168 Penang Prawn Mee at Tai Soon Tyson Kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru

Penang style Hokkien prawn mee soup are commonly found in Malaysia's southernmost state. There is always a big demand for the dish's crustacean flavours and robust sambal chili by Johoreans 😄

Stall name: 168 Penang Prawn Noodle

Address:  Junction of Jalan Badik 1 and Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru

Hours: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Char Kuay Teow in Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, Johor Bahru

Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre opened in the 1970s and had its heydays in the 1980s to 1990s. Today, it is less mentioned in foodie circles, perhaps overshadowed by the numerous choices that has sprouted up all over Johor Bahru. It also has a reputation of being dinghy and overpriced.

Johor Seafood at Restoran Todak📍Telok Jawa Masai JB 旗鱼海番村

Restoran Todak is one of the most popular seafood places in Johor Bahru. At Restoran Todak, the crowd starts to stream in and fill out the tables fast from about 6:30pm onwards.

CLOSED Cremoso Gelato at City Square Mall in Johor Bahru

I have a sweet tooth and especially love ice creams. I was delighted to visit and enjoy Cremoso's gelato at City Square Mall again at Jeff's invitation yesterday.

Jeff, Cremoso's owner, learnt the art of Italian gelato making from masters in Singapore before setting up in Johor Bahru. Now there is a Cremoso shop in City Square and a kiosk in KSL Mall (near the Cawanmas cafe).



Cremoso offers 16 flavours of gelato, so there is something for everyone. Gelato is made with fresh milk, so it is more dense, yet creamier, smoother and softer than regular ice cream. (Ice creams are usually made with milk powder dissolved in water, so it is more airy and hard due to more ice crystals.)


Cremoso Durian Gelato

Cremoso Gelato uses the same techniques of making gelato as in Italy where this premium ice cream originated. But, in addition to the traditional plain and vanilla flavours, Cremoso experiments with local favourites such as durian and passionfruit.



Cremoso's popular Pistachio gelato.



Besides the usual scoops of gelato, I like Cremoso's Signature Creations which are blended gelato "fried" on their -18 °C cold stone.



This is for chocolate lovers. The Forte - a scoop of chocolate gelato, mixed with chocolate chips, fudge, drizzled with chocolate sauce served on a waffle cone.

Jeff told me that Cremoso's waffle cones are freshly made at the stall in small batches to ensure that they are always served crispy. I can attest to this and I even dropped several bits of waffle while enjoying my Forte :P



My Chocoton made with a chocolate gelato scoop mixed with crushed Oreo biscuits and peanut butter with almond toppings, served on a crispy waffle bowl.



Mixing and tossing my "Smiley Day" on the cold stone.



My "Smiley Day" - scoop of caramel gelato with strawberry and fudge with chocolate sauce topping.

When you are shopping in City Square Mall, drop by Cremoso to cool your heels and chill with a gelato :)



Restaurant name: Cremoso Gelato/ Coffee
Address: Level 4, City Square Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 26 Feb 2013, 2 Aug 2013

Star Chef Seafood Restaurant 星名廚 at Gelang Patah (near Legoland) in Johor

Dropped in on Star Chef seafood restaurant 星名廚 at Gelang Patah yesterday. It has been more than half a year since my last visit.

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:

1. Bandar Baru Uda
2. Bukit Indah (AEON Jusco)
3. Kampung Melayu
4. Pandan (S'mart, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/rWX0O, GPS: 1.533739,103.783121)
5. Seri Alam
6. Stadium Larkin
7. Taman Perling (Perling Mall)
8. Taman Universiti (Jalan Kemuliaan 4, Map: http://goo.gl/maps/uuWjl GPS: 1.529897,103.620249)
9. Taman Dahlia
10. Taman Johor
11. Taman Suria (near Giant)
12. Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (near Caltex petrol station)
13. Taman Rinting (Jalan Sena)
14. Taman Sri Pulai
15. Tampoi (Plaza Angsana)

We wish our Muslim readers Selamat Berpuasa.

