Mak's Chee Authentic Wonton. One Utama Food. PJ. Malaysia.

Wandering around the sprawling 1Utama Shopping Centre for food, we spotted Mak's Chee which is a spin off from the famous Mak's Noodle of Hong Kong. 1Utama, reputedly the sixth largest shopping centre in the world, has a bewildering range of food options. When faced with too much choices, we instinctively fell back on the familiar 😜

Thai Hou Sek is Too Delicious. One Utama Food. PJ Malaysia 泰好食 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Buddy Li-Hsian suggested that I try Thai Hou Sek - a Thai style restaurant - at 1Utama near Kuala Lumpur. The food options at 1Utama, the sixth largest shopping mall in the world, is simply overwhelming. We can spend weeks exploring the food in the sprawling mall, but we shall start with Thai Hou Sek thanks to Li-Hsian 😃

Jalan Sultan Teochew Porridge KL Chinatown ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Peter and I were wrapping up our day long exploration of the old school eateries and hipster cafes around KL's Petaling area. Our tummies full, we were walking towards the Pasar Seni LRT station to make our way home. Then, we passed this Teochew porridge stall at a side lane along Jalan Sultan. The cheerful stall holders were just laying out trays full of their hot, freshly cooked food.

Char Siew Yoong Pudu Ulu · Best KL Char Siew List 叉烧杨家家来 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Buddy Claire suggested I visit Char Siew Yoong at Jalan Pudu Ulu in Cheras near K.L. Then, I spotted something sentimental here and it has nothing to do with good food.

Meng Kee Char Siew Glenmarie 明记叉烧王 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

A trip to Meng Kee Char Siew King in Glenmarie Shah Alam is like a homecoming. I was a regular at Meng Kee's old shop at Tengkat Tung Shun, a back street of KL's touristy Jalan Bukit Bintang - it's our regular lunch place nearly 2 decades ago. Lots of people eat at the stuffy old Meng Kee in smart office clothes with sleeves rolled up and sweat rolling down from our brows.

Spring Golden Shah Alam KL Best Char Siew List 阳光烧腊 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Buddy Mark who is himself in the char siew business suggested that I should try the char siew at Spring Golden in Shah Alam.

10 Johor Kaki Posts you Like the Most in 2016

Google Analytics as at 26 Dec 2016

On 20 Dec 2016, Johor Kaki blog quietly celebrated it's fifth anniversary (actually I forgot lah 😂 ). I can't believe it's 5 years already. It seemed like yesterday - really. I appreciate your support since the day the blog was launched 5 years ago. It's your support that kept me going. It gives me the energy to keep doing the same thing and still feel fresh and energised everyday. With your support, Johor Kaki blog now consistently receives at least 30,000 page views a day leading to at least 1,000,000 page views a month. 

Who are Johor Kaki readers?

Most of you live in Singapore, followed closely by Malaysia residents. Readers from the USA and Australia are next, mostly people who once lived in Singapore or Johor and tourists. Indonesia residents make up the fifth largest group.

These are the posts you like the most in 2016 😃

Famous Seremban Favourites @ Sunway Mas in Petaling Jaya. Best KL Char Siew List ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Update 2018. Buddy Aaron have been raving about craving Famous Seremban Favourites' char siew since he tried it a couple of years ago. I love it too after tasting it in 2016. So naturally, FSF was the first place we called on for our whole day KL char siew trail.

Hup Kee Setapak Best KL Char Siew List 合记港式烧鸭叉烧 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Buddy Soo Shiong suggested that I try the popular char siew at Hup Kee in Setapak which is his personal favourite.

The Toast & Roast SS2 Petaling Jaya KL Best Char Siew List ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well, the look of The Toast & Roast signature premium char siew already speaks for itself 😃

Yummy Duck Kuchai KL - Lovely Wanton Noodles 鸭味无穷

On our way from JB to Kuala Lumpur today, we swung by Yummy Duck, a famous Cantonese roasts shop at Jalan Kuchai Maju 18 for lunch.

