Dropped in on Star Chef seafood restaurant 星名廚 at Gelang Patah yesterday. It has been more than half a year since my last visit.
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Star Chef Seafood Restaurant 星名廚 at Gelang Patah (near Legoland) in Johor
Dropped in on Star Chef seafood restaurant 星名廚 at Gelang Patah yesterday. It has been more than half a year since my last visit.
Ramadan Bazaar at Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor
Many readers suggested that I must go to the Ramadan bazaar at Taman Universiti, and so there I was yesterday. The bazaar at Jalan Kemuliaan 4 was huge! I estimated that there must be nearly 100 stalls at this bazaar.
The stall holders were very warm and friendly. There was much spontaneous laughter. A few stall holders and even passers-by offered me food for tasting like a guest at their home. The bazaar was packed but parking was easy and plentiful. There were even MPJBT (city council) officers helping to guide and marshal traffic :) I really enjoyed myself at this Ramadan bazaar.
Come with me for a quick tour of Taman Universiti's Ramadan bazaar.
I love ayam golek stalls :) I will always walk around and zero in on the ayam golek stand. I just love the sight of poles of succulent chicken, rotating over a large charcoal pit. The ayam golek stall is easy to spot - just look out for the biggest cloud of greasy white smoke bellowing from the stall.
Kacang pool is an Egyptian dish that has caught on in Johor. The thick chunky buttered bread is eaten with a thick gravy made with minced beef and broad beans topped with a soft cooked sunny side up.
There are several Ikan Bakar stalls - a popular spicy choice for breaking fast.
Catfish! I am a big fan of catfish :) Nicely seared outside, while inside, the sweet white meat is tender and juicy.
Roti Jala or net bread eaten with curry.
Makcik packing fragrant Nasi Kerabu, a Terengganu speciality of rice with herbs.
This Ramadan bazaar has the most number of roti canai and murtabak masters together in one place that I have seen so far - see how big they spread that dough.
Sup kambing stall.
BBQ chicken.
Ayam Percik, a Kelantanese favourite.
Satay :))
Roti John, the favourite food of many - found only in Malaysia and Singapore.
There is even chicken mandi here - Arabian style grilled chicken rice.
This nasi biryani looks great :)
Siham (cockles)!
Kupang or mussels.
There are lots more that you have to come down to see for yourself :)
I love Ramadan bazaars because everyone is so happy here and people from every community and all walks of life enjoy food together. It is also a convenient, one-stop place to enjoy many traditional local food made and served hot at very reasonable prices. Most of the stalls are ready to serve at 5:00pm.
There are many places to experience Ramadan bazaars in Johor Bahru:
- Bandar Baru Uda
- Bukit Indah (AEON Jusco)
- Kampung Melayu
- Pandan (S'mart, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/rWX0O, GPS: 1.533739,103.783121)
- Seri Alam
- Stadium Larkin
- Taman Perling (Perling Mall)
- Taman Universiti (Jalan Kemuliaan 4, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/uuWjl GPS: 1.529897,103.620249)
- Taman Dahlia
- Taman Johor
- Taman Suria (near Giant)
- Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (near Caltex petrol station)
- Taman Rinting (Jalan Sena)
- Taman Sri Pulai
- Tampoi (Plaza Angsana)
Pontian Wanton Mee - Uniquely Johor Twist to a Cantonese Classic
The Pontian style of wanton mee is unique and to me, it is one of the foods that make up the Johor brand of foods. (The others include foods like Laksa Johor, Mee Bandung Muar and Kway Teow Kia. More on these in future posts.)
Chocolate Durian Cake from Oh My Cakes in Permas Jaya (Home Bakeshop), Johor Bahru (Bryan is temporarily not taking orders for this durian cake).
Durian is that King of fruits that inspires men to do many things, including creating great art. Singapore has the Esplanade Theatre, and now in Johor Bahru, we have the Chocolate Durian cake from Oh My Cakes (OMC).
Both spiky creations bring countless hours of enjoyment to people :P
Da.Men Hotpot 大门火锅 at Taman Sutera Utama (near Sutera Mall) in Johor Bahru
Tracy, one of the partners at Da.Men Hotpot 大门火锅 invited me to visit their restaurant in Taman Sutera Utama.
The 3 partners, Bryan, Tracy and Ivan are all Cantonese. Cantonese grow up having soup with almost every meal, so they are rather particular about their soups. The 3 partners also travel to Hong Kong often and wanted to introduce the HK style of premium steamboat to Johor.
Ramadan Buffet at Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Terrence of Mutiara Johor Bahru invited me to the hotel's Seri Mutiara Ramadan buffet.
