Charcoal Fried KL Hokkien Mee in Johor Bahru @ Hoa Kee Kopitiam Coffee Shop

Black gooey KL style Hokkien mee has a strong following in JB and Singapore, but good ones are rather rare here. So, whenever a KL Hokkien mee stall appears, social media will be abuzz with feedback on the noodles. The new KL Hokkien mee stall at Hoa Kee coffee shop in Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram has been getting good response from JB foodies.

Crazy Rich Laksa @ Hao Kee 好记 in Taman Gaya in Johor Bahru ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am no Crazy Rich Asian but I am very happy because I just had crazy rich laksa at Hao Kee White Coffee 好记 kopitiam in Taman Gaya, JB. Fifty years of eating curry laksa in Singapore and Malaysia, this laksa in JB makes me feel like a Crazy Rich Asian 😄 No other curry laksa comes close in richness, tastefully.

KL Pork Noodles at Yong Kee Sam Kan Chong in Johor JB 勇记三间庄

When 勇记三间庄 opened in Johor Bahru serving their KL style pork noodles last year, I went to try it immediately as I love this type of noodles. My favourite Kuala Lumpur pork noodle stall is at Jalan Imbi in KL since I first tried it over 20 years ago. I was hoping 勇记三间庄 can help satisfy my craving for KL pork noodles.

KL Pork Noodle Mee at Hoa Kee Taman Gaya Johor Bahru 好记 ⭐⭐⭐✱✱

Makan (eating) buddy Jeff keeps reminding me to pay a visit to the KL pork noodle stall at Hoa Kee 好记 kopitiam in Taman Gaya. It's the favourite of a few foodie friends too.

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.

Super Mario 釀豆腐 Yong Tau Foo Johor Bahru Taman Gaya Hou Kee 好記 Coffee Shop JK1354

We stumbled upon Super Mario 釀豆腐 Hakka yong tau foo stall during food spotting in Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru. We like the fresh and substantial ingredients 真材实料 as well as the flavourful broth here. The unique chili dip is great too.

Mee Hoon Kueh & Ban Mian at Teck Lai 德来 in Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru

We paid a visit to Teck Lai in Taman Gaya yesterday - one of my favourite places for mee hoon kueh in Johor Bahru. I like Teck Lai's mee hoon kway and ban mian which is served with fish soup loaded with fried fish and tofu.

Pure Bean Coffee in Johor Bahru, Taman Gaya

Cafe hopping with coffee kaki Corrine and we hopped to Pure Bean Coffee in Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram.

The layout and decor inside Pure Bean Coffee was simple, straightforward and familiar. Pure Bean is the sister cafe of Baristas Coffee in Kulai. Both cafes are different in concept, one in the country (Kulai) and the other in the city (JB), but the resemblance between the siblings was unmistakable. 

The interior at Pure Coffee is understated, without the flamboyance and flair associated with trendy hipster cafes sprouting up everywhere nowadays.



The moment I stepped into Pure Bean for the first time, I felt I've been here before.

Sometimes, neat and simple is what we need and prefer.

The familiar food could be part of it.



Right at the entrance was this tray of quintessentially English crumbly buttery scones made by owner Mr Foo, who is also a pastry chef. (Scones are also available at Baristas Cafe in Kulai.)

The buttery scones reminded Corrine of her New Zealand uni days...



Belgian waffle with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberry topping. The waffle is the stiffer, slightly chewy kind, not the airy almost fluffy type.

A very pretty and nice sweet dessert.



My cuppa cappuccino.

Made with Johor grown Liberica and Robusta, the brew's body was heavy and taste was robust with a bittersweet aftertaste. (No sugar added - I only add sugar to instant coffee and Nanyang kopitiam coffee.)



I like this cold brew of Columbian Arabica blended with Robusta. The cold brew was fermented for 3 days, giving it a subtle alcoholic and herbal undertone. The Arabica gave the coffee a caramel sweetness and chocolaty bittersweetness with citrusy notes. The Robusta gave the blend a caffeine kick which I like.



Pure Bean does a brisk business of hot and cold take away coffees.



My ice coffee made with Columbian and Kenyan AA Arabica blend. Bittersweet flavour with citrusy pamelo aftertaste.



Pure Bean is a cosy place to cool your heels and chat with friends over nice pastries and good coffee. Wifi and handphone charging points available.

Thank you Mr Foo for your invite.



Restaurant name: Pure Bean Coffee
Address: 94, Jalan Gaya 1, Taman Gaya 2, Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/jjKsk
GPS: 1.564649,103.801735
Hours: Mon - Fri : 12pm - 11pm | ​​Sat - Sun  : 10am - 11pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 17 Jul 2014

Johor Kaki's hipster cafe hopping guide in Jay Bee.

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Coffee Nowhere in Johor Bahru, Taman Gaya

Corrine and I paid a morning visit to Coffee Nowhere Cafe in Taman Gaya.

Inside Coffee Nowhere, the decor is simple and the layout straightforward. But, it was comfortable with plenty of private spaces and cushioned seats for chilling out with friends.

