Uber Taxi in Johor Bahru

Uber Taxi is now in Johor Bahru. 

(While Uber Taxi is just a month old in Johor Bahru, it is already well established in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and many major cities around the world.)

As I have been asked many times by Johor Kaki readers how to go food hunting in Johor Bahru by public transport, I was glad to try out Uber Taxi to see if it is a good option for foodies visiting Johor Bahru.

So, my buddy David Wang and I went on a Uber Taxi food trail to try out the taxi service personally. I wanted to check if the idea of taking public bus to Johor Bahru and then using Uber Taxi to go for food trail and shopping is workable.



We boarded the public bus at Woodlands Bus Interchange. Just any public bus that takes you across the Causeway will do e.g. SMRT 160, 170, 950, 911 etc.



Once across the Causeway and cleared immigration, we went to the regular taxi stand area and requested for an Uber Taxi using the mobile Uber Taxi App.

The Uber Taxi App can be downloaded on our mobile for free and it is very easy to use. (Once downloaded the App can be used worldwide.)

I like it that once we requested for a taxi, the Uber Taxi App will show us the driver's photo, rating by customers, the type car and licence plate number of the car, the current location of the car, and it's expected arrival time down to the minute. Once our taxi request is accepted, the driver and us can even call or message each other to ensure smooth pick up.

The Uber Taxi App even shows us the real time, moment by moment movement of the taxi (which is a private car) as it approaches our location.

When the taxi arrives we can match the driver's face with the person at the steering wheel. I like this safety feature :D



Our Uber Taxi driver was Ainur who was rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by passengers. 

To ensure passenger safety, Uber Taxi conducts background and driving licence checks on all drivers under the programme.

Oh..., the driver also rates the passenger so other Uber drivers know whether we are good customers or not :D

I like it that Uber Taxi rides are cashless. There is no negotiation or haggling with the taxi driver. Everything is automatically calculated based on GPS and time, and billed directly to our credit card registered with Uber during signup (no need to swipe card in taxi).

At the end of the ride, the Uber Taxi App sends me a very detailed email receipt instantly.

Very clear, simple, no cash transactions, no card swiping and no fuss at all :D



We went to Just Want Coffee, The Factory 30 outlet which is located in an industrial area of Taman Mount Austin. It is rather inaccessible by public transport but with Uber Taxi it was a breeze.

As all Uber Taxis are equipped with an iPhone, the drivers are able to easily go to our destinations using GPS (co-ordinates are available in Johor Kaki blog). In any case, most of the drivers are Johoreans who are familiar with Johor Bahru.



Here's me requesting another Uber Taxi after our tea at The Glasshouse Tearoom.

Glasshouse Tearoom is another of those really cool chill out places in Jay Bee that is accessible only by private car or taxi.



As I could see the progress of the Uber taxi down to the last minute, I could stay in the comfort of the restaurant till the taxi just arrived. 



It's Ainur again :D

He was so thoughtful. As it was drizzling, he came to get me with an umbrella :D



Oh, Ainur fetched me in a Toyota Camry. All Uber taxis are private cars. I have ridden with three drivers so far - the cars were Toyota Camry, Honda City and Toyota Vios. All the cars I rode were young (about 3 years old or less) and very clean. There was no stale cigarette smell at all.



Dropped off at Hong Kong Boy kopitiam in Taman Johor Jaya.



Taman Johor Jaya is a hive of activity in the evening and at night.



Our last food stop was at Meldrum Walk, the back alley of delicious food behind Jalan Wong Ah Fook. (But, nowadays some of the stalls appeared to be closed.)



I have ridden with three different Uber Taxi drivers so far and I have given all three a 5 stars out of 5 rating as they were all polite, friendly and safe.

For Singapore foodies, Uber Taxis is an good option to beat the revised Causeway tolls for private cars :D

Get a few kakis, signup and check out Uber Taxi for yourself. The Uber Taxi App can be used worldwide. The signup bonus will help pay for your first trip, so there is really no excuse not to try :D

Video and photo credit: David Wang

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Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant in Singapore 亮记餐馆

My first visit to Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant 亮记餐馆 and I was pretty impressed with the food at this unassuming and somewhat low key eating house.

Personally, Liang Kee is one of the better old school Teochew restaurants that I have tried in Singapore so far. All the ingredients were fresh and the tasty dishes were well executed in the old way. 



