Wong Chau Jun Restaurant 王昭君酸辣鱼头米粉 @ Rangoon Road, Penang

Wong Chau Jun Restaurant 王昭君酸辣鱼头米粉 @ Rangoon Road, Penang

Wong Chau Jun Restaurant is famous with its fish vermicelli. The restaurant got its special name from the silky smooth fish slices, which resemble the fair and smooth skin of the famous ancient concubine-- Wang Zhaojun (王昭君). We heard that this shop is normally very crowded during lunch hour and lucky enough we came slightly earlier and got our seat easily.

The restaurant is located along an old street in Penang town, which has limited parking space. So, you may need to park slightly far and walk to the restaurant. But good foods definitely worth the efforts.

The signature dishes are displayed in front of the restaurant, thus patrons need not to worry on what to order. The boss who in charge of taking order can provide good recommendation too. We ordered the steamed fish hor fun, fish vermicelli and signature beancurd.   

Special Taufu 招牌豆腐  RM1.20 per piece 一片

The beancurd is deep fried to enable the super soft beancurd be coated with the golden brown crispy layer. Nothing splendid and without special seasoning, the taste of simplicity has its charm too. 

Steamed Fish He Fen  鱼片蒸河粉  RM25 (Medium 中）

The hor fun used by Wong Chau Jun Restaurant is specially made to have enlarged width compared to the normal hor fun, it is more to chee chong fun without being rolled. However, the special made hor fun is very matching to this dish, which enable the plain hor fun be absorbed with more gravy, being the essence from the fish slices. It is very appetizing especially with a hint of rice wine and ginger, removing the fish smell. I could not identify what fish, but they are truly fair and smooth and deserve the name of "Wang Zhaojun".    

Sour and Spicy Fish Vermicelli Soup  酸辣鱼片米粉汤  RM10 (small 小)

Being at the north Malaysia, I always feel that the cuisine here have slightly been influenced by Thailand. The sour and spicy fish vermicelli soup reminds me of the clear tom yam soup as similar ingredients (lemongrass, chilies and lime) were used. We noticed the vermicelli used were thicker too and instead of  quick boiling, the vermicelli was actually cooked and immersed in the soup, so it is soft and full absorbed the flavour from the soup.

Address : Wong Chau Jun Restaurant 王昭君酸辣鱼头米粉

73, Rangoon Road,

10400 Penang.

GPS : N5 25.026 E100 19.445

Business Hour : 8am - 2.30pm 

Closed on Tuesday

Tel : 012-555 9046, 012-470 9549

Passionfood Cafe and Bakery @ Taman Pelangi, Johor Baru

Passionfood Cafe and Bakery @ Taman Pelangi, Johor Baru

To accommodate the needs of young people and the rising spending power among the urban people, Johor Bahru has been flooded with many cafes, selling various characterised cuisines. Other than carrying out business in normal shop lots, some of the vendors have chosen to have converted bungalow/ semi detached house as their place of business, and this is exactly the prevalent trend in Jalan Serampang.    

  

We visited Passionfood Cafe and Bakery @ Jalan Serampang, which has shifted not long ago from its original shop in Taman Pelangi. Passionfood is especially attractive at night, when the little bulbs outside the cafe light up.

The cafe overall interior has a gentle pastel palette, to create English vintage teahouse concept, which is reminiscent of an earlier time when life was simpler and lighting played a more dominant role. Next to the counter, there is a glass showcase of colourful cakes and those are the best and natural decoration. 

Right after the cafe entrance, patrons are welcomed by the candy bar with two big jars of marsmallow and the colourful candy biscuits. While waiting for the meals to be served, these candies are very good companion to kill time.

Asian Smoked Duck Salad 烟熏鸭沙拉  RM16.90

Smoked duck, mandarin orange segment on a bed crispy romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions with their homemade French dressing.

Smoked duck salad is one of my loves, mainly because of the savoury smoked duck which made the vegetable dish not too dull. 

Forest Mushroom Soup 蘑菇汤  RM9.90

Their Forest Mushroom Soup is packed with real mushroom goodness in flavorful chicken stock.  

Spicy Aglio Olio With Prawns 辣味鲜虾意大利面  RM22.90

Spaghetti cooked in garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and topped with sauteed marinated prawns. Spaghetti is seldom my choice when dine in outside.However, this spicy aglio olio has definitely surprised me. The spiciness has appropriately tickling my taste bud. The ingredients used are not abundant, but each of them complement the other very well, I especially like the prawn which is fresh and crunchy. 

