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

Adventurous Foodie Geographer's Diary with 70 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Mom's Restaurant & Bakery 📍 What to Eat @ Khaling, Trashigang, Bhutan ☏ 1798 1386 ☏ 1790 4662

Mom's Restaurant 📌 Khaling town along Trashigang - Samdrup - Jongkhar Highway ☏ 1798 1386 ☏ 1790 4662 ⏰ Lunch & Dinner


Master Sonam from Barshong Lakhang (Karma Thegsum Dechenling Monastery) brought us to Khaling town in Trashigang district (
dzongkhag) in the far east of Bhutan.

Master Sonam oversees many aspects of the monastery's operations including its farm which produces vegetables, milk, butter and cheese for the monks' daily meals. This picture was taken at the monastery's mushroom farm near Khaling.

Chin Choon Black Sauce Prawn Noodle📍265 Bukit Batok 進春

進春 Chin Choon Prawn Noodle 📍265 Bukit Batok East Ave 4, Singapore 650265 (stall in De Tian 德天 coffee shop) 🚅 15 minute walk from Bukit Batok station ⏰ 7am - 3pm (Mon & Weds off)
Decades ago, I was living near Upper Bukit Timah Road. I remember three stalls from there which I often had my breakfast - a black sauce pork & prawn noodle shop, a Teochew sliced fish soup stall, and a wanton mee / chicken rice stall with roast chicken and pork. I don't know the names of any of these favourites. I just know where they were located along Upper Bukit Timah Road. They were my reliable places of habit 老地方,习惯的味道.

#01-148 Fu Cheng Steam Fish & Seafood 📍 Old Airport Road Food Centre 福城 ☏ 9736 5766

Fu Cheng 福城 📍 51 Old Airport Rd, stall #01-148, Singapore 390051 (Old Airport Road Food Centre) 🚅 5 minute walk from Dakota station ☏ 9736 5766 ⏰ 5pm - 9pm
Kaki kaki jio-ed (invited) to try Fu Cheng steamed fish stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre.

Go Go Jiangsu China • My Personal Journey of Discovery

Jiangsu province is one of my favourites places to visit in China. Slightly more than 102,000sq km, Jiangsu is the third smallest Chinese province but the fourth most populous with around 85 million people. (To put things in perspective, Peninsula Malaysia is 131,000sq km in size with population 20 million.)

Jiangsu province has the highest Per Capita GDP among China's 34 provinces at USD22,500.

Ah Mah Lee's Food Stall • Li Ji Xiao Chi 📍 Holland Village Hawker Centre 李記小吃

Li Ji Xiao Chi 李記小吃 📍 1 Lor Mambong, Singapore 277700 (stall #01-23 in Holland Village Market & Food Centre) 🚅 3 minute walk from Holland Village station ⏰ 10 am - 3 pm | 6:30pm - 9:30 pm
Ah Mah (grandma) Lee's food stall Li Ji Xiao Chi at Holland Village Hawker Centre recently got a lot of attention on social media. Buddy Kristen wanted to support Ah Mah Lee's stall.

Ruh Cafe No.2 📍 Coffee in Kaohsiung 路人咖啡2號店 ☎+886 7241 6321

 Ruh Cafe No.2 路人咖啡2號店 📍 801, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Qianjin District, 大同二路46號 🚅 5 minute walk from Cianjin 前金 station ☎ +886 7241 6321 ⏰ 8am - 6pm (Sun off)
Modern cafes are everywhere in Taiwan. Taiwanese love chilling in cafes with friends, their devices (phones, etc), and even books.

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle 📍 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre 基记面家 ☎ 6532 2886

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist 基记面家 📍 531A Upper Cross St, stall #02-48/49 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore 051531 🚅 5 minute walk from Chinatown station ☎ 6532 2886 ⏰ 9:30 am - 3 pm | 5pm - 7 pm (Thurs off)
Ji Ji Noodle House really doesn't need any more introduction. The wanton noodle stall has been in the Hong Lim area since 1965 and in the Singapore Michelin Guide since its inaugural edition in 2016.

Mohd Chan Chinese Muslim Halal Restaurant 📍 Ipoh Branch 怡保 清真中式佳肴 ☎ +6012 790 0914

Mohd Chan Restaurant @ Ipoh 📍56, Jalan Raja Musa Aziz, Kampung Jawa, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia ☎ +6012 790 0914 ⏰ 11 am - 10:30 pm
Mohd Chan Chinese Muslim Restaurant is a chain with many outlets in Peninsula Malaysia. Our host brought us to the Mohd Chan outlet in Ipoh.

