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...

Foodie Tour of Malaysia (Day 1)

After a month of non-stop activities, from celebrations to my reservist duties, I finally managed to find time to continue with this blog and share my foodie journey for the last few weeks of 2011.

The first highlight of December (which proved to be the best) was my Malaysian trip with my girlfriend's family. It was my one and only chance to go "overseas" this holidays and I was determined to make full use of it. So it was off to Malacca first, then to Genting and last stop was the capital city - Kuala Lumpur.

Our first stop was our usual breakfast haunt - Simpang Renggang Bah Kut Teh. The Bah Kut Teh here is very different from the peppery kind we find Singapore and it offers a lot more in a clay pot than most of what the Singapore ones have.

Simpang Reggang BKT

The soup itself is herb-based and you have the options of adding other food items, ranging from straw mushrooms and tau pok to intestines and liver. The entire mix makes the soup really tasty and irresistible. The meat itself is cut up into bite sizes and its tender and easy to eat. The portions are pretty generous so there is plenty to go around. The salted vegetables here is one of my favorite salted vegetables around. It is neither too salty or blend and has that extra special ingredient added that you can't find in Singapore. Bravo!

My Favorite "Giam Cai"

Leftovers Pig Trotters

After our hearty breakfast, we headed up to Malacca for our next meal. Some of our must-try Malacca favorites included Chicken Rice Balls and Gula Melaka Ice Kachang. We took advantage of our large group and managed to share, not just these two dishes, but also Asam Laksa (from the same stall as the Ice Kachang) and Kueh Pie Tee. All these can be found in Jonker Street.

The chicken rice itself is nothing special (besides the fact that it comes in a shape of a ball). The chicken was at most average but the rice balls were quite tasty. Its worth a try just for the novelty effect but not good enough for me to frequent this place. The Gula Melaka Ice Kachang was the real deal - the perfect dessert for the sweet-tooths. The Asam Laksa and Kueh Pie Tee was pretty good as well, making that shop the perfect place for a lunch time stop (and a revisit) in Jonker street.

Start of Jonker Street

Chicken Rice Balls

The Famous Balls

Jonker 88

Vintage Exhibitions 

Gula Melaka Ice Kachang

Asam Laksa

Kueh Pie Tee

We were obviously completely stuffed after this awesome meal, so we decided to walk it off by shopping at Mahkota Shopping Center. After nearly 3 - 4 hours of non stop walking, it was time to head for dinner. We decided to stick to our usual dinner plans - Peranakan Cuisine. We went down to the Restoran Ole Sayang near the Mahkota Shopping Center and ordered a grand total of 8 dishes, each with its own unique flavor (though most of them are actually quite spicy). My favorite amongst all the dishes was the Ayam Ponteh. This is one of the rare few non-spicy dish that has a well balance salted tinge to the sauce. 

Ole Sayang 

Entering the Restaurant 

My Favorite - Ayam Pongteh

Fried Fish

A Grand Total of 8 Dishes

Of course, a perfect ending to this day would be the all-time favorite A&W Rootbeer Float. After all these, we dragged our full bellies and headed back the Jonker Street Boutique Hotel for a good night's rest.

The Perfect Ending 

Home Sweet Home

Claypot Bak Kut Teh in Geylang

The Leong Kee Bah Kut Teh, which came all the way from Klang, is located on Geylang Road and is one of the few Singapore places that serves its meat in a claypot. I decided to head down there to satisfy my Bah Kut Teh cravings after all my examinations are over.

There was a huge variety of food to choose from - almost every part of the pig is part of the menu and other than rice, there is other carbohydrates (like vermicelli or mee sue) that you can choose. Since I was alone, I decided to order the Bah Kut Teh and the salted vegetables.

For any Bah Kut Teh, the two most important components of this dish is the soup and the meat (anything else they put in there is secondary). The soup plays an integral role in blending all the taste of the ingredients that is placed inside - it gives the dish its character. It can be peppery or herbal in nature but its the other ingredients and the skills of the cook that gives each soup (and the dish) its unique character. For this Bah Kut Teh, there is an overwhelming "vegetable" taste within the soup. This is in no small part due to the Tau Kee that they put inside when boiling the soup. Usually there is a large portion of Tau Kee inside the soup but I told them not to include that in my portion. Other than the strong "vegetable" taste, this soup is not as herbal-tasting as its counterparts in Malaysia. It lacks the "strength" that other herbal-type Bah Kut Teh offers (maybe its the extra vegetables that affects the taste).

