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...

Inside the Capital of the World - Carlos Bakery, Lower Manhattan, Ippudo Ramen & Memphis

A visit to New York is never complete without a visit to Carlos Bakery for all fans of the famous TV series Cake Boss. Here is a little preview of the show:

At its most basic, its about the baker (Buddy) who, at the start of the show, receives special orders from important/famous people. Usually, the orders are either unique or pretty extravagant. So the whole show revolves around Buddy and his crew (which are mostly family members) trying to design and construct the edible cake for their featured customers. Here are some cakes that they made:

Bumblebee with working pyrotechnics

Hawaiian-themed Cake with working Fire Show

These photos are taken off the internet as I didn't get a chance to meet both Buddy or any of his works.

After hearing stories of horror-lines and extreme crowds, my group decided to get there as early as possible. The opening hours of 7 a.m was beyond our abilities to wake up so we could only reach there at 8 a.m. We thought we might need to queue, considering it had been open for one hour, but when we got there - it was EMPTY! We were literally the only ones there when we first entered - apparently 8 a.m is still too early for most America tourists. If you don't already know, here's a view of the shop:

Look Ma..No queue!

All the time and space in the world

Obviously, their selection was both huge and watering. Sadly, due to our early entrance, many of their cakes (e.g Red Velvet Cheesecake/cupcake) were not ready yet. Below are just a few of their selections:

Being a group of 3, we really didn't have an option to buy everything in stock. So Dawn and Andre took their pick while I went about taking photos. Their choices were: 

1) Red Velvet Cake

Our alternative to the Red Velvet Cupcake. One of my favorites - rich in flavor and the velvety taste simply just blends into the entire cake. Good choice!

2) Chocolate Cannoli

Lots and lots of cream in it. The picture below is the pre-cream infused piece. After that its basically loads of cream. Not a fan of cream here, but the cannoli shell is really nice.

3) Lobster Tail

This was one of their famous pastries that I HAD TO try when I mentioned Carlo Bakery to my friends. Once again, this is a cream-filled pastries. The shell was tasty yet not too thick, showing skills in pastries making. A must-try for all (unless you hate cream).

4) Chocolate Mousse Cake

My apologies for the crappy pictures. It looked too good that we took a bite before my camera was even ready. Basically, it taste as good as it looks. Great choice!

If anyone wants to more, there are few more photos of the shop interior (with a cut-out Buddy and several souvenirs) on my Facebook page. Feel free to browse through them.

Carlos Bakery Box

After getting our breakfast at Carlos Bakery, we took a tour down Lower Manhattan - the Financial Capital of the USA (or even the World). It took us more than half a day to complete the walk, but it was a worthwhile tour, given that I love all things "city". 

Some of the sites to visits are:

1) Bowling Green / Battery Park

First stop and a must stop for all visiting Lower Manhattan - The Charging Bull. This bull, also known as the Wall Street Bull) signifies the aggression of a prosperous market and has long been the symbol for the financial world. Hope for a Bullish Market? Maybe a touch or two of the Bull will do some good. 

A little tip: This Bull is located in the middle of a really busy road, so be prepared to queue (as there is only one entrance and the crowd will just bottle neck) and squeeze to have a chance to take picture. So try to avoid going there in the afternoon where most tour groups congregate.

The next stop is at the entrance of Battery Park. The Sphere sculpture was once located in the World Trade Center Area. Its significance came from its survival from the 9-11 attacks. Now it symbolizes that the American will survive after the horrific attack and the eternal flame in front of the sculpture serves as a memorial to all that perished.

The Sphere - Rubbles from the 9-11 attacks

An interesting memorial just lies ahead of The Sphere sculpture. A short walk ahead, the Korean War Memorial is also worth the time to visit.

Korean War Memorial

2) The Esplanade Walk

A walk down the Esplanade will take you by the river. It's a scenic walk that has more of an experience than a major sightseeing venue. So take a leisurely stroll down if you can afford the time. If not, skip the entire walk and take the subway straight down to 9-11 memorial.

Walk down the Canopy of the Esplanade

Skyline of New Jersey (the weather was bad for photos)

Interesting structures along the way

3) World Financial Center & Winter Garden Cafe

As the saying goes: "When in New York, do what the New Yorkers do". Obviously not everyone can do what some New Yorkers do and actually work in the Financial Area. However, you can still experience the "watered-down" version of it by immersing yourself in the lunch crowd. Unfortunately, we weren't able to coincide our lunch times with theirs so we had to settle for a slightly smaller crowd with a different feel to all.

A quick orientation:

The first skyscrapers that greeted us when we left the Esplanade walk was the Financial Center and Winter Garden Cafe Building.

One, Two & Three World Financial Building

 Lunch was at the Winter Garden Cafe itself. The food was so-so (rush-hour food, so it's just hot dog, sandwiches and the occasional pizza) but nonetheless, it was pretty interesting to eat and people-watch. After lunch, we went to a popular drinks shop The Elixir Juice Bar and tried out their juices. It was pretty good but rather pricey (but its Lower Manhattan, so the price is kinda expected).

