Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture · History

Adventurous Culinary Traveler's Blog with 65 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Tried & Tasted. Best Johor Wanton Mee worth the Causeway Jam



You know, in the old days, every wanton mee hawker made their own egg noodles. When I was a child, my next door neighbour in a rental studio flat in Toa Payoh Singapore was a wanton mee hawker. He made his egg noodles at home. Every night, we would happily take turns to ride and bounce on the fat bamboo pole he used to knead the dough. Today, I know of no hawker in Singapore or Malaysia who still makes their own egg noodles with a bamboo pole.

But, in Johor some hawkers still make their own egg noodles, albeit with the help of machines. If you like to try some house made wanton noodles, you can still get it in Johor, though here too the numbers are dwindling. Furthermore, most use chicken eggs nowadays instead of the traditional duck eggs.

Tokachi Tontaro. Traditional Hokkaido Buta Don in OUE Shenton Way Singapore

Tokachi-Tontaro-Hokkaido-ButaDon

I accepted an invitation to taste the Buta Don (Japanese pork rice bowl) at newly opened Tokachi Tontaro at OUE Downtown Gallery in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District at Shenton Way.

Tried & Tasted. Best Johor Bak Kut Teh Lover's Guide. Some Say JB BKT is Top in Malaysia

Johor-Bak-Kut-Teh

Coming to Johor, one of the essential food experiences is to taste Johor bak kut teh. JB folks are crazy about bak kut teh (more so than Singaporeans). They eat BKT from morning till night and there are BKT stalls everywhere (BKT to Johoreans is like chicken rice to Singaporeans). Johor has its own style of bak kut teh - fresh pork served in mildly savoury, light to medium body broth with subtle underlying herbal notes. Fresh pork is taken for granted in Johor as Johoreans are allergic to frozen pork 😄

When Kuangming Daily 光明日報 organised a search for the best bak kut teh in Malaysia in 2006, the judging panel led by renowned food critic Chua Lam 蔡瀾 picked Bak Cheng, a JB BKT as the surprise winner beating their much fancied counterparts in Klang.

So, here we go - 8 tried and tasted bak kut teh in Johor. 

Oishii Duck Egg Zha Jiang Mian @ Tim Sum Boy Johor Jaya 炸醬麵



Nakamasa san has been exploring Johor food and tipped me off to Oishii 炸醬麵 (zha jiang mian) in Tim Sum Boy kopitiam in Taman Johor Jaya. Nakamasa san is thrilled that Oishii's zha jiang mian tastes authentic and that the owner's Japanese master taught him to use only good and proper ingredients 😃

Summer Kitchen. Mom's Home Cooking in Johor Jaya 夏.厨房



Summer Kitchen 夏.厨房 in Johor Jaya was opened in 2015 but I had not heard of it until buddy Krystal shared her joy in stumbling upon the hidden gem. Piqued by Krystal's enthusiasm and because I like mom and pop eateries, we checked in at Summer Kitchen this morning - making it our first stop for today's food trail.

Tropique Cafe & Restaurant @ Spring Labs Ekoflora in Johor Bahru



JB has a cool new Instagram hotspot - Spring Labs Eco Ekoflora (about 30 minutes drive north after clearing JB immigration). There are many Instagrammable buildings and nice cafes to hang out in here. I tried Tropique Cafe & Restaurant and so love it 💗

JB Flying Wanton Mee in Johor Jaya is Tops in Taste & Mouthfeel

JB_Flying_Wanton_Mee_Johor_Jaya

Dropped in on Edwin's 桃园面家 at his new address at 59, Jalan Bakawali 50, Taman Johor Jaya, JB. I last ate Edwin's flying wanton mee four years ago. Oh my... through Edwin's continuous efforts, his wanton mee has gone from good to great 👏👏👏 I like it so much more now.