The Big Breakfast 特大早餐  RM18.90

Served with sausage, ham, sunny side up egg, baled beans, hash brown, sauteed mushrooms and toasted brioche bread. Had all day breakfast for dinner! It is a good selection for patrons who crave for breakfast not in the morning. But this is definitely not Passionfood's strength, the breakfast tasted normal and its combination is without creativity. The sunny side up egg was slightly overcooked. 

Rainbow Cake 彩虹蛋糕

The rainbow cake turned out to be good. The cake is not only colourful, but very fruity. Instead of using cream, fruits and jam are sandwiched between every layer of sponge cake, making it very delightful and refreshing. 

White Chocolate Cake and Brownie

After fruity cake, it is now the chocolate cake's turn. The Brownie is very fantastic to eat it while hot, allowing the chocolate melting in mouth.

Address : Passionfood Cafe and Bakery

71, Jalan Serampang,

Taman Pelangi,

80400 Johor Bahru

GPS :  N1 29.084 E103 46.340

Business Hour : Tue - Fri 12am - 10pm 

Sat & Sun : 10.30am - 10pm

​Closed on Monday

Tel: +6017-338 0098 / +60 7-3315330

FB : Passionfood Cafe and Bakery

Website : http://www.passionfood.com.my/

Email: passionfoodcafe@yahoo.com

Lao Ma Zi 老妈子砂煲面粉粿 @ Kulai, Johor Baru

Lao Ma Zi 老妈子砂煲面粉粿 @ Kulai, Johor Baru

Following the opening of Aeon Jusco in Indahpura Kulai, the surrounding shophouses are getting more popular and more choices of eatery shops are available. Other than those chain stores, there are also restaurants offering authentic local delicacies. We have been to this Lao Ma Zi claypot mee hun kueh shop a few times, although mee huen kueh is not an uncommon dish to the folks in Kulai, the version from Lao Ma Zi has its own characteristic. 

With a simple signboard and minimal renovation in the shop, the foods offered by Lao Ma Zi is just similar to the interior of the shop, simple yet very approachable to the general public.

Claypot Mee Hun Kuey (Soup) 砂煲面粉粿

Serving the mee hun kuey in the claypot, which keep the food warm throughout the eating process. The "kueh" itself are not too soft but springy. The soup is with the natural sweetness from the minced meat and sweet leave bush, making it tastes good even without magnificent ingredients.  

Claypot Lao Shu Fen (Dry)  砂煲老鼠粉

Other than various flavours of mee hun kuey (soup, dry and curry versions are available), Lao Ma Zi is also famous with its "silver needle noodles" aka mee tai mak. The mee tai mak is served in the claypot too, although it is mentioned in the menu as dried version, it is actually with the dark sticky gravy. Mee tai mak is normally not my favourite as most of the time, it is plain and lighter in taste, but this version is very flavourful with the marinated and fried minced meat. Each and every mee tai mak is clinged with the sticky gravy and hence very savoury!

Address :Lao Ma Zi 老妈子砂煲面粉粿

333, Jalan Kenanga 29/9, 

Bandar Indahpura, 81000 Kulai,

GPS : N 1 38.580  E 103 37.039

Tel : +6016-7373153
Business Hour : 8am - 6pm
FB : Lao Ma Zi 老妈子砂煲面粉粿

Hook Sang Homecook Seafood Restaurant 福生家乡小厨 @ Bukit Indah, Johor

Hook Sang Restaurant 福生家乡小厨 @ Bukit Indah, Johor

Looking for decent seafood with reasonable price? We were told that Hook Sang Restaurant is one of the best choices. Hook Sang has few branches, but we visited the main one in Bukit Indah. The restaurant is located in the vicinity of Aeon Jusco, hence it is very crowded and not easy to get a parking space during peak hour, especially if the banquet hall nearby is having events.  

Photo attributed to TripAdvisor. 

As seen in the photo, the menu is displayed outside the restaurant, so patrons can have a glance of their signature dishes without walking into the restaurant. Different from most of the restaurants which normally mark seafood dishes as "season price", Hook Sang actually give everything in the menu a fixed price, enable patrons to make informed decision before placing order.  

Man Tou 馒头

We ordered the fried buns to go with the Indonesian curry prawns. Erm, their bun looks different but cute. They are smaller size and suitable for two.

