Shang Ji Duck Rice 上记鸭肉 @ Jalan Lumba Kuda, Johor Bahru

Shang Ji Duck Rice 上记鸭肉  @ Jalan Lumba Kuda, Johor Bahru

This is the favorite spot for those who like to eat duck meat. This place is located very strategically, just a stone throw away distance from CIQ. Many tourists like me, will stop by to have a quick lunch before heading down or up region. 

Be aware, this area has limited parking space during peak hour and some illegal parking attendant will come to you offer a place with some tips. If you willing to walk, you may park near to Grand Bluewave hotel, there are plenty of space.

During our last visit, there were a crowd. However, we manage to get ourselves try on it highly recommended duck meat. They have either rice based or noodles depend on individual delight. 

Duck Rice 鸭肉饭

I like the duck rice which a load of gravy pouring on top of rice. The duck meat itself is smooth and tender, together with the gravy, make it more tasteful and attractive. The owner considerately removed most of the bones, make it easier to eat.

Kuey Tiao  粿条

If your prefer noodles based, you may order kuey tiao, yellow noodles or mee hun either in dry or soup. We ordered Kuey Tiao, as we noticed quite a number of people have chosen kuey teow.

Last but no least, with close-up shot on duck meat. Undeniably, it makes me drooling again when I editing this post. We will recommend this for you as the total cost on this meal for two only RM15 and it is affordable for a good meal.

Address : Shang Ji Duck Rice 上记鸭肉

149, Jalan Lumba Kuda, 80300 Johor Bahru

GPS : N01 27.628'  E103 46.032'

Business Hour : 7:00am - 2:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Hua Mui Kopitiam 华美茶餐室 @ Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru

Hua Mui Kopitiam 华美茶餐室 @ Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru

During our breakfast time, we actually plan ahead to here. This is also one of the kopitiam inside our waiting list quite some time ago. We decide to have our breakfast here with another purpose here. We keep it as a secret now until you roll down below this page. 

An old-school coffee shop was converted into double storey modern kopitiam where basically downstairs occupied by smokers, however upstairs will be totally free from smoke. Not much fancy decoration and it still retain some of the old day furniture and fixture.

As a norm while we step in kopitiam, we were greeted by cheerful attendant. Although this is a traditional chinese kopitiam, but due to its popularity and halal status, a lot of Muslim friends also dine in here, successfully create a picture of harmony and peace society with 1Malaysia spirit. 

Cham Peng  RM1.60
NesLo Peng  RM2

A typical weekend, where we almost cant differentiate our lunch from breakfast. To kickstart the breakfast/lunch, we ordered our drinks, both are related to coffee, but not pure coffee alone, a Cham Peng which consists tea and coffee and also a iced Neslo combining nescafe and milo. Interesting to have two taste in a cup.

Mee Hua Mui 华美面  RM5.80

Other than drinks, we order one of their signature dish. Lam Mee (thick gravy noodles) which was also one of my favourite noodles. The ingredients are quite a lot, including fish cake, prawn, chicken and vegetable, but this is the halal version without pork lard. A little compromise does not change the overall spirit of a good lam mee, but an opportunity for our Muslim friends to taste the traditional Chinese food. The only flaw is the gravy, which is not thick enough to cling on the noodles, and not sufficient flavourful too.

Hainanese Chicken Chop 海南炸鸡扒  RM12

This is also one of the highlighted order among the menu--Hainanese Chicken Chop. I have been craving this for quite sometime until I manage to find it out at this kopitiam. The fried chicken chop was not oily while retain its freshness and juicy. Other than this, the home recipe made of the gravy was great if dip the chicken on the gravy. The chicken chop will be tastier if the gravy is more, the green peas is too little too.  

Address: Hua Mui Kopitiam 华美茶餐室 

131, Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Bahru

GPS : N01 27.439'  E103 45.860'

Business Hour : 8am to 6pm

Tel: 07 – 224 7364

Branch : Restoran Hua Mui Sutera

50 Jalan Tanjung 8/4, Taman Sutera Utama , Skudai

Business Hour :  7.30am to 9.30pm

Tel : 07 – 556 4086

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Hiap Joo Bakery  协裕面包厂 @ Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

After we breakfast at Hua Mui, this is our second destination which we keep secret on it. An old traditional bakery which operated since 1913. All their made bread and cake were usually run out of stock very early unless you have a patient waiting for their second round baking. Why their bakery was so sought? It is because the freshness of their bread and cake.  Everyday they will clear all remaining stock, but I heard normally they will not have leftover bread and cake even single piece because of sold out.