I feel the quality of the dishes at Liang Kee was consistent because the boss Chef Ng Siang Lin and this younger brother personally cook in the kitchen. From my observation, at the more famous Teochew restaurants there are usually crushing crowds and the boss is often out mingling with VIP regulars, leaving the cooking to a platoon of employees. The result is often similar to what I call the "banquet syndrome" - one good signature dish at the front and one near the end (usually the dessert), and the dishes in between are often average fillers.

The food quality at Liang Kee was consistently good though I liked some dishes more than others. 



Sambal Crayfish.



Meaty and bouncy flesh but the very slight natural flavour of the crayfish was overpowered by the sambal. The sambal was mostly salty/ savoury with very mild spiciness.

Not my preferred way of cooking crayfish.



The mixed platter of traditional Teochew braised meats and toufu. 




The herbal braising sauce was mildly flavoured, light bodied and tea coloured. The braising tenderised the belly pork and duck, and the sauce highlighted the meat's natural flavours. The good knife work 刀工 accentuated the flavours and presented the meat's best textures too. 

I like Liang Kee's braised dishes.



Classic Teochew Pork Trotter Jelly (ter kar tan or Pork Aspic) 猪脚冻.



Love the tender diced fat and lean meat held together with gelatin melted and chilled into a jelly. Lovely mix of tender textures and layers of savouriness. 

A fine example of the finesse of Teochew traditional dishes.



The dish that stole the limelight our hearts was the Teochew Double Shell Cold Crab.



The steamed crab meat was firm, meaty, juicy, sweet and very slightly briny like the taste of the sea.

Super like.



The roe and creamy parts were rich, savoury and sweet.



But, the ultimate coup de grace was the second soft shell under the hard outside shell of the moulting crab. The soft shell had the dense texture of cooked salted egg white but tasted just slightly savoury with natural sweet notes.



Leather Jacket Fish (Ti Kia) with Bean Sauce. The Leather Jacket fish's firm white meat doesn't have much flavour and relied on the savoury bean sauce for taste. This dish is a Liang Kee house specialty and quite popular, probably because it is a Teochew comfort dish.



Chai Poh Kway Teow. Very well executed with good wok hei, just the right amount of oil and nice layers of savouriness from the cai poh and soy based sauce. The greens and bean sprouts were juicy and crunchy.



We rounded up our lunch with orh nee 潮式芋泥 which is almost a cliché of Teochew desserts.

I like Liang Kee's version which is house made with grainy yam paste, gingko nut and sweet potato. The orh nee felt suitably rich though the lady boss confirmed that no lard was used.



Liang Kee is one Teochew restaurant in Singapore that I look forward to going back to.

If you are looking for a simple, accessible (just steps from Boon Keng MRT), family friendly restaurant with good food minus all the frills, give Liang Kee a try.

Restaurant name: Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant 亮记餐馆
Address: Blk 34, Whampoa West, #01-27 Singapore 
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/t2GKq
GPS: 1.320484,103.862686
Hours: 11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to 10pm (Open daily)
Tel: (+65) 62977789
Non Halal




Date visited: 27 Sep 2014

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Pek Sin Choon Tea Merchants Singapore 白新春 - Heritage Heroes Series

Pek Sin Choon 白新春 is one of the oldest tea merchants in Singapore. Established in 1925 by the grandfather of Kenry Peh, the third generation owner.

I am privileged to know Kenry personally.



Kenry is a consummate story teller and a gracious gentleman. 



At every visit, Kenry would regale us with captivating and charming stories about Chinese tea, tea appreciation and tea culture in Singapore. I am in awe with the depth of Kenry's knowledge about Chinese tea and admire his patience in sharing it passionately with novices like me. 

Be warned.

Kenry infects people with tea love :p



Kenry has a special way of making people drool over delicious stories and historical details which are actually as dry as tea leaves. (bro Kenry, please pardon the pun, cannot resist :P  )

Kenry's mastery of the tea trade and culture did not come easy. He had to start at the bottom of his grandfather's shop, learning the ropes the hard way with one of the company's loyal, old tea masters. Kenry shared that, sometimes in the middle of tea processing and blending, the tea master would suddenly excuse himself and left the young Kenry to manage the crucial procedures alone. The master would reappear only when the process was complete.



