✍️ 6 Dec 2024. Went to prowl Taman Universiti today - retracing my footsteps as here was one of the first places I explored after starting Johor Kaki blog in 2012.
There weren't new buildings but many of the shops / restaurants had changed hands.
Johor Kaki Adventurous Foodie Traveler with 77 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Taman Universiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taman Universiti. Show all posts
Ramadan Bazaar at Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor
Many readers suggested that I must go to the Ramadan bazaar at Taman Universiti, and so there I was yesterday. The bazaar at Jalan Kemuliaan 4 was huge! I estimated that there must be nearly 100 stalls at this bazaar.
The stall holders were very warm and friendly. There was much spontaneous laughter. A few stall holders and even passers-by offered me food for tasting like a guest at their home. The bazaar was packed but parking was easy and plentiful. There were even MPJBT (city council) officers helping to guide and marshal traffic :) I really enjoyed myself at this Ramadan bazaar.
Come with me for a quick tour of Taman Universiti's Ramadan bazaar.
I love ayam golek stalls :) I will always walk around and zero in on the ayam golek stand. I just love the sight of poles of succulent chicken, rotating over a large charcoal pit. The ayam golek stall is easy to spot - just look out for the biggest cloud of greasy white smoke bellowing from the stall.
Kacang pool is an Egyptian dish that has caught on in Johor. The thick chunky buttered bread is eaten with a thick gravy made with minced beef and broad beans topped with a soft cooked sunny side up.
There are several Ikan Bakar stalls - a popular spicy choice for breaking fast.
Catfish! I am a big fan of catfish :) Nicely seared outside, while inside, the sweet white meat is tender and juicy.
Roti Jala or net bread eaten with curry.
Makcik packing fragrant Nasi Kerabu, a Terengganu speciality of rice with herbs.
This Ramadan bazaar has the most number of roti canai and murtabak masters together in one place that I have seen so far - see how big they spread that dough.
Sup kambing stall.
BBQ chicken.
Ayam Percik, a Kelantanese favourite.
Satay :))
Roti John, the favourite food of many - found only in Malaysia and Singapore.
There is even chicken mandi here - Arabian style grilled chicken rice.
This nasi biryani looks great :)
Siham (cockles)!
Kupang or mussels.
There are lots more that you have to come down to see for yourself :)
I love Ramadan bazaars because everyone is so happy here and people from every community and all walks of life enjoy food together. It is also a convenient, one-stop place to enjoy many traditional local food made and served hot at very reasonable prices. Most of the stalls are ready to serve at 5:00pm.
There are many places to experience Ramadan bazaars in Johor Bahru:
- Bandar Baru Uda
- Bukit Indah (AEON Jusco)
- Kampung Melayu
- Pandan (S'mart, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/rWX0O, GPS: 1.533739,103.783121)
- Seri Alam
- Stadium Larkin
- Taman Perling (Perling Mall)
- Taman Universiti (Jalan Kemuliaan 4, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/uuWjl GPS: 1.529897,103.620249)
- Taman Dahlia
- Taman Johor
- Taman Suria (near Giant)
- Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (near Caltex petrol station)
- Taman Rinting (Jalan Sena)
- Taman Sri Pulai
- Tampoi (Plaza Angsana)
Lamb Mandi at Restoran Parsia in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor CLOSED
I am a big fan of lamb. I especially love lamb that has rich smokey gamey flavours, tender bite and smooth mouth feel.
Dizi - A Traditional Iranian Dish at Parsia Restaurant in Taman Universiti, Johor Bahru CLOSED
Chicken Mandi at Parsia Restaurant (Arab and Iranian) at Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor CLOSED
Chicken Mandi (RM18) at Parsia Restaurant in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor (2013 price)
I love the Chicken Mandi at Parsia Restaurant. The grilled chicken is fragrant with the skin outside slightly crispy and the flesh inside still moist. The chicken is served on a bed of aromatic Basmati rice and eaten with savoury yogurt and tangy vegetable dips. I enjoyed the chicken mandi so much that I asked the boss, Amin, how this delicious dish is made.
I love the Chicken Mandi at Parsia Restaurant. The grilled chicken is fragrant with the skin outside slightly crispy and the flesh inside still moist. The chicken is served on a bed of aromatic Basmati rice and eaten with savoury yogurt and tangy vegetable dips. I enjoyed the chicken mandi so much that I asked the boss, Amin, how this delicious dish is made.
Parsia (Arabian and Iranian) Restaurant in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor CLOSED
I have not tried Iranian food before and so when Amin the boss of Parsia Restaurant in Taman Universiti, invited me to try out his menu, I gladly accepted.
Parsia Restaurant is along Jalan Pendidikan 4 near Universiti Technologi Malaysia (UTM). The interior is spacious and decor was simple with a distinctive Iranian flavour and ambiance.
Parsia Restaurant is along Jalan Pendidikan 4 near Universiti Technologi Malaysia (UTM). The interior is spacious and decor was simple with a distinctive Iranian flavour and ambiance.
