Eugene's Grocery in Pelangi Johor Bahru

Eugene's Grocery is a fine Western foods grocer cum restaurant in JB's Taman Pelangi. Established about 5 years ago, it is well known in the foodie community.

Fat Butchery in Taman Melodies. Johor Bahru has Good Steaks

Just the other day, a friend declared on Facebook that steaks in Johor Bahru CMI i.e. Singlish for "cannot make it". I politely responded with a couple of recommendations for her to try. Today, after tasting the steaks at Fat Butchery (in Taman Melody near KSL Mall), I can add another good place for steaks in JB 😄

Tomahawk Steak at Tosca Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru

Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru Executive Chef Jaffery invited me try out their Grilled Tomahawk steak which is available from now till Sept 2017 at the hotel's Tosca Trattoria Italiana.

JJ Wine & Tapas Bar - Restaurant for Valentines, Anniversary & Celebrations in Johor Bahru ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

JJ Wine & Tapas Bar in Taman Pelangi is well known among wine and liquor lovers in JB. Regulars know that the bar also serves good food to complement it's fine drinks.

The Gallery Wine & Dine Western Restaurant in Johor Bahru JB ⭐⭐⭐⭐✱

Visited the newly opened The Gallery Wine & Dine in Johor Bahru JB, last night. We love the food and wine as well as the whole experience at this newly opened restaurant.

B2W Brunch2Wine in Taman Molek Johor Bahru

We were at B2W Brunch2Wine in Taman Molek for lunch today at owner Derek's invitation.

Café Racer by Grillbar in Pelangi Johor Bahru Update 2018

We had afternoon tea at Cafe Racer by Grillbar today. Love the American style food and biker theme of this unique little eatery in Johor Bahru 🏍

Grill Bar Steak House in Johor Bahru, Taman Pelangi

I am a regular here at Grill Bar SteakHouse in Taman Pelangi. I like the ambiance, service, and of course, the delicious food here. Pricing is at a slight premium but it is worth it for the quality ingredients, and Chef Gary and his team's masterful cooking. 

Here are my earlier first, second and third posts from my previous visits to Grill Bar SteakHouse.

Our party of 6 had another gorgeous evening of food and fun during our latest round at Grill Bar :D  We all left Grill Bar very full and happy from all the great food and fun company.



We had Grill Bar's famous milkshakes while waiting for everyone to arrive. Audrey is a big fan of Grill Bar's Oreo milkshake and was recommending it strongly to everyone :D  I had the lesser evil of banana milkshake to save my calories for Grill Bar's big steaks :D



Our dinner started with a boom with Grill Bar's signature Onion Blossom. Savoury crispy golden brown batter outside, sweet juicy, crunchy onion inside.

Sort of a novelty but customers never got tired of it because the pretty Onion Blossom tastes so good.



My Mini Lamb Bagel (beef also available). Served with Lobster Bisque Soup (RM16 per serving), Wild Truffle Mushroom Soup (RM14), or Bacon and Basil Tomato Chowder. Paired with large slices of Organic Pumpkin Chips (RM15).

My favourite is Gill Bar's Lobster Bisque Soup. The soup has a deep, rich and robust crustacean flavour and aroma. I also like the Wild Truffle Mushroom Soup for it's spongy, creamy, grainy mushroomy goodness. The mushroom soup is made with 100% mushroom cooked in it's own juices (no water added). 

(My pictures ain't doing justice to Gary's food due to dim lighting inside Grill Bar. The ambiance is perfect for diners but the warm mood lighting is a food photographer's challenge nightmare :P  )



Grill Bar's grilled tenderloin. RM125+ (10oz slab). 



Made with a thick slab of Aussie Black Angus tenderloin. Done medium rare.



Aiyoh...., Chef Gary is such a real master at grilling steak. 

