Nan Bei Restoran 南北 in Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru

Allan from Nan Bei 南北 restaurant messaged me inviting me to drop by his parents' shop to try their Hainanese mutton soup which they had just added to their menu. I was excited to try Nan Bei's Chinese style mutton soup as I love this dish that is rarely found in restaurants in Johor. I was also keen to enjoy Nan Bei's Tung Po Rou which I blogged about earlier this year.

I dropped by with blogging kaki Semi Han, creator of Bonding Tool, one of my favourite food blogs. Semi's good friend Tyng also joined us.

Allan and his parents whom I have met earlier this year received us warmly. We had an impromptu party and got a chance to try most of the food served at Nan Bei 南北 restaurant.



Semi is a very serious food blogger and Tyng a very supportive friend.



Semi is very meticulous and I learnt a lot about food photography from her today. We even roped in Allan to help in the food photography.


Hainanese Mutton Soup RM15

This is Nan Bei's Hainanese mutton soup. The soup is mildly herbal and it did well to balance the characteristic gaminess of mutton. Following the Hainanese tradition, black woodear fungus and fried beancurd sheets are used in the soup. The chunks of white radish added sweetness to the broth while soaking up the flavours. The crunchy chunks of radish are coveted pieces in the pot as they are loaded with flavours. 



The mutton was tender with smokey fatty streaks and only had mild hints of that distinct mutton flavour. We all liked Nan Bei's Hainanese mutton soup. For me, I liked it that the tastes and flavours of Nan Bei's mutton soup are mild with nothing overpowering.


Cabbage with Roast Pork in Claypot RM10



The Nappa Cabbage with Roast Pork in Claypot is another new dish at Nan Bei restoran. The soup is a tasty blend of savouriness from the roast pork and the refreshing sweetness from the fresh cabbage. I love the juicy cabbage as it sponged up the delicious soup and had a tender yet crunchy mouth feel. The Cabbage with Roast Pork won the hearts of the ladies through their stomachs.



We like the Tung Po Rou 东坡肉 or braised belly pork. Those layers of fat are to be enjoyed either fearlessly or recklessly. Today, the fatty layers weren't as thick as that during my previous visit, which would make this dish appealing to more health conscious people.



For me, I prefer my Tung Po Rou to have a thicker layer of savoury, sweet giggly fat since I indulge in this treat only once in a while.


Pig Trotters with Ginger and Vinegar RM7

The braised pig trotters with ginger and vinegar 猪脚姜醋 was quite mild in taste and flavour, so it would appeal to more people. I haven't eaten this dish for a long time and I always had the home made version which is more robust and more herbal.

All of Nan Bei's dishes are eaten with boiled rice. Semi and Tyng both finished their bowls of rice, which is pretty unusual these days especially for calorie counting ladies. When I commented about them finishing the rice, they mumbled something intelligible through their food but their expressions said that Nan Bei's dishes hit all the right notes with them.

Nan Bei restoran is a simple, basic shop serving delicious food at reasonable prices - definitely worth a visit.



Restaurant name: Nan Bei Restoran 南北
Address: 68, Jalan Gaya 1, Taman Gaya
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/sfGrT
GPS: 1.563158,103.800834
Hours: 10:00am to 6:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 16 Jan 2013, 21 May 2013

Tung Po Rou Braised Pork Belly at Nan Bei 南北 Restaurant in Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru

 

 

I was doing my food spotting rounds at the new shoplots at Jalan Gaya 1 at Taman Gaya when I stumbled upon Nan Bei 南北 Restoran - a simple shop/stall that serves tung po rou 东坡肉 or braised belly pork, braised duck and chicken rice. But, what caught my attention was the tung po rou, which is normally found only in well appointed restaurants.

 

Actually, I was a little too early at the shop as the tung po rou was not ready for the day's business yet. So, I came back the next day as I was curious about how good the tung po rou might be, and I was eager to share my new find with readers.

We ordered just one piece of tung po rou to try. The set of one piece of tung po rou and rice costs RM7. Allan, the owner told us that the set may cost a bit more if the piece of braised pork is larger.

Allan's mother who is also at the shop makes the tung po rou using fresh pork everyday with a family recipe.

I was pleased with Nan Bei's tung po rou. The braising sauce was light, had a mild savoury flavour and tasted just right, and was not overly salty.

Pardon the cliché but the fat and skin were literally "melt in your mouth" tender. It was rich and smooth, almost like a cream with a smokey, sweet, savoury flavour. This was what made tung po rou so irresistible to me.

The lean meat was also tender but it would have been absolutely perfect for me, if it had been even softer. Others, however, felt that the lean meat was "tender enough".

Expert foodies say that the ultimate tung po rou is about the creamy, smokey, savoury layer of "melt in your mouth" pork fat. The meat is just a side show. I think this is what they are talking about.

If you want to have very good tung po rou for lunch or early dinner at a reasonable price, then Nan Bei is well worth a try.



Restaurant name: Nan Bei Restoran 南北
Address: 68, Jalan Gaya 1, Taman Gaya
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/sfGrT
GPS: 1.563158,103.800834
Hours: 10:00am to 6:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 16 Jan 2013