Seven Days in Amazing Jiangsu • Wonders of the Modern World 令我惊叹的江苏之旅

I was privileged to join a seven day visit programme hosted by Jiangsu Tourism of China. This post is a very brief summary featuring only selected highlights from our memorable 7 day Jiangsu 江苏省 journey.

CLOSED Master Tang Wanton Mee 鄧師傅.鳳城面家 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the Congee

(CLOSED Master Tang passed away in Feb 2019 in Hong Kong his home.) Fans of Master Tang Siu Nam follow him wherever he may go. Some followed him since he was serving hand made egg noodles in Lucky Plaza in the 1980s. Others converted after tasting wanton noodle and congee at Crystal Jade which bore Master Tang's Dolby mark (he was their chef trainer for 17 years). Some first met him at his stall in Chinatown. I first met the Master at his Sixth Avenue coffee shop stall. Today, I followed him to his Bukit Batok Blk 233 kopitiam stall.

Tried & Tasted Best Char Kway Teow in Johor ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Char kway teow is a popular dish in Johor (just like in Singapore and throughout Malaysia). CKT stalls are everywhere - most kopitiam have one CKT. But, good char kway teow stalls in Johor (and also in Singapore) are like rare gems - there are just a precious few among the dozens. Here are the best top of my mind char kway teow stalls in Johor, after blogging about 21 stalls and tasting a few hundred times.

Kheng Guan Hiong Coffee @ Pontian. Love it or Not, there's No Other Like it 瓊源香

After a lifetime of coffee from Robusta, Liberica to Arabica in Singapore, Malaysia and beyond... the coffee that is most memorable for me is at Kheng Guan Hiong 瓊源香 in Pontian, Johor. The second is a Vietnamese coffee in Los Angeles 30 years ago, but that is a story for another post.

Wild Game Meat in Pontian Johor 笨珍三不卖野味 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've heard about this home cooked wild game meat in Pontian some years ago. Truth be told, I am not a big fan of game meat, so I didn't purposely seek out this place. I have eaten and blogged about a few game meat places in Johor before - they are exotic and interesting for an occasional change, but I still prefer domesticated meat. However, 笨珍三不卖 changed my mind.

HW Wanton Mee for Supper @ Bangkok Spa Pelangi JB 海威雲吞面 ☏ 019-755 9355

HW Wanton Tan Mee 海威雲吞面 | 68, Jalan Abiad, Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru (beside Bangkok Spa) | Waze: Bangkok Spa ☏ 019-755 9355 ⏰  6pm - 3am (Mon off)

Many JB buddies have been telling me about this popular supper time wanton mee shop near Bangkok Spa in Taman Maju Jaya (near Pelangi). Restoran HW Wanton Mee opens 6pm to 3am.

Restoran HW Wanton Mee used to open 9 to 5 - I mean 9pm to 5am 😄 It's a favourite haunt of JB's night owls.

(Update: This night owl wanton mee now operates "family hours" 11am - 10pm [Mon off]. ) 

Tried & Tasted Best Kway Teow Kia in Johor ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kway teow kia is a uniquely Johor street food not found anywhere else in the world. It is pork and offal braised in savoury herbal stock till it is tender. The braised pork and offal are eaten with narrow flat rice noodles known as kway teow kia which is the name of this Teochew dish.

Li Ji Coffee House. Famous Chee Cheong Fun @ NUS Science Canteen Singapore 綠色腸粉

There is a stall tucked away in NUS's Science Canteen serving very good, freshly hand made (no pork, no lard) chee cheong fun 綠色肠粉. If you had a double take or felt a chee cheong fun deja vu, it's because this famous CCF is originally from Amoy Street Food Centre.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh @ Seng Poh Road 老字號中峇魯肉骨茶 ● Closing ● Last Day 30 Jul 2023

Tiong Bahru is a foodie haven in Singapore. One of my favourite eating places here is Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh. Old Tiong Bahru BKT at Seng Poh Road serves the Singapore Teochew style of peppery bak kut teh together with hot Chinese tea. (I've eaten here for over 20 years. Besides bak kut teh, this nearly 100 year old shop is also excellent for steamed dishes like fish and squid.)

Three Nights in Terengganu. Good Food, Elephants, Batik, Tamadun Islam & Almost Squid Jigging

I was invited to join Tourism Malaysia Recreation Club members in their Maghi Menyotong programme from 27 - 30 Apr in Terengganu. TM's Recreation Club is a family club and this was their annual trip for members' families.