Indonesian Curry Prawn 印尼咖哩虾

Surprisingly, the prawns are quite huge in size. Although not the finest prawns used, the ingredients are very fresh, still making this pot of curry a very decent dish. Be it with bun or plain rice, both are very compatible. 

Fried Eggplant with Minced Meat 肉酱炒茄子

We love to have eggplant in restaurants, because their wok are heat enough to make it more fragrant. Adding minced meat and some chilies to the eggplant, it is superb!

Salted Egg Fried Meat Crab 咸蛋炒肉蟹

We came here for the crab. As mentioned earlier, the price of crab is actually stated in the menu and calculated on per piece basis. Yes, they allow us to order only one crab and we chosen it to be cooked with salted egg yolk. It has truly satisfied our craving for crab, yum yum~

A very satisfying meal indeed and we spent within RM100 for both crab and prawn, we will definitely visit this restaurant again.

Address : Hook Sang Homecook Restaurant 福生家乡小厨

38, Jalan Indah 15/1, Taman Bukit Indah, 

81200 Johor Bahru, Johor

GPS : N 1 28.930 E 103 39.598

Business Hour : 4pm - 1am

Tel : 07-2341781

Restaurant Ai Xin 爱心板面 @ SS19, Subang Jaya

Restaurant Ai Xin 爱心板面 @ SS19, Subang Jaya

The pan mee restaurant is again recommended by my friend staying in the vicinity, being a regular customer here. It has a very heart warming name -- Ai Xin (which means "kind-hearted" in mandarin), which is very compatible with the business of the restaurant selling pan mee. 

We ordered both the dried and soup versions of pan mee.

It is very rare to have mee hun kueh in klang valley, as pan mee (the flat noodles) is more popular here. Together with the simple combination of ikan bilis, mushroom and sliced pork, the thinly made mee hun kueh did not make me feel queasy to have more.

The dried version pan mee. While mee hun kueh goes well with soup, pan mee seems more suitable to eat it dry with the special made dark sauce. Not overly dry but with some gravy, rendering the pan mee very smooth and soft. The ikan bilis not only enhanced the taste, also add to this bowl another biting texture. 

The restaurant is located in a neighbourhood area, so the cost of having a bowl of heartwarming pan mee is not pricey at all.

Address : Restaurant Ai Xin 爱心板面

3, Jalan SS 19/6c, SS 19, 

47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor,

GPS : N 3 03.877 E 101 34.786

Business Hours : 7am - 4pm

Tel : 012-287 2520

Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh 有记瓦煲肉骨茶 @ SS14, Subang Jaya

Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh 有记瓦煲肉骨茶 @ SS14, Subang Jaya

Came to this Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh which is recommended by my friend who stays nearby. Judging from the crowd inside the restaurant, it should not be wrong that Yu Kee is quite popular with its bak kut teh.

The menu and price list are printed on the whiteboard on the wall. Other than bak kut teh (at RM12.50 per pax), they also serve pig stomach soup at RM13.00, vinegar pork knuckles, rice wine chicken, pickled vegetables and etc.

The traditional bak kut teh with soup. The soup is not as thick as the Klang version, but very rich with herbal taste. The beancurd skin is not the crispy type as we normally prefer, it is soft and fully absorbed with the soup.

The evolved dried version, the gravy of which is very sticky and super good to pair with rice. 

A portion of green to balance the nutrient and to slightly reduce the guilt of having a heavy meaty meal.

The price is slightly of the upper side and I heard that it has been further increased recently. Anyway, the foods here are not bad and definitely worth trying once in a while.

Address : Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh 有记瓦煲肉骨茶

54A, Jalan SS14/2,

47500 Subang Jaya

GPS : N 3 04.362 E 101 35.423

Tel: 017 226 3226 / 012-354 6864

Business Hour : Tue – Sun 8am – 11pm (Closed on Mon)

Bob's Kitchen @ Danga Utama Commercial Center, Skudai, Johor Baru

Bob's Kitchen @ Danga Utama Commercial Center, Skudai, Johor Baru

Spotted the new concept of American ala-carte buffet near Sutera Mall from Facebook and gotten a chance to visit it on a random Saturday without making reservation. The bright red outer wall with the floor to ceiling glass window is very significant and American stylish.

Although we found the deal quite worthy, it was surprisingly not too many patrons slightly after the lunch hour. 

