Baan Poonarong 普娜容.泰国客家媳妇的住家菜 @ Taman Century , Johor Bahru

Baan Poonarong 普娜容.泰国客家媳妇的住家菜 @ Taman Century, Johor Bahru

Had been passing by the corner lot bungalow located at Taman Century T-junction numerous times and I was always pondering why a property at such a good strategic location was abandoned, until it was taken over and refurbished into a Thai restaurant by Baan Poonarong. 

The signature board displayed outside the restaurant has successfully served its purpose by attracting passer-by's attention-- (1) the logo is very unique with the head portrait (of Mdm Poonarong?) and (2) it was written in Chinese that they offer Thai Hakka home-cooked dishes, a brand new fusion that I would like to try. However, I have not visited them until recently, after the crowd has slightly reduced since its first opening. 

Baan Poonarong mainly provides homey dishes and the dining place ought to be homey as well. Thus, do not expect magnificence renovation and design, minimal refurbishment with simple set up were done over the abandoned bungalow and the dishes should be the more anticipated factor we are here. As it is situated at a traffic-busy T-junction, it may be difficult and dangerous to park the cars at the roadside, luckily there is a very spacious courtyard where the patrons can park their cars nicely within the compound.

Coconut 椰子  Lemon Grass 香茅水  

Coconut juice and lemon grass tea are the typical beverages in Siamese restaurants.

Tom Yum Ta Lay 海鲜东炎汤 

While most of the restaurants offer both red and clear soup tom yam, there is only one version available in Baan Poonarong. It was served in a hot pot with a candle at the base to keep the soup warm throughout the meal. The contents of the tom yam were very sumptuous and generous with assorted of seafood, mushroom and vegetables. As the colour shown in the picture, the tom yam broth was very thick and flavourful but not overly spicy. It went super well with white rice. 

Broccoli Pad Goong 西蓝花炒虾仁

A portion of green for the day, which was just nicely done and nothing more to shout about.

Ka Moo 焖猪脚

The braised pork trotter was what we came for. The portion was quite decent for 2 pax during our first visit. It tasted not bad too, the trotter was off bone soft and very savoury. I also pretty like the idea of giving additional gravy, which I could "flood" my rice with the tasty gravy.

Despite the brief introduction on the signature board, we have not tried their Hakka dishes and we will leave them to the next round of visit perhaps.

Address : Baan Poonarong 普娜容.泰国客家媳妇的住家菜

109, Jalan Dato Sulaiman

Taman Century, 80250 Johor Bahru

GPS: N1 29.016   E103 45.429

Bussiness Hour : 12pm - 3pm / 5pm - 12am

Tel : 07-336 3582

FB : Baan Poonarong 普娜容.泰国客家媳妇的住家菜

FatBoy's The Burger Bar @ Taman Sutera Utama, Johor Bahru

FatBoy's The Burger Bar @ Taman Sutera Utama, Johor Bahru

FatBoy's The Burger Bar is originated from Singapore, first established along Upper Thomson Road, aiming to whoop up authentic homemade burgers to the hungry folks in the area. I have visited FatBoy's The Burger Bar in Singapore and definitely surprised when we saw their branch in Taman Sutera Utama, Johor Bahru end of last year. 

Other than the Specialty Burger, Fat Boy is more famous with its Burger Bar menu where diners can build their own burgers anyhow and anyway they want it. We can choose from a list of buns, patties, cheeses, add-ons and sauces where our burgers will be cooked to order.

Float Root Beer RM7

Ordered a Float Root Beer to go with my meal.

Bangers and Mash  RM19

Its consists of grilled Bratwurst (which is made with pork and seasoned with subtle spices) and Chorizo sausage (Spanish pork sausage, from its slightly red colour, you know it is hot and spicy!) served with caramelised onions, coleslaw and homemade smashed potato.

Mahalo  RM19

It consists of Bacon stuffed pork patty, caramelised onions, grilled pineapple, melted monterey jack cheese and creamy mayo on a sesame seed bun. The pork patty is very tender and juicy, I definitely like to match it with grilled pineapple, which tastes a bit Hawaiian, the sweetness and sourness very much open up my appetite. Burgers always have a very good partner, named as french fries, which has no exception here. I like their fries too, especially its appropriate size which rendering the outer to be crunchy but moist and soft in the inside.

