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 😄

Mee Rebus House📍Taman Melodies Johor Bahru · One of JB's Best

Dropped by at Mee Rebus House at Taman Melodies for..... mee rebus, what else....? 😄

Fat Fish 肥鱼 in Taman Melodies Johor Bahru

I've seen seafood heaps served in large trays of bubbling hot broth in China and so was eager to try out Fat Fish in Taman Melodies (near KSL Mall) which brought this dining concept to JB.

Barn 81 Cafe Taman Melodies JB. Tasty Savouries, Great Desserts, Good Coffee

Daniel invited me to visit his Barn 81 Cafe in Taman Melodies in Johor Bahru. I enjoyed the food, desserts and coffee here.

Taman Melodies Kway Teow Kia Johor JB 美乐果条仔

This morning we had kway teow kia 果条仔 for breakfast at the old hawker centre in Taman Melodies 美樂小販中心.

Best Wanton Mee in Johor List. Wei Seng Wan Tan Mee 唯昇雲吞麵

List of the best wanton mee in Johor 👈

When I blogged about Tow Kee of Seremban which to me is the benchmark of Hakka mee in Malaysia, buddy Yvonne alerted me to Wei Seng Wan Tan Mee in Taman Melodies. It's her Hakka hubby's favourite in JB, Yvonne said.

Yong Chun Prawn Noodle at Seng Huat Kopitiam Taman Melodies 成發茶餐室﹣福建永春蝦面

Hokkien Yong Chun Prawn Noodle in Seng Huat kopitiam is a 40 year old brand in Johor Bahru. It has a loyal local following, but has somehow stayed under the social media radar.

Lemon Tree Homegrown Family Friendly Restaurant in Taman Melodies, Permas Jaya, Kulai & More

Lemon Tree is a popular JB homegrown family friendly restaurant serving a wide range of local and Western dishes in a casual, comfortable setting at reasonable prices. Lemon Tree now has three locations - Taman Melodies, Permas Jaya and Kulai - all serving the same menu, with the same ambiance and same prices.

Mui Seng Nyonya Fish Head Curry in Johor Bahru, Taman Melodies 美成娘惹咖哩魚頭

We had lunch today at Mui Seng Nyonya Fish Head Curry in Taman Melodies.

Cakes and Desserts at Lemon Tree Restaurant in Johor Bahru

Jeffrey, the boss of Lemon Tree restaurant, invited me to try their new cakes and dessert menu.



Kevin is Jeffrey's partner running the cakes and desserts side of Lemon Tree.

Kevin and Jeffrey go back a long way - they were school mates :D 

After school, Kevin went to work with Lavender Bakery (a big, established chain in Johor), Angel Cakes and in Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore where Kevin worked on Japanese desserts.



Lemon Tree's chocolate Volcano Lava Cake (RM15.90) served with a scoop of ice cream.

I love Kevin's artistic flare that went into the beautiful plating and presentation of all his cakes and desserts.



Rich with 81% chocolate, the thick warm molten dark indulgence inside doesn't ooze and flow like liquid lava but it sure made our saliva gush when the luscious bitter-sweetness hit our taste buds.



Lemon Tree's Mousse Au Chocolat (RM14.90).

Rich, dense, creamy chocolate mousse on an airy, crumbly, buttery biscuit served with nutty crushed walnuts and a scoop of ice cream.

Exquisite, fine classic French dessert becomes an affordable luxury at Lemon Tree everyone can enjoy, everyday :D



Lemon Tree's Matcha Tiramisu (RM13.90).



The Matcha Tiramisu reflected the Japanese side of Kevin's journey in cakes and desserts.

Fragrant matcha green tea and creamy mascarpone cheese enveloping spongy lady fingers infused with Japanese sweet liquor. 

An interesting, delightful Japanese twist to the classic Italian dessert.

Remember to ask for the cakes and dessert menu when you are at Lemon Tree restaurant.

Disclaimer: Johor Kaki is not responsible for any weight gain from Lemon Tree cakes and desserts. 

For that, you can look for Jeffery and Kevin :D



Restaurant name: Lemon Tree Restaurant
Address: 18, Jalan Bedara, Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/XvJ25
GPS: 1.491372,103.761965
Hours: 12:00 noon to 11:00pm (Closed on Monday)
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert, alcohol served

Date visited: 26 Feb 2014, 14 May 2014

Return to Johor Kaki home page.

Lemon Tree Restaurant in Johor Bahru, Taman Melodies (Second Visit)

Jeffery, the boss, personally serving customers with warmth and sincerity. This is a candid shot, I took with telephoto lens.

Dropped by Lemon Tree again because I like old style Western food places that reminds me of my school boy days. Back then, such joints were "aspirational" food that we can only afford with weeks of pocket money savings. 

Western Food at Lemon Tree Restaurant in Johor Bahru

I was introduced to Lemon Tree by my blogger friend Kim Tan. Lemon Tree is Kim's regular lunch place as it is a stone's throw from her office and she loves the food here.

Johor Bahru Kway Teow Soup at Kue Teow Meng in Taman Melodies 果条明

Kue Teow Meng is one of the most famous Traditional Teochew kway teow soup stalls in JB.

Johor Ayam Penyet at LC Catering in Taman Melodies in JB

While looking for the best ayam penyet, I realised that there are many ways to fry a good chicken leg! And, each style has it's own appeal. LC Catering's style of ayam penyet has it's fans - I like it too :)

Restaurant name: LC Catering
Address: 340, Jalan Balau 1 (off Jalan Tebrau), Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/NBdxC
GPS: 1.490226,103.766871
Hours: 10:00am to 3:00am
Halal

At LC Catering, the fried chicken is not battered and there are no fried crummy bits scattered around. The fresh chicken leg precooked in coconut juice is deep fried without batter and skin, when there is an order.