Years later, the old master told Kenry that he wanted to make sure that Kenry truly had the passion and commitment towards tea culture and tea trade. He didn't want Kenry to be in charge of Pek Sin Choon just because he was the founder's family.

Kenry passed the test with flying colours. 

Actually, I have never seen anyone live and breathe tea like Kenry.



In the old days, it was customary for customers to drink Chinese tea with bak kut teh 肉骨茶 "to wash away" the greasiness in the meaty, hearty pork broth.

Kenry's grandfather pioneered premium tea appreciation and social bonding with eating bak kut teh. Initially, the bak kut teh bosses were skeptical about the coupling but customer response proved that it was a brilliant idea, the ultimate pairing 绝配.



Today, almost all the major bak kut teh restaurants in Singapore use Pek Sin Choon's premium teas - the most famous of which is 不知香 or "Unknown Fragrance".

不知香 is a blend of Wuyi Oolong and Anxi tea with a pleasant gentle piquant aftertaste.



Till this day, Kenry still champions the heritage of pairing tea appreciation and enjoying bak kut teh. I had the good fortune to be part of Kenry's tea and bak kut teh sessions occasionally. This was our session at Lau Ah Tee bak kut teh 老亚弟肉骨茶 which I enjoyed very much. 

Delicious food, lovely tea and great company.

What more could anyone ask for?



At Pek Sin Choon, the teas are still lovingly packed by hand in the old way 包茶, in traditional pink paper packaging. 

Kenry could easily automate this part of the process and save money with an off-the-shelf packaging machine but he remains committed to heritage and the human touch in his teas. 



Though Kenry is gracious and generous with his precious time, time flies when I am with Kenry, the true tea master.

I am always left thirsting for another tea session.

(The Heritage Heroes Series celebrates the new generation who have our shared heritage at heart, and in whose hands our collective heritage is safe and will continue to thrive.)

If you like Pek Sin Choon tea delivered to you free of charge with $50 purchase, you can ☎ 6323 3238 ✆ 8426 6280 📧 order@peksinchoon.com

Pek Sin Choon Tea Merchants 白新春
Address: 36 Mosque Street, Singapore (5 minutes' walk from Chinatown MRT station)
GPS: 1.283667,103.845187
Hours: 8:00am to 7:00pm (Closed Sunday and Public Holidays)
Tel: (+65) 6323 3238



No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Dates visited: Numerous occasions since 2013

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Johor Kaki Interview with SuperMag 超大誌

Johor Kaki was interviewed by SuperMag 超大誌, a prominent bilingual lifestyle magazine on living, learning, playing and investing in the fast growing Iskandar Development Region in Johor.



请你说说当初为什么会想到来新山品尝美食并上载到你的部落格呢？

What made you started blogging, and in particular about Johor food?

Living in Singapore, we have always enjoyed Johor food. At first, I just wanted a place where I can keep simple notes on the delicious food that I came across in Johor. A blog is a good place to start since I can post photos, videos and stories on the World Wide Web at an affordable cost.

Not long after I started blogging about the food I tasted in Johor, I began getting feedback from readers who found Johor Kaki blog useful. As I got more into blogging, I also realised that there are many good hawkers whose interesting stories and their food are not recorded anywhere.

So with readers' encouragement and a personal mission to tell the stories of hawkers and share about their food, I blogged more and more, and hasn't stopped since.

你是不是特别钟爱古早味的美食呢？原因是？ 

You seemed to have a preference for local heritage food, is that true?

Actually, I enjoy all delicious food. It doesn't matter whether they are traditional, modern, local or foreign.

But, if it is a traditional dish like mee rebus, wanton mee, curry laksa or nasi bryani, it is sometimes difficult to taste again the flavours and smell the aromas we enjoyed during our childhood days. Many of our memories of people and places are tied to these old flavours, aromas, tastes, looks and feel of traditional food.

Many of my friends feel the same nostalgia, so I think this sentiment is quite common, especially among the older generations.

So, I keep a look out for shops that still do things the old way, serve food that tastes, smells, looks and feels like those we enjoyed long ago. Whenever I come across such shops, I will definitely share it in Johor Kaki blog.

The strong response from readers to Johor Kaki stories on heritage food and shops, is very encouraging. 

在短短的时间内，你的美食部落格深受欢迎并且荣获多次部落格大奖，和我们说说你的感想。 

How do you feel about your recent awards and new-found fame?

