Luncheon at Cincin Restaurant 津津酒楼

These days, a trip up to Kluang is never complete without a visit to Cincin, be it for lunch or dinner (refer to my previous post). The restaurant has naturally turn out to be one of the must-visit places for my family trip, besides paying pilgrimage to the infamous Kluang Lim coffee shop and yong tau foo (yet to be reviewed).

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One of my family's favourite haunt ... Let's Eat 为食坊

This place needs no further introduction, as I've done so in my previous post. It's one of my parents' favorite place for a luncheon, 忙里偷闲, shying away from the hot tropical sun. In recent times, that biased perception in me, of the Hong Kong cafes out there serving crappy food has also started receding with a large part attributed to Let's Eat. I'm beginning to see the light and accept Hong Kong cafes in Johor Bahru with a different perspective.

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Re Della Pasta 甲虫餐厅

(Please visit here for the latest article) Was dropping by to KSL City shopping mall on a weekday, after work to get my new wireless modem after my D-Link got busted by Zeus (The almighty King of God living on Mount Olympus in Greek mythodology, ring a bell ?) . The strike was so incredible that it had my telephone line fried and the adapter exploded ! Sounds scary eh...but that's the truth. I arrived home last week to see the remains of my modem adapter lying in smithereens on the floor. The lucky part, there was no fire outbreak and ironically, I had to thank God himself for keeping my house still in one piece.

So there I was, ending up at Re Della Pasta after getting my modem, feeling famished but not keen to head home so early for fear of getting stuck in the daily traffic jam after office hours. Choices are aplenty in KSL but this is probably one I would love to try and yet to try ... I'm always game for Italian food. The containers of fusilli, fettuccine, linguine, penne, farfalle etc etc dominated the outlet's facade, and that's what caught my attention.

The interior and ambience is nothing to shout about, minor decorations here and there but yet nothing to suggest this place serves Italian cusine. Besides this, another minus factor is the air-conditioning which doesn't seem to be functioning as expected, luckily they have installed numerous ceiling fans to circulate the ventilation, otherwise I would have stepped out immediately. Can't dine properly while I'm sweating away and suffocating right. Luckily, my threshold has not been breached and can still dine in comfort.

One thing for certain, their menu is extensive and it can get a bit mind-boggling to narrow down amongst all the pastas, pizzas and mains. Variety is good, a wide selection is even better but its certainly not authentic Italian food which they are serving here. More like fusion food, to cater to the mass's taste bud...fair enough but this isn't exactly really what I'm yearning for at that moment. Disappointment is definite but still containable, oh well just have to make do with what's available then.

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Tian Yi Restaurant 天一海鲜

It's a weekend yet again, and that means dining out for us today. Nobody's cooking, everybody needs a break and that means eating out, and it ultimately means adding the count of reviews to my blog. Today, we decide to try something new, some Chinese restaurant that's just recently opened for business near where I live. Man, I must say they face a fierce rival, positioning themselves just opposite Hong Ming Restaurant which I've blogged previously about and had given rave reviews. That's some ambitious effort in attempting to get some bits of the lion's share.

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Ho Ho Steamboat Restaurant 好好海鲜火锅之家

What's best on a cold, rainy weekend ? Steamboat !!! Nothing beats having a boiling pot of soup at the center of the dining table. The most widely available soup bases we've known are chicken broth, tom yam or even with porridge (which reminds me of 田园火锅).

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Paradise Inn 乐天客栈

Paradise Inn ... errmmmmm .... doesn't ring a bell. Nice ? Good food ? Cheap ? That's the first thought in my mind when my friend has organised a celebration (of some sort) over there. A search with my next best friend on the Internet (aka Google) reveals my ignorance, 1, 2, 3, ... 9, 10, 11 outlets ! I didn't know they have so many scattered across islandwide and shame on me ! The only Chinese restaurant chains I've ever known in Singapore is either from the Tung Lok Group or Crystal Jade. Pardon my limited knowledge but I seldom dine in Singapore and tends to avoid even at the slightest chance. All my friends know that ;)

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With greetings from Taiwan ^_^

On my every trip to Taiwan, there are a few items which would definitely be on my shopping list ... primarily 太阳饼 and 芋头酥. They are practically being sold in almost all major shopping outlets or even at the airport, if I decide to do some last minute shopping for gifts.