Chooi Yue Dim Sum • Eat with Locals📍Taman Ipoh Selatan 翠月楼点心 ☎ +6016 534 5965

Chooi Yue Dim Sum Ipoh 翠月楼点心 📍Tingkat Taman Ipoh 12, Taman Ipoh Selatan, 31400 Ipoh, Perak ☎ +6016 534 5965 ⏰ 7am - 2pm (Thurs off)
Found myself in Ipoh again, the Cantonese town of Perak, Malaysia. As a Cantonese myself, I feel a certain visceral affinity for the laid back, prosperous former mining town.

Eating dim sum is part of being Cantonese, so it is naturally part of our agenda.

Looi Heng Koka Chicken Rice 📍 Yun Sheng Coffeeshop Johor Jaya Teratai 瑞興可口雞飯 • 雲昇茶餐室

Looi Heng Koka Chichen Rice • Yun Sheng coffee shop 📍 Address: 2, Jalan Teratai 8, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru 📞 +6016 757 4592 (Yun Sheng coffee shop) ⏰ 7:30am - dinner
瑞興可口雞飯 has been at this corner coffee in Taman Johor Jaya Teratai for over 30 years. It has a multi-generation local following built over the decades without much social media hype.

瑞興可口雞飯 doesn't have an English name. For the purpose of this article, I  translated it to Looi Heng Koka Chicken Rice.

Artemis Grill & Sky Bar • Capitagreen Rooftop Singapore

✍17 Oct 2025. A new Era of Artemis Begins.

Artemis recently re-opened its Mediterranean inspired grill restaurant, rooftop sky bar, and event space. Strategically located at the prestigious core of Singapore's Central Business District - 138, Market Street, Capitagreen, Level 40.

Siniawan • Cowboy Town of Bau District • Story Behind the Weekend Night Market 新堯湾夜市

Siniawan is an old town popular with Kuching people for a weekend getaway or just a night out.

The population of little Siniawan town stands at about 3,600 people with Bidayuh Dayak (750 families) majority, followed by Chinese (700 families), and Malay (100 families). The Chinese are mostly Hakka.

My Little Spanish Place Bukit Timah MLSP • Certified Restaurant from Spain 2025 ☎ 6463 2810

My Little Spanish Place (Bukit Timah) | 619 Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 269720 🚅 3 minutes walk from Tan Kah Kee station ☎ 6463 2810 ⏰ 6:30pm - 10:30pm (Lunch available on Sat & Sun | off on Mon)
Attended the Giant Paella Brunch event at My Little Spanish Place in Bukit Timah which was part of Eat Spain Drink Spain Singapore festival 2025.

Kellie's Castle, Folly or Haunted House? Enigma of Batu Gajah 📞 +6010 505 4817

✍️ 9 Oct 2025. Finally visited Kellie's Castle 😄

I first heard about Kellie's Castle when it made the news in 2000, when the Malaysian government decided to restore and repurpose the long abandoned property into a tourist attraction.

Global Travel Meet Kuala Lumpur 2025 • Tourism Malaysia's RM420 Million Masterstroke.

1 - 3 Oct 2025. Malaysia successfully hosted 1,500 of the world's key hospitality and travel industry leaders, innovators and stakeholders at the Global Travel Meet 2025.

L'Arte Pizza & Focaccia Hidden in Tanjong Pagar (next to Pura Brasa Spanish Restaurant) ☎ 8932 2923 🍕

L'Arte Pizza & Focaccia | 5 Wallich St, Guoco Tower, #01 - 14, Singapore 078883 🚅 3 minutes from Tanjong Pagar station ☎ 8932 2923 ⏰ 11:30am - 8pm
I vaguely know that there is a pizza kiosk opposite Pura Brasa the famous Spanish restaurant in Tanjong Pagar. Today, I found out that they make excellent pizza Romana or Rome style pizza 🍕 and focaccia.

Sinhalese Bar Ipoh • Original Pre-War Chill @ Concubine Lane ☎ +605 241 2235

Sinhalese Bar | 2, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia ☎ +605 241 2235 ⏰ 12 noon - 10pm (Monday off)
I never tire of Ipoh's Concubine Lane even though I don't count the times I have been here anymore 🤭

Pak Tam Bakery • Rediscover the Soulful Joy of Humble Roti Loaf Bread 🍞

On the way from KL to Ipoh, we pulled over at Tapah RnR (rest stop). After doing the needful, I roamed around the food stalls. I expected the usual.