Best Popular Dim Sum in Johor Bahru JB 新山最好吃点心

Johor Bahru is blessed with a few dim sum shops serving restaurant quality dim sum at kopitiam (coffee shop) prices.

These are my JB dim sum top picks after eating and writing about JB food for five years.

Original Singapore Chicken Rice Lives on in Swee Kee in Senai Johor

My previous post in 2013 on Sin Swee Kee Hainanese chicken rice in Senai drew strong but mixed responses - some are fans while others didn't enjoy it so much. We went back to Swee Kee today - we still like it and will be back again 😃

Best Johor Dim Sum List - 興發點心茶樓 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Dim Dim Sum 興發點心茶樓 in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah is the newest dim sum boy in JB town. Just over a month old and it has already caught the attention of Johor Bahru foodies.

興發點心茶樓. 刚刚在上个月开张的点心店. 两位年轻的点心师傅. 真的很用心. 点心食材新鲜. 手工精致. 口感味道都很好. 价钱公道. 真的很值得吃. 新山皇后花园. Jalan Pendekar 16. The Store Skudai 对面. 早上7点半到四点. 星期一休息. 不要错过哦.

Famous Braised Duck in JB - Taika Huat / Ba Li Ban ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taika Huat Braised Duck 八哩半大家发鸭肉 is popular with Johoreans and also visitors from Singapore.

FoodAdvisor Malaysia Infringe Johor Kaki Intellectual Property

I recently stumbled upon FoodAdvisor, a website based in Malaysia, and am saddened that many of my photographs are used in their "Best in Johor Bahru" series of articles without my permission, without my knowledge. FoodAdvisor published many of my intellectual property on their website, as if it is their own.

Teochew Fish Ball Noodle Crawford Lane Blk 462. No Michelin Star Wiseng Bak Chor Mee with Hardcore Fans

This is the other popular noodle stall at Crawford Lane - the well loved one without the Michelin Star.

Everything is generic here - noodles, fish balls, fish cake (they have the red one), pork ball etc but their sambal is the winner that conquers all. It's a unique blend of savoury, spicy, tangy, sweet in a lardy slick that is indescribably addictive - holding its own with its own long queue even with the Michelin star bak chor mee 5 minutes walk away.

Stall name: Teochew Fish Ball Noodle

Address: Blk 462 Crawford Lane, #01-29, Singapore 190462

(Wiseng kopitiam)

Hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm (Sun off)

Charlie's Peranakan Food. Where Locals Go For Nyonya Cuisine in Singapore. Golden Mile Hawker Centre

Update 7 Oct 2020. Today, we enjoyed a most satisfying Nyonya meal and nice get-together at Charlie's Paranakan Food at Golden Mile Food Centre (as usual).

Samyang Korean Spicy Cheese Ramen Instant Noodle

Love these Samyang super spicy instant ramen with cheese. They are delicious and real life savers when I need something to eat in a hurry but am too lazy to cook or get out of the house. No. Sometimes, I actually eat this because I like it's yummay taste 😋

CLOSED Da Jie Famous Wanton Mee 209 Jalan Besar 大姐云吞面

(CLOSED, owners want to travel and see the world.) Dropped by at the famous Da Jie wanton mee at the junction of Jalan Besar and Sam Leong Road near Singapore's Little India.

Review of 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist 88香港燒臘 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist is one of the leading roast pork belly (sio bak / siew yok), char siew and roast duck brands in Singapore. They just opened their latest outlet at 19, China Street at the heart of Singapore's Central Business District.

