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

Food Explorer Storyteller with 63 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Wang Xiang Noodle 万香生肉面. Tasty Pork Noodle Breakfast @ Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru

Wang Xiang Noodle 万香生肉面. Tasty Pork Noodle Breakfast @ Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru

Uncle Bob and Uncle Martin stumbled upon Wang Xiang Noodle 万香生肉面 in Johor Bahru recently, and had been raving about how delicious the pork noodle was. We finally went to try it together as our breakfast stop for our Kulai durian day trip.

Artisan Plus 老碗 Hand Pulled Noodles @ Dundas West Toronto



For Saturday’s dinner, friends and I spoilt for choice near Toronto's Chinatown, decided on Artisan Plus 老碗 - it fits our 2 simple criteria: zero wait time for a table, and there was air-conditioning. On a sizzling Toronto summer day that felt like 40℃, you do not want to be baked outside a restaurant waiting for a table 🌞


Singapore Laksa @ Woo Ji Cooked Food in Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Singapore Laksa @ Woo Ji Cooked Food in Chinatown Complex Food Centre

If you are looking for what Singapore laksa tastes like in the 1960s, get it at Woo Ji Cooked Food in Chinatown Complex Food Centre. But, you need to be there early as Woo Ji opens at 6am and sells out by 10am latest.

Best Singapore Chicken Wings Series. SZ Kitchen @ Fairprice Hub, Joon Koon MRT

Best Singapore Chicken Wings Series. SZ Kitchen @ Fairprice Hub, Joon Koon MRT

Whenever Johnny of SZ Kitchen has special fish like Giant Grouper or Moray Eel, he will jio (invite) us to taste it. Every time, Johnny will also throw in a plate of fried chicken wings. We all love the fried chicken wings but have never highlighted it because we were so focused on the special fish. Now, I want to share about SZ Kitchen's fried chicken wings because it is among the best in Singapore.

Walking Guide to the Best Hawker Food Stalls in Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Walking Guide to the Best Hawker Stalls in Chinatown Complex Food Centre in Singapore

Chinatown Complex Food Centre (CCFC) which opened in 1983, is Singapore's largest hawker centre with over 200 food stalls. If you are an overseas visitor and have time to visit only one hawker centre during your stay, CCFC would be one of the best in terms of cuisine mix, sheer size and authenticity of experience.

Weng Kiang Kee Porridge @ Singapore Chinatown Complex 荣强记粥品

Weng Kiang Kee Porridge @ Singapore Chinatown Complex 荣强记粥品

Drinking coffee, eating claypot rice, curry mee etc in Chinatown Complex Green Zone, I noticed a new stall serving porridge. Weng Kiang Kee Porridge though new here, seemed to already have a good following whom are familiar with the friendly owner and lady boss.

Valens @ Baldwin Village, Toronto. Summerlicious 2019

Valens @ Baldwin Village, Toronto. Summerlicious 2019

For foodies, the annual Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) are the best times to visit Toronto. Each season, about 200 participating restaurants offer discounted prix fixe menus. Today, I went to Valens on Baldwin Street.

Harbord Fish & Chips Toronto

Harbord Fish & Chips Toronto

On the way to Royal Ontario Museum, we passed by Harbord Fish & Chips which is on every list of the Best Fish & Chips in Toronto.

The Keg. Amazing Prime Rib. Get it whenever you are Near an Outlet in Canada or USA

The Keg. Amazing Prime Rib. Get it whenever you are Near an Outlet in Canada or USA

We had dinner at The Keg Steakhouse & Bar at York Street in Toronto's Financial District. The Keg established in Vancouver in 1971, now has nearly 200 outlets in Canada and USA. They are in 3 locations in Toronto - York Street, Yonge Street and The Esplanade.

John's Chinese BBQ Restaurant in Richmond Hill Toronto 敍香園海鮮燒臘酒家

John's Chinese BBQ Restaurant in Richmond Hill Toronto 敍香園海鮮燒臘酒家

We joined Joyce's family for dinner at the popular John's Chinese BBQ Restaurant 敍香園海鮮燒臘酒家 at Richmond Hill - it's their favourite Hong Kong Roast place in Toronto.