The decor consisted mainly of wooden boards and planks as it was inspired by the humble stable in the story of Nativity. 



The open concept bar lets us see the baristas in action.

We had the opportunity to chat with Welson, CEO of Coffee Nowhere.



This branch in Taman Gaya is Coffee Nowhere's birthplace and flagship. Coffee Nowhere now has another branch in Austin Perdana, in Yong Peng, and overseas in Singapore, Batam (Indonesia) and Vietnam. More Coffee Nowhere branches are expected in Malaysia and further afield like in China.

From our brief interaction, I sensed that Welson is one of those rare breed of ideas man and action oriented entrepreneur wrapped into one. He is energetic, observant, has a knack for spotting opportunities and acts fast and creatively to turn them into profitable enterprises.



The sound of a churning rotating drum and the seductive aroma of coffee interrupted our conversation. Chief Barista Trevor was roasting a fresh batch of coffee beans at Coffee Nowhere.



Trevor made Corinne a hand poured Ethiopian which tasted of citrusy red cherry with nuttiness, slight bitterness and caramel sweetness. 

She liked it.



Trevor made a cappuccino for me. I am still a novice in coffee appreciation.



Coffee Nowhere's blend is a trio of beans from Brazil (Bourbon), Ethiopia (Yirgacheffe) and Papua New Guinea. The medium bodied coffee has nutty and caramel flavours which is widely appealing.



This pizza was a surprise delight.

On the crispy crust laid a carpet of melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend, topped with slices of smoked duck and pieces of lychee. Yes, lychee! The pizza was then drizzled with a house blended sauce.

The mix of crispy crust, soft chewy cheese and tender duck was balanced with juicy fleshy lychee. The layers of savouriness from the blended cheese, fat and skin on smoked duck and sauce were balanced with refreshing sweet fruitiness from the lychee.

The combination of layered and contrasting textures and flavours worked delightfully well for us.

Coffee Nowhere's popular signature pizza is a Must Try.

Coffee Nowhere is a likable cafe and it's coffee appeals to a wide cross section, from coffee novices to enthusiasts.



Restaurant name: Coffee Nowhere 
Address: No. 30 Jalan Gaya 1, Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/9lZlS
GPS: 1.564338,103.801649
Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 am to 12:00 midnight

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 17 Jul 2014

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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

Teck Lai 德来 Fish Noodles in Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru

When I realised that the famous Teck Lai 德来 fish noodle shop in Johor Jaya, Jalan Teratai changed hands in 2010, I thought I will never have a chance to taste the original Teck Lai fish noodles. Yesterday, I was so, so happy that I stumbled upon the original Teck Lai in Taman Gaya.

This was purely a lucky find. I was on my way for lobster hunting in Pengerang and stopped over at Taman Gaya for early breakfast. I drove a couple of rounds around Taman Gaya and decided to try out Hou Kee, a typical corner kopitiam.

I walked and looked around the kopitiam, looking for a good food find and noticed this humble stall.

I was attracted by the large heap of fried fish in the display cabinet and the hawkers busy making fresh noodles using this old hand powered machine.

So, I ordered a bowl to try. It was so good!

After I enjoyed my delicious fish soup noodles, I decided to blog about this stall and approached the friendly lady boss, Mdm Chew. Only during our conversation did I realised that this was the famous Teck Lai 德来 which I thought I will never have a chance to taste.

Mdm Chew's sister

Mdm Chew's family ran the famous Teck Lai shop in Johor Jaya Teratai for nearly 30 years but had to let it go in 2010 as there was no one in the family to take over the business.

After selling the Teratai shop, Mdm Chew and family took a short break and re-opened here in Taman Gaya. Then, it was back to the usual routine and rhythm of running one of JB's most popular fish noodle shop.

Mdm Chew's husband cut and fry the fresh mackerel and Ikan Merah fish every morning from 3:00am to 6:00am and by 6:30am, Teck Lai is ready to serve their customers.

Each bowl of noodle is freshly hand made right here at the stall, one by one.

The freshly made fat noodles were tender outside and had a firmer core. I liked the taste and mouth feel of Teck Lai's noodles.

Mee hoon kueh lovers can also have their fish soup served with the large freshly made, hand torn squares.

The large chunk of fried fresh mackerel.

The clear and naturally sweet soup was made with anchovies and fish bones. As usual, I slurped up the good soup to the last drop. No need for any MSG here as Teck Lai uses plenty of fish bones and anchovies.

For chili lovers, remember to try this freshly made chili sauce.

Try Teck Lai's famous fish noodles when you are around the Taman Gaya area. Stop over for breakfast, if you are on your way north from JB to Kota Tinggi or Desaru area.

->> One of my favourite fish noodle soup. Fresh fish, fresh noodles, tasty broth, spicy power chili sauce.

Restaurant name: Teck Lai 德来 Fish Noodles

Address: Jalan Gaya 25, Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru (Hou Kee kopitiam)

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/uFHbB

GPS: 1.567759,103.801145

Hours: 6:30am till sold out usually by 1:00pm

Non Halal

Date visited: 4 Feb 2013

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