The skinless leg is fried till golden brown and forms a stiff crisp outer layer. Overall, the meat is fairly dry though there is still some moisture remaining inside. As you can see, there is hardly any excess oil on the chicken leg - a plus point.

The chicken's flavours were slight. I ripped the quite dry meat easily off the bones and scooped sambal chili with it much like the way we eat keropok or French fries. The outer layer is a little stringy. Personally, I find this style likeable and there are other people who prefer this over others.



The sambal chili is a key element in the ayam penyet set. The sambal was pulpy, tangy from fresh limes, mildly spicy for my tastebuds and slightly savoury from the belacan (dried fermented shrimps).

The sides of fried tempeh and toufu were average. The greens were fresh with my favourites of crunchy kacang botol, long beans and a stalk of fragrant leafy green.

This ayam penyet is understated and free of frills, and charming because of that.



You can have a choice of local white rice or upgrade to this premium biryani rice.



I opted for this nasi serai which is premium grade rice cooked with fragrant lemongrass. The ayam penyet nasi serai set costs RM8.50.



LC Catering is clean, spacious and airy. There is also an air conditioned section.

->> The place for dry and crispy fried chicken with "power" sambal chili.

Date visited: 24 Oct 2013

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

Beef Noodles at Grand Beef Restaurant 牛肉王之家 in Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru

  

 

Grand Beef Restaurant was mentioned a few times by Johor Yummy friend Melvin Wu. Melvin once said that the beef noodles here is one of JB's "best kept secrets". Indeed, Grand Beef Restaurant is tucked in a quiet corner of Taman Melody, yet it is just a stone's throw from the bustling KSL City Mall and Taman Century.

Today, I "finally" found my way to Grand Beef Restaurant. "Finally" was Ben Ting's comment when I posted about my lunch at Grand Beef Restaurant on Johor Kaki Facebook page.

The understated Grand Beef Restaurant obviously has many supporters online and also at the restaurant as I saw during lunch.

If anyone wonders how come Grand Beef is located in this part of town, which seemed out of place for a restaurant, this shoplot used to be a spectacle factory. This gets even more intriguing. The boss MR Ong's family used to operate a spectacle frame manufacturing factory here. But, ten years ago, the family decided to switch business due to competition from low cost imports from China. As the family patriarch is passionate about cooking, MR Ong's father decided to open a restaurant. And, hence, Grand Beef Restaurant was born.

So, how was the food?

To start, it's a little different from the other Hainanese beef noodles that I have tried. I was looking forward to that gooey, beefy gravy made by boiling beef bones and cut offs into a jelly like syrupy gravy. This goo was "the thing" in Hainanese style beef noodles that got me hooked.

But at Grand Beef, there isn't this signature Hainanese beef gravy. Instead. the kway teow was garnished with a blend of dark and light soy sauce and shallot oil much like what we will find in Teochew kway teow soup stalls.

The boss MR Ong explained that they use the same sauce for both the beef noodles and pork noodles which Grand Beef Restaurant also serves. Many customers do not eat beef, so they decided that both the beef and pork noodles shall use the same sauce. At first, I wasn't excited about this compromise.

Any reservations that I initially felt was quickly forgotten once I tasted Grand Beef's beef. The pieces of beef, innards and tendons were so tender and tasty.

The savoury and subtle herbal flavours were mild and easy on the palate. It appealed to people who like their beef without the "beefy" taste, yet for those who like that bovine flavour, it is there when you pay attention to what your taste buds are feeling. MR Ong said that they used local cows 黄牛 to make their beef noodles. Overall, it's a very pleasant taste and flavour, and mouth feel.

 

Grand Beef's soup is another distinguishing feature which is unlike the beef soup I have tasted elsewhere. MR Ong said the soup is made by boiling chicken and beef bones. The soup was cloudy, not too oily and it was full bodied and soothingly smooth. I like its savoury umami flavour. It's like a beef version of good savoury prawn soup.

Grand Beef's beef noodles are quite different from other beef noodles that I have tried, and I like it. If I am in the area, I would be glad to pop by to have this beef noodles for lunch or mid afternoon tea.

Restaurant name:  Grand Beef Restaurant 牛肉王之家
Address: 89, Jalan Beringin, Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/h3ZxY
GPS: 1.490437,103.763058
Hours: 11:30am to 5:00pm (Closed on Mon. Closed at 3:00pm on Sundays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 3 Jan 2013

Best Cendol in Johor Bahru. Cendol King! by Yan @ Md Zain at Maybank, Taman Melody ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Updated 2018

Driving near the Maybank Branch off Jalan Tebrau in Johor Bahru, I got a sudden craving for an ice cold cendol. Happens all the time 😂 So, I pulled over at Yan @ Md Zain cendol which is the JB townsfolk's favourite.

Ah Choon Yong Tau Foo📍Taman Melodies Johor Bahru • Famous Pork Balls & Chicken YTF 美乐亚春酿豆腐

✍ 14 Jan 2026. I was in Taman Melodies for an errand, so decided to drop by at Ah Choon Yong Tau Foo. The last time I was here was in 2012, during early days of this Johor Kaki blog.

Salt Baked Chicken 鹽焗雞 @ Tapai Tang Restaurant in Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru. Update 2019

Tapai Tang 大排档海鲜饭店 was the third stop of our JB food trail today. I wanted to come here because my last visit was 7 years ago and I just got back from Ipoh. With that still fresh in my mind, I hope to see how Tapai Tang's salt baked chicken match up to Ipoh's famous brand.