Kedai Kopi Xuu Yau Wanton Mee @ 18 Jalan Sutera in Taman Sentosa, JB (formerly @ Jalan Tan Hiok Nee) 品苑云吞面 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo courtesy of Kevin Bear

✍ 13 Oct 2024. Xuu Yau Wanton Mee has moved to 18 Jalan Sutera in Taman Sentosa since 10 Oct 2024. I will be updating this post with new pictures and updated review as soon as possible.

✍ 31 Aug 2018. Folks who come to JB's "Culture Street" regularly would have noticed Xuu Yau wanton mee shop just beside the famous "Red House" which had been whitewashed (alamak... ). I checked out the new wanton mee shop this morning, and would rank it among the best in Johor Bahru because of their springy QQ noodles.

肆源小炒 Best Poached & Roast Chicken in Masai, Johor Bahru ⭐⭐⭐⭐

肆源小炒 (no English name) is one of my favourite eating places in JB, one of those default places to eat when I just want a nice meal without having blogging in mind - since I have blogged about 肆源小炒 3 times already because I like the food here so much. But, I can't help it - their poached chicken, roast chicken and roast pork are so good, I just have to tell you about them. So, this will be the fourth time that I am blogging about 肆源小炒.

Street Side Handmade Teochew Kuih Stall at Jalan Harmonium 9 in JB

Stumbled upon a street side stall at Jalan Harmonium 9 which is popular for their crystal skin Teochew kuih. This is less than 5 minutes by car from IKEA and AEON Tebrau in Johor Bahru.

JUSCO AEON Tebrau in Johor Bahru. We Cook You Eat Service. CLOSED

CLOSED. Good news for JB folks who are too busy to cook at home - now you can buy fresh ingredients at the supermarket at JUSCO AEON Tebrau and have their chefs cook for you for a nominal fee of RM6 😮😋 No need to cook at home - no kidding 😄

Chi-Gui Mala Hot Pot in Johor Bahru 赤鬼麻辣火锅

Today, we visited Chi-Gui Mala Hot Pot at the ground floor of Twin Galaxy in JB. Chi-Gui Mala Hot Pot shares the same premises as Tanba Yakiniku 炭馬烧肉 which I had blogged about twice before (because my friends and I enjoyed eating here a lot 😋 ).

Restoran Hua Mui. Intangible Cultural Heritage Muhibah Kopitiam in Johor Bahru

My very first post in Johor Kaki blog was about Restoran Hua Mui in old downtown in JB (posted on 20 Dec 2011). I am back at Hua Mui again after 7 years. I zeroed in on their authentic Hainanese chicken chop which was my most memorable thing at Hua Mui.

Lost & Found. Noodle Place @ Orchard Gateway near 313 Somerset Singapore 華苑面粥小廚

In the 1980s/ 90s, when I wanted to eat Hong Kong style wanton mee, I go to the noodle place in Centrepoint at Orchard Road - that's the only place I know serving authentic HK style noodles at that time. Then in the early 2000s, my favourite HK noodle place in Singapore closed. I actually didn't know the name of the noodle place except that it was in Centrepoint.

Uncle Koh Wanton Noodles in Tun Aminah Skudai Johor Bahru · Update 2018 許记云吞面

✍ 2018. Uncle Koh 許记云吞面 was featured in one of the first Johor Kaki blog posts back in early 2012. It is still one of my favourite wanton mee shops because I like their springy house made noodles 👍

Kway Teow Kia Stall @ Meldrum Walk is One of JB's Best ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last month, while exploring Meldrum Walk in JB for food, I bumped into Miranda who is a Johor Kaki reader. She was enjoying her kway teow kia at her favourite KTK stall since childhood. On Miranda's recommendation, I came back to try the KTK today and indeed it is one of the best tasting kway teow kia that I've tried in Johor Bahru.

Er Jie (Ngoh) Curry Puff @ Dessert House in Golden Mile Tower Singapore 娥姐咖哩角卜

Buddy Milton has been looking for the best curry puff in Singapore. One of the best he has found so far is Er Jie Curry Puff (still under the media radar in 2018) located at the basement of Golden Mile Tower.

Wild Boar Meat in Pontian. The Wild "Iberico" Pork of Johor ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What does wild boar meat tastes like? Most people would think that it would be fibrous and gamey - not very nice and far from domesticated pork. Well, I thought so too after trying several wild boar places in Johor - good as a novelty but hardly something for everyday meals. But, that's before I tasted the Watermelon Boar 西瓜猪 of Pontian. That tastes like Spain's Iberico pork, no kidding.