Then, buddy Sidney pointed out that "the famous thing here is the bread" 🍞

Nam Makes Guangxi Chicken Special 廣西味唸鸡

We all know that Cantonese and Hainanese love their chicken, but the people of Guangxi love their chicken as much as their compatriots in Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

Pah Li Ban Sien's Kitchen • Guangxi Taste Chicken Rice @ Gao Deng Coffee Shop Skudai 阿贤厨房•廣西味淋滑鷄•八哩半高登咖啡店 ☎ 017 754 1696

Sien's Kitchen • Guangxi Taste Chicken Rice 阿贤厨房•廣西味淋滑鷄 | 1&2, Jalan Kilang Nenas, Taman Sutera Utama, 81300 Skudai, Johor ⏰ 7:30am - 12 noon (Thurs off)
Tried one of the three chicken rice stalls at Pah Li Ban (in Skudai), my regular JB breakfast haunt for over a decade.

Fly Direct from Singapore Changi to Zhangjiajie by Loong Air 🛫 Launch 9 Oct 2025


Starting from 9 Oct 2025, Loong Air 长龙航空 will fly direct between Singapore and Zhangjiajie 张家界 in China's Hunan province.

Hong Wen Mutton Soup Maxwell • Original 50 Year Old Beauty World Icon 紅炆羊肉湯

Old Beauty World Hong Wen Mutton Soup 紅炆羊肉湯 | 1 Kadayanallur Street, stall #01-25, Singapore 069184 (Maxwell Food Centre) 🚅 At Maxwell station ⏰ 9:30am - 7:30pm (Sat & Sun off)

Stumbled upon Hong Wen Mutton Soup stall at Maxwell Food Centre. I know Hong Wen as it was one of the top of my mind Chinese mutton soup stalls in Singapore since the 1980s.

Eh... But Hong Wen Mutton Soup seemed a bit out of place here in the CBD 🤔 - the stall is an Upper Bukit Timah / Beauty World icon.

Olive Oil 101 Crash Course 🫒 Eat Spain Drink Spain Singapore 2025


Most of us have attended wine tasting, tea tasting, coffee tasting, cheese tasting, even durian tasting, but this was the first time I experienced olive oil tasting, thanks to Eat Spain Drink Spain (ESDS) festival 2025.

Spicy Wife Nasi Lemak with Huge Fried Chicken • Amoy Street Food Centre ☎ 8089 2119

Spicy Wife Nasi Lemak | 7 Maxwell Rd, Amoy Street Food Centre, stall #02-119, S069111 🚅 5 minute minute walk from Maxwell & Telok Ayer station ☎ 8089 2119 ⏰ 10:45am - 2pm (Sat & Sun off)
New spicy lady on the block was attracting a lot of attention 🤭 😘

#HuntTheMouse & DBS Celebrate Singapore’s 60 years of Nation-Building with S$120,000 Hidden in Heartlands

From 14th August to 25th September 2025, Sqkii and DBS present #HuntTheMouse DBS SG60 (the “game” or “cash hunt”), a special edition of the popular cash hunt game to celebrate Singapore’s 60 years of nation-building and the heartlands.

Jamon Iberico Night @ NÓMADA Keong Saik Road • Eat Spain Drink Spain Singapore ☎ 8209 7809

NÓMADA | 1 Keong Saik Rd., #01-05, Singapore 089109 🚅 10 minutes walk from Outram Park & Maxwell stations ☎ 8209 7809 ⏰ 12 noon - 2:30 pm | 5:30pm - 10:30 pm
I love Jamon Iberico, the king of Spanish gastronomy, so I was looking forward to the Eat Spain Drink Spain, Jamon Iberico Night at NÓMADA at Keong Saik Road.

Podcast Tony Boey Johor Kaki with Susan Ng CNA938FM Radio • Eat Drink Singapore (& Johor)

I regularly guest on Susan Ng's Saturday morning show Eat Drink Singapore on CNA 938 FM. Places I cover on the show are some of my Singapore and Johor favourites.

I am sharing here short notes on the places featured in the show, for your convenience, in case you wish to visit them.

Clicking on the photos will take you to the podcasts. Clicking on the text links take you to detailed articles on the featured food stall or restaurant.

