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
Johor coffee culture has roughly three layers. All three layers exist together, giving Johor coffee culture richness and depth.
The first layer is Nanyang coffee, best exemplified by the popular old school Hainanese kopitiams like Kin Wah and Hua Mui. The second layer is the international brands like Starbucks. The third layer is the emerging local brands such as Just Want Café, Monsta Café and My Liberica, just to name a few.
古来云来点心 is one of those famous food names in Johor that has numerous branches registered under various similar English names. There are at least 8 shops under the 古来云来点心 brand. (The Sze Hwa 世华 and Soon Huat 顺发 bak kut teh group of shops run along the same idea.)
Today, I am happy to visit My Liberica's coffee plantation at the invitation of Jason, the owner. My Liberica's plantation near Bukit Batu in Johor has tens of acres of Liberica coffee bushes.
Jason, who is passionate about coffee, showed us around his Liberica plantation which included a thrilling bouncy ride on his 4-wheel drive station wagon.
We were lucky to visit during the harvesting season. These are reddish coloured Liberica coffee berries (the size of grapes) ripe for harvesting.
Workers hand pick the ripe coffee berries - very hard work under the scorching hot sun.
Credit: Wikipedia
Also coveting the coffee berries are the Palm Civet Cats that live free in the plantation among the oil palms and coffee bushes. Perhaps better than humans, civet cats know how to cherry pick the best berries.
Inside the coffee berry are two seeds wrapped in a thin layer of juicy sweet tasting flesh. Civet cats love the flesh wrapping the coffee seeds.
Sometimes, civet cats get to the coffee berry before the pickers. This coffee berry had it's seeds eaten by a civet cat.
After swallowing the coffee berries, the cat digests the flesh and pass out the coffee seeds with the excrement. Civet cat droppings are found in random places, littered around My Liberica's sprawling coffee plantation.
At the My Liberica plantation, workers search for and collect this civet cat excrement. One can easily appreciate that the work is tedious and time consuming. Supply is also limited.
(In some other places, captive civet cats held in small wire cages are force fed coffee berries to mass produce the coveted civet cat droppings with coffee seeds. This practice is frowned upon by animal welfare advocates.)
The harvested civet cat excrement is washed clean and roasted.
The bottle of the prized roasted Kopi Luwak beans at My Liberica specialty coffee boutique.
Jason let us try My Liberica's Kopi Luwak.
Only the required amount of roasted Kopi Luwak beans are grounded just before brewing to ensure that it is always the freshest.
The freshly ground Kopi Luwak powder. It has the most robust, densest, and richest coffee fragrance that I have smelled so far. I love it.
The freshly ground coffee powder are poured into the siphon coffee maker.
Jason stirs the coffee with a bamboo stirrer and checks whether the coffee is ready using the most precise instrument known to mankind - the trained nose.
Kopi Luwak at My Liberica RM58++
The freshly brewed aromatic Kopi Luwak.
Both of my coffee kakis who are experienced coffee enthusiasts were impressed with My Liberica's Kopi Luwak. They liked the sophistication of the Kopi Luwak flavours which come in layers, like waves of pleasure one following another. They shared that My Liberica's Kopi Luwak's flavours is multidimensional whereas "normal" coffee is relatively uninteresting in comparison.
As a coffee novice with lots more to learn, I enjoyed My Liberica's Kopi Luwak because I like the robust, clean coffee flavour. I couldn't detect any acidity, so the coffee felt smooth and was enjoyable on the tongue.
At RM58++ for a small cup, My Liberica's Kopi Luwak is a novel luxury most may only indulge in out of curiosity occasionally. Some coffee connoisseurs with an acquired taste may treat themselves to this more often.
If you like to try Kopi Luwak, I recommend My Liberica because you are assured that it is genuine wild civet cat coffee beans harvested ethically.
Restaurant name: My Liberica Specialty Coffee
Address: 73, Jalan Molek 3/10, Taman Molek, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/7ZUXG
GPS: 1.521567,103.784838
Hours: Monday to Thursday 12:00noon to 10:00pm. Friday to Sunday 9:30am to 11:30pm.
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 18 Nov 2013
CLOSED. Jayson, the chef owner of Menu Please Bistro invited me to try their "Signature Dishes Sharing Set Meal". The idea is for two persons to share a set consisting of a pair of Menu Please's signature dishes. Jayson let me try "Set D" with the Oriental Duck Pizza and Braised Lamb Shank as the main courses. The Set D costs RM65.80 nett.
That's Jayson the boss, on the right taking orders. Co-incidentally, that's my friend Jason and his family :D
Jayson is a SHATEC graduate and he had worked in Singapore's Four Seasons Hotel and Marina Bay Sands Hotel before returning to JB to set up Menu Please Bistro.
Let's start our dinner.
The opening course is a choice of either the Soup of the Day or a salad. As I had tried Menu Please's tomato soup during my previous visit, Jayson let me try the salad.
Jayson's willingness to experiment is reflected in this salad. The jumble of shredded carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, fried tofu and beansprouts is stuffed in a glass jar. At the bottom of the jar is a tangy, spicy, drippy Thai sauce and on top is a paste-like peanutty, sweet and savoury satay sauce. The idea is to screw on the jar cover, and then mix and blend everything by shaking the jar vigorously. Pour out and serve on a plate after mixing.
It's an interesting mix of textures, tastes and flavours. Try it and see for yourself.