Despite the good foods offered by FatBoy's The Burger Bar, I found that their branch in Taman Sutera Utama has closed down during my recent visit in that area, it is definitely a loss to the folks in Johor Bahru. Hence, if you are craving for FatBoy's burger now, the nearest restaurant would be in Singapore. 

Address : FatBoy's The Burger Bar

59, Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/3,

Taman Sutera Utama, Skudai, 

81300 Johor Bharu

GPS : N1 30 56' E103 40 05'

Business Hour : Mon - Thu 5pm - 12am

Fri - Sun 12pm - 12am

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

Website : http://www.fatboys.my

Woon Kiang Kuey Teow Kia 汶强粿条仔 @ Jalan Stulang Darat, Johor Bahru

Woon Kiang Kuey Teow Kia 汶强粿条仔 @ Jalan Stulang Darat, Johor Bahru

Kuey Teow Kia is the unique and signature local delicacy in Johor Bahru, which you can hardly find it in other region of Malaysia.Woon Kiang is one of the most popular restaurant for Kuey Teow Kia in Johor Bahru, which has been featured on Axian's Tasteful Life 2 last year. 

If you have not tasted Kuey Teow Kia before and curious about its taste, here is the brief introduction. Kuey Teow Kia, the bowl of kuey teow (flat rice noodles) in tasty and mild braising broth, to be paired off with the side dishes of your choice, from braised pork, braised duck, braised pig offals to eggs, beancurd, salted vegetables and braised chicken feet. 

The braised beancurd is a good non-porky supplement for the meal, sponged up loads of savoury braising broth. The braised pig skin is a notable dish, soft and cooked to the right texture. The braised duck is one of the signature dish, fully absorbs the essence from the herbal broth and sliced into thin pieces, hence it does not taste greasy at all.

The broth of Kuey Teow Kia has a hint of herbs, neither oily nor has irritating porky flavour. With the broth, the kuey teow taste silky smooth and tender.

I would conclude is as a simple and hearty meal which worth our next visit!!

Address : Woon Kiang Kuey Teow Kia 汶强粿条仔

#G-06, Jalan Pandan 1, Pangsarpuri Impian, 

Stulang, Johor Bahru

GPS : N1 28.362   E103 46.677

Business Hour : 12pm - late night

Tera Thai Fine Dine Restaurant @ Jalan Abdul Samad, Johor Bahru

Tera Thai Fine Dine Restaurant @ Jalan Abdul Samad, Johor Bahru

We ventured to Jalan Abdul Samad for this hidden gem of an authentic Thai restaurant- Tera Thai. Nestled within the neighbourhood near to Pantai Lido, it is not too easy to locate the restaurant unless you are familiar with the area.

Tera Thai running the business from a bungalow house, the exterior design retains the features of traditional village house. There are parking spaces within the compound of the bungalow, hence finding a parking space is not a tedious chore at all. 

The restaurant is air-conditioned, comfortable and simple decorated with little ornaments with Thai characteristic. The restaurant is separated into few section with the Thai art curtain and also a private room which can cater up to 20 pax if you decide to throw a mini Thai party. Too bad, no photo has been taken showing the great environment.

The menu features mainly traditional Thai cuisine such as tom yam, green curry, stir-fried minced chicken with basil as well as creations all made with market-fresh spices and exotic ingredients.

Tom Yam Talay Nam Sai
(Hot & Sour Clear Seafood Soup)  RM11.90

Started our meal with Tom Yam Talay Nam Sai, the hot and sour clear seafood soup. The tom yam is the small portion that feeds two. With large fresh and bouncy prawn, chewy squids, oyster mushrooms and a handful of herbs and green to boost, it really kicking the taste buds, which is easy to go at first and later on the spiciness would left on the tongue for quite some times.

Gai Bai Kapau
(Stir Fried Chicken with Basil Leaf)  RM10.90

The minced ground chicken meat is infused with aromatic Thai basil leave. It was delicious, with fine balance of fiery hot and savory. I just loved that dish, best served with rice.

Khao Phad Sapparod
(Fried Rice with Pineapple, Cashewnut and Prawn)  RM18

Plenty of pineapple is hidden in the rice with a hint of curry powder. It is also added with cashew nut, providing different layers of biting texture to the dish.