Com Tam Vietnamese "Broken Rice" @ Quan Xing Mei Shi Mayflower Singapore 永興美食 • The Other Food Icon of Vietnam (Other than Pho)

Quan Xing Mei Shi & Vietnamese Food 永興美食 | 162 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, stall #01-26, Singapore 560162 (Mayflower Market & Food Centre) 🚅 At Mayflower station Exit 3 ⏰ 7 am - 1:30 pm (pork chop rice available around 9am. Closed on Monday)
I enjoyed com tam in Ho Chi Minh City and around the Mekong Delta but have never come across it in Singapore. 

Lin Traditional Chicken Rice • Most Popular @ Amoy Food Centre

Lin Traditional Chicken Rice | 7 Maxwell Rd, stall #01-59, Singapore 069111 (Amoy Street Food Centre) 🚅 5 minutes walk from Maxwell station ⏰ 10:30am - 3pm (Sat & Sun off)
Stalking Amoy Street Food Centre today, I noticed a long queue at Lin Traditional Chicken Rice stall. Chatting with another stall holder here, he suggested that I give Lin Traditional a try - cheap and good he said.

Hakka Yu @ Northpoint City • Revival of Hakka Cuisine in Singapore? 客语客家菜 ☎ 6908 0622

Hakka Yu Northpoint City | 930 Yishun Ave 2, South Wing, #01-103 Northpoint City, 769098 (opposite the KFC outlet) 🚅 At Yishun MRT station ☎ 6908 0622 ⏰ 11:30am - 10pm
Attended a media tasting at the newly opened Hakka Yu 客语客家菜 restaurant in Northpoint City in Yishun.

Discover Galicia Food & Wine @ At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy • ESDS 2025 💃

It's the annual Eat Spain Drink Spain festival again! 💃

I look forward to Eat Spain Drink Spain festival every year because I love Spanish cuisine and wines. ESDS is my yearly opportunity to enjoy Spanish food & wine, and widen my Spanish gastronomic & wine horizons with events organised by the Economic & Commercial Office at the Spanish Embassy in Singapore 🙏

Dongsheng Cafe Menu & Review @ 163 Ang Mo Kio, Mayflower MRT 东升茶室 ☎ 8546 5188 (WhatsApp)

Dong Sheng Cafe 东升茶室 | Blk 163 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4, #01-414, Singapore 560163 🚅 5 minute walk from Mayflower station ☎ 8546 5188 (WhatsApp) ⏰ 7am - 5pm
Makan kaki Aaron has been gushing about Dongsheng Cafe at 163 Ang Mo Kio near Mayflower MRT the past week 😬

1960s Heritage Queenstown Lontong • Margaret Drive Hawker Centre

Queenstown Lontong | Blk 38A Margaret Dr, stall #01-27, Singapore 142038 (stall in Margaret Drive Hawker Centre) 🚅 5 minute walk from Queenstown station ⏰ 6:30am - 2pm (close at noon on Sunday)
Stalking Margaret Drive Hawker Centre past the lunch hour, noticed that Queenstown Lontong was still opened. Quickly got my lontong fix and my tummy cured 醫肚子, as I haven't had lunch yet. It was a very satisfying and satiating lunch all for S$5.

Taipei PÀNG TACO Menu & Review • Pàng Taqueria • Authentic Handmade Corn Tortilla with Taiwan Fillings 胖 塔可利亞

Pàng Taqueria Pang Taco 胖塔可 | 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Wenchang St, 181號一樓    🚅 10 minute walk from Xinyi Anhe station ⏰ 12 noon to 9pm (Monday off)
Our hotel was near Linjiang Night Market, so we walked there twice 🤭 We passed Pang Taco and so gave it a try.

It's a very interesting and delicious fusion of a Mexican staple with Taiwanese flavours like braised pork intestine. 

Worth a try though it is actually slightly premium priced.

KS Treasures Review & Menu • Budget Family Friendly Chinese Restaurant Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru 美乐轩XO海鲜粉小厨 ☎ +607 665 1133

KS Treasures 美乐轩XO海鲜粉小厨 | 157, Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa, 80150 Johor Bahru ☎ 010 824 4182 (Michelle) ⏰ 9am - 10pm
Haven't been to KS Treasures (Sentosa) since before Covid - they have since revamped their menu.

Daqiaotou Tube Rice in Datong Taipei 大橋頭老牌筒仔米糕(大同) ☎ +88 62 2594 4685

大橋頭米糕 Daqiaotou Tube Rice | No. 41號, Section 3, Yanping N Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103 🚅 10 minute walk from Daqiaotou 大橋頭 station ☎ +88 62 2594 4685 ⏰ 7am - 4pm (Tues off)
Roaming around the Datong area of Taipei, we stumbled upon 大橋頭老牌筒仔米糕 serving steamed "tube rice" with braised pork and soup with fishball, pork blood, oysters, etc. When traveling, I like to experience local staples and so decided to give this little shop a try.

