Kolo Mee - Famous Sarawak Food in Kuching 干捞面

Kolo mee 干捞面 is comfort food to a Sarawakian, just like mee pok tah 面薄干 is to a Singaporean, or kway teow thng 粿条汤 to a Johorean.

Vivo Day at Sutera Mall in Johor Bahru

To thank customers for their support, Vivo holds a Vivo Day once a year, offering customers 50% off their entire menu for a day.

This year's Vivo Day was held at Sutera Mall in Johor Bahru on 24 Apr 2014.



The long snaking but orderly queue at Vivo @ Sutera Mall started from before opening time till the end of the day.



The wait was bearable and actually quite pleasant as customers had fun browsing Vivo's extensive menu, choosing what to eat with friends.



It was a hectic day, but Vivo staff cheerfully obliged me with photos :D

Vivo time is family bonding time.







Best Friends Forever at Vivo.



With so many customers on Vivo Day, a customer spilled a large drink but the friendly staff quickly handled it professionally and cheerfully :D  Bravo!

What do customers think of Vivo?















Thumbs up all round!



I bumped into my friend, New Straits Times journalist, Peggy Loh (left) among the happy customers.



It was an extremely busy day at Vivo, but the crew worked together as one happy family.



If Vivo were to hold a competition on Vivo's most instagrammed dish, my guess would be it would be won by their popular Volcanic Chocolate Lava Cake.

We leave the last word to Vivo's young customer.



Live with Passion. Vivo is number 1 :D

See you at Vivo Day next year.

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International Bornean Frog Race Festival 2014 in Kubah National Park, Kuching, Sarawak

Johor Kaki was at the International Bornean Frog Race 2014.

At first, I thought I was asked to cover an event about racing frogs just like racing horses or hounds. I was quietly wondering to myself, "How is it possible to train frogs to hop in a straight line"?

CLOSED "W" Espresso Sporting Club by Monsta Cafe at Country Garden, Johor Bahru

"W" Espresso Sporting Club by Monsta Cafe opens in Country Garden, JB's newest exciting F and B hotspot. Johor Kaki was invited to a tasting on "W" Espresso Sporting Club's first day of business.



Yuan Feng, the boss of "W" Espresso Sporting Club and Monsta Cafe (in Nusa Bestari) is a multiple international award winning Master Barista.

Yuan Feng, who has a business degree from London, put a lot of thought into the concept of "W" Espresso Sporting Club.

The cafe sports a sports theme set in the 1960s, you know... that decade when English soccer was at it's zenith and the world fell in love with the fabulous four wild lads from Liverpool....



When I was a child, I listened to the Canto spoof version (believe me) of the Beatles' "Can't buy me love" belted out from a turntable like this and laying on my back in a space like this.

Yuan Feng nailed it, right down to the rustic olive pine colour and dimpled sofas.

Yuan Feng is a man of focus, details, precision and fine taste.

His aim is to create the best space to enjoy the ultimate espresso.



Starting from the fundamentals, only fine specialty grade Arabica is served.  



This grinding machine grinds a precise 7-8 grams dose of coffee at a time.



Firmly compacting the coffee grinds for a consistent brew.



For the best aromatic coffee, the steaming brew flows from the spout for 18-23 seconds, no more, no less. 



Here's latte artistry for your enjoyment, courtesy of Yuan Feng.



Cappuccino with slow pour layered heart latte art.



My friend Sean's flat white.



My flat white.



Top notch specialty coffee joints are a boon for the growing community of coffee lovers in Johor.



The thirst for top quality specialty coffee and coffee joints seems insatiable at the moment.



While Yuan Feng heads the coffee section, Chef Xiaofu who worked at Singapore's Fullerton Hotel, helms the kitchen section.



"W" Espresso Sporting Club's mushroom soup (RM18) uses four types of mushrooms to give us four different layers of mushroom flavours. The creamy soup is a blend of shitake, oyster mushrooms and mushroom raviolis cooked with garlic and shallot oil. The soup is then sprinkled with bits of dry porcini mushrooms, a trickle of truffle oil and a dash of Parmesan foam.