"Bob’s Kitchen is an American themed restaurant and sports bar that caters to families and the working crowd. To whet your appetite, gorge on Buffalo wings, burgers, ribs and steaks. All-American Restaurant and Sports Bar with its hearty menu of Tex-Mex favourites that will satisfy even the most voracious appetite! It’s a dining experience that will blaze across town as truly one of the best." 

(Quoted from Bob's Kitchen official website @ http://bobskitchen.com.my/bk-story.html)

The restaurant is with mezzanine floor at the rear part, hence we are very impressed with the high ceiling which adds to the overall ambiance. The warm lighting has been specially designed to add to the atmospheric mood. Sports memorabilia, interesting decorative items and rich woods adorn the interior walls, where each one can be a conversational piece.

The dining area is very spacious and each dining table is distant from the other, enable every patron to enjoy the meal comfortably.  

APPETIZER

Wild Mushroom Soup

With only RM35++ per person, we were able to have full course meal from starter to dessert. We started our meal with mushroom soup.

Chicken Caesar Salad

And followed by chicken Caesar Salad. In fact, there are few other choices of salad and the patron can definitely find their favourite.

SNACK/ FINGER FOOD

Bob's kitchen also wide variety of finger food, which are good to go with beer. 

Calamari

Cheese Nachos

BBQ Wings

Buffalo Wings

MAIN COURSE

We were pampered with choices of main course, ranging from pasta, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas to chicken chop and steak.

Prawn & Bacon Aglio Olio

Sailorman Pizza

Fish & Chip

DESSERTS

The selection of desserts were not too many, but sufficient to satisfy our craving for sweet stuff.

Creme Brulee

Chocolate Volcano

Even though the restaurant is of buffet concept, they do not compromise the quality of the food at all.
ALL YOU CAN EAT executive buffet lunch with RM35++ per pax. It is very affordable price to have hearty meal.

Address : Bob's Kitchen

No.50, Jalan Pertama 1, Danga Utama Commercial Center, 

81300, Skudai. Johor Bahru.

GPS : N 1 31.231  E 103 40.760

Bussiness Hours : Mon -Sun  11.30am-1.00am

FB : Bob's Kitchen

Tel: 07–5500400  / Email: restaurant@bobskitchen.com.my

Website :http://www.bobskitchen.com.my/

Japan Street @ Johor Baru City Square, JB

Japan Street @ Johor Baru City Square, JB

City Square has been putting in effort to enhance the variety of food within the mall. The rooftop dining area at level 6 of the mall has definitely created new dining experience to the patrons. Other than the food court for local delights, City Square has recently brought in Japanese element into the rooftop dining area. The Japanese Street is located right next to the food court.  

Applying the concept from the food court, patrons who would like to dine in in the Japanese Street have to first purchase a cash card and top up with the amount sufficient for their meals. Then, go to your desired stall and start ordering the food that you want. There are approximately 7-8 stalls along the Japanese Street, offering different types of Japanese cuisine, e.g. sushi, bento, teppanyaki and ramen. If there is any balance left in the cash card after the meal, it can still be redeemed. 

After placing the order, the stall will give you a electronic device, the function of which is similar to the UFO device in most of the Taiwanese dessert shops. However, this is more interesting with a screen that we can watch a short video while waiting for our meals to be served. 

Bibimbap  RM12+ 

Haha, it is odd to order Korean cuisine in Japan Street, but it isn't a bad idea to have something different within the street, so everybody's craving could be easily satisfied. Out of our expectation, the Bibimbap actually tasted not bad. It is definitely a healthy choice with various of sliced vegetables placed on top. The meal is also served with a miso soup.

Kyoto Tokumori Sakiga Ramen RM29.50+

There is a ramen specialty stall in the Japan Street, which sells authentic Japanese ramen. They serve both pork and chicken ramen, and we chose for chicken ramen this round. The chashu is made from chicken, but the taste was not defeated by pork chashu. Judging from the colour and thickness of the broth, it is not hard to understand why the broth tasted so good, it has absorbed all the natural sweetness from the pork bones and ribs. And, it is generous to have two onsen tamago within a bowl!

The springy ramen.

A panaroma view of the Japan Street, as you can see, although Japan Street is operated in hawker concept, the overall environment is still very cosy with the wooden furniture and warm lighting.

Address : Japan Street

JB City Square

108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 

80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

(6th Storey)

Business Hour : 10am - 10pm

FB : https://www.facebook.com/japanstreet/