Akbar Cendol

Akbar Cendol is the most popular cendol in Batu Pahat and it is crowded and need to queue too especially during hot weather day. Cendol is an iced dessert served with green jelly, coconut milk and melted brown sugar as the main ingredients. While the feature of Akbar Cendol is where they use Gula Melaka or the Malacca Sugar in replace of the melted brown sugar. In results, their cendol is more fragrant and you will not easily feel bored of the taste.

People are queueing and waiting for seats

They make the cendol on the spot and it is open to customers where customers are able to observe the process they make cendol.

Other than the original flavor cendol, there are many different flavors where you can choose according to your personal preference. For example, durian cendol, beans cendol, glutinous rice cendol and special cendol.

Original cendol

However, I still prefer the original flavor cendol and I’m in love with it! You can get yourself here with the following address: 12, Jalan Engan, Kampung Pegawai, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. It operates every day except for certain public holidays where their operating hours are:

Monday           -           9am – 6.30pm

Tuesday           -           9am – 6.30pm

Wednesday      -           9am – 6.30pm

Thursday         -           9am – 6.30pm

Friday              -           9am – 6.30pm

Saturday          -           9am – 6.30pm

Sunday            -           9am – 6.30pm

Contact number: +60 12-739 9054

Chinese Apam Balik (面煎糕)

‘Apam balik’ is the Malay term for this dessert called ‘面煎糕’ in Mandarin or local people will pronoun it as ‘Man Jian Kueh’. However, there are some differences between the Malay apam balik and the Chinese apam balik.

The particular stall

It is actually a Chinese tradition food where children last time get to take this as their favorite dessert because it is cheap and affordable. The ingredients required for the Chinese apam balik are simple but it is not easy to make it taste nice because of the duration and degree of cooking.

Steps in baking the Chinese apam balik

Firstly, baker who is also the boss, he pours in appropriate amount of flour paste onto the big pan. Then, he covers it with a cover and wait for it to be cooked. When the flour paste is ready, he starts to put in ingredients including sprinkle with crushed peanuts, spread some sugar and drain it with melted butter. That’s all.

The boss will cut the whole thing into pieces where one pan of it is cut into ten pieces.

It is often crowded and it is at a first come first serve basis. Every customer will be given a queue number and you will have to wait for your turn. While payments are made once you receive your apam balik.

It really tastes nice and you must give it a try! The stall is located in a shop named Kedai Kopi Dan Makanan Nam Wee which is located at Jalan Soga, Kampung Pegawai, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.

Kedai Kopi Dan Makanan Nam Wee

Westlife (妈妈面粉粿)

The Westlife has its Mandarin name 妈妈面粉粿 where ‘妈妈’ means ‘mother’ and ‘面粉粿’, also known as ‘Mee Hoon Kueh’ and it is a hand-made block noodles made from dough. By combining the whole term it means like the Mee Hoon Kueh made by mother. It is a family business where a small family runs the business together. Mee Hoon Kueh is a Chinese traditional food and it can be eaten with either soup or dry. It is nice to have Mee Hoon Kueh here, as you are able to find back our childhood taste and memories.

 

The Westlife

Westlife took the nature as its shop design theme where you can have your meal in a relax mood and feel fresh.

It is always crowded during lunchtime and might have to wait for your order. Although they are busy during their peak hours, but their food quality always maintain and still taste delicious.

Dry Mee Hoon Kueh

The common ingredients that should be included in the Mee Hoon Kueh are fishballs, vegetables, fried onion and anchovies.

Other than that, you can customize your preference noodles and cooking methods. There are several noodles such as the hand-made noodles, mee hoon, kuey teow and mee suah. While you can choose which cooking methods you prefer such as soup, dry, tomyam and curry. If you prefer not to take a too heavy meal for breakfast here, they provide breakfast menu too. For example, breads, sandwiches and eggs.

The menu

The Westlife is located at 17a, Jalan Flora Utama 4, Taman Sri Jaya, 83000 Batu Pahat, 83000, Malaysia. While their operating hours are as follows:

Monday           -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Tuesday           -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Wednesday     -           Closed

Thursday         -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Friday              -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Saturday          -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Sunday            -           8.30am – 5.30pm

Contact number: +60 7-433 8149

Han Kee Cake & Café

When you mentioned food of Batu Pahat, the locals will definitely recommend you the Han Kee Cake & Café. It is consider as the locals favorite place to have their breakfast and tea break and it is crowded the most during these sessions. You will need to queue during if you visit at the peak hours especially during weekend and holidays.

Typical Malaysian breakfast

At here, you are able to feel the culture of Malaysia by tasting nice food from different traditions. For example, nasi lemak, a Malay origin dishes where the rice is cooked using coconut milk and pandan leaf, and mee siam which is also known as the Siamese noodle, half-boiled egg, bread with butter and kaya where ‘kaya’ is the Malay language meaning coconut jam and it is popular in Malaysia. Lastly, the most popular food from Han Kee is the bread with omelette and otak-otak. Otak-otak is also a term from Malay language and which is popular among the adults and even children in Malaysia. Besides, people love to have hand-brew coffee, milk tea or Milo together with their breakfast or tea break.