A Vanishing Street Food in Singapore

Guess what food is this 😁

Chuan Kee Duck Rice @ Chong Pang Yishun & Ghim Moh 🦆 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award 全記鸭饭

This was my first time tasting Chuan Kee's braised duck. I like its mildly savoury sweet herbal taste with very subtle duck gaminess 🦆

Honest Review Fei Fei Roasted Noodle @ Yuhua Jurong. Best Wanton Mee Singapore

Fei Fei Roasted Noodle is one my favourite wanton mee stalls in Singapore. No - actually, I know of no better char siew wanton mee in Singapore. (Checked Aug 2021, I still stand by this statement.)

Note: This Fei Fei 肥肥 of Jurong has no relationship with the Fei Fei 飞飞 of Joo Chiat.

Stall name: Fei Fei Roasted • Noodle 肥肥燒臘 • 雲吞麵

Address: Jurong East Street 24, stall #01-28 Yuhua Village Market Food Centre, Blk 254, Singapore 600254

Hours: 9:00am – 12:30pm (Sunday off)

Lao Sim Shredded Chicken Noodles Lor 1 Toa Payoh Singapore 老沈鸡丝面

Went to Toa Payoh Lor 1 Blk 127 market and food centre this sunny morning. It's an old haunt just beside my high school (First Toa Payoh Secondary).

Havelock Road Khin Kee Fishball Kway Teow. Legend from Orchard Road Glutton's Square 欽記魚圆

Update: Khin Kee Fishball Kway Teow 欽記魚圆 is now at Havelock Road Food Centre.



Restaurant name: Khin Kee Fishball Kway Teow 欽記魚圆
Address: Havelock Road Food Centre, stall no. #01-06, 22B Havelock Road, Singapore 162022
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle at Esplanade Mall ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

This Esplanade outlet is closed but the original Wah Kee stall is still doing a thriving business with a huge following of fans at Pek Kio hawker centre 👈 click

CLOSED Back at Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵 at the Esplanade Mall after almost exactly one year (since it opened here. Wah Kee was founded in 1951 and the parent stall is still in operation at Pek Kio hawker centre).

Xi Xiang Feng Best Yong Tau Foo Singapore Ang Mo Kio 724 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Paid a visit to an old favourite, Xi Xiang Feng yong tau foo at Ang Mo Kio central's Blk 724 food centre.

Lee Kee Johor Laksa ● JB's Oldest Curry Laksa Stall since 1946 李记柔佛辣沙

Lee Kee is one of the oldest curry laksa stalls in Johor Bahru - it's also one of the first JB hawker stalls I shared in Johor Kaki blog back in 2012.

YamCha Hong Kong DimSum in Johor Bahru Taman Orkid 饮茶港式点心 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

This little shop, YamCha Hong Kong DimSum 饮茶港式点心, tucked away in quiet Taman Orkid serves one of the best dim sum in Johor Bahru.

When I arrived at the nondescript looking shop this morning, I didn't expect myself to say this by the end of brunch.

饮茶港式点心. 看来不起眼的点心店, 竟然是卧底藏龙. 点心师傅有十五年经验. 出道时跟香港点心师傅学习. 曾在新加坡著名的利苑酒家当点心厨师. Alan 师傅做出来的点心精致美味. 价钱又很合理. 是值得一试的点心店. 营业时间每天7点半到五点. Jalan Seri Orkid 31, Taman Seri Orkid.

Singapore the Culinary Olympics 2016 Champion - Celebration Party

These are Gold Medals brought home by Team Singapore from the Culinary Olympics 2016 held in Erfurt, Germany in Oct 2016.

Team Singapore has always done well in international competitions winning gold medals before at previous Culinary Olympics but this is the first time that Singapore is the overall Champion - the top scoring country. It's like being the country with the highest medal tally in the Summer Olympics.

Amazing 😃

One Day Eat and Shop Trip in Johor Bahru JB

This is a suggested itinerary for a car trip starting at 9am and ends at 10pm in Johor Bahru (departing from Singapore). It includes 3 food stops, one cafe stop and one shopping stop.

Johor Bahru Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee Noodle in JB City Square 何成記 云吞面世家

Ho Seng Kee has a unique style of wanton noodles which to it's many fans is synonymous with JB wanton mee.