This time round, I've gotten a friend to help bring back some for me, as I miss the 芋头酥 ever since my last Taiwan trip, which another friend has introduced to me. I remember vividly that we had to travel to a specific 星光三越 shopping centre just to order it, as the branch is not conveniently located in any other malls. She opinioned that brand sells the most wonderful 芋头酥 that she has tried to-date. I've not tried any before to voice out my preference but man, it just made me fell in love with it that moment I tasted it. So this time I had to tumpang my friend to help me get it on her trip to Taiwan ... hope she doesn't mind the extra baggage back home :)

太阳饼 is a famous product of Taichung with its savoury fillings (a mixture of malt and honey) and flaky skin. This time, my friend has gotten the one from 太陽堂老店, who is one of those with a long history, dating back to more than 5 decades. As shown on their website, there are typically 3 ways of savouring it, either in hot water, dipping with milk, or simply just eat it plain. For me, plain would be great since I'm not exactly receptive to the idea of either dipping with milk or simmering in hot water. Sounds weird doesn't it ?
http://www.sunbooth.com.tw

先麥芋頭酥, ohhhh my favourite. What attracts me initially to this is the creaminess of the paste, aroma of the yam and that melt in your mouth feeling. The closest description I can relate to is the Teochew yam paste dessert minus the starchy gravy. They share the same texture and taste. As with the taste buds for majority of the people these days, pastries also have to tone down on the sweetness and this is what I like about 先麥芋頭酥. I know its not overwhelmingly sweet when I do not have to run for a glass of water after downing a whole of it.

https://www.smai.com.tw

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Special coverage: Spanish Food Tasting Event @ Eight Lido

This is my 1st ever invitation to a food sampling event ever since I started blogging in less than a year, and I have to thank both Eight Lido and Euginn (an enthusiastic and outgoing character) for the invite. Alot of people I met at the event asked me the same question, "What got you started into all the, blogging, food reviews, etc ?" and my reply was simple ... "I dine out frequently, have no qualms trying out new makan places (I know of people who aren't just adventurous enough to try something different) and in actual fact, I love exploring new makan grounds. Coinciding with the new found hobby of taking pictures, I thought it would be a good thing to get myself started, by blogging to share the passion I have for both food and photography combined. Afterall, what use is there if all that goodness in kept under lock & key, with nobody to share with and appreciate.

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Random foodie experience ... Kulai Char Kuey Tiao 古来炒粿条

This wasn't exactly a random foodie trip, in fact we had it planned to go in search of this infamous 炒果条 stall  in Kulai. Had a tough time finding the place, but after a few spins around the neighbourhood we finally spotted it. 

It was located in a rather secluded location, away from the main street, away from the sight of most people. The stall is situated behind a hilly slope opposite AMBank, and poses a challenge even for the eagle-eyed. There are numerous blogs or forums out there, describing it to be opposite AMBank which in theory is accurate, but they lack the most crucial piece to complete the puzzle. I think my explanation would sum it all up ... On a hill opposite AMBank, with an ascending road sandwiched between it and the shophouses. Follow up along the road and the stall will be to your left.

Business is brisk so please be reminded to head there early if you want to get your share, and do note they sell only limited plates of char kuey tiao daily. A rather peculiar method of doing business in my opinion.

Some people, including yours truly will attest to the fact that it is fried with too much lard, while the rest would contest otherwise, lard brings out the taste and aroma of the food. I find the char kuey tiao mediocre, and not as mouth-watering as described by fellow bloggers/forumers. 

