Tody or toddy is fermented sap from the flower of coconut palm - an alcoholic treat which I enjoy whenever it is available. Toddy is banned in Singapore but we can get it at the tody shop here in old JB town, near the JB CIQ 😄 The tody shop is actually just across Jalan Wong Ah Fook from Komtar JB (where the Angry Bird theme park is).
The tody shop is in this small old building along quiet Jalan Sulaiman.
This is the most international signboard that I have seen in JB. There is Tamil, Malay, Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Hindi, Portuguese, Korean and other languages I could not identify.
This little building built in 1920, I am told, belongs to the Malaysian Customs.
Creaky vintage wooden windows with louvres.
Peeping through the wire mesh grille - it looks rather spartan inside. Like a prison cell 😂
Bare cement floor, wooden benches and tables covered with chequered vinyl floor mats. The floor mat/ table cloth were peeling due to age. The place was quiet today.
Other than the "drinking hall", there is the kitchen where the tody is scooped from large plastic tubs on order.
The price list is clearly displayed: 1 mug RM3, 1 big jug RM11 and 1 bottle (1.5 litre) RM12. Simple.
Mr Maniam is the proprietor of this tody shop. Mr Maniam said that his shop is the only one in Johor Bahru that has all the 4 different licences required to serve toddy. Mr Maniam said he gets a lot of international visitors 😄 He is most impressed with Korean lady drinkers 😄 (Actually, toddy tastes like soju.)
The cloudy coconut "wine" looked like boiled barley water. Tody is served at room temperature. Tody tastes sweet with sourish notes and a slight natural fizz. I am not sure about the alcohol content but guess it's between 5 and 10%. The alcohol kick comes on quite quickly for me and I am usually done after just one mug.
Tody has a "cooling" effect on a hot day and a "warming" effect on a cold day.
Today, I bought a 1.5 litre bottle to enjoy later at home 😄 Maniam said it can keep about a week in the fridge.
👉 Want to know what is toddy? You can check it out here 😄 It has a quite a kick 😄 This drink is no longer available in Singapore.
👉 想喝椰花酒? 新山这里有.
My first post on the tody shop in Johor Bahru back in 2012, when I stumbled upon it while combing the streets of old downtown JB for good eats 👈 click
Restaurant name: Kedai Tuak Awam
Address: Along Jalan Sulaiman, downtown Johor Bahru, Malaysia (across Jalan Wong Ah Fook from Komtar JB. Near Tropical Inn)
GPS: 1.464262,103.761633 / 1°27'51.3"N 103°45'41.9"E
Tel: +6013-782 0355
Hours: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Non Halal
👆 Click to return to JB Best 100 page
Why is it banned in Singapore?
ReplyDeleteA simple Google would have found many answers to your question. http://publicopinion.sg/174/few-things-to-know-about-spores-history-of-alcohol-ban
DeleteSg used to have 3 toddy shops in Sungei Rd, St George and Ord Rd (Clarke Quay) until around 1980's. The main customers were mainly odd job labourers (mainly middle age Indians). It was controlled by Customs Dept and each plastic mug costs 0.50 cents. No take away was allowed and it had to be consumed within its parameter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting article! It shall be one of our destinations for this weekend's trip. Just wondering, is it is allowed back through Singapore customs for personal consumption?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting article! Just wondering, can I bring it back through Singapore customs for personal consumption?
ReplyDeleteI understand that tody is banned in Singapore.
DeleteThird from the bottom is Burmese, they have toddy there themselves.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.u-strasse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/toddy-2.jpg
Below that is Italian. I think the language after the Vietnamese is Bengali.
Thank you :-D
Deletei'm from International University. i'm doing some research about an old heritage food in Johor Bahru.. if u dont mind, can i hv some pic from your blog? i might use the pic to be publish in a book of heritage in Johor Bahru.
ReplyDeletep/s: please respond to me ASAP.
Hi.. Does the todi shop still got there? Would like to try. 😄
ReplyDeleteAunty does go there once in a while to enjoy d cooling drink. No alcohol content if fresh unless allow fermentation to take place.
ReplyDelete新加坡有送来吗
ReplyDelete