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

Uncle Tom's Tavern (Western Food) in Plentong, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Uncle Tom's Special, a whopping, delicous ¼ pounder!

Last night, we went to check out Uncle Tom's Tavern in Plentong (near Tesco Extra) which is probably JB's newest Western food restaurant (opened for business just two months ago) at the invitation of the owners, Tom and Michelle.

 

We met the warm and friendly Uncle Tom (after which this restaurant was named), and his lovely wife, Michelle.

Michelle shared that this Western food restaurant is dedicated to Uncle Tom, who had been in the oil and gas industry for over thirty years.

At Uncle Tom's Tavern, Michelle would lovingly prepare the food for guests as she would for Uncle Tom, thus bringing new meaning to the phrases "family restaurant" and "home cooked meal".

 

Michelle is assisted in the kitchen by an able crew and Chef Hernan - here whipping up Uncle Tom's favourite fried rice.

Chef Hernan helps Michelle with the finishing touches to the food before serving.

Let's take a look at what we had :)

If you are a beef and burger lover, be sure to ask for this Uncle Tom's Special. It's a whopping quarter (¼) pound of fresh ground beef. Made with fresh low fat beef, the lean but thick patty was tender and delicious, without the greasiness and saltiness of the usual fast food burgers.

The beef patty was sandwiched between Uncle Tom's homemade buns which were teasingly sweet, soft and nice to the bite. At RM17.90, Uncle Tom's Special quarter pounder was worth every ounce of money. For people with a regular sized appetite, the usual sized Classic burger is available at RM10.90.

Grilled lamb chops nicely sizzled with the outside layer slightly caramelised, while inside, it is still juicy and retaining that distinctive flavour that make lamb lovers swoon. These lamb chops for RM22.90.

 

 

  

As someone who has to watch his cholesterol, this Cajun Salmon was my guilt free favourite of the evening :) Michelle again got the outside nicely seared and the insides still moist and wet with natural juices. Made with fresh salmon fillet, the Cajun spices brought out the delightful flavour and aroma of the tender, oily salmon flesh.

 

 

Since this Cajun Salmon (RM14.90) was my favourite, you are treated to extra shots of this :P

 

I also love this grilled steak (RM32.90). Thick chunky bars of well marinated grilled tenderloin carefully stacked and laid on a bed of fried potato slices and asparagus.

 

Tender, moist, flavourful, smoky tasting, well done tenderloin steak.

To round up our dinner, we had the Arrabiata Chicken Pasta. Nice al dente pasta tossed in a creamy, tangy, subtly spicy tomato and herb sauce. This large delicious plate of pasta cost RM11.90.

 

Must really share with you about Uncle Tom's homemade bread and buns. Everyone from our party agreed that Uncle Tom's bread was really special. The bread was a well balanced blend of delicate savoury and sweet notes, and its texture was nicely soft inside with a gentle pleasing bite. You have to try it to know what I mean. Uncle Tom's homemade and baked bread was so good, we took home additional pieces to enjoy :)

 

To help wash down all the good food, Uncle Tom's Tavern has a well appointed bar, well stocked with a good range of beers, wines and liquor.

 

Uncle Tom's Tavern will be adding more varieties of drinks served at the bar.

 

Everyone at the dinner agreed that Uncle Tom's Tavern offers very good Western food with sincere service, at very reasonable prices :)

Uncle Tom's Tavern is easy to get to from Singapore or downtown JB. With the EDL (Eastern Dispersal Link), travel to Plentong is just about 20 minutes from the JB CIQ.

Restaurant name: Uncle Tom's Tavern
Address: G31, Jalan Masai Jaya, Plentong (near to Tesco Extra Plentong)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/fYQy5
GPS: 1.522167,103.813574
Hours: 8:30am to 10:30pm (closed on Sunday)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 24 Sep 2012

Old Pasar 老巴刹牛腩粉 Beef Noodles in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

More than 80 years ago, MR Goh Hin started his famous Hainanese beef noodle stall at the Old Pasar (market) 老巴刹 in Kluang, Johor. Goh Hin had seven children, and three sons followed his foot steps to become famous beef noodle sellers themselves, like their father.

Asam Pedas Fish @ Restoran Ikan Asam Pedas in Kluang, Malaysia 亚叁鱼快乐餐

This huge steaming hot asam pedas fish head costed us RM33. 



It was already nearly 3:00pm when we finished buying our boxes of Kluang mooncakes at nearby Yuen Fatt 源發 and Yu Kong 游港. Then, I noticed this little restaurant with the big yellow signboard where people were still streaming in and out at this hour. I took a quick peek through the glass of the air conditioned restaurant and saw that it was full (at this hour?!).

Shopping Guide to the Best Kluang Mooncakes

Don't know how it happened but the small town of Kluang in Johor is seen by many as the mooncake Capital of Malaysia.

Mooncakes @ Tong Huat 东发 Bakery in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Tong Huat 东发 is one of the most popular traditional Chinese confectioneries in Kluang. During the annual Mid Autumn (Mooncake) festival, Tong Huat 东发 goes into full swing to meet the orders from all over Malaysia, and also Singapore for their famous traditional mooncakes.