Canoe. Summerlicious Toronto 2019

Canoe. Summerlicious Toronto 2019

Today, our Summerlicious 2019 food trail took us to Canoe, a fine Canadian cuisine restaurant at level 54 of TD (Toronto Dominion) Bank tower. The annual Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) is a good time to be in Toronto, as we get to experience participating fine restaurants at budget friendly prices. Our 3 course lunch at Canoe costs CDN33++ per pax.

Auberge du Pommier Fine French Restaurant. Summerlicious 2019 Toronto

Auberge du Pommier Fine French Restaurant. Summerlicious 2019 Toronto

Went to Auberge du Pommier, a fine French restaurant set in a beautiful century old country cottage and garden in North York along Yonge Street, Toronto. The annual Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) is the best time to try the best restaurants of Toronto as participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus at discounted prices. We went for the Auberge du Pommier's Summerlicious 3 course lunch deal at CDN33++ per pax.

When the Customer is God of Fortune. Three Hawker Success Stories from Singapore, Malaysia & Taiwan

When the Customer is God of Fortune. Three Success Hawker Stories from Singapore, Malaysia & Taiwan
Public domain photo

Through the years of chatting with many hawkers, I enjoyed the privilege of hearing many interesting stories they shared. One of the things that struck me was how sometimes, just one honest comment from a customer can change the fortunes of food stalls or restaurants. During blogging, I came across a few and these are just three at top of my mind. (If you have other success stories, please share them with us.)

Sometimes, God of Fortune visits hawkers disguised as a picky customer 😄

Ching Cheng Famous Hainanese Chicken Rice in Taipei 慶城海南雞飯


Ching Cheng Hainanese Chicken Rice is probably the most popular chicken rice shop in Taipei. Their chicken is famously tenderly juicy sweet and it is eaten with their signature hand made daily fresh spring onion and ginger sauce.

Famous Olde Yorke Fish & Chips @ Leaside. One of Toronto's Best

Famous Olde Yorke Fish & Chips @ Leaside. One of Toronto's Best

Gotta have another fish & chips before heading home to Singapore. We picked Olde Yorke in Leaside because we needed spices from the Indian spice shops in nearby Thorncliffe, so we can kill two birds with one stone 😄

Quinn's Steakhouse & Irish Bar. Summerlicious 2019 in Toronto

Quinn's Steakhouse & Irish Bar. Summerlicious in Toronto

Each year the Toronto City Hall organises Winterlicious and Summerlicious where participating restaurants offer prix fixe lunch and dinner menus from CDN23++ to CDN53++. This is a discount from the normal menu, so it is a good time to experience the higher end restaurants without stressing our budget too much. Running from today 5 July till 21 July, I picked Quinn's Steakhouse & Irish Bar to start my Summerlicious foodie trail.

Dagu Rice Noodles & Pork Soup 大鼓米线. Ancient Chinese Comfort Dish comes to Canada

Dagu Rice Noodles & Pork Soup 大鼓米线. Ancient Chinese Comfort Dish comes to Canada

Walking along Dundas Street West, we stumbled upon this large shop - it's Dagu Rice Noodle 大鼓米线. The glass windows were plastered with promotional posters. The claim that their pork soup is freshly made daily with 300kg of pork bones used for every barrel of soup drew me into the restaurant to check it out.

Aloette Restaurant. No Doubt the Best Diner in Toronto (& Inexpensive too)

Aloette Restaurant. No Doubt the Best Diner in Toronto (& Inexpensive too)

Went to the popular Aloette Restaurant at the intersection of Spadina and Queen Street West in Toronto. Opened in 2018, ALOette is the little sister of ALO (located on the upper floor of the same building) which is listed in The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Home of Woah Kueh in Taipei (Traditional Tainan Rice Bowl Cakes) 吳碗粿之家




Over half century old traditional Woah Kueh 吳碗粿 or literally bowl cakes. Shop owners are fastidious in ensuring that their woah kueh today tastes exactly the same as when they started in 1959 - the way their regulars like it.

Marathon Cafe Donuts & Coffee in Scarborough Toronto. Best Hong Kong Milk Tea in the World

Marathon Cafe Donuts & Coffee in Scarborough Toronto. Best Hong Kong Milk Tea in the World

After lunch at Yunnan Steam Fish Pot, Angel suggested that we walk across the parking lot to Marathon Cafe. Our mutual friend Joyce had tried the tea here and strongly recommended it.