Winter Garden Cafe

Andre with his lunch

Elixir Juice Bar

Simple Decor

4) 9/11 Memorial

Second to none, this is THE most visited and a top must-go tourist attraction for anyone visiting lower Manhattan. Just in case you have been living under a gigantic rock, USA was on the receiving end of a series of terrorist attacks on the 11th September (thus 9/11) 2001 -- both the World Trade Center (a.k.a Twin Towers) were attacked. The towers didn't survive the attacks and many perished from both the attacks and the aftermath rescue missions. A memorial is set in the original spots of the two towers, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in this tragic event. 

This memorial is highly popular and it is always good to book in advance (it is free though). Tip: If you forgot to book ahead of time, have no worries - you can always go to the 9/11 Memorial Visitor center and obtain a free (they'll ask for donations) ticket if there is any left (usually there is). It's quite a long walk from the memorial itself so factor this traveling time into your schedule. 

The memorial itself is quite a walk in, with plenty of ticket checks (hold your tickets out until you are right beside the memorial) and bag checks. It has a simplistic design with a sense of grandeur imbue into the two water-fall structures. However, the memorial itself was never meant for a feast to the eyes but rather a quiet and solemn structure for reflection. So take a moment and reflect on the 9/11 events that impacted all our lives.

The Unfinished One World Trade Center

Reflecting Pool  of the 9/11 Memorial

Remembering those who gave their lives

USA - Standing Proud and Strong

A moment of reflection

5) Trinity Church & Wall Street

Our last stop for the tour around Lower Manhattan was Wall Street. At the entrance of Wall Street lies one of oldest church in New York - the Trinity Church. Placed right in the middle of the heart of the world finance center, this place seemed very out of place (both literally and figuratively). This misfit stands out like a sore thumb, but it is still worth a visit for both its uniqueness and its link to the colonial past of USA.

Facade of the Trinity Church

Interior of the Church

 Next up, just across the road, is Wall Street. Honestly, my knowledge of the financial world is as good as a 12-year old kid. So I shall not even attempt to sound like I know the buildings and the relevant companies (and obviously not even the significance of it). Instead, here are some of the photographs I took. I'll leave the rest up to anyone that chance upon this blog.

Entrance that greeted us

New York Stock Exchange

This concludes the Lower Manhattan tour. Next up was dinner and we were hampering for Asian food at that point of time. Also, we heard the Ippudo Ramen here was fantastic and definitely worth a try. So with all the stars align, we headed for Ippudo Ramen for our dinner.

Besides hearing that the food is fantastic, we also heard about its popularity. Fearing that we might need to wait and risk missing our musical (we were going to watch Memphis the Musical), we went there a good 1/2 hour before opening time. And it was the RIGHT decision! Though we were 3rd in line, the queue extended pretty far back even before the restaurant was open. You can't really see it in the pictures, but you get the point.

The queue 1/2 hour before opening

So a 1/2 hour wait later, we got our seats. The service was enthusiastic and we decided our orders very promptly (considering we were very hungry). We got our food in quick time and got a taste of the Ramen that I missed so much. 

Reception Area

Our seating area

Funky-dressed chefs

We ordered the Ippudo Salad to share and Shiromarua Hakata Classic Ramen individually. The Shiromarua Ramen was their original "tonkatsu" noodle soup topped with pork loin Chashu, kikurage, menma, red pickled ginger, sesame, and scallions.

Ippudo Salad

Shiromarua Ramen

Dawn's Ikka Modern Ramen - Original Tonkatsu with Miso

Verdict: It deserves its Zagat Ratings, Fantastic (and note that I have only been in New York for 5 days).

As compared to the Singapore version, it is a little blender in taste but it does lean on the healthier side. The noodles were very well cooked, very springy and nice. The broth itself is a little blend but the flavor still comes out just fine. In fact, you are more likely to finish the bowl of soup before "getting sick" of it (that is usually the problem for thick soup). The Chashu was my only complain - they could have been more generous with and cut up the Chashu into thinner slices. 

Overall I would recommend this place even if you don't have a Ramen cravings. Go there early or risk the long queues. The location is a little bit hard to find and the signs are pretty inconspicuous, so allocate some time to find the shop. I'll give it a 8.5/10  

The day ended with us going to Grand Central Terminal and watching the Memphis musical. Grand Central deserved more time as we only had less than 15 minutes inside it. The musical was fantastic and was worth every cent and minutes spent. Highly Recommended! 

With this, I'll conclude with the recommendations (or summary) of the day:

1) Carlos Bakery

95 Washington Street Hoboken, New Jersey, 07030

2) Lower Manhattan Walk 

3) Ippudo Ramen

65 Fourth Avenue (Between 9th and 10th Street) New York, NY 100034)

4)Memphis Musical

Shubert Theatre 225 West 44th Street  New York, NY 10036

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