Fa Jie Seafood • Batu Payung Beach Karimunting near Singkawang ☎ +62 812 5754 2768 ☎ +62 821 5059 3924

Fa Jie Seafood | Batu Payung Beach, Jalan Batu Payung, off Jalan Raya Sedau / Jalan Sei Duri - Singkawang, Karimunting, West Kalimantan 79271, Indonesia ☎ +62 812 5754 2768 ☎ +62 821 5059 3924 ⏰ 9am - 9pm
On our way from Pontianak to Singkawang, we dropped by Fa Jie Seafood at Batu Payung Beach (near Singkawang).

Equator Monument Pontianak • Tugu Khatulistiwa Park • The Only Equator City in the World

The Equator passes through twelve countries in the world, but only one city.

That one city, is Pontianak.

Singkawang Hakka Kway Chup @ Warung Kopi Asan Pasar Turi ☎ +62 852 4536 8193

Warung Kopi ASAN | Jalan Pasar Turi No. 58, Singkawang, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia ☎ +62 852 4536 8193 ⏰ 4:30am - 9pm (coffee shop hours - kway chup sold out by 2pm)
The moment we finished eating bakmi (pork noodle), we or was it just me 🤭 (?), requested our guide to please take us to eat kway chup (known as kwecap here in Singkawang).

Hup Ho Trading Co Cafe Padungan Kuching Sarawak 合和

Hup Ho Trading Co | #164, Jln Padungan, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia ☎ +6011 1054 1067 ⏰ 9:30am - 8:30pm
Just landed in Kuching, we stepped out to chill a while before going to Siniawan for dinner and the weekend pasar malam.

We went to Hup Ho. It had everything we wanted in a chill out, hangout - charming rustic atmosphere, sturdy comfortable furnishings, no air conditioning but nice and cool inside (with air wells & lots of fans)......, 

Leonard Siaw Kuching Mural Artist • Honour People & Heritage with Sincerity, Integrity & Respect 萧艺


✍️ 4 Sep 2025. Kuching, Sarawak is one of my favourite cities. There are many reasons to love it - delicious unique food, warm hospitable people, fascinating cultures, and I like to add, amazing murals.

Makan Kuy Tho Ce Choi Pan @ Jln Merdeka Singkawang • Formerly @ Rumah Marga Tjhia Kawasan Tradisional ☎ +62 812 1357 1999

Tho Ce Choi Pan | Jl. Merdeka No.32, Melayu, Kec. Singkawang Bar., Kota Singkawang ☎ +62 812 1357 1999 ⏰ 7:30am - 8pm
We heard a lot about choi pan or Hakka style dumplings of Singkawang operating at Rumah Marga Tjhia. The West Kalimantan town of Singkawang has a Hakka & Teochew Chinese population along with Malay and Dayak (mostly Salako). 

Singkawang is known as land of Tidayu or Tionghua, Dayak and Malayu. It is also known as Cidayu (Cina, Dayak, Malayu). With around 60% Chinese population, Singkawang is also referred to as the Hong Kong of Kalimantan. Singkawang's chap goh mei (last day of Chinese New Year) celebrations is legendary (but that's another story for future).

Soul Food of Spain in Singapore • Travel thru Time & Regions • No Passports Required


Yeah, I haven't had the chance to visit Spain yet, but that didn't stopped me from being a big fan of Spanish cuisine and wine 😀

It's totally possible to enjoy good Spanish food around the world, especially in Singapore, as Spanish gastronomy is well recognised as a world cuisine, and Singapore is a global city.

Chef Lup Roasted Golden Mile Food Centre 立师父烧腊 ☎ 9022 8496

Chef Lup Roasted 立师父烧腊 | 505 Beach Rd, stall B1-56, Singapore 199583 (Golden Mile Food Centre basement level) 🚅 10 minutes walk from Lavender station or Nicoll station ☎ 9022 8496 ⏰ 10am - 3pm (Weds off)
Foodie buddy Marcus alerted me to Chef Lup Roasted a few months ago. Then, he travelled, I travelled, a couple of failed attempts to try Chef Lup, and months went by before I finally got to try his roasts today. Meanwhile, our mutual makan kaki Aaron stumbled on Chef Lup, tried it and gushed about it 😀