Spicy & Hearty Beef Ball Soup. Anita's Spicy Column

A comforting soup is like a big bear hug.

It warms you up from the inside out.

It lights up your eyes and makes you smile.

Qinhu National Wetland Park & Medicine Buddha near Taizhou in Jiangsu, China

We visited Qinhu National Wetland Park 溱湖国家湿地公园 on the way from Nantong to Taizhou during our 7-day tour of Jiangsu, China. The wetland park is located in the northeast part of Jiangyan District, Taizhou City. The beautiful park is easily accessible by car from Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Changzhou, and Nantong - all within 2 hours of driving.

Lunch Omakase in Singapore @ Hana Hana 華花 in Orchid Hotel Tanjong Pagar

Omakase is a special kind of fun dining. Friends, good food, drinks and chefs all together, laughing all through our 3 hour lunch (it didn't seemed we were there that long 😄 ). Hana Hana 華花 Japanese Restaurant have this omakase lunch only from 1:30pm on Friday and Saturday - I can't think of many better ways to have a great time together with friends.

Sanford Mineral Water Springs from Bintan to the World Beyond

When you are in Batam and Bintan (Riau Islands in Indonesia), you will see Sanford mineral water everywhere in hotels, coffee shops, ferry boats, provision shops, supermarkets etc. Sanford mineral water produced in Batam and Bintan has the biggest market share there and is still growing.

East Treasure Chinese Restaurant in Joo Chiat Singapore 东宝之卧虎藏龙

We gathered at the newly opened East Treasure Chinese Restaurant 东宝之卧虎藏龙 in Joo Chiat Singapore. The comfortable restaurant have a few tasty unique signature dishes which use good quality fresh ingredients, and are well executed yet prices are friendly to the wallet.

Ah Koong Fishball at Taman Sentosa Johor Bahru 亚坤纯正西刀鱼丸

Ah Koong Fishball Noodle is like an old family friend. It was my father, a true Johor kaki, who first brought me to the restaurant in Taman Sentosa in 1990 JB. Often, when I was at work, my dad would bring my toddlers from Singapore to JB for day trips. Ah Koong Fishball was a regular stopover. My dad and the kids like the comfortable environment and the fried fish cake. 

Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih Cafe in Taman Sentosa Johor Bahru 亜利太平糕

Buddy Jeff mentioned Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih to me before but I couldn't find them at their old address at Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre. Yesterday, buddy KC alerted me that Ah Lee Taiping Famous Kuih is now in Taman Sentosa, a few shops away from Ah Koong (fishball noodle shop popular with Singaporeans). Lost & Found - it's good to have JB foodie buddies 😄

Restoran Shang Ji. Tin & Tin (Cathay) Hainanese Beef Noodle (Update)

Breakfast at Tin & Tin (Cathay) Hainanese Beef Noodle stall at Shang Ji coffee shop near the JB CIQ. There are probably at most 5 beef noodle stalls in Johor Bahru now.

Fei Fei Crab 肥肥蟹 in Plaza Sentosa Johor Bahru. Got More Pattern than Badminton

When I was living in Kuala Lumpur, one of my memorable dining experiences was their specialist crab restaurants - they do crabs in many different flavours just like those roti prata shops that do prata in "more pattern than badminton" as we say in Singlish. Now one of them, Fei Fei Crab have come to Johor Bahru (for one year already actually).

Iberico Pork Bak Kut Teh @ Restoran Kota Zheng Zong in Sentosa Johor Bahru

Friends in JB have been raving about it, since Kota Zheng Zong Bak Kut Teh launched their Iberico pork rib BKT last month. Truth be told, I was skeptical as the fad of substituting "normal" pork in traditional Chinese dishes with Iberico pork had been raging for some time. I've tasted Iberico pork char siew in a few places and it didn't work well for me. But, after trying the Iberico pork rib BKT at Kota Zheng Zong, I agree that Spanish pork really took BKT to the next level. The price premium was rather hefty though.

