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JB Eats (updated)
Visits to Johor Bahru are often associated with grocery shopping and lots of delicious food. in recent years, the streets of Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Serampang have also seen more hipster cafes and eateries coming on stream. the traditional names that resonate with the local faithful still maintain their charm and in all, we felt that it was timely to update what we like to eat at JB..
Kam Long Curry Fish Head 
Starting off with a popular food joint just across the customs. This curry fish head stall is located along Jalan Wong Ah Fook, just round the corner of City Square. be prepared to queue as the shop-house is often packed during lunch time and from what i know, they mainly serve only this signature dish with rice. 
you can see the crew preparing the dish using only fresh snappers at the front of the stall. the curry is not extremely spicy, but peppered with an aroma of spices that makes it so tasty. the dish comes with vegetables, fresh snapper head, tau kee and tofu skin. the coconut milk flavour is pretty evident though, and could be a put off for some.. Kam Long Restaurant 74 Jalan Wong Ah Fook 80000 Johor Bahru San Lou Seafood Restaurant 
Moving slightly deeper into Taman Pelangi, you'd look for this innocuous looking bee hoon dish that actually makes the entire restaurant famous. we featured this place in one of our earlier entries and would like reiterate that their interpretation of this dish is still better than any other place serving San Lou Bee Hoon. the vermicelli is stir fried and charred to perfection, mixed with vegetables, fish cake, prawns and minced chicken meat. they also have a wide variety of tse char food that are not bad. try their minced pork tofu, sambal cockles and wild boar meat to name a few. San Lou Seafood Restaurant Jalan Biru, Taman Pelangi 80400 Johor Bahru Shun Fa Bak Kut Teh  the locals love their Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup) as much as we do. it's just that they usually prepare it differently, using a herbal broth that is less peppery, and throwing in several other ingredients like tau kee and tofu skin. Shun Fa is located at Taman Sentosa just along the main Tebrau Highway. very popular amongst Singaporeans and almost every vehicle parked outside the shop has a Singapore licence number. people usually order their signature dish with rice, along with sesame oil chicken and braised pig trotters. Shun Fa Bak Kut Teh 11, Jalan Sutera Satu, Taman Sentosa 80150 Johor Bahru Restoran Hua Mui  this Hainanese eatery reminds me of Yut Kee back in KL. expect long crowds on weekends and at least half an hour's waiting time (to be seated) as you join the locals to enjoy traditional delights such as Hainanese Lam Mee and their signature Chicken Chop amongst other dishes. the quality of the chicken chop is fantastic, with good marination, the meat is crisp on the exterior and tender on the inside, topped with flavourful gravy to make it probably the most popular dish there. Restoran Hua Mui 131, Jalan Trus, Bandar Johor Bahru 80000 Johor Bahru 深夜食糖 SYST  this one is really interesting. a new hipster supper and dessert joint that is designed to look like a typical Hong Kong dessert shop, complete with mosaic tiles, neon lights as well as very thematic interior design and furnishing. Vintage Hong Kong desserts and food are available here, with a mix of what you get at Australian Dairy Company - steamed egg with milk pudding, to the likes of curry fish balls, egg tarts and macaroni. Mango Pomelo Sago and black sesame soup are also popular here. Once it hits 9 pm, the crowd starts to stream in (be mindful that they only open from 3 pm onwards) and considering that it is within walking distance from KSL Mall, this shop is expected to be a hit with Malaysians and Singaporeans. 深夜食糖 SYST 260 Jalan Dato' Sulaiman, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru 1st Floor, 80250 Johor Bahru Coffee Signature  this container cafe have actually been operating for a few years now, though its popularity with Instagrammers and younger patrons remain. in fact, this has become somewhat of a place-marker for the various cafes that have sprouted out along Jalan Serampang. probably what made this shop famous was its Sweet Rain Coffee, or essentially cotton candy that melts cover black coffee. we tried their Unicorn rainbow cake for kicks as well, equally good. Coffee Signature 53, Jalan Serampang, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru 80400 Johor Bahru Chaiwalla & Co.  another container, this milk tea / alternative bubble tea joint has become a landmark or meeting point at Jalan Dhoby. This is where the action is for hipsters with loads of new cafes coming on in recent years. located just within walking distance from City Square Mall across the Causeway means that the area is accessible even for those who are not driving. back to Chaiwalla, this place creates some of the most unique flavoured milk teas and would give any bubble tea shop a run for their money... somebody franchise this please? Chaiwalla & Co. 36, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru 80000 Johor Bahru Restoran Todak 
"Todak! Todak!" we repeatly told the taxi driver, and "Todak! Todak!" he nodded and replied furiously, though we all knew he didn't know where it was. this is actually just beside the seafood restaurant above, and in our opinion, the best one out of a chain of seafood joints in this village. don't forget to try their Seven Star Grouper Fish, garlic clams on bamboo shoots, drunken prawns, chilli crab and sambal cockles. 
