13 Nov 2019. Today is the opening day of TOPPEN IKEA Tebrau with hundreds of shops and restaurants in JB's newest mega shopping centre. We took the opportunity to visit 上汤街 Siong Tong Gai's outlet in TOPPEN IKEA Tebrau. This was our third time dining at Siong Tong Gai restaurants and we enjoyed ourselves as usual.
The decor and interior of Siong Tong Gai at TOPPEN IKEA JB are simple, spacious, bright and comfortable. It is almost identical with Siong Tong Gai at R & F mall but bigger.
The centrepiece is a battery of 9 tanks of live fishes. There's ikan patin, catfish, sea bass, grouper, snapper, tilapia and also jade perch which I had been wanting to try for some time.
The last time I had jade perch was here at Da Zhong Hwa in Taman Sutera 2 years ago but the restaurant no longer serves this dish 👈 click
We indulged in a steamed jade perch with (optional) "3 treasures" of la la clams, squid and a large river prawn. The seafood came in a large shallow pan filled with Siong Tong Gai's signature "superior stock" 上汤. The seafood was smothered in chopped raw garlic, chili pepper, scallion and (optional) enoki mushroom.
Jade perch flesh is white, soft with a gentle squeaky bite. It has a slightly earthly taste which is well balanced by natural sweetness.
The "superior stock" 上汤 made with "secret" ingredients tasted of many savoury layers with underlying sweetness and some heat from the garlic and chili pepper. There were also hints of Chinese wine.
The optional la la clams, large river prawn, and squid added umami and their natural flavours to the already flavoursome "superior stock". The jade perch contributed its flavours too. So, you can imagine how rich the flavour is in the final concoction.
I enjoyed how the sweet slightly earthly fish combines with the savoury sweet spicy superior stock. I like the texture too. My favourite part is the fish belly as the fats are smooth and sweet 😋
The jade perch fish costs RM98++ per kilo. The optional 3 Treasures costs RM48++ for 2 pax. Optional large river prawn RM138++ for 2 pieces.
We enjoyed the other accompanying dishes too.
The Sweet and Sour Pork (price RM26.80++) was made with lean pork slices, lightly battered, deep fried to a crisp and finished with a savoury sweet sauce with a slight tang. Quite nice but I would love it more if there was more fat in the pork. Ideally, in cubes with lean and fat rather than thin lean slices.
Salted Fish with Pork Belly (price RM26.80) quintessential zhi char dish in Kuala Lumpur. We like Siong Tong Gai's rendition as the thin slices of pork were fresh and had a nice layer of fat with the lean meat 😄 The dark soy sauce and salted fish provided quite robust savoury flavours which complemented the fresh pork's natural sweetness. Must order this 👍
For the obligatory tofu and vegetables, we had "3 Kinds Vege with Tofu" (price RM21.80++). In the little steel wok, there were fried tofu cubes, pea shoots, shimeji mushroom, and black fungus in gooey savoury sweet sauce.
👉 Nice place for a taste of Kuala Lumpur when you are at TOPPEN IKEA Tebrau, Johor Bahru's newest mega mall.
Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Restaurant name: Siong Tong Gai (TOPPEN IKEA branch)
Address: Level 1, 13A Toppen Shopping Mall, Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°33'10.7"N 103°47'50.5"E 🌐 1.552965, 103.797361
Tel: 017 239 0388 ✆ 017 479 7368
Hours: 11:00am - 9:30pm
Non Halal
Date visited: 13 Nov 2019
Today's lunch at R & F Mall in JB brought back memories of my life in Kuala Lumpur in the early 2000s. These were dishes and flavours we frequently enjoyed during those wonder years in KL.
Newly opened Siong Tong Gai in R & F Mall is spacious, bright, clean and comfortable with air conditioning inside.
We had sweet and sour pork, 3 treasures vegetables, salted fish with pork belly, steamed kampung chicken - all good, and the most memorable dish was their signature steamed live patin fish.
Siong Tong Gai established in Puchong KL in 2006 prospered on the strength of its signature stock which is used with live fish such as patin, sea bass, grouper, Soon Hock, tilapia, jade perch etc. Siong Tong Gai now have 5 outlets in Malaysia, with another 4 in the pipeline. There will be 2 outlets in JB - this one in R & F Mall, and the next one in Toppen Shopping Centre next to IKEA Tebrau (in Nov 2019).
This steamed patin dish is quintessentially KL in my memory, in the same way as KL black Hokkien Mee, KL style char siew etc. I had patin fish very often when I was living in KL.
Siong Tong Gai's signature broth has rich, well balanced savoury sweet spicy flavours in layers from prawns, squid, la la clams, loads of chopped raw garlic, chili padi and a dozen secret ingredients.
The broth costs RM48++ and we have a choice of live fish. Our live patin costs RM100++.
Oh... the live patin fish come simmering in bubbling hot stock kept warm over a gas table stove. The fatty belly was silky smooth and there was no river fish earthy taste at all - only natural sweetness complemented by the flavoursome broth.
The tender white meat was also sweet and had a gently squeaky feel to the bite like fresh crab meat. Very delicious.
Siong Tong Gai's other dishes were good too, even though the steamed patin got most of our attention.
Steamed, tender naturally sweet kampung chicken with subtle herbal stock (price RM49.80++ for half bird).
Sweet and sour crispy fried pork (price RM26.80++).
Salted fish with thin slices of pork belly in savoury sauce (price RM26.80++).
Stir fried three treasures vegetables (price RM19.80++).
Recommended for you 👍 I would love to be back for more of Siong Tong Gai's signature steamed fish dishes in their special stock. I would want to try it with jade perch fish next time. Other dishes in the extensive menu are pretty good too.
Restaurant name: Siong Tong Gai 蒲种上汤街
Address: G-150 & G-151, Ground Floor, R&F Mall, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°27'34.3"N 103°46'06.8"E 🌐 1.459523, 103.768565
WAZE: R&F Mall
Tel: 013-876 8048
Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm
Non Halal
Date visited: 8 Aug 2019
Aftermath of second visit on 13 Aug 2019. We love the fish more and more.
Yes, I remember eating this KL-style steamed fish during my hotel days. I really miss it. Thanks for sharing your dining experience. I'm going to bring my dad to eat at this restaurant. Thank you, Johor Kaki!
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