When I first started blogging in 2012, I went all over Johor Bahru in search of kway teow kia 果条仔 - the uniquely JB dish is found everywhere here. You know how it is..., maybe because KTK is so common in JB, I soon took it for granted. I have not eaten KTK for a couple of years already.
Whenever I am asked to name foods that represent Johor, I always include Laksa Johor in my list. Yet, a good laksa Johor is very hard to find at hawker stalls in JB. I am glad that today, I tasted a good one at Selera Johor at Plaza Larkin.
I was happy for my friends, passionate home bakers Evonne and Sarah, when they published their book Asian Pies last year. Asian Pies have been selling like hot cakes pies.
It even won double honours at the Oscars of cookbook awards 👏👏👏 At the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Asian Pies clinched:
🏆 Top 3 for Best Asian Cuisine Book 2016 award
🏆 Best Asian Cuisine Book in Singapore 2016 award.
Updated 3 Oct 2019. Kluang is not exactly the natural break for the drive between KL and JB - the little town is 20km from the North South Expressway exit. But, we did just that today because I had this sudden craving for the Crispy Fried Duck from STAR Restaurant in Kluang.
I am so glad that Sarah brought us to Chew Lam Hong Kong Che Chong Fan stall at Kluang's popular Mengkibol River Hawker Centre.
Actually, this was my second time at Chew Lam Hong Kong Che Chong Fan.
Updated 4 Aug 2019. Many readers from Kluang have told me that I must try the cendol stall at Jalan Dato Kaptain Ahmad. Now, after trying it myself, I will tell anyone going to Kluang that they must not leave town without trying Kluang Cendol Kadir. It's 4-Stars in my books 😋
Anyone who has been to Taiwan knows that braised pork rice (lu rou fan 滷肉饭) and beef noodles (niu rou mian 牛肉麵) are found everywhere on the island. They're staple and comfort food like chicken rice in Singapore and nasi lemak in Malaysia.
Quite a few people told me that they must have lu rou fan every day when they visit Taiwan. Funny thing is, for all the times that I have been to Taiwan, I have never tasted their lu rou fan and niu rou mian before - always enticed away to try the more trendy stuff 😂
Thanks to buddy YJ, I got my first taste of Cambodian cuisine - and, it was in Singapore. I have never been to Cambodia before. As far as I know, 51 F & B Cambodian Deluxe in Geylang is the only eatery in Singapore serving Cambodian food (cooked by a Cambodian).
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 😄
This is a simple ayam penyet stall in Santeral coffee shop in the heart of old Johor Bahru, just beside City Square Mall. There could be more tasty ayam penyet in JB, but I like the experience here in this old, low profile kopitiam.
