Tony Tan Hails Singapore Italy Co-operation - Let's Celebrate with Singapore Chili Crab Spaghetti :-D JK1502

My favourite ways to eat spaghetti are the minimalist aglio e olio followed by self indulgent Singapore chili crab spaghetti :-D I am not sure where this brilliant Italian - Singapore fusion of two national dishes was invented but the best chili crab spaghetti that I've tasted in Johor Bahru is at EH HE Art Cafe at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

Do You Remember Tiram Laksa - the 1970s After Party Supper Haunt in Ulu Tiram?

JK reader Jasmine suggested that I should try the old laksa stall at Ulu Tiram directly opposite the Chinese school SKJ (C) Tiram. Thanks to Jasmine's suggestion, I have the story of another heritage hawker in JK blog.

地南叻沙。另一 家柔佛叻沙的老字号。年轻一代已经掌管了五十年老摊位。 味道是传统的古早味。有椰子的香味，而不是太辣。智南华小对面。

JB Local's Favourite Lai Kee Fish Ball Noodles in Tun Aminah Johor 来记西刀鱼圆 (皇后花园) Updated 2024

Lai Kee Fish Ball 来记西刀鱼丸 was one of the first posts on Johor Kaki, way back in 2012. Over the years, I wrote 4 separate blog posts about Lai Kee as every time I visit them, I like them more. My last visit 3 days ago was no different. In fact, I felt that they are better now than ever.

✍ I still feel the same after my visit on 29 Aug 2024.

Chef Ong's Kick Ass Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee Johor Permas Jaya

When I posted about Chef Ong's delicious salmon noodle soup and salmon dumplings, readers told me "Aiyah, why didn't you try his Penang Hokkien prawn mee? That one you must not miss." So, I did what I have to do the very next day :-D

Chef Ong 的檳城蝦面湯頭真的有足料, 重重的蝦味, 夠力。吃一口，我立刻上癮。大家真的一定要試試。在柔佛新山, 百萬鎮。Jalan Permas 10/5.

Chef Ong Salmon Fish Head Soup & Sashimi 三文鱼头鱼片汤 JK1497

My JB buddy Jeff has been feeding me a lot of tips about where to find good eats in Johor Bahru. He told me that I should check out Chef Ong's restaurant in Permas Jaya which specialises in salmon dishes.

Bar Wang Rice 卤肉|霸王飯 - Johor Bahru's Wallet Friendly Tyrant Rice

Recently, whenever we passed by Permas Jaya in JB, we noticed this corner restaurant which is always busy. We were quite curious about what it is all about, especially when it has a rather self-important name like Bar Wang Rice or 霸王飯 which means Tyrant Rice. So, we paid it a visit today at lunch. We found nothing to fear and in fact, it is a wallet friendly place :-D

看到霸王饭店里总是满满的人，我们到来试一试。食物是一般的美味，价格是合理的，环境舒适因为店里干净也有冷气。如果我工作的地方旁边有霸王饭店，我想我会经常在这里吃饭。

Azmi Chapati Singapore Little India Norris Road

Hungry and alone in Little India, I remembered I had a rain check to come back to Azmi Chapati for chapati and mutton keema. I love this little place because of the freshly made chapatis and the rustic feel of the old corner coffee shop.

Stall name: Azmi Restaurant

Address: 168 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218051 (Azmi Restaurant is a stall inside Thye Chong coffee shop at the junction of Serangoon Road and Norris Road.)

Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm

Taman Negara Malaysia's National Forest Reserve JK1493

All these years, I've read and heard a lot about Taman Negara (Malaysia's National Rainforest Resrve) but have yet to have the opportunity to visit it. So, I was so glad to receive an invitation from Tourism Malaysia to visit Taman Negara as part of their eco-tourism programme.

Dinner in the Sky Malaysia in Johor Puteri Harbour JK1492

Dinner in the Sky Malaysia is now in Johor for two months (from 20 May till 19 Jun 2016). Dinner in the Sky is a novel dining concept that has travelled the world since starting in Brussels, Belgium in 2006. After over 40 cities, including KL in 2015 and Penang earlier in 2016, Dinner in the Sky Malaysia is now in Johor Bahru.

Penang Char Kway Teow at Leong Seng Huat Perling Johor (Now @ Restoran Yang Jia in Impian Emas)

There are many regional variations of the well loved fried rice noodle dish, char kway teow. Of all the regional varieties, the Penang style seems to be the best travelled - it is found all over Malaysia, Singapore and even around the world. In Johor Bahru, one of the most popular Penang char kway teow stalls is at Leong Seng Huat 两成发 coffee shop in Taman Perling.

Kulai Mok Chai Hainanese Beef Noodle for Real Beefy Goodness 莫才牛肉粉.猪肉面

I am a big fan of Hainanese style beef noodles - the type with the gooey beefy brown sauce. When I was a child labourer working at construction sites during my lower secondary school holidays, I used to gladly splurge half my daily wage on a good bowl of beef noodles near my work site. I am so glad that I could still enjoy this traditional Hainanese classic at Mok Chai 莫才 in Kulai.