My Bah Kut Teh with vegetables swimming around

The second most important component of this dish is the meat (for obvious reasons). The meat is a huge positive in this dish. Firstly, the portions are generous. My pot had a hefty five chunks of meat and they weren't very small individually. The meat itself weren't hard and came off the bone easily. On top of that, they were very "meaty" meaning that it was 90% meat and just 10% bone. Bravo for the meat!

Good chunky meat

The salted vegetables was a disappointment. It was cooked with quite a bit of chili (spicy haters beware) and it really showed in the taste. Besides the spiciness, the dish was blend and cold when it came to me. This is not something that I am likely to try again.

Salted Vegetables

One other thing I have to mention is a little incident that I have with one of the stall's server. When my food came, I asked the server for a plate of dark soy sauce without the chili on top. The server simply pointed to the table with all the sauces and told me take it myself (he had dirtied my chopstick and still gave it to me like nothing happened). I was alone and had my valuables on the table so I wasn't willing to leave them unattended to get the sauce. It really ticked me off when he insisted I do it myself especially after I mentioned about my valuables. Luckily the uncle (who I think is the owner) stepped in offer to do it himself. I was very pleased and felt really appreciative when he stepped in and "saved the day". Personally, top-notched service like in a hotel or restaurant is definitely not expected, but simple tasks like this can easily make customers enjoy their experience there. Full marks to the owner for saving the day!

My table

Overall, this Bah Kut Teh is different from the usual peppery ones in Singapore and definitely worth a try. My slight dislike for the soup could possibly be down to the aversion for Tau Kee, so do not take my judgement as the entire story and try it yourself. The salted vegetable may be something that can be avoided. From my other visits, I would recommend the mixed organs soup and pigs trotters, both of each are pretty decent and worth a try.

Name: Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh
Address: 251 Geylang Road (Beside Geylang Lor 11)
Opening Hours: 11.15 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Cost: $ ($6.50 for Bah Kut Teh and Salted Vegetables)

Ratings
Food Quality: 65/100
Service: 55/100
Value for Money: 75/100
Overall: 65/100

Ya Hua Bah Kut Teh (Keppel Road)

Ya Hua Bah Kut Teh is located along Keppel Road (and Anson Road) and is definitely one of the better Bah Kut Teh around in Singapore. Its usually not crowded (due to its quick service, not because of the quality of the food) and tables can be easily found.

Entrance to the Rou Gu Cha

It was a party of four and we were pretty hungry so we added quite a bit of stuff. First up was obviously the Bah Kut Teh. This place serves free flow "peppery" soup, so do not be afraid to ask for more when your supply runs out. Its level of "pepperiness" is not very high (as compared to places like Founder's along Balestier Road) but its not so low that it becomes tasteless. This soup, to me, has just the right amount of pepper. The meat itself was tender and easily came off the bone. They usually give the ribs portion, so its easy to eat and has lots of meat for us to chew on.

The Fatty Option of the Bah Kut Teh

Next up is a dish that I put equal importance as the meat in judging a Bah Kut Teh store - the salty vegetable. The "giam chai" here is fantastic. Although its a preserved vegetable, this store really makes the vegetable look "fresh". It does not have the feeling that it has been out there for days and we are just eating expired food. It was not too salty and was hot and nice when it came. Good stuff!

Salty Vegetables - Must try!!!

The other dishes we tried weren't too fabulous. The pig intestine wasn't worth the additional bucks and the pig organ soup had really little organs to rave about. The only positive was the soup from the pig organ soup.

Pig Intestine

Overall, this place is good for its Bah Kut Teh and Salty vegetable. Unless you are feeling really adventurous, these two dishes are enough for a tasty full meal. The downside of this place is its price. A bowl of Bah Kut Teh can set you back by $7and the entire meal costs us $16 (i.e. $64 total) each, including drinks - a pretty steep meal for hawker bah kut teh. But I feel its still worth at least one try and you can judge whether if its worth that much for yourself.

Our Dinner Table

Name: Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha
Address: 7 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Complex
Opening Hours: 6 a.m. - 4 a.m.

Cost: $7 / bowl for Bah Kut Teh

Food Quality: 85/100
Service: 80/100
Value for Money: 65/100
Overal: 76.7/100

Bah Kut Teh