Knor Mai Farang Phad Gung
(Stir Fried Asparagus with Scallop in Oyster Sauce)  RM18

A green plate among the Thai cuisine, young asparagus were chosen which is crispy on the outside but tender in the inside. The fresh scallop and oyster sauce successfully enhance its taste.

Sangkaya Fok Thawng
(Custard steamed in Pumpkin)  RM10.90

We did not go for the famous and signature Thai dessert of red ruby water chestnut or mango sticky rice, as there was something unique that caught our attention and curiosity. Custard steamed in pumpkin may not be the most popular or common Thai dessert and look weird to some, but I think it is so unique and tastes delicious. The custard is smooth and with the fragrance of coconut milk. 

Tera Thai claims itself as a fine dine restaurant and hence, portion-wise, the dishes are served in relatively small portion, but definitely at a reasonable price. It deserves to be re-visited.

Address : Tera Thai Fine Dine Restaurant

31, Jalan Abdul Samad,

80000 Johor Bahru,

GPS : N 1 28.271'  E 103 44.504'

Business Hour : 11.30 am - 3.30 pm

5.30 pm - 10.30 pm

Tel : 07-222 6300

FB : Tera Thai Fine Dine Restaurant

Just Want Cafe, The Garden @ Taman JP Perdana, Johor Bahru

Just Want Cafe, The Garden @ Taman JP Perdana, Johor Bahru 

Just Want Cafe, is no longer strange to most of the Johorean. With its nicely brewed coffee and unique concepts of each branch, from the British style garden-themed to industrial looking factory-themed, Just Want Cafe has become an established brand in Johor Bahru and known to most of the youngster.

We were first attracted by Just Want Cafe, The Garden which is located at Taman JP Perdana. The cafe is converted from a bungalow show house and painted in blue and white colours, demonstrating a colonial-style. 

The set up of the cafe is simple with the ambiance that combines of peace, tranquility and romance. The indoor seats are rather limited, but in the late afternoon you may choose to have tables at the outdoor garden, decorated with an accolade of beautiful flowers and plants.

We browsed through the menu and concluded that there are limited choices for food on the menu. It is quite disappointed especially when we were carrying empty stomach with the hope that they serve main course. They only serve coffee, tea, juices, cakes, pastries and tarts. So, we ordered a coffee for each of us, waffle and their signature tiramisu.

Latte Original  RM9.50

Fall in love with the smooth texture and slightly moist foam on top. The coffee is not so much of the bitter type and suits most people.

Mocha  RM12

The icy Mocha is good to satisfy my craving for coffee, with a strong taste and fragrance of cocoa, but not overly sweet.

Waffle with Strawberry Topping  RM14.90

The waffle is so cute and delicate. You know it is home made because of its fluffy texture. It tastes so "strawberry" with the fresh strawberry, strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream. Anyway, it is refreshing and goes well with the coffee.

Tiramisu  RM13

Tiramisu is must-order signature dish in Just Want Cafe. It tastes heavenly good with the aromatic flavour of coffee coupled with chocolate cream as well as the delicious sour tang of mascarpone cream cheese. 

My verdict, it would a place best for afternoon tea or having chit-chat session with besties after hectic work to give a perfect end to your day. I couldn't say all the foods are perfectly excellent, however due to the choices of beverages and food are limited, the quality of which are well-controlled. We look forward to visit their next concept cafe soon.

Address : Just Want Cafe, The Garden

PTD 88357, Bandar Jaya Putra Perdana,

Mukim Tebrau, 81100 JB

GPS : N01 34.503'  E103 46.578'

Business hour : 2pm - 12am

FB : Just Want Cafe, The Garden

Tel : 07 - 2966530

Sunny Fish Head Soup 三楼不夜天鱼头汤 @ Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Sunny Fish Head Soup 三楼不夜天鱼头汤 @ Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

We went to Taman Johor Jaya for late lunch, initially wanted to go a seafood restaurant within the same row, but it was during their rest hours and we conveniently went to this "Sunny Fish Head Soup". This corner lot restaurant has the same name with the famous San Lou (in mandarin) in Taman Pelangi and their foods are therefore are placed with high expectation.

Based on the dishes on the menu, we found that it was not really related to San Lou (Taman Pelangi) and we still decided to have our lunch here. We ordered some light and home-cooked dishes.