Rating: 5.5/10

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Sweet Dynasty 糖水吧

Void of any enthusiasm on a weekend afternoon ? The next best thing to do is either lie on the bed at the comfort of my home or take my ride out for a spin, in the relentless pursuit for more speed or just enjoy a good afternoon tea with a group of friends, catching up on the happenings for the past one week. Well, I had mine last weekend with a combination of both 2nd and 3rd. A good ride out to Kulai along the NSE, followed by a dessert indulgence at Sweet Dynasty. Am originally inclined to revisit Happy Land but my mood decided against it. I felt it would have been better to check out something new, rather than expand on the reviewed.

So here I am, landed myself at Sweet Dynasty but looking at the time which I've arrived, I reckoned dessert would suffice for me. I'll leave the reviews of their food to my next trip, speaking of which they do serve a variety of local or western cuisines, as with the many many cafes out there.

The mixed herbal dessert 六味汤 and honeydew with sago & milk 蜜瓜西米露 both cost RM2.50. If I'm not mistaken, every item in their dessert section costs the same. A bit pricier than what you get at hawker stalls, but not by a great deal. Probably topping up the extra RM0.50 for a better ambience. As for the quantity and quality of their dessert, let's just say I did not feel shortchanged at the end of the day.
Rating: 6.5/10

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Swee Bee Hainanese Chicken Rice 瑞美海南鸡饭

Being a Hainanese myself, all the more I couldn't resist the temptation of paying Swee Bee a visit when I googled and saw some rave reviews about it. It has been much blogged about and I just got to find it, taste it and review it for myself. First thing we reached Batu Pahat is head towards it, arriving at around 3PM, way past the usual lunch hour but still brimmed with patrons aplenty, in small clusters around the shop.

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Shui Kee Tonic Soup & Curry Fish Head 水记炖品咖哩鱼头

Featured before in a local variety show, Taste with Jason (阿贤人情味)  has uplifted the popularity of this joint beyond the boundaries of Batu Pahat, from Perlis in the North to Johor Bahru in the Southern tip of Malaysia.

It is no easy feat to have a foodie joint that spans across 3 shops, and much more so to be featured in a popular programme. All of it certainly cannot be achieved without the stamp of recognition from the TV producers, viewers,  bloggers and patrons alike.

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Xing Rong beef noodles 兴荣牛肉面

We have driven past this seemingly rundown corner coffee shop umpteen times, but never gave it a second look, probably because it was overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbours, 水记咖哩鱼头 and 金山鸭面. Another plausible reason is the geography of the stall, hidden at the back of the shop with only a small signboard to maintain its presence in the otherwise unorderly, crowded place.

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Chop See Kee wanton noodle 亞泗雲吞面

This place has definitely garnered quite its fair share of recommendations from the locals or bloggers, making it one of the must-visit places if one were to ever go to Batu Pahat. Better known as Ah See wanton mee to the locals, it has sort of being widely acclaimed as one of the signature food of Batu Pahat.

The wanton noodles come without dark soy sauce but with a choice of chilli paste, a different variation to the equally popular (black version) wanton mee. The noodles itself are springy but I think the overall taste still lacks that ohmmphh in it. Above average but not impressive. Rating: 7.0/10

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Restaurant Chor 初记餐厅

This isn't in the Batu Pahat itinerary but an impromptu decision to just stop over and have our dinner. We cursed our luck, after going around BP town searching left and right to only find out all those that featured in our plan was closed for the day. Geezzzz ... final resort was to then head to Batu Pahat Mall where we can get a selections of restaurants, cafes or fast food. Along the way, we chance upon Chor. Seems pretty decent and packed with patrons, so we decided to give this a try.

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Food République ... with improvements

I remember blogging about them on my last trip here, and the review wasn't good coming from me, mainly due to the unforgivingly long waiting time for our food to be served. This time round, I am much more impressed by their eagerness to serve up the meal.

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Restaurant Kim Long 金龙饭店

Be it roast duck lovers, foodies looking to fill their stomach or somebody out to look for an inexpensive meal, all can look no further than Restaurant Kim Loong albeit far away from Johor Bahru city. Although remotely located in Senai area, the daunting task of driving to Senai has been tamed with the new hookups to various expressways. The place is certainly more accessible with lesser time on the road needed, especially for our friends heading back to Singapore or from a trip at Desaru.