Mooncakes @ Nam Yick 南益 in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Traditional wooden mould bearing Nam Yick 南益's  label

Nam Yick 南益 is one of the oldest and most popular traditional bakeries in Kluang, Johor.

Char Siew and Siew Yoke @ Lapan Dua Dua 822 超级鸭王 Restaurant in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I have tried and was very impressed with Lapan Dua Dua 822 超级鸭王's famous roast duck.

CLOSED Nyonya Food @ Nyonya Café (June's Kitchen) in Taman Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I have always been a fan of Nyonya food and Nyonya Café (June's Kitchen) was the first time I had Nyonya food in JB. We absolutely enjoyed our sumptuous and delicious Nyonya lunch at June's Kitchen in Permas Jaya at the invitation of the owners, June and Daniel.

Daniel and Andrew tango in the busy kitchen

Today was a very good day for the foodie me :) 

June Seah, the founder was at the restaurant as well as her son Daniel, who is the new owner, and Andrew, who is the Chief Chef. Everyone at June's Kitchen was passionate about Nyonya culinary heritage and tradition - their infectious energy was palpable in the air. From what I saw, June's Kitchen is more than just a restaurant, it is also a place where June and her family share their passion for Nyonya cuisine.

Daniel and his magic wok

Daniel received his culinary art training at SHATEC while June (who is Peranakan) said she didn't have any "training" and learnt her art from her grandparents, parents, aunts and relatives. Personally, the essence and intricacies of culinary heritage and traditions passed down through the generations in close knitted families is the best training. 

Everyone was very friendly at June's Kitchen, while June and Daniel busy as they were, were also eager to share interesting tidbits and the history behind Nyonya food culture.

Nyonya dishes done the traditional way, demand tedious and long preparation, and many of the spices take a lot of effort and ingenuity just to obtain.

Chief Chef Andrew patiently cutting open the pile of buah keluak nuts one by one

An example is this buah keluak nut which is only available in Indonesia and need many hours of preparation before it finally arrives at the dining table.

Each buak keluak nut had to be carefully cut open by hand, one by one.

We had this Nyonya classic, ayam buah keluak for RM15.

And, of course, the first thing we did was to dig the priced black paste out of the buah keluak nut like excited children breaking open a Kinder Surprise candy.

The creamy black paste was made by combining buah keluak flesh with pounded chicken meat. To get that distinctive, delicious ayam buah keluak's smooth yet slightly grainy texture, nutty flavour and subtly bitter note, the chicken meat had to be pounded by hand and not minced or chopped. This is an example of the intricacies and tediousness of Nyonya cuisine prepared the traditional way.

The chunks of chicken in the little claypot deserved mention too as they were tenderly sweet and enveloped in savoury sauce that resembles the buah keluak stuffing. June's Kitchen's ayam buah keluak is one of the best that I've tasted.

I love June's Kitchen's Nyonya steam fish. The super fresh Snapper fish (Ikan Jenahak) fillets were steamed and then smothered with a savoury gravy that was a complex blend of delicate tanginess, sweetness, spicy hot and saltiness.

June's Kitchen's is one of the best steamed fish dish that I've had - in any style. This Nyonya steamed fish was for RM22.

Nyonya lady's finger for RM7 - blanched fresh lady's finger topped with a June's Kitchen special blend sambal that whetted our appetite and got our saliva flowing.

June's Kitchen's Nyonya sweet and sour tofu was a delicious fusion of the Chinese staple with Southeast Asian and Indian spices. This large brick of tender smooth tofu generously topped with lovely gravy for RM7. 

June's Kitchen's pie tee hat (RM7.80) came with fresh naturally sweet cut vegetables stuffed in a crispy tart shell and topped with a large juicy fresh shrimp. Adding a dab of that accompanying spicy and sweet sambal chili gave this popular bite sized treat an extra kick.

We rounded up our sumptuous lunch with June's Kitchen's popular durian chendol (RM5.80) - green pandan jelly, boiled beans in santan and gula Melaka on a bed of crushed ice and topped with durian puree. Full of flavours and not overly sweet.

I asked June how would she describe the food in June's Kitchen. Her instinctive response, "Mum's home cooking". June and Daniel shared that there had been customers who became sentimental and even moved to tears on tasting her food as the aroma, flavours and textures reminded them of home, their childhood and their loved ones.

The friendly Fernandez family obliged my request to take a picture of them having lunch with all their staff, just after all the happy guests had left and the restaurant closed for the afternoon break.

June's Kitchen is in Permas Jaya which is very accessible from the CIQ, if you are coming from Singapore. Once clear immigration, head for the EDL (Eastern Dispersal Link) and follow the signs to Permas Jaya. The car journey takes less than 10 minutes of leisurely driving.

I am definitely coming back to try the other well executed Nyonya favourites at every reasonable prices in June's Kitchen.

Restaurant name: Nyonya Café (June's Kitchen Nyonya Restaurant) 娘惹美食餐厅
Address: 9, Jalan Permas 10/7, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/yUagg
GPS: 1.495998,103.814899
Hours: Tues to Friday - Lunch from 11:45am to 3:30pm, Dinner from 5:30pm to 9:30pm; Sat and Sun - 11:45am to 9:30pm (closed on Monday)
No pork no lard

Date visited: 18 Sep 2012