GIANT Kitchen Indian Restaurant & Caterers in Nusa Bestari

Long ago, I recommended GIANT Caterers' restaurant when it was co-located with their catering kitchen in Plentong, Pasir Gudang. Now, GIANT has two full fledged restaurants, one in Tampoi and another in Nusa Bestari. 

Delicious food at good prices, that hasn't changed since I first tried GIANT in 2013 (more than 10 years ago 😮 ).

In case you are wondering, GIANT Caterers is totally unrelated to GIANT Supermarket.

Sichuan Food in JB at Restaurant Culture 渝香食府 CLOSED

CLOSED JK reader Willy contacted me and enthused about the authentic Sichuan cuisine at one of his favourite JB restaurants - Restaurant Culture 渝香食府 in Bukit Indah. So, we met up there for lunch today 😄

Lei Cha 百家乐客家擂茶 at BESTMART in Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru

Dropped in early today, at the popular 百家乐 lei cha 客家擂茶 stall at BESTMART in Taman Nusa Bestari.

Lei cha is a Hakka comfort food of rice and grains eaten with yong tau foo and a green herbal vegetable gruel or ground tea (hence, the name lei cha 擂茶 which means ground tea in Hakka language). 

Thai Food in Johor Bahru - Second Visit to Soul Thai 泰美味美食餐厅

This was my second invitation to Soul Thai restaurant in Taman Nusa Bestari. We made a date to come back to Soul Thai after our first visit as we had not enough stomach room for some of our favourite Thai dishes.



As crab and glass noodle is one of my favourite crab dishes, we ordered Soul Thai's Claypot Crab with Glass Noodle. Price is seasonal and this was at RM80.




The live crab from Sarawak was meaty, juicy and tender. It tasted savoury and had the sweetness of the sea.



We were really impressed with the glass noodles. The glass noodles sponged up most of savoury gravy and crab juices. Yet, the strands were still springy and stayed in shape with good bite. Definitely a must for crab lovers.



Thai style steamed squid (sotong) is another of my favourite Thai dishes. Soul Thai's sotong come soaking in a soupy tangy gravy and buried under a blanket of sliced lime, shredded cabbage, chili and parsley.


Steamed Sotong Thai Style RM22.90

Sweep aside the shroud of cabbage, chili and lime and the beautiful steamed sotong (squid) emerges.



The sotong was steamed just right. In the mouth, the fresh sotong flesh felt bouncy soft yet slightly chewy. The eggs felt milky and a little like jelly. The flavours were savoury complemented with tanginess, spiciness and sweetness from the gravy. I always liked steamed sotong and Soul Thai's version was very good.




We also had Soul Thai's Green Curry Chicken in Coconut Milk (RM14.90). This was a bit too sweet and too mild for me. If you like thick, creamy, sweet and very mild spiciness in your green curry, then this is for you.


Steamed Tapioca with Sugar Syrup RM3.90

For dessert, we ordered steamed tapioca. It was really great. The tapioca was steamed just right - it was soft and felt like mashed potato. The tapioca had a slight refreshing taste and the soft fibres were loaded with sweet warm syrup made with sugar and coconut milk.



Restaurant name: Soul Thai Restaurant & Bistro 泰美味美食餐厅
Address: 3G, Jalan Bestari 3/5, Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/J8HgL
GPS: 1.492009,103.659587
Hours: 11:00am to 11:30pm
No pork, no lard,  no Halal cert

Date visited: 22 Nov 2013, 2 Jan 2014

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Johor Ayam Penyet at Mama Zai at BESTMART, Nusa Bestari

Mama Zai is one of the ayam penyet stalls recommended by Johor Kaki Facebook fans, so I made a trip to try it.



Mama Zai is one of the stalls at the popular food court at BESTMART Nusa Bestari. Mama Zai stall also sells roast chicken, black pepper chicken, and sambal chicken. They all looked very appetising, so I want to try all of them next time :D



I like this cosy food court in BESTMART. It is not too big, about 30 stalls. Bright and well maintained. Car parking is not too difficult (just be patient) and it is free. There are also several popular stalls beside Mama Zai, so there is something for everyone.