JB EH HE Art Cafe Singapore Hokkien Mee Noodle CLOSED

Singapore style Hokkien mee is a delicious iconic dish that is very hard to find a good version outside of the sunny island. For whatever reason, Singapore Hokkien mee outside of the Lion City somehow just cannot make it. Imagine, finding a good SG Hokkien mee, and one that does not use pork and lard in JB. Now, that's exciting.

Johor Bahru Kebun Teh Seng Huat Fish Soup 成发

Updated 29 May 2019. Visited the fish soup stall at Jalan Kebun Teh Lama today. This was one of the first places I blogged about in Johor Kaki (in Jan 2012, the first month of Johor Kaki). 

榕树下果条 (成发). 汤头够味. 鱼肉新鲜又甜. 酱油够香. 好吃. 价格公道. 环境特别. 不妨试试.

Yew Swee Laksa and Lor Mee - Johor Folks Favourites 友水叻沙

Yew Swee 友水 is one of those nondescript eateries found all over Malaysia which one would hardly notice when driving by. But, local folks know that this plain Jane of shops serves one of the best curry laksa noodle in JB, and today I found out, one of the best lor mee 鹵麵 as well.

Uniquely Johor Mawar Pisang Goreng Sambal Kicap

This is a common street food in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia but there is something unique about pisang groeng (fried banana fritters) in Johor which you must try :-D

Sunroast Roast Chicken Char Siew in Yong Peng Johor 宏达烧腊 JK1485

Little Yong Peng town is the perfect pit stop for the three hour plus drive between KL and JB. Yong Peng town is about mid point between KL and JB, and the main street is located just off the North-South Expressway - there is no need to drive another 30-45 minutes to town (as is the case with Kluang, Segamat, Batu Pahat or Muar). 

CLOSED Best Char Siew Wanton Noodle in Kulai, and some say Johor? 新珍记云吞面

CLOSED My friend Puan Chong brought us here at 新珍记云吞面 in Kulai, her family's favourite wanton noodle shop. 新珍记's claim to fame is their signature "crystal" char siew or roast pork belly.

柔佛古来, 新珍记云吞面的玻璃叉烧, 肥瘦参半. 咬在嘴里, 软软的, 又甜又香. 跟全蛋面一起吃, 好好吃的云吞面.

Loke Tien Yuen Seafood • Jewel of Mersing Restaurants 乐天园酒家

There are probably no more than a small handful of small restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore, the likes of century old Loke Tien Yuen in Mersing still serving authentic old school Cantonese classics. So for fans of Cantonese food, it is worth the 150km drive from JB to Mersing through windy and undulating roads for a taste of the dishes at Loke Tien Yuen.

Restoran Sekee - Definitive Teochew Kway Teow Thng Soup in Johor Bahru

✍ Updated 23 May 2019. Ah Hua at Sekee coffee shop at Jalan Segget is an old name in JB's Teochew kway teow soup. I haven't been back for a few years as food hunting has taken me away in search of Johor's other hidden gems. Ah Hua kway teow hasn't changed a bit - the owners have kept it true to tradition.

Pontian Wanton Mee Noodles only Locals Know About JK1480

This is another drive by discovery. We drove slowly along Jalan Parit Mesjid in Pontian, looking for where local folks gather. Then, we stumbled upon this popular Pontian style wanton mee stall which is under the radar to most outsiders.

Giant Grouper Fish in Pontian Johor 阿富魚湯小炒 龍膽之家

Driving along the familiar main road towards Kukup, I noticed a street side stall directly across the road from Lee Biscuits which I have not seen before. The stall looked well patronised, and the big fish on the stall's banner got us curious enough to swing the car around to check out the new kid in town.

15 Storey Ah Kiang • Closest Thing in JB to Singapore's Mee Pok or Bak Chor Mee 十五楼亚坚

✍ 13 May 2016. It's funny, just across the kilometre long Causeway and the iconic Singapore bak chor mee cannot be found in Johor Bahru. While hunting for the best JB hawker food, my heart skipped a beat when I stumbled upon 十五楼亚坚 Ah Kiang's mee pok in Permas Jaya four years ago. The resemblance is strong though there are obvious differences (like no bak chor or minced pork in the noodles). Still, I tried 十五楼亚坚's mee pok and liked it straight away.

Game for Wild Boar Curry and Bak Kut Teh in Johor Bahru?

Curious about wild boar meat and want to give it a try? Fa Shao in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah is a convenient place in Johor Bahru for a taste of this game meat which is hard to find nowadays. Wild boars are abundant in Malaysia's forests but stalls serving the meat are more and more rare.

