Iskandar Shah who was the last king of Singapura and the first Sultan of the Malacca Sultanate.

Rare Singapore Hawker Dish #1. Lo Kai Yik 南乳卤鸡翼

Nam Yue Lo Kai Yik which means "Blue Bean Curd Stewed Chicken Wing" in Cantonese is sold at only 2, yes T. W. O., 2 ✌ hawker stalls in Singapore. Most locals go to Charlie's Peranakan Food stall at the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre for their Lo Kai Yik fix. (Another Lo Kai Yik stall is Lo Mei Specialist at People's Park Food Centre.)

Honolulu Cafe Egg Tart & Milk Tea @ Centrepoint Orchard Road

After a heavy lunch and some shopping, we went to Honolulu Cafe at Centrepoint for the obligatory pit stop. I can never resist a good Hong Kong milk tea and egg tart, but this was my first time at Honolulu Cafe.

Singapore Treaty 1819. Nine Days that Changed the Fate of Singapore

In 1819, Raffles signed the Singapore Treaty with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul Rahman of the Johor Sultanate which changed the fate of Singapore forever.

Samsui Chicken @ Keng Eng Kee Seafood. Legacy of Singapore's Samsui Women

Samsui chicken is a seldom seen variant of the ubiquitous chicken rice in Singapore. Only the Soup Restaurant chain has Samsui chicken on its regular menu, while Keng Eng Kee Seafood at Bukit Merah Lane 1 have it on pre-order basis ☎ 6272 1038.

Little Bangladesh Food Trail @ Desker Road Singapore

Today, we had a most interesting day in Singapore's unofficial "Little Bangladesh" with Jason and Alexandra (known to her friends as Alex).

Roast Suckling Pig from Yan Chuan Roaster Centre @ Ubi Ave 2

We had the famous cheap and good roast piglet from Yan Chuan Roaster @ 3020 Ubi Ave 2. I enjoyed it.

Jade Palace Restaurant @ Forum The Shopping Mall. Hong Kong Cuisine in the Heart of Singapore

You know, when we want to find a nice restaurant nowadays, we instinctively reach for our phones (how did relying on a digital sidekick become a human instinct so quickly?🤔). I've often heard it said that in this day and age, if something is not on the worldwide web, it doesn't exist.

Well, today I am reminded again that we haven't quite reached that stage yet - but heading there. There still exist nice restaurants and places that people in the know, know...., but have a low social media or internet presence. Jade Palace @ Forum is one such fine restaurant.

Puri-Puri SG Beyond Japanese Rice Bowls @ 161 Lavender. Menu & Review

Jimmy suggested Puri-Puri at 161 Lavender Street for our meet up.

Hainan vs YouFu. Tale of 2 Famous Hokkien Mee @ Golden Mile Food Centre

There are two popular Hokkien mee stalls now in Golden Mile Food Centre - Hainan Hokkien Prawn Mee which have been around for some 30 years and YouFu Hokkien Prawn Mee which started less than 6 months ago here.

Best Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice @ Golden Mile Hawker Centre Actually

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is the most popular chicken rice stall in Golden Mile Food Centre. It tastes good and is one of the cheapest chicken rice in Singapore, starting at $2.50 a serving.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay Buffet. All You Can Eat A La Carte Zi Char for $19 Every Weds

Makansutra Gluttons Bay has a simple plan to make happy gluttons of everyone on Wednesdays at the famous bay side Singapore street food haven.

History of Teochew Cuisine & Hawker Culture in Singapore

Teochew make up just 20% of Chinese population in Singapore but Teochew cuisine have a prominence in Singapore's food culture well beyond their numbers. Teochew dishes like char kway teow, bak chor mee, bak kut teh, kway chap, orh luak, fishball noodles, etc are flag bearers of Singapore hawker culture.

Singapore Foraging Diary. Edible Wild in our Concrete Jungle

It is fun spotting edible wild leaves, flowers and fruits in Singapore's concrete jungle. In this foraging dairy, I document the edible wilds that I stumble upon in public places, living in Singapore.

Best Kolo Mee in Singapore. Not Only I Say. Even Sarawak People Also 😝

Many people who have been to Kuching, Miri or Sibu would come home with a craving for kolo mee, what more Sarawakians away from home, like those living in Singapore. Where is the best kolo mee in Singapore then? 🤷‍♂️

Why ask a Singaporean who goes by the moniker Johor Kaki when you can have true blue Sarawakians tell you where they get their kolo mee fix here 💪

Chinese Ocean Curry Fish Head @ Toa Payoh Lor 4

Nice Chinese style curry fish head with sweetish, slightly tangy curry and mild heat. Served bubbly hot in a claypot with ocean fresh Ang Ko Li 紅戈里 (gold band sea bream) and loads of vegetables.

Foraging Edible Wild Fruits & Flowers @ Dempsey Hill. Fun Way to Clock 10,000 Steps

When I was a boy in 1970s Singapore, one of my favourite pastimes was to follow uncle Teo around Singapore spotting wild flowers. Today, I relived my childhood following chef Isaac Henry spotting wild edible leaves, flowers and fruits around Dempsey Hill.