Closed - Bojary Rice and Seafood Tomyam @ Paws & Catz Café in Taman Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru

I was at Permas Jaya today and decided to try out Paws & Catz Café at Permas Mall.

I was there at 2:30pm, well past the lunch hour, but fortunately Paws & Catz Café serves any customers that turn up between noon and 11:00pm.

The interior of Paws & Catz Café is neat and simple with charming chandeliers adding a classy touch. There is also al fresco dining in the open space outside which is shielded from the elements overhead by a high roof.

Chef Azmi preparing the Bojary rice and tomyam J

I was a little bewildered by Paws & Catz's extensive menu which had many fusion dishes that are unfamiliar to me. With the help of the boss, Catherine, I picked their Bojary rice with prawn and calamari in salted egg sauce. I also ordered a Bangkok seafood tomyam soup to go with the rice.

I love dishes that have salted eggs in them, be it crabs cooked in salted egg gravy, lobsters in salted egg sauce, or moon cakes stuffed with salted egg yokes. So, this Bojary rice with fresh prawns and calamari cooked in a thick gravy with distinctive notes and texture of salted eggs, just hit the right chords with my palate.

The Bojary rice and prawns and calamari were also prepared with a potpourri of aromatic spices, making each mouthful like a mini adventure that excited my taste buds and olfactory senses.

Paws & Catz's tomyam soup is unique in that it is not the usual clear spicy soup but is creamy and milky. The staff will ask customers who order the tomyam, how spicy would they like their soup. Customers can have the spiciness "made to order". I boldly ordered "very spicy" and got really hot soup J - which is lovely. I like to feel a little pain on my tongue and throat - that's just me J

I am actually not very fond of traditional tomyam soup which is clear and spicy as I like my spicy soup laced with a little lemakness aka like curry lasak. So this Paws & Catz rendition of smooth and milky tomyam is like the answer that I was always looking for in a tomyam that I would enjoy.

The Bojary rice with prawns and calamari was RM28.90 while the Bangkok seafood tomyam was RM16.90.  Paws & Catz is offering a 25% on the menu, so it is competitively priced for comparable restaurants.

My first venture into fusion food in Johor turned out a positive experience J  I've heard friends raving about the lamb shank in Paws & Catz . Shall try that at my next visit.


Restaurant name: Paws & Catz Café
Address: G-06, Jalan Permas Utara, Parmas Mall, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/6ggL
GPS: 1.497188,103.816975
Hours: Noon to 11:00pm
No pork, no lard

Date: 2 July 2012