The first thing that struck me about the Ramadan buffet at Seri Mutiara was the unmistakable local flavour and feel. We were greeted by staff in Baju Malayu and Baju Kurung. There was a huge variety of food to choose from and it felt like a kenduri (village feast) as the presence of local favourites was very strong. I liked the food and ambiance very much.
I guess quite a lot of people shared the same sentiments as it was full house at Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet. Service was cheerful and efficient as Mutiara has beefed up their staffing at the restaurant for the Ramadan.
Executive Chef Mohd Zaid, is the man who orchestrated Sri Mutiara's sumptuous and scrumptious Ramadan buffet. Mohd Zaid has 20 years of experience at various Marriott properties and joined Mutiara 4 years ago.
Malay Chef Raja Zabedah is the lady behind the traditional Malay touches that give Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet a homely, balik kampung feel. Indeed, it felt like a kenduri with a strong traditional Malay theme rather than the sometimes mish mash hotel buffets. Raja Zabedah has been the Malay Chef at Seri Mutiara for 15 years and was a lecturer at a culinary academy before joining Mutiara.
Follow me for a quick walk through of the food gallery at Seri Mutiara. I am not really doing justice to the full spread of food at the buffet, so you have to come down to see it for yourself. What you are seeing are just to whet your appetite :P
A large part of Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet consists of distinctive Malay flavours of hot spices and smooth, gentle coconut aroma. If you want to sample good quality Malay cuisine at a single place, I highly recommend Seri Ramadan's Ramadan buffet.
The familiar colours, tastes and aromas of home.
The cheerful chef at the popular Ramadan lamb station. Tender, moist, gently gamey, irresistible. I went two rounds at this station :P
Roti John, the ever popular simple street food found only in Malaysia and Singapore.
The nasi lemak station. Quintessentially Malay staple that many people eat everyday. Lily Tham's plate of nasi lemak (with a piece Roti John) is at the top right. For some of us, nasi lemak (and Roti John) comes first despite the lure of over 100 other delicious enticements.
The ikan bakar (grill fish) station.
The essential charcoal grill satay station at any Johor makan gathering.
Traditional kuih lovingly hand made piece by piece, one at a time, just like at home.
Lots of local traditional kuih and contemporary cakes to round up the feast on a sweet note.
The colourful choices at the cold drinks station.
We appreciate the charming touches such as the traditional hand washing station.
Seri Mutiara is a good choice to break fast. For food tourists, Seri Mutiara is a perfect one-stop introduction to traditional Malay fare, done beautifully.
Adult: RM80++
Child (4 - 12 years old): RM50++
Best to call for reservation as Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet is understandably, extremely popular. Tel: +607-330-0300 ext 0379 or 0381
Restaurant name: Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Address: Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1Pmxc
GPS: 1.488099,103.757924
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal
Date visited: 25 July 2013
Ramadan Buffet at Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Ervina from Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel invited me to visit Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet. Cafe BLD was full house during my visit. Extra tables were set in adjacent areas but every table was taken. We were fortunate that a small table was reserved for us. I suggest making a reservation if you plan to come to Renaissance to break fast. Here's the reservation number +607 381 3252.
Ramadan buffets are all Malaysian affairs - people of every community join in and I spotted quite a few people from overseas too. And, Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet spread has something for every palate - there are popular international and favourite local fare.
Service is excellent at Cafe BLD. Even though the cafe is full, the food was topped up continuously and our used plates were constantly cleared by the cheerful staff.
There is much more choices than anyone could even taste test, so the following are just some that caught my fancy. You have to come here to try the many more choices that I didn't catch with my camera.
Tandoori chicken is a popular choice for breaking fast, so the action at the in-house tandoor doesn't stop.
Just like at Ramadan bazaars, there is a busy roti canai and murtabak station.
Grilled fish that make some of us longed for home cooked food and couldn't wait to balik kampung to home town flavours.
Everybody loves satay. I saw the cooks grilling satay in huge bundles over flaming charcoal non-stop.
Chef Yap at the popular pizza station. When I was leaving he was still making pizzas with the flaming oven.
When I am dazzled by bewildering range of choices, I often fall back on old familiar, comfort food like this curry bee hoon.
I like buffets that have sashimi and sushi :) Went two rounds on this one :P
We had a lot of fun making our own rojak at the rojak buah (fruit salad) station.
There is like every kind of colourful local sweet desserts and kuih.
Side by side with the local kuih and is a good range of cakes too.
We can make our own ice kacang or ABC (Ais Batu Campur) with the help of the cook at the ABC station. There is a good range of colourful jellies and beans to lose ourselves in making our own icy cool creations.
Adult: RM85.00++
Child (7-12 years old): 50% discount
Cafe BLD is a very popular break fast choice, so it is best to call +607 381 3252 for reservations.
Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u
GPS: 1.495097,103.812786
Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 23 Jul 2013