Sheng Fuat Fried Noodle in Taman Gaya Johor Bahru 成发餐室 JK1381

Sometimes More often than not, the food that we keep coming back to is not necessarily the most delicious nor the most glamorous (or "Instagrammable" in "Millennial Gen" speak). It is food that has the most meaning to us, personally. Often, it is part of our rite of passage. A marker of who we are and where we come from.

CLOSED. Kafe Enampuluhan along Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Kafe Enampuluhan is one of the most popular cafés for casual dining in Johor Bahru. Breezy and spacious, across the road is the beach and the scenic Straits between Singapore and Johor.

Together with my friend Kumes, we tried three of their most popular items, namely their renowned Stulang Laut mee rebus, nasi goreng Pattaya and fried bee hoon.

San Lou Bee Hon @ Restoran Ah Meng in Taman Iskandar, Johor Bahru 三楼炒米粉.阿明家乡小炒 ☏ +6016 774 8634

Ah Meng restaurant 阿明家乡小炒 is tucked away in a corner just off Taman Sentosa, in quiet Taman Iskandar. Ah Meng is actually the son-in-law of Ah Kaw, the supposed inventor of san lou bee hoon 三楼炒米粉.

Ji Sheng Kopitiam in Taman Universiti

While food finding in Taman Universiti, I noticed that Ji Sheng coffee shop was the most crowded – actually every table was filled. Even at 10:00am, I had to share a table with another customer.

As always, I observed what the other customers were eating and realised Ji Sheng has an extensive menu of many items. I also noticed that their coffee, toasted buns, mee siam, and nasi lemak were very popular as most tables had these items.

I ordered mee siam and nasi lemak, but was told they were sold out L  I asked the lady boss and the customer whom I was sharing table with for recommendations, and they suggested fried mee hoon which the shop will fry on order i.e. always available J  So I settled for coffee and fried bee hoon.

Wow, the coffee (kopi kau) was a blast! The coffee was full bodied and flavoured. The fragrant aroma was dense and the brew tasted bitter and sweet. Excellent.

Every cup of coffee is personally brewed by the boss MR Ngwan and he told me that it is an art that follows a precise process that demands precision timing – otherwise the coffee will taste different.  Knowing the precise timing takes years of experience and thousands of cups of coffee to master.

The boss further explained that consistency is crucial – his regular customers will instantly detect any differences with their taste buds. That is why his shop has been getting his supply of coffee beans from the same reliable supplier Chop Chai Huat coffee factory for the past nearly 20 years.

I also enjoyed my tasty fried bee hoon made from simple and fresh ingredients such as shrimps, sotong, eggs and taugeh (bean sprouts). Subtly salty and sweet. The bee hoon and taugeh were tender yet crunchy. It had just the right moistness – not too much water nor too oily. In fact, there was almost no trace of oil left over on the plate after I finished my bee hoon.

Definitely must come back for another cuppa, and try out the other popular items on their menu.

Restaurant name: Ji Sheng Kopitiam

Address: 55, Jalan Kebudayaan 16, Taman Universiti, Johor Bahru

Map: http://g.co/maps/wnk8v
GPS: 1.539676,103.630697

Hours: 6:30am to 5:00pm

Non Halal

Date: 20 Mar 2012

Braised Belly Pork 扣肉 Fried Bee Hoon @ Ban Kee 万记 in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai

 

I was at Ban Kee in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA) to try out their famous KL black Hokkien Mee. When I was done with the delicious Hokkien Mee, I realised that they also serve fried bee hoon with braised belly pork 扣肉.

This is a Hokkien comfort food served whenever the extended family gathers and is rarely sold in shops. At home, as making braised belly pork is tedious and requires considerable skill, it is often substituted by the canned variety. Ban Kee offers their fried bee hoon with homemade freshly braised belly pork. At this point, I am already filled and have way busted my cholesterol quota with the KL Hokkien mee.

But I just had to try this. Blame the family at the next table for their gleeful faces and loud splurging noises while eating their braised belly pork bee hoon.  

Only one size - RM14. Enough for 3 big eaters.

Well, it may not be very photogenic with the green chye sim strewn haphazardly on top of the braising sauce blackened bee hoon and braised pork in a well used plastic plate. But the taste of the braised belly pork and bee hoon fried with braising sauce more than made up for its humble looks. Actually, this look reminds me of familial, home cooking and adds to the pleasure ☻

The braised belly pork is tender and the whole dish fried with braising sauce is more naturally sweet and fragrant rather than salty. Slowly chewing the tender layers of skin, fat and lean meat together with the soft fried bee hoon creates a creamy, smoky blended mix in the mouth that seduces the taste buds. Ah…. maybe this dish is a constant feature in extended family gatherings because Ah Kong and Ah Mah (grandparents) can enjoy the tender, lightly flavoured meat together with everyone.

No regrets on my cholesterol indiscretion. Will definitely be back J.


Restaurant name: Restoran Ban Kee 万记

Address: 108, Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai

Map: http://g.co/maps/q7gs7

GPS: 1.522098,103.664171

Hours: Noon to 3:00pm and 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 10 Feb 2012

San Lou Bee Hoon @ Restoran Ah Kaw 亚九📍Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru 三楼干米粉原创者

Founded in 1979, Restoran Ah Kaw 亚九 touts itself as the inventor of Johor's iconic San Lou bee hoon 三楼炒米粉.

San Lou Bee Hoon @ Tai Son Seafood Resort 太子海鲜 in Kampung Kong Kong

San Lou bee hoon 三楼炒米粉 is an iconic Johor Bahru dish offered by several restaurants in Johor.



San Lou Fried Bee Hoon @ San Low Seafood Restaurant in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru 三楼海鲜

San Low Seafood 三楼海鲜 is one of the stalwarts of Johor’s larger, older seafood restaurants. The popular San Low restaurant is located at the junction of Jalan Biru and Jalan Merah in Taman Pelangi, just 10 minutes drive from JB CIQ.