Fish Head Steamboat at Restoran Dragon Village 龍鄉 in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
We were circling Taman Universiti for a light lunch and remembered we had wanted to try the old style steamboat at Dragon Village 龍鄉. It was already nearly 2:00pm when we arrived and there were still a few tables with customers.
No. 1 Ikan Bakar 烧鱼 (BBQ Seafood) in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Malaysia
Taman Universiti No. 1 kopitiam seemed to be foodies' ground zero in the town's busy commercial centre.
The many stalls here at No. 1 kopitiam are the favourite hangouts for UTM (Universiti Technologi Malaysia) students and residents. The stalls here offer tasty meals at very affordable prices in causal, relaxed surroundings.
No. 1 Ikan Bakar is a favourite here among students especially for their affordable RM6 dinner set.
No. 1 Ikan Bakar's dinner set consists of a slab of stingray, garnished with lady's fingers and topped with a fried egg and their special sambal chili. Everything in, all for RM6, No. 1's dinner set is very popular with students.
Each dinner set gets half of the good sized baby stingray.
Besides the set dinner, we can also choose our own seafood. Our Ikan Bakar order came in a large slab of stingray and squid garnished with generous amounts of lady's fingers and petai beans, smothered in a thick blanket of sambal chili with everything grilled on a bed of banana leaf.
The most striking thing about No. 1 Ikan Bakar was their signature sambal chili. According to the boss, MR Sim, the sambal chili is a blend of 22 spices and herbs. The sambal felt gritty from the ground ingredients and was neither too spicy nor too salty. I liked it.
No. 1 Ikan Bakar's sambal chili is so popular that MR Sim sells them in 360gram containers at RM10 each.
No. 1 Ikan Bakar's grilled seafood is also served with chinchalok, chopped onions and calamansi; something that is not often seen nowadays. The chinchalok sauce has that characteristic fusion of tangy, sweet and salty tastes.
Personally, all these spicy hot sauces numbs the taste buds a little and overpowers the relatively bland flavour of stingray flesh. Put another way, the stingray was reliant on the sambal and chinchalok to lift its taste level.
MR Sim frying the squid and lady's fingers.
I love this lady's fingers, petai and squid combination with hot sambal chili.
I have been getting lots of suggestions to try out the many stalls in Taman Universiti. For sure, I am going to be at Taman Universiti many more times :)
Restaurant name: No. 1 Ikan Bakar 烧鱼
Address: Jalan Kebudayaan 16, Taman Universiti, Skudai
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/N4TN0
GPS: 1.539091,103.630063
Hours: 4:30pm to Midnight (closed on Thurs)
No pork, no lard
Date visited: 9 Sep 2012
UTM Students' Fave - Black Pepper Chicken Noodles @ Restoran Shang Hai 上海 in Taman Universiti, Skudai [ Updated 2024 No Lard, No Pepper ]
✍ 7 Dec 2024. Back to my old food hunting ground, Taman Universiti. Universiti Technologi Malaysia alumni love the unique black pepper chicken noodle here. I love it too, so it was the first place I returned to on this trip.
Ji Sheng Kopitiam in Taman Universiti
While food finding in Taman Universiti, I noticed that Ji Sheng coffee shop was the most crowded – actually every table was filled. Even at , I had to share a table with another customer.
As always, I observed what the other customers were eating and realised Ji Sheng has an extensive menu of many items. I also noticed that their coffee, toasted buns, mee siam
I ordered mee siam and nasi lemak, but was told they were sold out L I asked the lady boss and the customer whom I was sharing table with for recommendations, and they suggested fried mee hoon which the shop will fry on order i.e. always available J So I settled for coffee and fried bee hoon.
Wow, the coffee (kopi kau) was a blast! The coffee was full bodied and flavoured. The fragrant aroma was dense and the brew tasted bitter and sweet. Excellent.
Every cup of coffee is personally brewed by the boss MR Ngwan and he told me that it is an art that follows a precise process that demands precision timing – otherwise the coffee will taste different. Knowing the precise timing takes years of experience and thousands of cups of coffee to master.
The boss further explained that consistency is crucial – his regular customers will instantly detect any differences with their taste buds. That is why his shop has been getting his supply of coffee beans from the same reliable supplier Chop Chai Huat coffee factory for the past nearly 20 years.
I also enjoyed my tasty fried bee hoon made from simple and fresh ingredients such as shrimps, sotong, eggs and taugeh (bean sprouts). Subtly salty and sweet. The bee hoon and taugeh were tender yet crunchy. It had just the right moistness – not too much water nor too oily. In fact, there was almost no trace of oil left over on the plate after I finished my bee hoon.
Definitely must come back for another cuppa, and try out the other popular items on their menu.
Restaurant name: Ji Sheng Kopitiam
Restaurant name: Ji Sheng Kopitiam
Address: 55, Jalan Kebudayaan 16, Taman Universiti, Johor Bahru
Hours:
Non Halal
Date: 20 Mar 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)