Johore Bahru: KSL & Legoland Trip

Recently there has been quite a bit of hype about the newly-opened Legoland Malaysia in Johore Bahru. I have received tons of emails for Deals and packages for this new packages and it took a while to pick the right one. Finally, we managed to pick the one that allowed us to go over the Hari Raya weekend, which included one night stay at the KSL Resort for us to also enjoy a relaxing day at Johor Bahru.

Let me start with our little gastronomic adventure near KSL (trust me, it's as good as Legoland) before jumping into the theme park.

Soon Soon Bak Kut Teh

Restoran Soon Soon Heng Bak Kut Teh

Located right across KSL (Exit at the bottom floor through the Hong Kong Cafe), this Bak Kut Teh stall is one of the most visited in JB (A poll to 10 other friends, almost all went there before). When we went in at around 2 p.m., the place was very crowded and we had to wait quite a bit before getting our tables. However, the turnover rate here is usually very fast, so don't be turn off by the crowd - it is worth the wait.

Peak Period Throughout e Afternoon

The table-waiting and ordering can be quite chaotic and intimidating for first timers (there isn't a menu or similar), but once you know how everything works, it will become very simple. While waiting for your tables, head on to the 'kitchen' (the front of the shop) and make your orders.

The Kitchen Area

The way JB BKT is being served is slightly different from the Singapore version. Instead of individual bowls, the JB version puts everything (including your Meats, Innards and Vegetable) into a single Claypot. So its important to tell the server what you want or do not want in your pot. On top of that, communal style is favored, so rather than an individual bowl for each person, everyone shares from the same pot. Other dishes like Pigs Trotter and Salted Vegetables can be ordered separately.

One Claypot For All

We ordered the standard BKT soup (2 pots for 6 people) with Pig Innards (Intestines, Liver & Stomach), extra Golden Mushroom and of coz... the pork meat. In addition, we tried the Pork Trotters and ordered generous portions of Salted Vegetables (aka "Kiam Chai").

Sizzling Hot Bak Kut Teh

Let's start with the main attraction - The BKT soup. Once again, let me highlight the difference between the typical Singapore soup and the JB soup. The Singapore soup is usually Peppery  whereas the JB's soup is more herbal. The meat in Singapore usually comes in big chunks (probably 2 - 4 pieces per bowl) but the ones in JB is smaller and more "bite-size". And the most obvious - one is served in a claypot with everything inside and the other is served in different bowls.

Read on to find out more about the BKT and other dishes

Personally, I prefer the Herbal BKT soup. However, I'm being unfair to the Singapore version as, I have an general dislike for anything Peppery. So all that I can say is it isn't fair to put one over the other, it all depends on personal preferences.

The Soup: With so many ingredients inside, The Soon Soon BKT soup is especially delicious. They not only added the typical ingredients like mushrooms, tau kee and pork, they have also added a generous portion of clams and a tinge of pepper. With the extra pepper, the soup would appeal to BOTH camps of BKT (the peppery and the herbal people) as it gives a good mix of both inside the soup. My favorite thing about the soup is the balance they have achieved (especially with so many ingredients) as the soup isn't too 'gamey' (if there's too much innards) or too 'tau kee-y' (too much tau kee inside).

The Meat: It's easy for me to be satisfied in this area. The meat just have to be soft (but not shredded) and easy to eat and Soon Soon scored full marks here. The meat falls right off the bone and the bite size pieces makes it a pleasant experience. Did I mention how generous they were with the meat?

The Others: This would refer to the Pig innards and vegetables. Nothing much to rave about here as its all standard stuff. They could have added more intestines though.

Pigs Trotters

Next order was the Pigs Trotters in Dark Sauce. I would have to say this isn't their best dish. The meat was soft and nice, the sauce was quite rich and the portion was pretty generous. However, the meat was a little too gamey for my liking. It was one of the less popular dish on the table (the others were wiped clean).

Boiling Hot Sauce

Next up was one of my favorite dish in the world - Salted Vegetables or also know as "Kiam Chai".