Pontian Wanton Mee - Uniquely Johor Twist to a Cantonese Classic

The Pontian style of wanton mee is unique and to me, it is one of the foods that make up the Johor brand of foods. (The others include foods like Laksa Johor, Mee Bandung Muar and Kway Teow Kia. More on these in future posts.)

Chocolate Durian Cake from Oh My Cakes in Permas Jaya (Home Bakeshop), Johor Bahru (Bryan is temporarily not taking orders for this durian cake).

Durian is that King of fruits that inspires men to do many things, including creating great art. Singapore has the Esplanade Theatre, and now in Johor Bahru, we have the Chocolate Durian cake from Oh My Cakes (OMC).

Both spiky creations bring countless hours of enjoyment to people :P

Da.Men Hotpot 大门火锅 at Taman Sutera Utama (near Sutera Mall) in Johor Bahru

Tracy, one of the partners at Da.Men Hotpot 大门火锅 invited me to visit their restaurant in Taman Sutera Utama.

The 3 partners, Bryan, Tracy and Ivan are all Cantonese. Cantonese grow up having soup with almost every meal, so they are rather particular about their soups. The 3 partners also travel to Hong Kong often and wanted to introduce the HK style of premium steamboat to Johor.

Ramadan Buffet at Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru

Terrence of Mutiara Johor Bahru invited me to the hotel's Seri Mutiara Ramadan buffet.

The first thing that struck me about the Ramadan buffet at Seri Mutiara was the unmistakable local flavour and feel. We were greeted by staff in Baju Malayu and Baju Kurung. There was a huge variety of food to choose from and it felt like a kenduri (village feast) as the presence of local favourites was very strong. I liked the food and ambiance very much.



I guess quite a lot of people shared the same sentiments as it was full house at Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet. Service was cheerful and efficient as Mutiara has beefed up their staffing at the restaurant for the Ramadan.



Executive Chef Mohd Zaid, is the man who orchestrated Sri Mutiara's sumptuous and scrumptious Ramadan buffet. Mohd Zaid has 20 years of experience at various Marriott properties and joined Mutiara 4 years ago.




Malay Chef Raja Zabedah is the lady behind the traditional Malay touches that give Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet a homely, balik kampung feel. Indeed, it felt like a kenduri with a strong traditional Malay theme rather than the sometimes mish mash hotel buffets. Raja Zabedah has been the Malay Chef at Seri Mutiara for 15 years and was a lecturer at a culinary academy before joining Mutiara.

Follow me for a quick walk through of the food gallery at Seri Mutiara. I am not really doing justice to the full spread of food at the buffet, so you have to come down to see it for yourself. What you are seeing are just to whet your appetite :P



A large part of Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet consists of distinctive Malay flavours of hot spices and smooth, gentle coconut aroma. If you want to sample good quality Malay cuisine at a single place, I highly recommend Seri Ramadan's Ramadan buffet.





The familiar colours, tastes and aromas of home.





The cheerful chef at the popular Ramadan lamb station. Tender, moist, gently gamey, irresistible. I went two rounds at this station :P



Roti John, the ever popular simple street food found only in Malaysia and Singapore.



The nasi lemak station. Quintessentially Malay staple that many people eat everyday. Lily Tham's plate of nasi lemak (with a piece Roti John) is at the top right. For some of us, nasi lemak (and Roti John) comes first despite the lure of over 100 other delicious enticements.



The ikan bakar (grill fish) station.



The essential charcoal grill satay station at any Johor makan gathering.



Traditional kuih lovingly hand made piece by piece, one at a time, just like at home.





Lots of local traditional kuih and contemporary cakes to round up the feast on a sweet note.



The colourful choices at the cold drinks station.



We appreciate the charming touches such as the traditional hand washing station.



Seri Mutiara is a good choice to break fast. For food tourists, Seri Mutiara is a perfect one-stop introduction to traditional Malay fare, done beautifully.

Adult: RM80++
Child (4 - 12 years old): RM50++

Best to call for reservation as Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet is understandably, extremely popular. Tel: +607-330-0300 ext 0379 or 0381



Restaurant name: Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Address: Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1Pmxc
GPS: 1.488099,103.757924
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 25 July 2013