Wei Wei Hakka Lei Cha in Johor Bahru 威威咸茶美食店

Wei-Wei-Hakka-Lei-Cha-Johor-Bahru-威威咸茶美食店

When local born and raised Hakka boy, KK declared that Wei Wei in Taman Daya has dethroned his long time favourite lei cha shop in JB, it's time to stop mugging around. I quickly invited KK to meet for lunch at Wei Wei as authentic Hakka lei cha and yong tou foo are among my favourite dishes.

gCafe Mount Austin. Where to Chill in JB with Coffee, Cakes and Soft Shell Crab Laksa

gCafe-Mount-Austin

I like soft shell crabs and laksa. So, when I saw that gCafe in Mount Austin, Johor Bahru launched a soft shell crab laksa, I quickly went to try it. (There was a nice soft shell crab laksa place in Indahpura, Kulai but it closed a year ago.)

Meeting Amazing Patrizia Perucca in JB. Florence Grandmother Rounding the Earth on Foot

Patrizia-Perucca

Friends who know me well enough to ask me "what is your dream" will know that I dream of doing an overland trip either self drive or by public transport from Singapore to London or Beijing while I am physically able. 

Today, I met an Italian grandmother who is doing something which I dare not even dream of. Patrizia Perucca is circumnavigating the world on foot 😱 After leaving home in Florence, Italy a year ago, Patrizia arrived in Johor Bahru after walking 14 countries. I dropped in on her just before she set off for Singapore.

Tasty Hotpot. Spicy Sichuan Mala Xiang Guo in JB 有点香麻辣香锅



The two month old 有点香 Tasty Hotpot restaurant, spiced and heated up the JB food scene with it's authentic Sichuan style stir fried mala xiang guo 麻辣香锅. The restaurant located just beside KSL mall at Jalan Kijang is the hottest thing in JB F & B since Mar 2018.

Which Claypot Chicken Rice in Chinatown Complex Food Centre?



This is the second time I am blogging about Zhao Ji Clay Pot Rice in Chinatown Complex. The last time was "for information only", this time I am recommending it. I normally don't recommend an eatery on my first blog post about it. If I still like an eatery after a few revisits, I will then write a recommendation.

Kok Sen Restaurant of Keong Saik Road • Recommended by Singapore Michelin Guide 国成

Kok Sen Restaurant of Keong Saik Road. Recommended by Singapore Michelin Guide

Dinner at the legendary Kok Sen 国成 restaurant at Singapore Chinatown's Keong Saik Road.

Restaurant name: Kok Sen 国成


Address: 2/4 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089110


Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Outram Park station / 10 minutes walk from Chinatown station


Tel: 62232005


Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm | 5:00pm - 11:00pm

History of Original Heritage Hawkers in Chinatown Complex 牛車水美食講故事



The story of Singapore Chinatown food and hawkers is an integral part of the history of our Chinatown. Food is one of the precious few tangible links left between today's Chinatown and its origins.

Wait.

Fei Ye Ye 肥爷爷 Wanton Noodle with Soya Sauce Chicken in Chinatown Complex

Fei-Ye-Ye-肥爷爷-Wanton-Noodle-Soya-Sauce-Chicken-Chinatown-Complex

Had Fei Ye Ye's wanton mee with soya sauce chicken for lunch in Chinatown Complex today. I enjoyed it as the wanton mee was old school and the soya sauce chicken was tender, juicy and sweet.

Chinatown Complex Food Centre 👟👟 Heritage Trail of Original Stalls of Old Chinatown 👟👟

Chinatown-Complex-Food-Centre-Heritage-Trail-Old-Kreta-Ayer

Even before Sir Stamford Raffles stepped foot on Singapore in 1819, hawkers already plied the streets of Chinese Campong, the precursor of today's Chinatown. As Singapore prospered thanks to Raffles making Singapore a free port and capital of the British Straits Settlements, the population in Chinatown quickly grew with immigrants from southern China.

Unagiya Ichinoji @ Robertson Quay. Tokyo's Miyagawa Honten joins Singapore's Live Eel Frenzy

Singapore-Unagiya-Ichinoji-Tokyo-Miyagawa-Honten

Last night, I attended a media preview of Unagiya Ichinoji at Robertson Quay which opens to the public today (12 Apr 2018). Unagiya Ichinoji, by Tokyo chain Miyagawa Honten, is Singapore's fourth unagi restaurant to serve live eels.