San Lou Dry Bee Hoon Creator Ah Kaw @ Restoran Ah Kaw 亚九咖喱鱼头

San Lou Dry Bee Hoon 三楼干米粉 is one of Johor Bahru's iconic dishes. I first tasted and blogged about JB San Lou Dry Bee Hoon in 2011, and have eaten it numerous times since. Since 2011, I had hoped to interview Ah Kaw 亚九, the creator of JB San Lou Dry Fried Bee Hoon. I finally met the legendary hawker today, after more than 7 years.

Red. Anita's Spicy Column

Singapore’s national day is here, August 9th.  Canada Day was a month ago, July 1st.     

Why am I mentioning these dates and what do these countries have in common?     

Sentosa Mee Hoon Kueh in Taman Molek JB 大豐麵粉粿 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Checked in for late lunch at 大豐麵粉粿 Kedai Makanan Mee Hoon Kueh in Taman Molek, Johor Bahru. 大豐麵粉粿 started in 1986 as a push cart stall in Taman Sentosa. Thirty two years on, it is still one of the top mee hoon kueh shops in JB. I like 大豐麵粉粿's mee hoon kueh because it is staidly old school Hokkien.

Jerk Spice. A Real Jerk of a Spice. Anita's Spicy Column

Jerk chicken is delicious. You can smell it from blocks away.

It was only after moving to Toronto, did I learn of jerk chicken – a Jamaican invention, a local favourite. The dish can be deceptively unappealing, due to it’s blackened appearance. However, once you’ve tasted it, there’s no turning back. A good jerk chicken should have strong flavours of allspice, a good level of spiciness, and a real smoky aroma.

Good Food, Good Value. Tanba Japanese BBQ Buffet in Johor Bahru 炭馬日式烧肉 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I first visited 炭馬日式烧肉 Tanba Japanese BBQ buffet at Twin Galaxy in JB last year for an invited tasting. Today, I came back with friends as a paying customer and am glad to recommend Tanba to you.

Laksa, Mee Hoon Kueh & Lor Mee @ Restoran Yew Swee in Johor Bahru

Restoran Yew Swee | 64, Jalan Harimau Tarum, Taman Century, 80300 Johor Bahru | ☎ +6016 760 6409 ⏰ 7:30am - 4pm (Sun off)

✍ 27 Sep 2024. Yew Swee Laksa is one of the most popular among Johoreans since the 1990s.

Western Dinner in JB. Tropique Cafe & Restaurant at Spring Labs Johor Bahru

The folks behind Johor Bahru's Faculty of Caffeine and The Replacement which are popular for their all day brunch have just upped their game by introducing quality Western dinner and wine pairing at the Tropique Cafe & Restaurant in Spring Labs, Ekoflora, JB. Tropique Cafe & Restaurant is already famous for brunch - the Western dinner menu makes it an even more attractive dining destination in JB.

Famous Nasi Padang in Batam Indonesia. Rumah Makan Pangek Ombilin

We were privileged to have Batam's top foodie Instagrammer Batamliciouz show us the best eats around Batam. One of the most memorable was Rumah Makan Pangek Ombilin, one of the top Nasi Padang shops in Batam, Indonesia.

Chinese 6 Spice. Anita's Spicy Column

We’ve all heard of Chinese 5 spice 五香粉, we’re all familiar with the savoury-warm notes of this ubiquitous spice blend. In fact, this was the only spice blend that my mum used in her cooking when I was a little girl. 

Golden Mile Tower Thien Kee Hainanese Steamboat Chicken Satay Restaurant Since 1952 黄金端记餐室

I first came to Thien Kee Steamboat at Golden Mile Tower at Beach Road in Apr 1979. It was to celebrate end of BMT (Basic Military Training). Thien Kee was a top gathering place for NS boys (conscripts). The Army Market at Golden Mile Food Centre was across the road and the NCO Club where Singapore boys were initiated to alcohol with duty free beer was further down along Beach Road.

Padang Melang Festival. Best Time to Visit Anambas Islands in Indonesia

I had long hoped for a chance to visit the legendary pristine turquoise waters and sandy white beaches of Indonesia's Anambas Islands. The island regency consisting of 255 islands is Indonesia's northernmost frontier in the vast South China Sea.

Makanan Bollywood Dum Briyani in Funan Mall Singapore

Milton is slowly letting me into his list of favourite places to eat in Singapore 😋 Today was one of his top places for nasi briyani on our sunny island - Makanan Bollywood at the basement of Peninsula Shopping Centre. (Update: They have relocated to Funan Mall #B2-23.)