"W" Espresso Sporting Club's signature salad is their flamboyant Mango Dragon Fruit Salad with Prawn (RM17). Diced mango and dragon fruits, and their juices make a soft sweet bed for seared prawns topped with crunchy arugula greens. The bouquet is flanked by creamy swirls of mustard coloured spicy sauce.



"W" Espresso Sporting Club's signature main course Grilled Poulet with Chasseur Sauce (RM31). In plain English, grilled chicken with brown sauce. The grilled chicken thighs are served with mashed purple yam with sauce made with mushroom, tomatoes and chicken juice. The dish is served with sauteed vegetables.



Walnut crusted salmon with creamy buttery beurre sauce (RM36). A healthful and tasty dish of crunchy walnuts, and baked salmon on a bed of savoury melted butter (beurre).



One of JB's finest coffee clubs.

Restaurant name: "W" Espresso Sporting Club By Monsta Cafe
Address: Country Garden, Danga Bay (off Jalan Skudai)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/5sPLu
GPS: 1.473481,103.724325
Hours: 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 22 Mar 2014

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Local Favourite Kwang Hoi Braised Duck in Johor Jaya Rosmerah 光辉卤鸭饭面

I asked my JB friend Mandy what is nice in the Rosmerah area of Taman Johor Jaya. We circled around Rosmerah, Mandy pointing out the various popular shops in the area. 

Matterhon @ Danga in Johor Bahru, Country Garden

Johor Kaki was invited for lunch at the newly opened Matterhon @ Danga in the sprawling Country Garden (off Jalan Skudai) which is fast emerging as another F and B hotspot in Johor Bahru.

Matterhon is well known among Western food and steak lovers in Johor Bahru. Matterhon @ Danga is their third branch in Johor Bahru. The first Matterhon Bistro was opened in 2006 at Jalan Rosmerah 4/14 in Taman Johor Jaya. The second Matterhon Steak House is located in Taman Impian Emas, Jalan Impain Emas 5/1.



The interior of Matterhon @ Danga is spacious, comfortable and family friendly.



The key man behind the menu at Matterhon @ Danga is Chef Kalidass. I chatted a while with Kalidass - his energy and passion for his art is infectious. I could feel Kalidass' hunger for knowledge and innovative spirit with an enthusiasm to explore and experiment. 

I could taste his dedication in his food.



First up was the Smoked Duck Trio Cheese Fondue (RM24.90++). The smoked duck slices were cut quite thick with fat and skin on, lightly pan seared and eaten with a dip made with 3 different types of cheese. It's a savoury starter with layers of savouriness from the smoked duck and melted cheese.



The foie gras with tamarind mango compote (RM39.90++ per serving). Made with duck liver, the foie gras was tender like toufu (bean curd), rich like butter, creamy, smooth like velvet and savoury. The tamarind and mango compote gave the foie gras a delicate touch of refreshing citrusy flavour and sweetness. 



Seared Cod Fish in Creamed Spinach with a dash of Pernod liqueur and topped with caramelised cherry tomatoes.



I liked this thick slab of tender snowy white juicy Atlantic Cod. The sweet meat was complemented by the soft yet crunchy greens, creamy savoury sauce, and a touch of sweet Pernod liqueur.



Char-Grilled Wagyu Ribeye in wild mushroom and shallot confit with a blanket of refreshing salsa cruda.



Our Wagyu ribeye was beautifully done medium. I enjoyed the moist and rich beefy flavour with every bite into the tender meat. The slightly caramelised outside gave the steak a nice smokey taste.



Roasted Rack of Lamb on a bed of Pearl Barley Risotto (RM69.90++).



The tender New Zealand lamb had that lovely rich lamb flavour in it's juicy flesh.



Matterhon @ Danga has a selection of wines to pair with the food.



Check out Matterhon's newest outlet and JB's newest makan hotspot at Country Garden.

Restaurant name: Matterhon @ Danga Country Garden
Address: Country Garden, Danga Bay (off Jalan Skudai)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/5sPLu
GPS: 1.473481,103.724325
Hours: 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 3 Apr 2014

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