Business at Mama Zai is brisk especially during lunch.



We ordered an nasi ayam penyet set and asked for the thigh. The fried chicken thigh was crispy outside, relatively dry but still slightly moist inside. There is some natural sweetness as this is made from chilled chicken and well marinated with curry spices.

The set costs RM6.50 which we thought is very reasonable.



Mama Zai's sambal is a big winner for me. The sambal is savoury and spicy with tangy hints from the squeezed lime. The sambal has interesting mouth feel as it is wet, thick and pulpy - the chili peppers are pounded (not ground or blended).



Average nasi ayam penyet is often let down by the quality of the rice. Not so, at Mama Zai. Mama Zai's excellent oiled rice is made with good quality grains. The fragrant very lightly oiled rice is firm yet tender and they separate easily.



I will surely be stopping by this food court to try out the other dishes and stalls :D 

Restaurant name: Mama Zai Nasi Ayam (stall in BESTMART Nusa Bestari)
Address: Jalan Nusa Bestari 2 1/1 (off Jalan Sutara Danga)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/LhM5i
GPS: 1.495875,103.655097
Hours: 9:30am to 9:30pm (closed on Weds)
Halal

Date visited: 2 Dec 2013

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Thai Food in Johor at Soul Thai 泰美味美食餐厅

Today, I was at Soul Thai restaurant at the invitation of Vincent, the Executive Director.



At first look, Soul Thai's imposing façade would make any budget conscious person like me think twice before stepping into the restaurant. (Soul Thai is on the right of the picture.)



Soul Thai is actually attached to it's sister company Soul Asia which provides traditional Thai massage services.



Stepping inside Soul Thai, the very well appointed interior includes an exclusive private room which reinforces the impression that this restaurant is only for deep pockets.

So, I was pleasantly surprised at how family and price friendly the dishes at Soul Thai are. Vincent has Thai family members and sharing Thai food with Johoreans is one of the reasons for setting up Soul Thai.

The food at Soul Thai is prepared by Thai chefs led by Executive Chef Payup Suwong who is an award winning chef from Thailand. Chef Payup has tuned the tastes and flavours to suit local palates while honouring the essence of Thai cuisine.

Let's see what we ate :D



Our lunch naturally started with a tom yam kung (RM17.90).



The helpful staff helping us to ladle the steamy seafood tom yam.



The fresh shrimps and squid in a moderately spicy murky broth with fragrant lemon grass and herbs. This tangy, sweet, savoury, and spicy tom yam is a great way to "open the appetite" as they say in Chinese.



This Soul Thai signature fried fish is another favourite. Soul Thai uses live sea bass to make this fried fish covered by a grassy looking blanket of lemongrass, spring onions, cashews, peanuts, chili and other ingredients. The whole fish is doused with a savoury spicy house blended sauce. One of my favourites of the day.



I love Soul Thai's Massaman curry chicken and potatoes (RM13.90). The curry is a interesting blend of sweet, savoury, mildly spicy and nutty. There are lots of roasted peanuts and cashews in the pot softened by cooking in curry - in a way, this Massaman curry reminds me of satay sauce but more drippy. The fresh chicken pieces were tender and sweet. I liked this Massaman curry so much that I ate and drank up two bowls. 



Massaman curry originally from Southern Thailand was voted by CNN in 2011 as the World's Number 1 most delicious food. Personally, Soul Thai's rendition of this Malay-Thai fusion dish is a Must Try. (On a side note, tom yam kung is voted Number 8 and Penang asam laksa is Number 7.)



The fried crab in Thai curry. The curry has a dense complex mix of savoury and spicy flavours though it is pretty toned down in spiciness. The gravy is a tad greasy in the Thai style. I like the refreshing sweet juicy crab meat which was mostly shielded from the curry by the shell.



The pineapple rice was cooked with turmeric and topped with cashews, fried shallots, raisins, maize and peas. Being mildly flavoured, the pineapple rice complements the more robustly flavoured Thai dishes well.