Next up is Menu Please's signature Oriental Duck pizza.
Taste wise this innovative pizza has everything - the sweetness of the tangerine with a tinge of tanginess, and different sorts of savouriness from the smoked duck, melted cheese and char siew gravy. There was also a herbal fragrance from the basil leaf garnishing.
Texture wise, it was also interesting. Juicy spongy tangerine, tender duck with some fat, gooey gummy melted cheese on a thin crusty handmade pizza base.
I enjoyed this interesting pizza even though I am not a pizza fan.
The second main course was Menu Please's top selling braised lamb shank. This was my second time having the lamb shank at Menu Please, and I am still looking forward to it.
The meat was braised so tender that it fell off the bone like a coat dropping off a stiff hanger. The tender meat was rich. The gaminess and aroma of lamb which mutton fans love was only subtly present.
Finally, the Cake of the Day was this durian cake. It's a sponge cake with creamy real durian between the soft spongy layers.
To go with the cake, the Set Meal comes with two hot or cold drinks.
I think this set is ideal for couples - the dishes are tasty and interesting, and the amount of food is just nice for two people.
Restaurant name: Menu Please Bistro
Address: 25, Jalan Maju, Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru (near Plaza Pelangi)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1vLa8
GPS: 1.480859,103.766314
Hours: Tues to Fri 12:00 noon to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 12:00 midnight. Sat and Sun 12:00 noon to 12:00 mid night (Closed on Mondays)
No pork, no lard, no alcohol, no Halal cert
Date visited: 3 Apr 2013, 1 Nov 2013
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We have our char kway teow and Indonesia has kwetiau :D One of the most popular in Jakarta is Kwetiau Akang.
Like our CKT, it has wok hei, lup cheong (Cantonese pork sausage), lard crackles, shrimps, taugeh, char siew, chye sim but wait, there is more.
Akang's kwetiau is fried with savoury crab broth with half a dozen shelled crab claws tossed into the noodles before serving. The crab broth and claws really give Akang's kwetiau a savoury edge that only crabs could.
Char kway teow fanatics - leaving Jakarta without trying Kwetiau Akang is a big mistake :D Read More.
(Acknowledgement: My trip to Jakarta was sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and organised by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you.)
Kue Teow Meng is one of the most famous Traditional Teochew kway teow soup stalls in JB.
Janet, the Operations Manager of the newly opened Toast Box café 土司工坊 in Taman Johor Jaya invited me for a visit.
The large corner outlet in Johor Jaya stood out in the busy neighbourhood which is a JB makan hotspot. The outlet is easy to spot as it looks so attractive and inviting. Janet told me that this is the largest Toast Box 土司工坊 outlet in Southeast Asia. (When a big overseas F and B player comes in in such a big way, it's another sign of the thriving JB food scene.)
Inside, the interior décor has an elegant dreamy white theme which is very pleasing to the eye. It reminds me of those trendy wedding studios and there are a few famous ones here in Johor Jaya LOL. I feel light hearted and cheerful just by stepping into the outlet.
Everything is clean, neat and well thought through. Make your order at the counter or at your table from the extensive menu and all your orders will be served to you. This is Toast Box's first full service outlet in the world (imagine that) :D
Traditional Nanyang Kopi RM2.30
First things, first. When in Toast Box, one must of course drink their Nanyang style kopi. I like the medium body and mild flavours of Toast Box's old style kopi.
When I am in Singapore, Toast Box's kopi is one of my preferred options as it is widely available and is consistent in body, taste and flavour across it's outlets. The young staff are well trained.
The coffee beans are roasted right here at the Johor Jaya café with this machine. Only the Johor Jaya café has this roaster - none of the other Toast Box outlets has this, not even in Singapore.
Traditional kaya and butter toast at RM2.30 a set, pairs well with good old kopi.
Toast Box uses the famous Xiao Mei otak otak from Muar for their otah baguette.
The popular otah baguette was a tad dry for my taste. A little moistness would make it perfect for me :D
We tried Toast Box's Chicken Curry with rice (RM7.50). The curry was rich with coconut milk and was mildly spicy. The chicken and potato chunks were nicely tender. I am glad that Janet insists on going the extra mile, using only chilled instead of frozen chicken for this dish - it's just like mum's cooking.
This is like home cooked rice eaten with the chicken curry. We can also choose toasted baguette for dipping in the curry.
Janet was eager for us to try the Singapore style laksa, one of Toast Box's signatures. The laksa gravy is heavy with coconut milk, spices, chili and hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimps).
Each bowl of laksa comes with two of these large fresh prawns. The shelled prawns really got me sitting up :D
Janet let us try the laksa with popular mee tai mak 老鼠粉. The mee tai mak is slightly chewy and bouncy, and appeals to many people. Call me old fashioned but personally, old school bee hoon still works better with me. Shall ask for bee hoon next time :P
This good laksa at RM7 with two large prawns is such good value, especially in the nice, cosy environment. This laksa at Toast Box, I think is hard to beat.
Toast Box Johor Jaya is a good place to hang out for tête-à-tête with friends. The variety of food and drinks is extensive, competitively priced and the environment is clean and beautiful. Needless to say, there is free wifi LOL
Restaurant name: Toast Box 土司工坊 Johor Jaya
Address: No. 2 & 4 Jalan Dedap 13, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/zgJ59
GPS: 1.543071,103.801231
Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 7:00pm. Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays from 7:30am to 7:00pm.
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 12 Nov 2013