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山顶面家 ... 砂朥越哥罗面

For the people who is or has been to Kuching before, should know they have a few local hawker dishes which everyone must try, notably the kolo mee (哥罗面), laksa and tomato sauce mee. I have never tried all of them before simply because 1) I've never been to Sarawak before and 2) I've never come across them locally in JB.

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Cafe Happy Land 欢乐圆饮冰室

Well, I guess I can call this place a cafe if I'm transported at least 20 years back into the past. The outlook of the place would under no circumstances, allow people to associate with one. I think it should rightfully name itself as Kopitiam Happy Land. Before the readers decide to skip and give this page a miss, I implore you to read beyond.

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Ippudo Ramen Ten 一风堂

After our karaoke session, we were all hungry and ready to go for the next round of food. There were reviews on forums mentioning some must-visit cafes when going to Kulai. 一风堂 is one of them. We came with high expectations, spotting that rich Japanese themed designs fronting the entrance. From the outside, it looks every bit a classy Japanese restaurant. Venture further in and I was feeling that tinge of disappointment. The inside were designed to look like any cafes with modern contemporary setup, a stark contrast to the facade lined with rows and rows of sake bottles.

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Random food tasting session (Beef noodle)

We chanced upon this beef noodle stall while driving around scouting for something to eat in Kulai. We've tried 云来点心, infamous for the steamed buns aka 包 and available at many places, mostly dim sum shops that sourced it from them. I've tried the bak kut teh as well, blogged in one of my recent post 士华肉骨茶. So what else is left in Kulai, I reckon their beef noodle is good as well. I vaguely remembered coming across a stall is popular but have no clues to where it is. A search on my GPS is to no avail as well. What now ? The game plan is to, drive around and give any beef noodle stall a try ... only condition is they have to be crowded.

After some searching with no results, we gave up trying but God helps those in dire needs ... we were famished and decided to just drop by 云来 for breakfast, which it was then we spotted this shop across the street opposite 云来 selling beef noodle. The inside were packed with the breakfast crowd. Great ... let's give it a try then :)

They do serve up a variety of food for breakfast, curry noodles, (both dry and soup) beef noodles and fishball noodle (if I'm not mistaken). We decided to try both the dry and soup beef noodles. The beef and cow stomach were all braised and served piping hot in a claypot. Very unique, since I thought they are usually gathered together in the bowl of noodle.

Whether if its dry or soupy beef noodle, each comes with a claypot of beef chunks and cow stomach. If you ordered yours in soup, you get a spoonful of lard to ladle in your soup, adding that extra "character" to the aroma and taste. If you had it with dry noodles, it comes with a dark, thick gravy and some salted vegetables. The crunchiness of the salted vegetables maintains an additional texture onto the otherwise overcooked noodle. Besides the soup, I can think of nothing better from it. The beef is too small a chunk, something like eating leftover beef shraps. Rating: 5.5/10

Price: 6.0/10
Service: 6.0/10
Conclusion: Don't expect much from the food or service, but if you are just keen to experiment and enjoy the novelty of having your beef soup served in a claypot, please give it a try. Even if not the claypot novelty, the soup is at least worth a try too.

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Jalan Susur Kulai 3

Taman Seri Kulai Baru 81000

Kulai, Johor

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Sengat seafood restaurant

Teluk Sengat is a small rural, fishing village situated between Kota Tinggi and Desaru, surrounded by palm oil plantations. Its location would definitely spook some 1st timers off, trees and nothing but trees on both side of the long, windy road. As for the strong-hearted, they would be duly rewarded with a view of the newly built Senai-Desaru bridge spanning across the Johor River (and of course fresh seafood).

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Cathay Restaurant 新国泰酒楼

It was my Mother's birthday so she suggested going to some place new to celebrate instead of our favourite joints in town. She was informed Cathay Restaurant is very famous in Kulai and coincidentally, it happened to be owned by the family of my brother's friend. My brother was there once to attend the friend's wedding, and he commented the food was good.