I don't know what to say about this. It brought out the carnivore in me :D  Six of us at the group dinner, I devoured ate 7 out of 10oz, thanks to polite company :P

I love also the heap of spinach that came with the steak. The clump of leafy greens sponged up loads of sauce and also beefy juices from the steak. Savoury, delicious and crunchy.



Roasted Silver Codfish RM96+ (at RM12 per oz).

Gary uses only the choice tail portion of premium Norwegian Codfish to make this baked and grilled chunk of creamy, sweet and savoury fish.

Fish lovers must try this.



Country Pesto Chicken (RM45+).



The tender roasted free-range chicken roll was filled with herbal pesto sauce and savoury duck bacon.

The sweet and tender local "kampung" chicken flesh was well complemented by the more robustly savoury and grainy duck.

A favourite with the ladies in our group.



Lamb Tenderloin (RM78+). Done medium.



New Zealand lamb, marinated with herbs and grilled. New Zealand lamb is favoured as it is less gamey and more tender than lamb from Australia.

Love the grilled lamb from Grill Bar.

We rounded up our scrumptious dinner with a round of sweet desserts.



Belgium Waffle (RM12+). The squares were filled with dark and white chocolate lava.



Chocolate brownie with caramelised banana (RM12+).



Hot Chocolate Lava (RM16+) is one of Grill Bar's hot favourites. It made the calorie conscious ladies in our group dumped their diets without persuasion .....



Creme Brulee (RM9+).



At the end of our wonderful dinner, I asked Chef Gary to share what is behind the consistently excellent dishes that Grill Bar serves.

Gary humbly and graciously gave the credit to his team, from the kitchen crew to the serving staff, many of whom had been with Grill Bar for 3 to 5 years.

Gary did not mention but I feel his careful selection of good ingredients is also a key to Grill Bar's delicious food. Not to mention Gary's passion, infectious energy, creativity and his warm friendliness which is imparted to his service staff. 

All these came together to give Grill Bar's customers a great experience.



Part of Gary's team - sister Willow and brother Anyang.

Grill Bar is definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Johor.

->> JB people's favourite steak house. The food is always good at Grill Bar.



Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse 
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl 
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548 
Hours: Mon: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Wed - Fri: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Sat - Sun: 12:00 noon - 10:30 pm (Closed on Tues.)
No pork, no lard, alcohol (beer only) served

Dates visited: 7 Aug 2014

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

CLOSED Matterhon @ Danga in Johor Bahru, Country Garden CLOSED

Johor Kaki was invited for lunch at the newly opened Matterhon @ Danga in the sprawling Country Garden (off Jalan Skudai) which is fast emerging as another F and B hotspot in Johor Bahru.

Closed - Ratatouille La Gourmet Western Food Stall at Taman Setia Indah in Johor Bahru

The Johor food forums are abuzz with excitement about Ratatouille La Gourmet and several friends have recommended the stall to me. 

Today, I am fortunate to meet Anson and his girlfriend Michelle who are big fans of Ratatouille La Gourmet and they brought me and our mutual friend William here in Setia Indah.

Johor Tomahawk Steak at Lazio Italian Restaurant and Bar

When Stanley, Lazio's Executive Chef invited me to try his Tomahawk steak, I took a double take. What's that lethal weapon? Well, when I saw Stanley with that huge cut of rib-eye, Tomahawk is a very apt description indeed 😄 Tomahawk is that fearsome Apache Indian battle axe. That Tomahawk steak should send chills down the spine of cholesterol and calorie fearing mortals 😄

Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

This is my second visit to Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi. Gary, the boss, has a gathering for family and friends to celebrate his sister-in-law's birthday and I am honoured that he invited me to join in. I am also glad to visit Grill Bar Steakhouse again because during my last visit, I missed the chance to chat with Gary and to photograph him in action.



Grill Bar Steakhouse was full house during our visit (it was a Sunday lunch). Grill Bar Steakhouse is so popular and is the favourite of so many that I was surprised to learn that it will only be its third anniversary this coming July :)


Gary was going to present this surprise dessert to a regular customer who has become a friend.