Stir Fried Fish Head 炒鱼头  RM15

We tasted good stir fried fish head before and definitely miss the dish. When we noticed this dish from the menu, we ordered it without a second's hesitation. However, it did not turn out as tasty as we thought, mainly due to the absence of bean paste which will greatly enhance the taste. 

Daily Vegetable 油菜  RM8

We also ordered Yao Mak. It was slightly boiled and mixed with oyster sauce. 

Otak-Otak 乌达  RM12

The taste of Otak-Otak is just average, nothing to shout about.

Overall, the foods are not really outstanding and attractive. The only advantage is that if you are looking for some Chinese dishes in the afternoon during 3 to 5pm, this will be one of alternative as most of the restaurants are closed for afternoon break.  

Address : Sunny Fish Head Soup 三楼不夜天鱼头汤

27, Jalan Rosmerah 3/1, 

Taman Johor Jaya 81100 Johor Bahru

GPS : N1 31.846'  E103 47.885'

Business Hour : 11am - 12am

Tel : 012-716 9989

Goh Zha Lang Taiwan Porridge 古早人台湾粥馆 @ Skudai, Johor Bahru

Goh Zha Lang Taiwan Porridge 古早人台湾粥馆 @ Skudai, Johor Bahru

Goh Zha Lang Taiwan Porridge is not strange to Southern Johorean, as it has several branches in Taman Sentosa, Taman Abad and Taman Sutera Utama respectively. By chance, we visited this Goh Zha Lang Restaurant in Taman Sutera Utama to look for shelter during a heavy rain. It is definitely a good idea to have hot porridge during such a rainy day. 

Photo taken after our high tea session at Goh Zha Lang Restaurant. This big word of "粥" in front of the porridge restaurant simply cannot be escaped from passerby's eyes. Although it is named as "Taiwan Porridge" restaurant, it actually offers wide variety of dishes accommodating the taste bud of local people to pair with rice, plain porridge or sweet potato porridge.

Fried Sweet Potato Leaf with Sambal  参峇番薯叶  RM8

Departing from the norm that porridge must be paired with light dishes, we have ordered this stir fried sweet potato leaves with sambal, which is heavy in taste.

Fried Pork Intestine With Pineapple 黄梨大肠  RM9

This is one of my favourite dishes in Goh Zha Lang, and has become a MUST whenever I visit Goh Zha Lang nowadays. Freshly cut pineapples have been used rendering the dishes very refreshing, the heat control is very good too. It is extremely appetizing and tasteful, I can easily eat this with two big bowls of porridge.

Fried Prawns With Dry Chillies  宫保虾球  RM14

We have ordered another heavy taste dish-- prawn balls with dried chilies. Although the portion is not very big, it is very flavourful to go with porridge.

Sweet Potatoes Porridge  番薯粥  RM1.30/per head

 We have ordered sweet potatoes porridge, which is with additional natural sweetness. Diners can enjoy unlimited refill at no extra charge.

Complementary desserts of the day- red bean with black glutinous rice.

Address : Goh Zha Lang Taiwan Porridge 古早人台湾粥馆

65, Jalan Sutera Utama 8/3,

Taman Sutera Utama,

81300 Skudai, Johor Bharu

GPS : N1 30.917'   E103 40.140'

Business Hour : 11am - 12pm

Tel : 07 - 5585172

Branch at Taman Sentosa, Century Garden, Taman Gaya

Amma Indian Muslim Restaurant @ Jalan Ngee Heng, Johor Bahru

Amma Restaurant @ Jalan Ngee Heng, Johor Bahru

Amma Restaurant is restaurant located not far away from City Square, at the end of the Little India street in the town, catering decent and reasonable-priced Indian foods. During weekdays' lunch hours, Amma is always crowded with the working people nearby as the restaurant is air-conditioned and is spacious and comfortable to have a quick lunch.

The exterior look of Amma, which is "decorated" (or obstructed) by few Areca trees. There are some limited parking space in front of the shop, but normally fully occupied.

Teh Masala  RM2.50

Masala tea is a traditionally and Indian favourite, made from Indian spices such as cloves, cardomom, cinnamon and ginger. It is an ultimate remedy for a stomach upset and for a cold.