Din Tai Fung in Johor Bahru City Square JB Malaysia 鼎泰豐

Din Tai Fung, a franchise from Taiwan is one of my favourite places for xiao long bao. I enjoy the taste and quality of Din Tai Fung xiao long bao as well as appreciate their consistency at DTF outlets around world. DTF also have noodle and rice dishes which I like.

So Happy to be able to Taste Traditional Fuzhou Kompia in Skudai Johor Bahru JB 皇后福州光饼 ●皇帽茶餐室●四眼光饼

I always wanted to try traditional Fuzhou kompia made with the tandoor type of charcoal oven, the way they do it in Sitiawan (Perak) and Sibu (Sarawak). So, I was really excited when foodies in JB started sharing about a traditional kompia stall operating in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA) in Johor Bahru.

谢谢吃的平台 Victor 台友分享, 好开心在柔佛新山也可以吃到手工传统制造的福州光饼. "四眼光饼"老板是福州人. 来自霹靂, 實兆遠. 是制造福州光饼世家, 第三代传人. 炭烧的光饼外脆内软. 有洋蔥光饼 (RM1.20) 和叉烧光饼 (RM2). 如果在新山, 这可算是非试不可. 王后花园. Jalan Pendekar 2. 早上8点到下午两点. 星期一休息. 手工制造, 所以产量不多. 最好先打电话订购 014 382 9624 | 016 7794 629.

Stall name: 皇后福州光饼●皇帽茶餐室

Address: 73, Jalan Pendekar 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, 81300 Skudai, Johor (stall inside Ong Bo coffee shop)

Tel: +60143819624

Hours: 8:00am - 1:00pm (Mon off)

Fat Chef Restaurant in Mount Austin Johor 肥厨私房菜 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

MOVED. Last night, we went to a restaurant known as Fat Chef in Kulai together with good friends.

在柔佛古来小小餐厅, 肥厨 Calvin 很有创意. 厨师用心做出不少特别又美味的美食. 我个人特别喜欢 Calvin 的药膳草羊煲和莎白椰水汤. 他的招牌海陆空三军豪华巨餐【海】里游【陆】地走【空】中飞也非常受大家的欢迎. 肥厨私房菜是一个大家, 一家大小聚在一起享受美食的好地方. 这里的价格也很公道. Jalan Seri Putra 1, Bandar Putra, Kulai. 早上11点到晚上10点星期三休息.

Food that I will Never Eat Again - Seal Flipper (1 of 3 foods)

Photo credit

This is a fun post, let's play together 😃 What food have you ever eaten that you will never eat again?

I start first, then you add your "never again" food in the comments below. OK? 👌

Restoran Pekin Sentosa Johor Bahru JB 北京楼 ● Dependable Restaurant Trusted by Locals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

17 Aug 2023. We were on a Johor Bahru and Kulai food and durian trail since the break of dawn 😬 By dinner, we were tired and stuffed.

One Two Eat Cafe in JB Johor Bahru Molek

In Malaysia, there are simple eateries that serve many kinds of local Malaysian favourites as well as "fusion" dishes all under one roof. There are many familiar local brands like PappaRich, Secret Recipe, Tea Garden, Moonlight etc. One Two Eat Cafe is a Johor Bahru homegrown brand with five outlets in JB. 

Ayam Penyet Sarang Lebah in Johor Bahru JB Perling

Buddy Russel was keen that we try out his latest good food find together in Johor Bahru. He first heard about this ayam penyet stall in Taman Perling from his neighbour Din. That's how food news travel in JB - 一传食, 十传百, the good old fashioned way 😃

S'Mart Pandan - Popular Wet Market in Johor Bahru JB

One of the questions I often ask hawkers is "where do you get your fresh supplies"? Fresh quality fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish is key to delicious food. Their reply often surprised me 😋

JJ Wine & Tapas Bar - Restaurant for Valentines, Anniversary & Celebrations in Johor Bahru ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

JJ Wine & Tapas Bar in Taman Pelangi is well known among wine and liquor lovers in JB. Regulars know that the bar also serves good food to complement it's fine drinks.