At this century, this bakery still using an old traditional method which is using charcoal to bake their bread and cake. All the cake and bread will immerse in the some fragrance from burning charcoal, and all the thing will have fully adsorb the aroma from the wood.

Banana Cake 香蕉蛋糕  RM8 (L)

Before it's all sold out, we manage to get one banana cake. The banana cake was fully occupied by the banana aroma. Every bite of the cake will allow the fresh banana taste. The cake itself was appropriately moist and soft to attract my desire to eat more!

Address :  Hiap Joo Bakery  协裕面包厂

13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee,

 80000 Johor Bahru

GPS : N1 27.416'  E103 45.853'
(right in front of Kin Wah Kopitiam)

Business Hour : 8:00am to 6:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Tel : 07 - 2231703

Celebrating Chinese New Year With Gartien 小田佳園 Pineapple Cakes

Celebrating Chinese New Year With Gartien Pineapple Cakes

Chinese New Year is coming in corner. During Chinese New Year, I believe most of the people will equip some delicacy to serve their guest (normally name it as Bai Nian 拜年). In order to create wave, this year Gartien 小田佳園 come out with its new Theme: Peony/Mudan Flower/牡丹

Beside this, with its new packaging designs - Elegant looking red & gold gift box definitely a good sign for Chinese New Year. Additional point on its individual packing. It will come with Chinese ink painting of ‘Mudan flowers’

Right now before it was actually open for sale. Their valuable friends and customers were already book for 500 sets. Due to its limitation on supply,they left only about 1000 "Auspicious Gift Sets" available for pre-order from 30th Dec 2013 until 26th Jan 2014.

250 sets are available weekly (Total 4 weeks)

Week 1: 30th Dec 2013- 5th Jan 2014

Week 2: 6th Jan 2014 - 12th Jan 2014

Week 3: 13th Jan 2014 - 19th Jan 2014

Week 4: 20th Jan 2014 - 26th Jan 2014

Pre-order now until 26th Jan 2014 - Special Promotion at RM38 per box

Walk in: RM45 per box (Now until 26th Jan 2014 - last day for collection before CNY)

BONUS: Buy 10 boxes free 1 box or free delivery (Eg. For every 10 boxes ordered, you can either opt for another box of pineapple cakes FREE if you collect them yourself or get your postage WAIVED if you are residing within Peninsular Malaysia.)

Greeting advance Happy Chinese New Years to everyone.

Address : GARTIEN @ 小田佳園

68, Lorong Macalister, 10400 Penang, Malaysia

GPS : 5.416195, 100.328433

Business Hour : 10am-5pm (weekdays), 9am-6pm (weekends)

Tel : 04-229 0068

Email: info@gartien.com

Website: www.gartien.com

FB: www.fb.gartien.com/

Warakuya Japanese Restaurant 和乐屋 @ Taman Pelangi, Johor Bharu

Warakuya Japanese Restaurant 和乐屋 @ Taman Pelangi, Johor Bharu

The Jalan Kuning 2 in Taman Pelangi is quite famous with Japanese cuisine, as there are three Japanese Restaurants in the same row, which has different loyal customers and good comments. Warakuya Japanese Restaurant is the first restaurant we met when we entered into Jalan Kuning 2. The benches outside the door is prepared for queuing crowd? Luckily, we visited it during off-lunch hour, so we did not suffer the long queue.

We were attended immediately and set our seat in a comfortable compartment with curtain, such good dining privacy. But I prefer sit in open area and enjoy the dining environment rather than sitting quietly in a compartment. Some of the thing I usually do during visiting restaurant is take look on what other people order on table and that probably will be my dish on the day.

Chuka Idako  小章鱼  RM7.90

As usual, we would not forget to order this as our appetizer. This little octopus has it very unique attraction to us on Japanese food. Although this is a cold plate, but definitely the good one to taste it freshness. 

A close-up for this little octopus.

Mango Sushi 经典芒果寿司  RM11.90

While we flipping the menu, we saw this Mango Sushi. This is something special and surprise me when I saw it in the menu. Japanese food which has been infused with Malaysian tropical fruit, definitely suits the youngster's taste. Slicing the mango into a thin pieces indeed a ultimate test of chef's skill. I can never imagine the slippery mango can replace seaweed to wrap the pearl rice. To put the fish roe on the top of rice bed, not only furnish the presentation of the sushi, but also increase some different texture. Can you imagine how the taste of the combination? Refreshing, sweetness and fruity fragrant all in one bite!

