Closed. Penang Char Kway Teow and Chai Tow Kway at 7 Baker Cafe in Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru

I have been on the constant look out for good Penang Char Kway Teow and Chai Tow Kway because there ain't many in Johor Bahru. I am so glad that my friends Edey and Marco brought me to their regular lunch hangout, 7 Baker Cafe in Taman Impian Emas, to try out their fried carrot cake or chai tow kway.



I was delighted with the mouth feel and taste of 7 Baker cafe's chai tow kway. The kway (carrot cake) was tender and each bite releases the subtle flavour of radish in the cake. At 7 Baker, the chai tow kway is fried with crunchy taugeh or bean sprouts and a savoury sauce. I have tried several other chai tow kway stalls across Johor but most were let down by the poor quality of the kway used - they were mostly stiff and tasteless as very little radish was used. 7 Baker's chai tow kway is definitely worth trying.



I chatted with Mr. Ng, the owner and asked him why is his shop named "7 Baker". Mr Ng shared that it is because "7" is his lucky number. Mr. Ng also told me that his family is originally from Penang, hence, there is a selection of traditional Penang dishes in 7 Baker's menu. As we were leaving, Mr. Ng invited us to come back soon to try his Penang char kway teow. "Our Penang char kway teow is very good" he said with visible pride.

I was so impressed with 7 Baker Cafe's chai tow kway that I returned to the cafe 2 days later, eager to try out their char kway teow.



7 Baker cafe's Penang char kway teow was indeed excellent, just as Mr. Ng had said. The kway teow was tender, not overly oily and coated with a savoury, subtly prawny sauce. The plump beansprouts were done just right and were juicy and crunchy. I am glad that I found another good fried kway teow in JB that I would recommend.



Mr. Ng said that good char kway teow has to be fried plate by plate, one at a time - there can be no short cuts. I agree with Mr. Ng wholeheartedly. As 7 Baker Cafe is run by just Mr. and Mrs. Ng, and as Mrs. Ng fries the char kway teow one plate at a time, waiting time may be a little longer during peak hours. 



We also tried 7 Baker's fried prawn mee. This dish is a unique 7 Baker Cafe creation - it is actually the usual Penang prawn mee soup but fried with the same prawny broth. Personally, I found it good though I was not bowled over. Edey enjoyed it a lot more than me because he likes the flavour of the prawny gravy :))



I must mention 7 Baker cafe's sambal chili. Made at the shop with shrimps, dried shrimps and chili, the sambal is used in all their Penang dishes. 7 Baker's sambal has just the right spiciness and a rich umami flavour from the shrimps. 7 Baker's sambal chili makes every dish better.

All these dishes, the Penang char kway teow, chai tow kway and fried prawn mee, all costs RM6 each.  

If you are a char kway teow or chai tow kway fan, I suggest giving 7 Baker a try :) 7 Baker also serves coffee and a wide range of breads and cakes which I would like to try at my next visit.



Restaurant name: 7 Baker Cafeteria
Address: 45, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/NJ1S2
GPS: 1.542545,103.687114
Hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date  visited: 10 May 2013, 13 May 2013