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Al-Ameen Eating Corner

Al-Ameen has been around for years and has always whipped up excellent Indian, Western cuisines and Halal food. They serve varieties that range from tandoori chicken, naan, roti prata, beriyani, nasi goreng to even chicken chops. Quite an extensive list and I could go on and on, but to put it simply ... they serve about anything except for non-Halal food.

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Eng Huaa Seafood Restaurant 荣华海鲜楼

An unpretentious Chinese restaurant that has been around for more than 10 years, and have seen better days than today. I still remember back then Taman Daya was a relatively quiet neighbourhood, unlike the booming scene we are experiencing today, traffic, traffic and more traffic. On the contrary, Eng Huaa's fortune was left dwindling, a far cry from its pinnacle. We used to visit it very frequently, maybe a weekly affair thing but with the onslaught of new eateries around Setia Indah & Austin area, Eng Huaa has slowly fallen off our radar. 

Let's take a look at what I had for lunch ... in a clockwise manner.

Rose marinated chicken. The chicken is smooth and tender, oozing a mildly flavoured rose aroma. I think they use kampung chicken, that tends to be leaner and has less fats underneath the skin. Rating: 7.5/10

Stir fried spinach. The usual fare, nothing to blog about. Rating 6.0/10

Spicy pork ribs 干香排骨. The taste is good but unfortunately the ribs were overcooked and meat were tough to chew. What a letdown. Rating: 5.5/10.

 Dry curry powdered fish. I thought it was all good except for the slightly over-the-top buttery flavour. Rating: 6.5/10

Thai styled beancurd. The beancurd is smooth and nicely deep fried, topped with Thai chilli sauce and generous amount of onions and chillis shreds. Rating: 7.0/10.

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Miao Yi vegetarian 妙益素食楼

The building facade, the interior and the signages headlining the restaurant, everything looks as if it belongs to the past decade. It's hard to imagine there's a makan corner, a gem of its kind hidden among the throngs of tuition centres. One would have easily miss it if you are riding up from the escalator, running in parallel to it.

Being a skeptical creature, my first thoughts were "opps...only 2 tables occupied during dinner time ? Standard of food dropped ? Recommendations from others were proven otherwise ? Should I leave now ?" Alas, I still walked in hoping the suspicions doesn't come true ... keeping my fingers X.

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Sekinchan Ikan Bakar

Was driving around Danga Bay area sourcing for new food joints when I came across this Malay restaurant, sandwiched between Tunes Hotel and the Volkswagen car showroom. It is out of sight and outshine by the row of beautifully renovated cafes fronting the main road along Danga Bay. Hidden in a corner, what caught me was the dinner crowd at this remote location. I told myself there must be something worth my digestion inside, otherwise there wouldn't be such a pack in this god-forsaken place.

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八起居酒屋

An authentic place to have a decent Japanese meal in Johor Bahru. They have a rather extensive menu and quite a selection of sakes as well. I can see they have quite a following of Japanese expats, most probably a place where they can feel right at home after a long day at work or after a golf session.

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Sze Hwa Bak Kut Teh 士华肉骨茶

This is where it all originated ... the original Sze Hwa Bak Kut Teh @ Kulai, with numerous other branches sprouting all around Johor Bahru. Bak kut teh or the oriental version of stewed pork ribs has 2 variants to it, primarily the Teochew style with light coloured broth and herbs or the Hokkien version, which uses dark soy sauce resulting in a darker soup. It's more of a personal preference and I like mine the Hokkien way. 

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Woori Nara Korean Restaurant

With the recent influx of the Korean wave, we are fortunate enough to be able to experience Korean culture from what's showing in that 50" rectangle box in our living room to the dining table. The latest Korean food joint to have come under my radar is Woori Nara, a quiet little outlet planted behind Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Decorations are simplistic in nature but apart from the KBS programs constantly airing in the TV, nothing feels quite Korean in here. The wallpaper and the few pictures hanging around just doesn't quite make the cut.