Service Pot for Salted Vegetables

Singapore's version

For me, this is the dish which makes or breaks the BKT stall (this is purely due to my love for this dish). Once again, this stall scores full marks!

There is a slight difference between the Singapore version and the JB one too. The Singapore one is usually made mostly of pickled vegetables (sometimes with chili), taste more salty and comes in bigger chunks. However, the JB one has more ingredients like Pork Lard, is usually less salty and comes in smaller pieces with more leafy parts (as illustrated on the right).

[Note: If you are comparing the JB one to the Singapore's "Chai Buay" or "Muay Chai (aka Porridge Salted Veg)", the JB one will be dryer and saltier.]

1 Portion of Kiam Chai 

The Soon Soon Kiam Chai is one dish that I would go back for again and again. The salted vegetables was served hot and they were very generous with the pork lard. This gave the dish more "kick" and prevents it from becoming too salty. The moisture level was just right - not so dry that it becomes crunchy and not too wet that it becomes soupy. Lovely!

Cold Refreshing Honey Jelly

Just a side note: Try the Honey Jelly dessert. Its a good way to beat off the heat and cool down, especially in such a hot weather.

Our lovely lunch

Overall Verdict: This is one stall that I would go over and over again. In fact, this makes the (really short) drive/ride up here totally worth it. The soup is tasty and cater to both pepper and herbal supporters. The portions is generous and their salted vegetables is to die for. Oh, did I mention? We only payed 25 RM pax for everything.

Soon Soon Bak Kut Teh: 236, Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa, 80150, Johor Bahru, Johor. Open 8 a.m - 5 p.m


I'll leave my Legoland post for tomorrow. So stay tuned for more...

Dessert at Serangoon Gardens

This small little dessert cafe Dessert Bowl is a good place to go after a full meal at Chomp Chomp in Serangoon Gardens. Its located at a quiet area opposite the Standard Charter Bank on the second floor. This place has very limited seating so try to avoid peak hours for desserts (i.e. after 9 p.m.) or be prepared to wait.

Yi Wan Tian Ping

When you make your way up to the dessert place, the first thing that hits you is the smell of durian. There is even a sign that warns you of the king of fruits is present. So Durian haters - You have been warned!  The decor of the cafe is simple and nice. You'll see miniature mock-up of different food stalls at the entrance which you can explore while waiting for your food. There are two comfortable sofa seats and the other seatings are simple wooden chairs neatly placed around the shop. It can be quite squeezy during peak period, especially with hordes of people waiting around for their table.

You have been warned

Mininature Shops for your enjoyment

Two Nice Comfy Sofa

The Rest of the Shop

Order Chit

Making an order is as simple as ABC - write down the code, hand it to the waitress and you're good to go. My family and I ordered three desserts - their signature Durian Mousse, Mango Pomelo Sago and Durian Crepe. The Durian Mousse is a must try in this place and its easy to understand why. Once the dish is at your table, you'll be overwhelmed by the aroma of durian. However, the taste itself is not so thick that it makes you sick of it after a few mouthful. There is also a bonus of actual durian meat right in the middle of the bowl that can be enjoyed together with the mousse. Its a little bit pricey at $5 a bowl but worth a try especially when you are in a group.

Durian Mousse with a chunk of actual Durian

Next up is the Mango Pomelo Sago. For those lovers of the desserts in Liang Seah Street, this dish here is comparable (and might even be better to some) to its counterparts there. It is a little less sweet than usual but it makes up for it with a richer and thicker than usual mango taste. The pomelo was surprisingly quite crunchy, giving a different texture to the whole dish. Everything blended well together and I'm quite I'll be back for more of this dish next time.

Mango Pomelo Sago

The last dish was the Durian Crepe, which was the least impressive among the three. I think its partially because I still had the rich and creamy Durian Mousse and the thick Mango Pomelo Sago taste in my mouth. The strong taste of the last two dishes was still lingering in my mouth and when I tried the crepe, it tasted very bland. The boring presentation of the food didn't really help its case other. However, I'll reserve my judgement for this dish until I have tried it on its own. Lesson learnt here: Eat food in the right sequence.