Mampir Lagi Indonesian Food Restaurant in Johor Bahru Pelangi ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Today, we visited Mampir Lagi, a 6 month old young Indonesian restaurant in Taman Pelangi in Johor Bahru. Thanks to arrangements by Diane and Elena who are mutual friends of Henny, the owner chef of Mampir Lagi.

今天到柔佛新山彩虹一家刚开不久的印尼餐馆 Mampir Lagi 吃晚餐. 来自印尼 Lombok 的老板娘煮的好几道美味的印尼特色的菜肴. 老板娘的 ayam penyet 印尼炸鸡好吃. 印尼式的牛肉汤也很好喝. 晚餐有不同的套餐. 我们喜欢老板娘的炸鱼套餐. 老板娘也很厉害做蛋糕. 他的蛋糕真的是很棒. 我极力推建 Mampir Lagi 的炸鱼套餐,牛肉汤和蛋糕. 地址 42, Jalan Pingai, Taman Pelangi. 早上11点到晚上9点. 星期天休息.

Jadi Baru Botak Asam Pedas in JB Johor where All Malaysians Eat Together

 Botak Asam Fish Head (Kedai Makanan Jadi Baru) 新自立食馆 | 145, Jalan Lumba Kuda, Johor Bahru ☎+607 2249225 🕑 6am to 4pm (closed on Sunday)

Today, we gathered with friends for lunch at the popular Jadi Baru restaurant which everybody knows as "Botak asam pedas". This is the usual scene at lunch time at Botak. The famous JB eatery is named after its owner who sports a bald hairstyle.

Kee Hiong Klang Bak Kut Teh in Singapore 奇香吧生肉骨茶

I was recently invited by the owners of Kee Hiong (Singapore) bak kut teh who are introducing the Klang style of BKT to Singaporeans with their newest outlet at People's Park Centre. Before visiting Kee Hiong (Singapore), we went to Klang in Selangor, Malaysia to get a deeper appreciation of what is Klang style BKT.

Weekend Trek at Broga Hill & Gunung Tok Wan Malaysia with Adventure Village

Day 1 - Friday

We assembled at Woodlands MRT station in Singapore on a Friday evening, before setting off for Broga Hill by coach via Johor Bahru CIQ (checkpoint).

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Recipe 🐔 Anyone Can Cook a Michelin Star Dish at Home Easily

Hong Kong style soya sauce chicken is one of my favourite dishes. Here's the easy to cook, more or less fail safe recipe I have been using for decades at home 🐔

Yusof Arni's Malay Food Stall • Best Food in Orchard Road Singapore ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

At the edge of Orchard Road in Singapore, and we were scratching our heads about what to eat in "shoppers' paradise". Yes, there are countless choices in Orchard Road - it's just that we wanted something local and homely. Always resourceful Uncle Martin suggested Yusof Arni's and my mind instantly switched to that little enclave in Far East Plaza where locals flock to in Orchard Road for comforting meals.

Lucky Loke Restaurant Tai Chow (Zhi Char) in SS3 PJ near KL 幸运陸记

In Kuala Lumpur, there is a type of popular eatery which locals call tai chow 大炒 which literally means "big fry". Tai chow restaurants are very casual places usually located in residential districts and are popular with families for gatherings. Tai chows are usually minimally furnished, come as you are places where you can saunter in in your shorts, singlet and flip flops - no one will bat an eyelid. (In Singapore, tai chows are known as zhi char 煮炒 which literally means "cook and fry".)

Stall name: Lucky Loke SS3

Address: Lorong SS3/59E, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Tel: +6019 338 8909

Hours: 3:30pm - 8:00pm