Murtabak Majid Special Cheese No. 1 Kampung Kurnia Johor Bahru

Seeing the buzz on social media about Johor Baru's unique murtabak cheese got me all excited to give it a try. So we quickly came to Murtabak Majid Special Cheese No. 1 in Kampung Kurnia. This is the shop which invented this special murtabak.

Ah Kaw the Creator of JB's San Low Bee Hoon 亚九咖哩鱼头店

San Lou bee hoon 三楼干炒米粉 is an iconic dish created in Johor Bahru, reputedly by Ah Kaw 亚九 back in 1979.

Review of Kulai Sze Hwa Bak Kut Teh ● A Johor Style BKT 古来世华肉骨茶

Love the bak kut teh at Sze Hwa in Kulai for it's fresh pork, homely flavours, substantial portions, and rustic small town feel. Every time I am in Kulai hunting for new food finds, I have to resist stopping at Sze Hwa, so that I have stomach space for new discoveries. Today, again I couldn't resist the temptation.

Restoran Selera Selatan has JB's Best Roti Canai (Prata)? ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Selera Selatan in Johor Jaya Rosmerah is one of Johor Bahru's best loved roti canai stalls (known as roti prata in Singapore).

Teck Sing Paper Wrapped Herbal Chicken Sentosa Johor Bahru 德星茶餐室

Teck Sing is a well loved family oriented restaurant in Taman Sentosa where the food is delicious and reasonably priced. This is the place I go to for paper wrapped herbal chicken and for their "Indonesian style curry prawns".

Senai Bitter Gourd Soup at Makanan Hakka 士乃大众

For some time, I have been taste testing different bitter gourd soup shops as it is one of the unique delicious dishes of Johor, seldom found outside the state. Thanks to Johor Kaki readers' suggestions, I came to Makanan Hakka 士乃大众 in Senai and tasted the best bitter gourd soup that I have eaten so far.

士乃大众苦瓜汤是柔佛创建这道菜的第一家. 苦瓜脆脆的, 清新甜美. 这家的客家炸肉也很不错。喜爱苦瓜汤的朋友们一定要试试.

Mat Corner Nasi Ambang Bandar Baru Uda Johor Bahru

Mat Corner at Medan Selara Mahsuri in Bandar Baru Uda is one of the best known nasi ambang stalls in Johor Bahru.

Warung Kurniawan Soto and Sup Tulang in Johor Bahru

The street side Warung Kurniawan which has been around for 50 years is famed for its soto (Indonesian style chicken soup) and sup tulang (lamb shank soup). Warung Kurniawan is a favourite with locals.

Warung Kurniawan 这个50岁年历史大排档的印尼鸡汤, 羊肉骨汤, 和椰酱饭很受欢迎。他们的辣椒酱非常辣, 非常够力。地方有点热又挤，但还是值得一试。

Ah Hor Teochew Noodles Bak Chor Mee Pok Kitchener Road Singapore 亚河潮州粿条面

✍️ 24 Oct 2023. Ah Hor near Mustafa mall is an old school type of dry bak chor mee stall that is well loved but has a low profile in Singapore foodie radar.

Stall name: Ah Ho Teochew Kway Teow Noodle 亜河潮州粿条面

Address: 165 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208532 (stall inside Big City Coffee House)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Farrer Park station

Tel: 9127 2185

Hours: 7am - 3pm (Weds off)

CLOSED Nung Len SG Thai Restaurant Singapore

CLOSED Meet spunky Jen Fu, the youthful owner chef of Nung Len at MacKenzie Road near Little India in Singapore. Jen is a Le Cordon Bleu alumni and a huge fan of Thai cuisine - big credentials rolled into her petite frame.

Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Raub Pahang River Trekking JK1475

I always enjoyed trekking trips as a form of exercise and a way to reconnect with nature. The river trek at Tanah Aina was an enjoyable experience. It's a short 3-4 hour, leisurely trek and easily managed by most young and old.

my Burger Lab SEA Park Petaling Jaya

My KL buddy William is a hardcore burger lover and a huge fan of myBurgerLab. I say huge because William said myBurgerLab is responsible for quite a few extra pounds around his huge waist 🤭 William was constantly raving about his favourite burger joint.

Village Park Nasi Lemak · Uptown Damansara · PJ (near KL)

Heard a lot of good things about Village Park nasi lemak in Uptown Damansara (Petaling Jaya) near Kuala Lumpur, the capital of nasi lemak and Malaysia.

Ah Wah Hokkien Mee, Sea Park, Paramount Garden 亚华福建炒面

I remember Ah Wah Hokkien noodles at Paramount Garden in Petaling Jaya because we often browsed the pasar malam here over a decade ago. I was awed by the dramatic daily fireworks display at Ah Wah - though in KL, few locals even bat an eyelid as this type of fiery fury is by no means uncommon :-D Nevertheless, Ah Wah is top-of-the-mind of many KLites when it comes to KL Hokkien mee.