Durian Crepe

Overall this dessert cafe can easily rival the better dessert cafes on Liang Seah Street. It champions a rich flavor that many traditional chinese desserts fails to deliver. The portions are quite generous so consider sharing if you don't have a lot of space left in your stomach. The price is similar to those on Liang Seah Street ($4 - $6 per bowl) so its still pretty affordable even for students. So do give this dessert cafe a shot when you are around the area next time!









Name: Dessert Bowl
Address: 80A Serangoon Garden Way
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Thursday - 12 p.m. till 10.30 p.m.
Friday to Sunday - 12 p.m. till 12 a.m.

Ratings
Food Quality: 85/100
Service: 65/100
Value for Money: 75/100
Overall: 75/100
Must trys: Durian Mousse

Swee Choon Dim Sum

I had a enormous craving for Dim Sum when my family was driving around Toa Payoh and the first place I thought of was this Dim Sum place. For me, this isn't Singapore's best Dim Sum but it is definitely one of the better places for Dim Sum after sunset. 

Since 1962

This place is located along Jalan Besar (parking can be a problem) and is near the famous Curry Vegetable Rice stall near Kitchener Road. When my family and I reached there, the place was quite crowed and we had to wait awhile for out tables. The wait for our table turned out to be our shortest wait as the food came in fast and furious shortly after we ordered - A for service.

The Crowd in Swee Choon at 10 p.m.

Within a short time, I decided to order a few of their signature dishes and some all time favorites. After sampling all of these dishes, here are the dishes that stood out.

Firstly, their signature dish "Mee Suah Kuay" is a definite must try. It is not commonly found elsewhere and it is easy to see why this is one of the many reasons why people keep coming back to this place. This dish is very similar to the chinese carrot cake but uses mee suah (thin wheat floor noodles) instead of the usual radish cake. It is a very fresh change from the typical carrot or cam and very easy on the palate. This dish is easy to like and isn't as filling as its similar counterparts.

Mee Suah Kuey

Their next signature is their La Mian, worth a try even if you are here only for Dim Sum. We ordered the "Zha Jian Mian" and it was delicious. They have a pretty generous portion (especially if you compare it to places like Crystal Jade and Ding Tai Feng) and the sauce is thick and tasty. For those who don't eat spicy food, do not be put off by the spicy sign on the menu as I can assure you that this dish is really not spicy at all.

Zha Jian Mian

We also ordered several all time favorites including "Siew Mai", "Har Kow", Char Siew Pau" and many others. These dishes were pretty average and nothing really stood out. Some of the dishes that are nicer than average are their egg tarts, "liu shai pau" (which is basically salted egg custard bun which flows out once you bite into the pau) and pig trotters. Their "Har Kow" and "Siew Mai" can be quite disappointing and the portions a little stingy (2 to a plate instead of the usual 3). Desserts was less than average and not really worth trying.

Portugese Egg Tarts - Best among the rest

Liu Shai Pau

Salted egg custard inside the Pau

Pig's Trotter

Xiao Long Pau

Disappointing Har Kow

Siew Mai

Chilli Wan Tan

Forgettable Desserts

Overall this place is good for its "Mee Sua Kuay", "La Mian", Egg Tarts and Liu Shai Pau. The other dishes that we tried were pretty much around the average standards but still worth a try. It was an enjoyable experience and we all left the place happy and smiling. The service here is lightning quick and there is a short waiting time despite the crowd. I would recommend this place for a quick Dim Sum fix at night that will surely leave you satisfied.

Yummy Yum Yum

Name: Swee Choon Dim Sum Cafe

Address: 187 / 191 Jalan Besar

Opening Hours: 6 p.m. - 10 a.m. (Weekdays) 6 p.m. - 12 p.m. (Weekends)

Cost: $$ (Affordable for even students)

Ratings

Food Quality: 70/100 

Service: 75/100

Value for Money: 70/100

Overall: 71.7/100

Must try dishes: Mee Sua Kuay, Zha Jian Mian, Egg Tarts & Liu Shai Pau