Gyoza Pizza 饺子披萨  RM13.90

Gyoza Pizza is our next dish. Gyoza is traditional Japanese cuisine, while Pizza is Italian food. Gyoza skin as base, baked until crispy and topped with minced meat, tomatoes and mayonnaise. The topping is very flavourful and appetizing. A very good snack!

Hana Sushi 花寿司  RM11.90

The next dish is this salmon sushi and roe sushi. Total five pieces of sushi form the shape of flower. The presentation itself is attractive and make me almost bear not to destroy the shape! The size of sushi is not big, but sufficient to fulfill my desire of having salmon sushi. The salmon and fish roe are very fresh, make it extremely nice!

Saba Shio Yaki 盐烤鲭鱼  RM14.90

I am not sure when started to fall in love with grilled fish, especially Japanese grilled. The simple Japanese salt as seasoning allows the fish to retain its freshness. The fish skin is grilled until a little bit burnt, but crispy. while the flesh remains tender.

Tonkutsu Ramen 叉烧猪骨拉面  RM17.90

After trying few dish, we decide order a bowl of Japanese Ramen since I crave for this quite a long time ago after tasting the few best Ramen in KL. Honestly, this Ramen was not good as I had in KL. The Japanese Char Siew is quite thick, few slices of it is sufficient to  fill my stomach. I prefer it to be thinner. I still miss Onsen Egg that I had in KL which has running yolk and in tempting orange colour.

Pudding-of-the-day  限日布丁  FOC

To end our meal, they served us a pudding of the day for each diners to rinse our mouth. It seem like comfortable as dine in house. The best thing is the pudding is free! So lovely, good food, good service and good taste definitely lighted up the rest of the day!

Address : Warakuya Japanese Restaurant 和乐屋

43, Jalan Kuning 2,

Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru

GPS : N01 28.675'  E103 46.042'

Tel: 07- 332 0789 / 016 - 7778234
(Reservation is advisable)

Business Hours: Mon-Sun  11.30am-11.00pm

FB : Warakuya Japanese Restaurant 和乐屋

The Sizzler Plate 铁板神话 @ Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bharu

The Sizzler Plate 铁板神话 @ Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bharu

In the past, people can't even imagine how foods will be related to information technology. Nowadays, social media plays a very important role either to pull up a restaurant or fall it down.The Sizzler is one of the restaurant we knew from a facebook page with many complimentary feedbacks. Taman Mount Austin is not our regular place to hunt for food, this should be our very first food experience at Taman Mount Austin, just because The Sizzler.

We notice there are quite a lot eatery shop around for us to further explore. But for this trip, we targeted The Sizzler. The shop layout and design is actually not too satisfactory. The kitchen is located at the centre of the restaurant, which occupies a substantial area of the shop, so there are limited dining tables.  

Sizzling 1K Pork (10.58 oz)  千里千寻猪  RM23.90

The sizzling pork chop is named after the famous anime "Spirited Away" in chinese. Interesting name indeed, but forgot to require the reason to name it after "Spirited Away". The pork chop will be prepared in a standard size, which is 1K or approximately 300g in each serving. The portion can be rather big for ladies, but is just appropriate for me! And I noticed that most of the restaurant are using "Kenny-Rodger-style" to allow their customer has a say in the side dishes, it is not exceptional here. As for the carbohydrate, we can actually choose rice or spaghetti, but we were told by the waitress that spaghetti will be more suitable, so we believe her judgement. The pork itself was pretty well-cooked, the texture itself is not too dry and hard while we still manage to taste the juicy part of the pork. The marinade is definitely good to do away with the pork smell. With a portion of vegetables and sunny egg, it completes the overall nutrition of the meal.

Sizzling Pan Fried Dory  多利宝贝鱼  RM18.90

Sizzling Pan Fried Dory Fish is our another choice. The combination is similar to the sizzling pork, the only difference we made is on the spaghetti, we chose for mushroom white sauce. I always like the texture of dory fish, which is super smooth. This pan-fried version did not disappoint me too, outside layer was fried till crispy and fragrant. The spaghetti with white sauce tastes good too. 

One of the good news for ice-cream lover--- they provide unlimited ice cream, the owner's generousness melted many customer's heart I bet! As the ice cream is not something very costly, the unlimited-concept definitely an investment to attract more customers.

Address : The Sizzler Plate 铁板神话 

45G, Jalan Mutiara Emas 10/19, 

Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru

GPS : N01 33.169'  E103 47.079'

(Beside of Mount Austin Show Planet 小巨蛋 KTV)

Bussiness Hour : Mon - Fri  6pm - 12am

Sat - Sun  5pm -1am

Closed on Tuesday