As per normal, the usual little side dishes were being served, bean sprouts, kimchi, pickles and etc. No complaints from me. We order a bibimbap just in case the fried chicken portions were too small. Bibimbap are supposed to be served piping hot from a sizzling stone pot but not for ours. It wasn't even anything near hot, it look just like an ordinary bowl of rice with mixed vegetables topped with a sunny side up. Disappointing. Rating: 6.0/10

The must-try Deep fried chicken in canola oil when you come to Woori Nara, at least that's what they are famous for. With 4 flavors to choose from (Original, soy garlic, yum yum & volcano) and stuck in a dilemma, the safest bet would be to go for the Samplers (3 pieces of chicken each for Original, soy garlic and yum yum). The chickens are tough and dry and I must say they are disappointing, average at best. Well, at least the yum yum and soy garlic flavor are better than the original, but only marginally. Rating: 6.0/10

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Galbiati gourmet deli

A cosy, little deli shop at the Rail Mall in the Upper Bukit Timah area offering authentic Italian cusine from salads, antipasti, soups to a selection of main course, pasta and dessert. And of course, without being too harsh on your wallet. The ambience allows for a date with your loved ones for anniversaries, a quick lunch with your fellow colleagues or bonding with your family over pasta. pizzas and fine wine.

I was there for a quick meal with my colleagues though, a team lunch to be exact. Looking to tighten the string on your purse ? Then you can try out their lunch set menu ranging from SGD18++ to SGD24++, comprising of starter, main, coffee/tea and dessert. There is a selection of starters and mains to choose from, whichever tingles your tastebud.

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The Bierhaus ... the only German food in town ... or so they say

My family and I was looking for something different from the usual joints for dinner last week, something beyond what naturally surfaces out in our head ... something the likes of Gianni, TGI Fridays or Chez Papa. At least after last week's to The Bierhaus, we have now a new row in our where-to-dine list.

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Kluang Lim kopitiam ... a lesser known to the Kluang Railway Coffee

Kluang Lim is a lesser known as compared to its famous counterpart, Kluang Railway Coffee. They serve many different types of kuih (or snacks) and brews a pot of excellent coffee & tea too. Not to be missed is their fried prawn crackers but it is usually only available during tea-time and not any other hour. Since I was there during the lunch hour, so it wasn't available but luckily they still have an assortment of kuihs to satisfy that glutton in me.

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Cincin Restaurant 津津酒楼

My family was enroute to buy mooncakes (from a very famous pastry shop) for the Autumn Festival in Kluang, and stopped by this chinese restaurant. My dad tried it before and he commented the food is not bad, so we decided to settle our lunch over here.

From clockwise, we had the

Kungpo diced chicken - Average, and the diced meat is dry. Rating: 5.5/10

Fried vermicelli - Nicely flavoured and springy noodle. Rating: 6.5/10

Stir fried spinach with garlic - Average, not much impression of it. Rating: 5.5/10

Crispy pi-pa duck - One of the recommended dishes. The roasted duck skin is crisp and its meat is tender, but you have to go with the plum sauce, otherwise it could be a tad bland. Rating: 7.0/10

Steamed codfish in light soya sauce - It's fresh and my mum's favourite. Rating: 7.5/10

Specialty beancurd - The beancurd's texture is smooth and although I'm a fan of all tofu dishes, somehow this just does not rock my boat. Rating: 6.0/10

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Restaurant Hua Mui 华美茶餐室 ... since 1946

Restaurant Hua Mui has been around since 1946 and that til today, it is still leaving its footprints in and around Johor Bahru. I believe they have another outlet at Taman Sutera but it is this shop (their main branch) along Jalan Trus that really absorbs one into a time portal, and back to the future. 

Mind awashed with the tranquility and laid-back lifestyle of the 1950s, I very much enjoy sipping away the coffee with a hot toasted bun on my hand, flanked by buildings from the colonial era.  Don't be lazy, the atmosphere is best experienced in the early morning. Shave off an hour of your sleep, wake up early and head over where there are minimum traffic and crowd. I certainly enjoy this short moment of escape from reality.

