Wednesday 18 May 2016

Hanoi Cafe 河内越南牛肉粉 @ Taman Sentosa, Johor Bharu

Hanoi Cafe 河内越南牛肉粉 @ Taman Sentosa, Johor Bharu

We passed by this Hanoi Cafe a few times and noticed that it was always crowded with people, as compared with few other neighbouring Vietnamese eateries. We trust there must be a reason for their good business and definitely worth for a try.


There is a barbecue pit set up in front of the eatery, mainly to prepare roasted meat. Perhaps this is one of the tactics to attract diners by spreading the fragrance of charcoal-grilled =) The appearance of the eatery plays an important part too, the signboard with the bright yellow wordings and the soft lighting in the eatery are very inviting and feel comfortable to dine in. The signature dishes are displayed on the wall of the eatery, so diners may easily identify the best dishes offered by them. 

Beef Thin Kway Teow 牛肉河粉汤  RM12.50
We have not been to Vietnam before and this is also our first visit to Vietnamese eatery. We ordered the Beef Kuey Teow, a dish always been recommended by TV show to be a must in Vietnamese eateries. The taste is very unique and not familiar to me, so i assume that the owner has cooked it in accordance with the preference of Vietnamese. It is also praiseworthy that the eatery owner does not accommodate to the local flavour and enable us to have the authentic taste from Vietnam. As opposed to my first impression that the beef stock may be very oily, the soup turned out to be surprisingly clear and even more refreshing by squeezing some lime juice and the mint leaves that are available on every table. The beef are sliced thinly and not overcooked, hence not rubbery.  
Pork Thick Bee Hoon 猪肉粗米粉汤  RM10.50
We ordered the pork bee hoon too. The soup base is totally different from the beef kuey teow. However, this version with the overly porky smell does not suit our taste.


There are abundant of condiments available on the table. I am not too sure if this is the eating style in Vietnam, but we were definitely pampered with choice.
Roasted Pork Bread Roll  烤肉面包  RM7.50
Some of the Vietnamese cuisine has also reflected the influence from America. The roasted bread roll is a good example, which has adopted the concept of hot dog bun, but the filling has been replaced by roasted pork and instead of lettuce, they have adopted parsley and carrot.


The roasted pork tasted a bit similar to our Char Siew and indeed a good choice as high tea snack or light supper. Overall, the eatery has left us a good impression and I think I will re-visit for other good foods.

Address : Hanoi Cafe 河内越南牛肉粉
4, Jalan Sutera 2, Taman Sentosa, 
80150 Johor Bahru
GPS : N 1 29.502 E 103 46.204
(Opposite of Plaza Sentosa)

Business Hour : 24 hours  
Tel : 07-3342345 / 016-7752345 / 011-36767971

Wednesday 4 May 2016

GC Good Coffee @ Taman Indahpura, Kulai, Johor

GC Good Coffee @ Taman Indahpura, Kulai, Johor

Good Coffee Cafe, by its name, tells the passers-by that they sell coffee. Previously located at the other part of Indahpura, recently has moved to a new shop lot nearer to AEON Jusco Indahpura. The new venue looks modern and can accommodate more customers as it is an end lot where extra tables and chairs can be placed at the outdoor area. 


GC Milk Tea 奶茶 & GC Tea-C 奶昔
Oops, we did not order coffee even though they are good in coffee. We ordered a hot milk tea and a cold Teh-C, which taste not too bad. They were not too sweet, just right to balance the slight astringent of the tea leaves.
Traditional Nasi Lemak 传统椰浆饭  RM 4.90
They sell wide range of food, i.e. Nyonya food, local delicacies, Chinese cuisine, Malay foods, most of them are popular breakfast choices among Malaysian. While most of the cafes out there offer Nasi Lemak with dishes (i.e. Rendang, Fried Chicken or Sambal Squids), Good Coffee has an option of plain traditional Nasi Lemak, which simply comprises the fragrant rice cooked with coconut milk, a sunny-side-up egg, sambal, ikan bilis and cucumber. 
Traditional Nasi Lemak with Rendang Chicken
传统椰浆饭 + 马来仁当鸡  RM 8.90
Other than the traditional version, they also provide the advanced version with dishes. Rendang Chicken has been our choice. Nasi Lemak with dishes also come with a piece of cracker, which made the Nasi Lemak more abundant. The Rendang Chicken was tender and juicy, the right amount of spices did a good job, the Rendang was flavourful and went very well with the Nasi Lemak.
Steamed Bread with Homemade Kaya + Cold Butter
蒸面包+特制加椰+冷冻牛油  RM2
Looking for traditional Nanyang style breakfast? They provide various types of toast and steamed bread too. The combination of butter kaya has been our all time favourite and we definitely will not miss the version from Good Coffee. The bread was in thick cut, hence with extra biting texture. It tasted especially good when it was steaming hot.  

Address : GC Good Coffee 
242, Jalan Kenanga 29/8,
Taman Indahpura, 81000 Kulai
GPS : N 1 38.507 E 103 36.968

Business Hour : 7.30am - 11.30pm
Tel: 07-6608552

Branch: 48. Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/4, 
Taman Sutera Utama, Johor, 81300, Skudai
Tel: 07-554 7387