Banana Leave Rice with Fish Curry RM10

A big chunk of mackerel fish cooked with Southern Indian Styled Curry, served with few refillable side dishes, including rasam and some vegetables. Indian and regular indian foods lovers will pour out all the rice and dishes from the containers onto the banana leave, mix well and start enjoying the foods.The level of spicy is appropriate and suitable for all levels of people. Rasam is an Indian-flavoured soup, it is always a must and a meal is never complete without it, it is especially good when serves piping hot and soothes the soul.

Ghee Thosai  RM2.50

Ghee is clarified butter made from the milk, where it is used instead of oil while frying the thosai. Thosai is a crispy savory pancake, a very good choice as tea foods. Ghee Thosai is served with three types of sauce, to accommodate different people's liking.

Amma is also selling various Indian candy, which is decorated in different attractive colours and in fruit shapes. However, please mind the level of sugar in the tempting dessert and cut it into smaller pieces instead of wallop it in a big chunk.

This is my first try on banana leave rice and it left me a quite good impression. The visit to Amma definitely an eye opener to the world of Indian cuisine and inspire me to find out more! After a simple research, I noticed that Amma's foods lean more to Sounthern Indian style, and I will definitely continue my adventure of Northern Indian Food in the near future.

Address : Amma Indian Muslim Restaurant

164 A&B, Jalan Ngee Heng,

80000 Johor Bahru

GPS : N01 27.899'  E103 45.627'

Bussiness Hour : Mon - Tue 07:30 - 22:30 

 Wed - Sun 19:30 - 22:30

Menu Please Bistro @ Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru

Menu Please Bistro @ Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru

Recently, many of this type cafe are mushrooming around the town. This is one of the famous among all. This cafe is located at the heart of city which is convenient for motorist. Menu Please is located at Taman Maju Jaya, the famous newspaper street. Menu Please bistro distinguished itself from a row of old shop houses by having modern exterior design. 

The dim but warm lighting in the Bistro, the simple but creative decoration on the wall are believed to be the owner's artwork. I especially like the clock made by the cake tray, fork and spoon, it is so interesting.

Peach Tea 桃子茶 / Passion Fruit Tea 百香果茶  RM6.80

Cold Fruit Tea are our choice, with peach and passion fruit flavour respectively. The drinks are not too sweet with a light fragrance of tea. The fruity flavour adds a refreshing element to the drink.

Sesame Duck Salad 芝麻熏鸭沙律  RM9.80

We ordered the sesame duck salad as appetizer, comprising sliced smoked duck, cucumber, carrot, lettuce and surprisingly--tangerine, rendering the western styled salad infused with oriental flavour. The smoked duck is slightly salty, but well-balanced with the variety of raw vegetables. The dressing itself is very unique too.

Tomato Soup  番茄汤  RM7.80

We ordered one tomato soup for sharing. It is served with two piece of garlic bread, buttered and pan-fried till golden-brown. The tomato is just appropriate to my liking, not too sweet. A little bit of sourish definitely opens up my appetite for the main course.

Spaghetti with Ham and Mushroom Pink Sauce  火腿蘑菇意大利面  RM15.80

We have chosen two dishes as main course. The first one is spaghetti with ham and mushroom pink sauce. The chef is very generous with the portion of cheese, making the spaghetti very cheesy and creamy. With crispy pieces of ham, it provides some different texture to the noodles. Mushroom is always my favourite to appear in spaghetti, so needless to say, I like this spaghetti.

Wasabi Prawn Pizza 芥末虾仁披萨  RM14.80

The name of the dish--Wasabi Prawn Pizza, itself is interesting. As a Japanese foods' lover, wasabi-flavoured pizza definitely make us curious about its taste. Various ingredients such as prawn and dried bonito are equally spread on the thin crust pizza, topped with wasabi-mayonnaise. The pizza is cut into 8 pieces, it sounds a lot and heavy, but it is so handy and we can actually finish it.

The spiritual ingredient of pizza-- cheese! Where else we can get this good pizza with such a reasonable price? I will definitely recommend Menu Please Bistro to all my readers and friends. Menu Please Bistro is normally not crowded, even though they serve good foods. Hence, if you are looking for a quiet place to enjoy your meal, Menu Please Bistro can be a good choice. It is really worth for my next visit.

Address : Menu Please Bistro

25, Jalan Maju ,

Taman Maju Jaya

80400 Johor Bahru

GPS : N 1 28.865 E 103 46.066

Business Hour : 11am - 10pm 

Closed on Monday

FB : Menu Please Bistro