I am grateful for the support of Johor Kaki readers for their votes and encouragement. My heartfelt thanks also to the hawkers because it is really their food and stories that won the judges' hearts.

I am very happy that with the awards more people in Malaysia and Singapore are aware that Johor has many delicious food that is unique to Johor. I am also glad to see more bloggers in Johor and more bloggers are blogging about Johor food.

One day, we may see Johor food become famous like Penang food, Ipoh food and Malacca food.

你吃遍大大小小的美食摊位，有没有哪些摊位是令你难忘的？

Any "food-worthy" recommendations and heart wrenching stories?

I am most heartened when I see those old stalls and shops where the new generations are willing to carry on their parents' and grandparents' business. Especially when the new generation stays faithful to the original recipes and methods yet apply relevant modern management principles to help the business thrive and reach further, and into future markets.

Examples are Hiap Joo bakery in old downtown Johor Bahru, and Hui Mian Zhi Jia noodle house in Pontian. 

未来的你有什么计划去经营你的部落格呢？

What are your future plans for Johor Kaki?

Johor will be the focus of Johor Kaki blog and from there I will also be exploring and sharing about the food from other places in Singapore, Malaysia and places that I have the opportunity to travel to.

I will continue to do what I am doing for as long as I can.

Hopefully one day, Johor food will become famous like Penang food, Ipoh food and Malacca food.

Tony

27 Sep 2014

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Memories of Carbon Market in Cebu • More Fun in the Philippines

✍ Update 16 Jan 2025: Carbon Market underwent major upgrade between 2020 and 2025. The upgrade included a new main building for the market, as well as other retail amenities.

The article that follows was written in 2014, when I visited the market a few years before upgrading works started. It's a nostalgic glimpse of how things used to be in Cebu's largest market. I have re-titled the article "Memories of Carbon Market".

✍ 26 Sep 2014. Carbon Market is the oldest and largest farmers' market in Cebu City, in The Philippines.

Why the quaint name Carbon Market? This over 100 year old market was where coal was unloaded from trains and stored here in huge open heaps in the old days. Carbon is Spanish for coal. Coal is not found here anymore but the charming name Carbon Market remained.

Pan Swee Cafe in Medan Selera Maharani, Muar 方水茶室

Bloggie friend Tiffany's aunt brought us to Pan Swee Cafe in Medan Selera Maharani in Muar 方水茶室 for her favourite, must have morning coffee.



Medan Selera Maharani is a typical small town food centre and market place. Lots of people, laid back, relaxed, warm and friendly. 

Video credit: Yuki

People gather here for the good food and coffee. The friendly gentleman on the right said that "if you did not come here to drink coffee, you have not been to Muar".

At Medan Selera Maharani, it's Pan Swee Cafe's Nanyang kopi (Malaysia/ Singapore style old school coffee which is made with by roasting locally grown Robusta beans, corn, sugar and margarine). 

Corn is used as a cheap filler, sugar to mask the bitterness of Robusta and margarine to smooth out the harshness of the beans. Nanyang kopi is a comforting beverage from leaner and harder times which we still love today. 



The old kopi sock way of making coffee may seem simple but control of temperature, flow of hot water, and timing makes a lot of difference between cups of coffee.



See how thick that black coffee was when it passed through that sock?

Lim kopi (drinking coffee) is a very communal kind of activity and it doesn't have to be all coffee.



On this tray there is kopi O (coffee with sugar), kopi O kaw (coffee with less water), kopi C kosong (coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar), and Milo sio (hot Milo).



My kopi C kosong. My usual order of Nanyang style kopi.

I am more into specialty coffee nowadays, but ahhh...... a good Nanyang coffee is still sooo....... heartwarming and satisfying.

Pan Swee's kopi C kosong is round bodied, has a carmelly aroma, slightly savoury, it's bitterness smoothed and sweetened by the milk.



Yuki savouring her kopi O. Yuki is a kopi addict fan who must have her cuppa to start her day.

Is Pan Swee's kopi good enough for Yuki?



I think so. 

She couldn't have enough of it, so she bought 1 kilo of ground coffee to drink at home.



Pan Swee Cafe 方水茶室 in Medan Selera Maharani, an old food centre and market in Muar.



Medan Selera Maharani is just across the road from Streetview Hotel along Jalan Ali.