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Satisfying Batam, 2D1N trip

There are a lot of trips on Groupon or Deals.com which features tons of inexpensive trips to Batam for 2D1N. I got mine for less than SGD80 inclusive of hotel stay and ferry tickets :D That's quite a bargain, and I know my trip there would comprise of shopping, food, massage and (of course) a visit to their cinema theatre. Prices for a ticket only costs ~RM5 ! In case, you think their theatre are old and dirty, then think again ! I can tell you theirs (at least the one in Nagoya Hill shopping centre) are comparable to what we have in Malaysia or Singapore or better.

If you are heading to Batam, drop by Nagoya Hill shopping centre where there are an wide selection of outlets selling cheap replica goods, from tshirts to bags. Upon arriving, what else but to satisfy our hunger first. Food ! I decided to drop by Food Street on the ground floor of the shopping mall, with choices ranging from fast food outlets (A&W or KFC) to their local cuisines. I opt for the latter choice.

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Yew's Cafe @ Taman Perling

This outlet was the 1st to open up in March 2004, followed up by the 2nd in Taman Molek on December 2004. They have since went on to open a 3rd and 4th outlet located in JB city and Johor Jaya respectively. Back then, it used to be one of the favourite hangout places for most people (including my parents) but I think it has since went downhill with the drop in the quality of their food coupled with above-par pricings. I personally has stopped patronising them and even if I have drove past the outlets, it has never occured to me to stop by for a meal or drink.

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7-Spice indian cuisine

Wanting to experience an authentic North and South Indian cuisine by the Danga Bay coastal line in Johor Bahru city, in a chic and modern spacious interior ? How about 7 Spices ? The usual adventurous me decides to head down and try out something different from the usual fares of Chinese, Western or Italian cuisine.

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Mad Jack ... not-so-great food @ crazy value

Some background on Mad Jack, they serve up a selection of Aussie & fusion food at heartland prices and stand by their low salt, no msg, no meat tenderizer, no preservative & no artificial coloring statement. They operate as a franchise and from as far as I know, they do have 6 outlets scattered around Singapore. The outlet I went to is at Bukit Timah, just besides the King's Arcade.

Cosy, quiet little corner tucked right along the bustling Bukit Timah Road. What a contrast.

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Food République

To make things simpler for the readers of my blog and myself, I've decided to cut short on the lengthy and nitty gritty details of my foodie outing each time and go straight to the point for now & in the future. Introduction of the dish, coupled with overall ratings for the food. I'm contemplating to actually provide a rating for every dish. Maybe I should try to implement it starting from this issue. Hey, you have to start somewhere somehow, isn't it ?

Interior of the place. Looks decent and nicely done up with a simple and no frills setup. Rating: 7/10

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Meng Meng Roasted Duck 阿明帝王鸭

Ironic isn't it, coming to Meng Meng whose specialty is the roasted duck and yet we did not order it. As always the case, we instead opt to order the roast chicken, roast pork and char siew. I had tried their specialty roast duck before but was not impressed by it. Their roasted ducks are served with herbal gravy, which in my opinion is too bland. The fragrance and taste of the herbs are just not strong enough to stimulate one's senses. The roasted chicken is good, and so are the roasted pork. You can have a choice of choosing lean char siew or those with thick layer of fatty juices in between the meat. I like mine with fatty juices in the char siew, definitely enhances the texture of the otherwise tough meat. They do whip up a couple of side dishes for you to choose from too, where you can choose from the likes of fried vegetables, minced meat beancurd, etc2.


I still like my braised duck or "pi-pa" duck. The thought of the "pi-pa" duck made me drooling, and had me reminiscing of how my family would in the past just drove up to Kim Long Restaurant @ Senai. Looking forward to go again one of these days and will then post up the pictures.