But after meeting Gary and his wife Eva, it is not hard to understand the success of Grill Bar Steakhouse. Grill Bar Steakhouse is brimming with energy and passion for good American style food. Customers also enjoy the warm service of the attentive Grill Bar Steakhouse folks.  



I noticed that Gary is very customer and service focused. Gary enjoys mingling and interacting with customers. Whenever he has the time, he will "sneak out" from his kitchen and chat with customers. Here Gary was helping to cut our steak.


Where did that passion for good food come from? Well, making and serving good food is literally in Gary's blood. You see, Gary's father and grandfather were the owners of the legendary Ah Yong Nasi Padang in old town Johor Bahru. To their fans, Ah Yong Nasi Padang defines good food in Johor Bahru during it's days.

How did Gary jump from nasi padang warung to American grill and steakhouse? Gary's first job about 15 years ago was with the restaurant at the American Club in Singapore and then he moved on to Morton's Steakhouse Singapore, and other grill houses. Over 2 years ago, Gary suddenly decided to start his own grill bar, and since then, it was no turning back :) 

Here's all the good stuff we had during our visit :)



Our first dish was an appetiser which Gary calls his "Well Dressed Sloppy Joe". Well, this appetiser is certainly no sloth in taste. The crispy, crunchy oven dried toast is eaten with Ozzy's rich beefy chili dip. (Ozzy is Gary's nickname. I forgot to ask him how that came about :P )


Wild Mushroom Soup RM14

The "Sloppy Joe" was followed by another appetiser, the "Wild Mushroom Soup". Made with fresh chopped mushrooms with a touch of truffle oil luxury, this mushroom soup is creamy, wholesome goodness.


Manhattan Seafood Soup RM14 per serving

There were 9 of us in the party, so we had room to try another appetiser. This time the Manhattan Seafood Soup. Slipper lobsters and calamari cooked in tomato soup - full bodied, savoury and sweet with a touch of tangy.


USA Sea Scallop with Spaghetti RM22

My share of the USA Sea Scallop wrapped with turkey bacon served with a mouthful of spaghetti. I love this spaghetti cooked with lobster bisque gravy - that umami (savoury) flavour from the lobster is especially addictive.


Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger RM39

Gary calls this his "Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger". I took only a small bite of the patty to taste as I am not a big burger fan. The patty was chunky, beefy, juicy and wholesome. That deep fried chicken sausage perched on top looked like the crowning glory of this burger. I enjoyed the small bite that I took of this bouncy meaty sausage. The younger folks at the party were raving about this burger but I didn't pay enough attention to recall their exact words (sorry :P ). I was busy composing my photos :P This happens also to be my first outing with my new camera and the dim lighting was a challenge :)


Leather Jacket Short Ribs RM55

I am crazy about any kind of braised meats, so this huge "Leather Jacket Short Ribs" really got me excited. Gary slow braised this chunky short beef rib in low heat for over 10 hours before serving. Pardon the overused cliche "melt in your mouth" but this short rib was super tender and the fatty and gelatinous parts literally melted into savoury jelly. Good braised meat melts my heart, again.


Prime Filet Mignon RM50 (5 Oz)

Another tender steak, this Prime Filet Mignon had a slight savoury crust and the inside was thick and moist with that nice beefy flavour.  

After all that scrumptious meal, it was time for dessert.



We were all really stuffed and Gary wanted us to try this Danish Waffle.



Stuffed as we were, some dainty ladies in the party asked for this Chocolate Lava Cake - "Must Have"  they say. I was a little hesitant but have to admit that they were right :P Sweet and slightly bitter, warm and cold, soft and crusty - Grill Bar Steakhouse's chocolate lava cake is an interesting blend of flavours, mouth feel and temperatures. No wonder it is so irresistible.



Grill Bar Steakhouse serves many different interesting hot and cold drinks as well as beer. For today, I just have ice water to cut back on cream and sugar. This was one of the pretty drinks ordered by one of ladies :)

I am always happy to be back at Grill Bar Steakhouse. Great passionate folks, delicious food, lovely ambiance. 





Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Mon: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Wed - Fri: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Sat - Sun: 12:00 noon - 10:30 pm

No pork, no lard, alcohol (beer only) served




Date visited: 2 May 2013

Return to Johor Kaki home page.

Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

I was at Grill Bar Steakhouse last night at the invitation of Gary, the boss. Meeting Gary for the first time, I can't help but be captivated by his infectious passion for biking and cooking - I can feel Gary's positive energy everywhere in his restaurant and in his food.



The biker theme is all over the restaurant. Gary is an avid biker who makes numerous trips, including at least one 2,500 plus kilometre bike trip a year. For food, Grill Bar is in my opinion, one of the best Western food restaurants that I know of in Johor.



I found Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary really fascinating. I think I am going to spend a lot more time in Grill Bar Steakhouse.



Walking along the familiar streets of Johor Bahru, you will be surprised (I was delighted, actually) when you step into Grill Bar Steakhouse. Push pass the door and you may think that you have suddenly arrived in San Francisco or New York City.

Gary pays a lot of attention to create the perfect ambiance for a nice dinner date at Grill Bar :) The mood lighting makes food photography extremely challenging - I assure you that Grill Bar's food is way better than what I could capture in my photos.



This picture of Grill Bar's Baby Lobster Bisque (RM16) is a huge understatement. One spoonful of this smooth creamy soup made me sat up - it thrilled and primed my taste buds for the dishes that were to come. Grill Bar's lobster bisque was full bodied and had that distinct umami (savoury) flavour extracted through prolong boiling of lobster shells and heads.



The Paprika Grilled Sea Prawns (RM28) were meaty and sweet, and the slightly charred outer layer was smokey. The tasty prawns were well complemented by the lemon cream sauce.



This Onion Blossom (RM17) is a Grill Bar signature dish. The deep fried onions "fries" were crispy outside and inside they were moist and sweet.



The crunchy Onion Blossom is eaten with Grill Bar's house blended Tartar sauce which is creamy, savoury and sweet.



Grill Bar's famous Black Angus Ribeye Steak (RM12 per oz).



Our 8 Oz Australian steak was done medium rear. It was so tender and the flavourful juices, so delightful - I was like being reawakened to my meat eating instincts, rediscovering the primeval pleasure of devouring quality flesh.



The Rosemary Rack of Lamb (RM59) made with chilled New Zealand lamb roasted in a broiler.



We asked for our lamb to be cooked medium to savour the tender, juicy rosy pink meat.



I am not a fan of burritos as I associate it with American franchised fast food. Grill Bar's Mushroom and Cheddar Beef Burrito (RM39) changed my mind about burritos.



The tortilla wrap was firm while the moist and savoury filling made with mushroom, cheddar and tender pulled beef was so... delicious. The pulled beef softened by hours of slow cooking was so tender, it felt as if it melted in my mouth into a smokey, creamy puree with just a little chewing.



Grill Bar's burritos are totally different from their fast food cousins. This is a Must Try. 



For dessert, we shared a Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream coated crushed peanuts. Oozing, warm, not-overly sweet chocolate, it was a nice way to cap our happy overindulgence.

Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary are so fascinating, I hadn't had enough when it was time to go. I must mention that the service staff at Grill Bar was part of our delightful experience -  always cheerful, always helpful. My stomach had no more room while the restaurant was full house when we left. Our three hours at Grill Bar passed in the blink of an eye and I didn't really have a chance to chat with Gary - hence, no customary picture of the Chef in action :( I can't wait to be back for more of Grill Bar's delicious delights and to hear Gary's stories.

->> JB people's favourite steak house. The food is always good at Grill Bar.



Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Mon: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Wed - Fri: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm | Sat - Sun: 12:00 noon - 10:30 pm
No pork, no lard, alcohol (beer only) served

Date visited: 2 May 2013