Thank you Tiffany and family for your gracious hospitality.

Restaurant name: Pan Swee Cafe (inside Medan Selera Maharani)
Address: Jalan Ali, Muar Town, Johor (across the road from Streetview Hotel)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/JqNe4
GPS: 2.047066,102.569510
Hours: Breakfast
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 24 Aug 2014

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Flying Wanton Mee in Johor Bahru 飞面 吉纪云吞面

Update: This stall is now at 59 Jalan Bakawalli 50, Taman Johor Jaya (beside Sports TOTO outlet) 👌

I first stumbled upon Edwin, Johor's flying wanton mee man while food hunting in Taman Pelangi not long after starting Johor Kaki blog back in early 2012.

I wandered past Edwin's 吉纪 wanton mee stall in Tien Tien kopitiam when the corner of my eye caught a steaming yellow ball of noodles flying through the air.

As I had never seen flying wanton mee before in Singapore, I was fascinated by Edwin's attention grabbing performance.

I immediately ordered a bowl to try and it turned out that Edwin's wanton mee tasted pretty good too, so I blogged about it.



The hardworking Edwin works two shifts now. In the morning till lunch, he is at his Taman Pelangi stall. In the evenings till before midnight, Edwin is at his Taman Johor Jaya, Jalan Bakawali stall.

So, when my buddy David mentioned that he wanted to eat handmade fish balls and also see a flying wanton mee, I brought him to Edwin's stall in Johor Jaya, Jalan Bakawali.

 

Edwin has mastered the skill of high tossing wanton mee and he makes every bowl of noodles with the same care and effort. Notice how thoroughly Edwin rinsed the noodles; an essential step some stalls do half-heartedly or even skip altogether. I really respect Edwin for his energy and hard work in running two stalls.



I ordered my usual wantan mee in old school original flavour sauce 原味 laced with a bit of lard :P



David giving his bowl of wantan noodles with black sauce a good toss.



Black and white. Different strokes for different folks but both David and I enjoyed our eggy, crunchy noodles.

吉纪's egg noodles are house made by Edwin's dad, who is the founder of the stall.



As typical Singaporeans, we got to have our mee pok 面薄 :p  I asked for my mee pok in the original flavour sauce 原味 so that I can really taste the noodles' natural flavours.



Like his wantan mee, Edwin's mee pok also has a nice eggy flavour and a light al dente spring. Original flavour sauce 原味 is very mere in flavour which I like but for people who prefer more robust flavours, you may enjoy the dark soy based, or the chili based sauce more. 



The char siew is typical of Johor Bahru style - lightly roasted, lean, sliced thin and slightly sweet. 



Nice medium sized wantons of smooth skins filled with well marinated soft pork mince.



If you like a heftier dumpling, Edwin also serves this sui kau 水饺. The larger dumplings are filled with pork and shrimp mince, and diced mushroom and water chestnut.



At his Jalan Bakawali stall, Edwin also sells fish balls which he hand makes himself everyday. As the fish balls are hand made, the numbers available are small.



吉纪's fish balls are made with 100% fresh Yellowtail fish 番薯鱼. Fresh tasting, clean light fish flavour with gentle spring (not the ping pong type of bounce of starch filled "fish balls").



Freshly fried crispy wanton side dish.



Red and white. Chili and mayonnaise dip for the fried wanton.



Fried chicken feet with Chinese black mushroom braised till soft and savoury.

Edwin generously declined our payment for the food eaten. Thank you, Edwin.


吉纪 at Taman Pelangi morning till mid day


吉纪 at Taman Johor Jaya Bakawali


Restaurant name: 吉纪 Wanton Noodle House (a stall in Restoran Tien Tien)
Address: Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi
Map: http://g.co/maps/qsu4r 
GPS: 1.481329,103.773444 
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Weds)

Address: Jalan Bakawali 13, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Baru 59 Jalan Bakawalli 50, Taman Johor Jaya (opposite Sports TOTO outlet)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/hsoV
GPS: 1.543006,103.793667 1°32'27.4"N 103°47'42.4"E | 1.540940, 103.795110
Tel: 012-289-2035
Hours: 5:00pm to 11:00pm 7:00am to 3:30pm (Closed on Weds)

Non Halal  

Date visited: 6 Feb 2012, 4 Apr 2014

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