Price: 7./10

Service: 7.5/10

Conclusion: A place to go to if you are having a dilemma of whether to have roast duck, chicken, pork or char siew for your meal. Just head over to Meng Meng since they provide all of the above. No more headaches or dilemma :) A plus point is they still serve a (not much but adequate) selection of side dishes.

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15, Jln Mutiara Emas 3/1,
Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
Tel: 07-351 9863

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Restaurant Nonya Joy 古城娘惹

Although we were not living anywhere near Nusa Bestari, today we still decided to venture out further to explore new food. This place was advertised on the newspaper a while back, so my family plans to give it a try today. Luckily we noted down the address back then, and with the convenience of a GPS these days, there is no problem going to anywhere. When we reached, first question in our mind is...where's the crowd during dinner time ? Only 3 tables filled up. We hesistated for a minute, walked around to look for a more bustling restaurant but couldn't find any =_= . And so we took a risk, for better or worse still have to eat because we are just too famished to drive and scout elsewhere.

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Grand Straits View Garden Seafood Restaurant 新湖滨花园海鲜楼

我回来了，事隔那么久，今天又回到了一个以前我和家里人都爱来的其中一间酒楼 （最强的是我们还吃到那位经理都认识我们了），又可以为我的部落格再添加多一篇文章了。已经很久没来了，因为搬家后就很不顺路，而且Johor Bahru满街都是吃的，在我家附近就有那客似云来的北京楼，天天爆满的亿家，韩国烤肉店，和很多很多数不尽的好去处。偶尔有空来吃吃也不错，边吃美食，边享受一下那缓缓的海风。每次在冷气房里用餐也不好，吹久了会风湿。哈哈。

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Jin Men Grill Fish 万里香金门铁板烧鱼

Truth be told, after having a few below-par encounters with the standard of food in Port Dickson, I'm starting to get skeptical about Jin Men Grill Fish. Afterall, I had to intentionally make a big detour from southern to northern side of Port Dickson just to have a taste of this. I sure hope it's well worth my effort, and things would have been alot easier to plan if they are open for business at least 6 days a week. On the contrary, they are only operating 4 days per week (you did not read it wrongly, they are only open for business from Thursday - Sunday).

You could have easily missed this place because it is so well hidden inside a housing estate, that I am having second thoughts when driving through the front gate as indicated on my GPS. Gives me a feeling I'm trespassing into somebody's housing compound. Just take note of a little signage they place beside the gate.

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Ice Room Cafe @ Port Dickson

A late night supper treat for me !! We found this gem (literally) while driving around aimlessly at night in Port Dickson town. The place stood out from the rest of the shops, the only brightly lighted one whereas the rest of the shops are already closed for the day, so it's no coincidence that it caught our attention. Just like a star guiding us in the middle of the night.

Decorations are minimalistic in nature, nothing too fanciful but acceptable. It got to be one of the better furnished places around in Port Dickson, and not forgetting it provides free wifi too, a rarity in this part of town.

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Seremban Siew Pau 华师傅芙蓉烧包

Feeling unsatisfied by our earlier meal at Kedai Pak Lang, we venture into Seremban in search of the infamous Seremban Siew Pau. For non-locals, Siew Pau is an (bun-like) oven-baked pastry with a choice of chicken or pork fillings (in char siew sauce).

Can you imagine we travelled all the way from Port Dickson to Seremban just for a box of siew pau ? I have to agree with them, One is Never Enough.

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Kedai Kopi Pak Lang

We dropped by this place when exploring around Port Dickson town. Our plan was to head to PD Eating Point and try out their western food, but the place sort of disappoints us so we executed Plan B, and that is to head towards the next nearby eating joint, Kedai Kopi Pak Lang. Doesn't take us long to find our way there, situated next to the jetty.

The food here is definitely overrated and I bemoan a wasted trip here, when I could have tried something better. End up we left the place highly unsatisfied and forced to continue our search for some delicacies elsewhere.

Nasi Lemak with Rendang Chicken is a disappointment, size of chicken is small and the taste wouldn't really set you asking for more. Huge huge letdown, after reading of some rave reviews online about the place and food.

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