Ru Ji Kitchen at Holland Drive now does Bak Chor Mee & it's Good too

Ru-Ji-Kitchen-Holland-Drive-Bak-Chor-Mee

I had a meet up in Buona Vista this afternoon, so I took the opportunity to lunch at Holland Drive food centre, one of my favourite hawker centres in Singapore. Circling the busy hawker centre, I noticed that Ru Ji, the famous fish ball noodle stall had expanded to two stalls - side by side. The new stall serves bak chor mee. As a born and bred Singapore bak chor mee lover, I naturally chose to try it.

Yalong Bay Flaming Chicken Serangoon. Menu & Review 亚龙湾地道小厨

Yalong_Bay_Singapore_Flame_Chicken

Update 8 Oct 2020. Today, we went to Yalong Bay restaurant, Uncle Bob's choice for our simple celebration of his birthday. Uncle Bob is a regular at Yalong Bay's Toa Payoh outlet and is eager to check out their new location at the Sheng Siong Supermarket at Serangoon North Ave 5.

Xiang Xiang Cooked Food in Chinatown Complex. Traditional Chinese Kueh Desserts

Xiang-Xiang-Cooked-Food-Chinatown-Complex-Sweet-Potato-Ball

To get a taste of 香香小食 Xiang Xiang Cooked Food's traditional Chinese sweet snacks, you gotta get out of bed early, unless you live near Chinatown Complex.

Siamese Thai Cuisine · JB People's Favourite Thai Restaurants 暹鄉.料理

Siamese-Thai-Cuisine-Desa-Cemerlang-Ulu-Tiram-暹鄉.料理

✍ 15 Sep 2023. Siamese Thai Cuisine is a favourite among Johor foodies. I visited them 5 years ago and they are still holding their own, still enjoy a strong loyal following among locals. This is its current address in Johor Jaya.

Restaurant name: Siamese Thai Cuisine


Address: 33, Jalan Dedap 4, Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia


Tel: +6017 777 1611


Hours: 5:30pm - 9:30pm (Tues off)

Cheap & Very Good Western Food in Johor JB. Big Brother 2 二师兄 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Western-Food-Johor-JB-Big-Brother-2-二师兄

Big Brother 2 二师兄 is a little hidden gem serving restaurant quality dishes in a humble shop lot in a quiet section of Taman Seri Austin, JB. To me, it's worth the effort to seek out Big Brother 2 as the food is nice, reasonably priced and I find eating good food in unexpected places a special pleasure 😂

Best Singapore Chicken Rice List. Traditional Food in Chinatown Complex. Red Fermented Bean Curd Pork Trotter 南乳燜豬手

Best Singapore Chicken Rice List.

Chef Randy of Fragrant Sauce Chicken & Noodle switched to selling nam yu pork trotters when he moved from Waterloo Street to Chinatown Complex food centre. I appreciate chef Randy's nam yu dishes but I was quite blown away by his poached chicken, which is his forte.

Secret Traditional Nanyang Kopi in Chinatown Complex with Tong Ah 東亞 Coffee DNA

Traditional-Nanyang-Kopi-Chinatown-Complex-Tong-Ah-東亞-Coffee

Folks who live in Chinatown have a little secret traditional Nanyang coffee place which only people who live in Chinatown long enough knows - few outsiders know about Heng Wah Traditional Coffee Stall.

Authentic Traditional Chinese Desserts in Chinatown Complex. 115 Tang Shui 一一五糖水 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chinatown-Complex-115-Tang Shui-Desserts-一一五糖水

In a world where mechanisation, synthetic ingredients and chemical flavours are gaining ground in F & B, this humble little dessert stall, 115 Tang Shui in Chinatown Complex is standing its ground with natural ingredients and artisanal production. 115 Tang Shui is a heritage food gem you must not miss when you are in Chinatown.

Maria Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken. HK Soya Sauce Chicken in Singapore Chinatown 瑪俐亞處女雞

Maria-Ma-Li-Ya-HK-Soya-Sauce-Chicken

I just finished breakfast at Chinatown Complex and on my way for the day's errands when I walked past these succulent birds at Blue Zone stall #02-189 Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken 瑪俐亞處女雞. Bantering with the lady boss who was just setting up for the day, I was swayed to taste Ma Li Ya's famous HK soya sauce chicken for the first time.