since they are located just next to Restoran Tepi Pantai, locating it is certainly a challenge. we don't recommend you take a taxi in either, because most local cabbies don't know how to get there and it'd be equally hard to call a cab to get you out thereafter. drive with a local, or seriously, its nearest if you swim from Sembawang Shipyard. Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) 1, Kampung Orang Asli Teluk Jawa, Masai 81750 Johor Bahru Knots Cafe and Living
If retail and F&B are slowly making their presence felt within industrial areas, then Knots Cafe and Living certainly brings a new lifestyle to this sphere. located within Orion industrial building, this place harmonizes food, flowers and furniture in a way that few multi-concept stores have managed to achieve. While it is not uncommon to have food options within furniture stores, few gives customers the experience of dining with the products they are selling and decorated in a manner that would give you inspiration for designing your own home.
the cafe has a high ceiling and a mezzanine floor that is usually reserved for private events. there's a good mix of greenery and ideas to decorate your dining hall within the setting and above all, they managed to carry a menu with pretty good quality food. Brought to you by the folks behind Xpress Flowers (the chain florist operator), Knots represents their first foray into furniture and F&B, an attempt that did pretty well and attracted a pretty good following. 
Going straight into the food itself, the menu is largely serving Western food, including burgers and pizzas. we tried the brunch options during our visit and must comment that they are of pretty good quality. The Knots Waffles Brekkie is not only well presented, but their combination of buttermilk waffles served with sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms and salad turned out to be a very hearty meal that tasted really good. If there was any doubt in some minds that breakfast offering sweet and savoury ingredients together is overkill, those doubts were absolutely put to rest by this dish. 
we also tried the Parma ham Brioche Benedict, which is essentially a couple of poached eggs and neatly rolled Parma Ham served on toasted Brioche bread and garden of salad. The eggs were decked with Hollandaise sauce and Parmesan cheese giving the dish a good combination of flavours. you can't really go wrong with Eggs Benedict, but Knots' version of this has truly surprised us with its taste. We noted many customers going for pasta as well, and their butter garlic prawn spaghetti appear to be a popular choice amongst the visitors. 
there is also a good selection of hot and cold drinks, including a fair range of beers and ciders. we tested their coffee and went for salted caramel latte and a flat white; not exactly award winning barista stuff but they carry a good brew nonetheless. we ought to mention that the cafe also has a good variety of teas, as well as different flavoured waffles served with ice-cream. In all, we were pretty much blown away by the pictures on social media about this place, which brought us here in the first place. for a first time adventure into the cafe business, the food certainly could give the more established joints a run for their money. the ambience is also one that we enjoyed, and would look forward to visiting again. 
Knots Cafe and Living 160 Paya Lebar Rd Orion Industrial Building, #01-07 Singapore 409022 Opening Hours Mondays: 10 am to 6 pm Tuesdays to Thursdays: 9 am to 9 pm Fridays to Sundays: 9 am to 10 pm a harmony of food, flowers and furniture.. Labels: #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #chilloutbar, #eggsbenedict, #furniture #florist, #knotscafeandliving, #payalebar |
..ThE lEgEnD..
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