Vincent is quite proud of Soul Thai's signature Thai style battered fried kang kong (RM12.90). Nice, crispy batter wrapping crunchy green kang kong inside.



The dip for the fried kang kang made with coconut milk spiced up with curry and sweetened with chicken meat.



Thai style ABC (RM4.90) is different from the Malaysian variety. There's attap seeds, ruby chestnuts, pandan worms in a bowl of coconut milk with ice.




My favourite rubies chestnut with coconut milk (RM4.90).

I am looking forward to come back to Soul Thai to try their green curry, crab cooked in tang hoon, steamed squid and, of course, Phad Thai! I love to try their Massaman curry beef too at my next visit too :D

Soul Thai is a good place for delicious Thai food in a nice environment at reasonable prices.

Restaurant name: Soul Thai Restaurant & Bistro 泰美味美食餐厅
Address: 3G, Jalan Bestari 3/5, Taman Nusa Bestari, Skudai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/J8HgL
GPS: 1.492009,103.659587
Hours: 11:00am to 11:30pm
No pork, no lard,  no Halal cert

Date visited: 22 Nov 2013

Third Junction Cafe at Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru

Popped by at Third Junction Cafe's new branch at Taman Nuea Bestari yesterday at the invitation of Li Wen, the boss. (Third Junction Cafe has two branches in Kulai and this is their first venture in Johor Bahru.)

Third Junction is one of those trendy modern cafes that are sprouting up around Johor. I am not really a big fan of this genre of cafes and have so far only tried some of them for a quick bite when I am in a hurry and have no other options. The menu is usually extensive and the clean and comfortable environment is family friendly. However, I have so far been a little sceptical about the quality of the food.

So, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the food at Third Junction Cafe. Overall, the flavours are on the robust and heavy side, and is quite appealing for people used to stronger tastes.



First to arrive was this Spicy Tomato Soup Noodle with Seafood (RM8.90). Just the right level of spiciness for me, though some may find it slightly too hot. I like the body, seafood flavours and slight tanginess in the soup. The egg noodles were nicely al dante. I will reorder this dish.



Fried Butter Chicken Rice (RM8.20). Nice fried rice accompanied by battered fried chicken in curry and baked beans. Tasty. I liked this too.



I like these Special Salty Egg Yolk Drumlets (RM6.90 for 4 pieces). The salted egg yolks gave the drumlets a nice savouriness. Nicely fried, crispy outside and inside it was still slightly tender and juicy. I will reorder this.



I have been looking for good cheese baked rice and so ordered the Hong Kong Supreme Baked Rice (RM11.90). At Third Junction, the rice is stir fried before smothered by creamy cheese. The fried chicken chop felt slightly overdone to me but others may appreciate the blend of crispy chicken with flavourful fried rice topped with creamy cheese.



We were already stuffed but Li Wen was eager for us to try Third Junction's XO Sauce Fried Taro Cake (RM6.90) with bean sprouts and eggs. The taro cubes were deep fried, slightly crispy outside and inside it was tender and flavourful. Stir frying the cubes with XO sauce added additional savouriness to the dish. The bean sprouts were crunchy. I like this dish and would reorder when I am at Third Junction again. 



The Fresh Mango Sago Toss (RM6.50). Sweet and icy - nice way to round up the meal :)



Our cold fresh honey dew juice.



The old style coffee at Third Junction is good - robust flavour and full bodied. They use a good quality coffee bean from Muar and it was nicely brewed.

Third Junction is good for groups chilling together. Food is tasty, there is something for everyone, and prices are reasonable. On Thursdays and Saturdays 8:30pm to 11:30pm, there is even live singing to entertain the diners.



Restaurant name: Third Junction (Taman Nusa Bestari branch)
Address: 32 Jln Nusa Bestari 5/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/gmHHq (rough)
GPS: 1.482532,103.666305 (rough)
Hours: 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight
Parking: Ample, free street parking.
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 3 Jul 2013