Bread with butter and kaya (top left)

Mee siam (top right)

Nasi lemak (bottom left)

Milk tea and half-boiled egg (bottom right)

Bread with omelette and otak-otak

Other than that, Han Kee also sells traditional made bread in loaves and buns with different flavors or fillings. They made and sell these breads at a very reasonable price and are delicious as well.

Loaves of their self-made bread

Buns with different flavors and fillings

Furthermore, they also provide different self-made cakes and pastries such as layer cake, cream puff, chocolate brownies, tradition steamed cakes, Swiss roll and so on. Many children love to come where they can choose for their favorite cakes and pastries here.

Cakes and pastries on shelves

Han Kee is located at No. 48, Jalan Jelawat, Taman Banang, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. They operate every day where the opening hours are as follows:

Monday           -           7am – 10pm

Tuesday           -           7am – 10pm

Wednesday     -           7am – 10pm

Thursday         -           7am – 10pm

Friday              -           7am – 10pm

Saturday          -           7am – 10pm

Sunday            -           7am – 10pm

However, times are subject to change during certain public holidays.

Contact number: +60 7-434 7562

Pachem Thai Food Restaurant

Pachem Thai Food Restaurant is one of the famous Thai Food Restaurants in Johor Bahru. It provides a lot authentic Thai cuisine with reasonable price. Last week, my friends and I have been visit there to have a lunch and all of us are spicy food lovers.   Previously it located at residential area and now they are move to the shop and below is the location and operating hours:

Location: No.2, Jalan Dedap 15, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Operating hours: 12pm-6pm (Sunday Closed)

Since their operating hours is only available start from afternoon which means they only provides lunch for people. Normally in lunch time when you been here, there will be a long queue before you get seat in. The waiter will give a number for you as the sequential order purpose. While waiting, you may have a look on the menu and take an order before you have a seat. Therefore, the serving time can be cut short after you take the seats. 

Although there is not wide and variety choices on food and drinks but we are satisfied with the taste of food. Other than main dishes and individual serving, there also provides salads in Thai styles. It also provides take away services. People can have a call to order their foods rather than come to the shop and wait for it.

 There will be a recommended menu on the wall provided by the chef on that day. As some of the ingredients may not be available for every day, therefore it is based on your luck to try the recommended dishes.

Although the shop is adopt simply decoration but the atmosphere is full with humanity. The boss is kind and good service provided by the waiter. Walk along into the shop there will be some newspaper post or Facebook post on the wall show that the popularity of the shop. Word-of-mouth promotion of the public is bringing a lot people to visit as the shop is rare to having advertisement on social media.

Fried Rice is costs RM7

Fried Tonghoon is also costs RM7

It does provides some dishes that without spicy such as Fried Rice and Fried Tonghoon for those people who cannot have so spicy meal. The portion of the food is quite big therefore for girls they can share among each other.

 Mango Sticky Rice is costs RM10.

Of course we did not forget to order this necessary trait in Thai restaurant. The mango is fresh and sweet enough and match with the sticky rice, it such as wonderful combination! 

 One of the features is this Claypot Tomyam Seafood (Red) which costs RM20 for each. There are some sotong, clam, prawns and also grey mushrooms. The ingredients are fresh and are worth for it. All of us are very satisfied with it.

This is Thai Style Pork Rice with egg which cost around RM8 and is a little bit spicy.

Thai Green Milk Tea

If you are the person who cannot have so spicy meal, you will need this drink. As it can helps to antacrid from spicy cuisines. It is also one of the things that you need to order when you been there. Other than original milk tea, most of the people tend to order this Thai green milk tea because of the rich taste. One is cost around RM4. You may have a try on this.  

Thai Style Curry Pork (RM13) and Fried Egg with Thai Vege (Cha-Um) (RM20)

Fried chicken with lemongrass (RM20)

This meal is cost around RM70 and average for one person is around RM18 which is affordable for this authentic Thai cuisine. The time of servings is quite fast which takes around 15 to 20 minutes.

Next time when you pay a visit at there you may have an idea what cuisine to try at this Thai Restaurant. Hope our information will be a guide to you.

Foon Yew Laksa & Pisang Goreng

Foon Yew Laksa

In the neighborhood of the campus, it is usually the place where food is gathered. Most of the Johoreans know about the popular laksa in stulang area which called “Foon Yew Laksa”. There already operate the business in the canteen of Foon Yew High School around 30 years, but now already moved to Stulang Walk together with a few other roadside stalls. The new address as shown as below.

However, Foon Yew Laksa still gets the support of the customers. This is because the owner cooks the Laksa soup with a variety of spices and accompanied by coconut milk, so the soup is medium to full-bodied with the unique charm.

Business Hours: 10.30am-06.00pm (Closed on Monday)

Addess: Jalan Stulang Laut, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Foon Yew Laksa Stall

Foon Yew Laksa is middle spicy, aromatic and perfect level in coconut milk, won’t let customers feel the soup is too oily, if you don’t like to eat spicily, Foon Yew Laksa will be a good choice. There are not contains any pork ingredients in the soup.

Foon Yew Laksa

There have more than 30 types of ingredients such as yong tau fu, frozen foods like fish ball, abalone, preserved egg, bean curd sheet and so on that can choose to eat with the curry laksa gravy. Furthermore, you can choose noodle, rice noodle, “kway teow”, “loh su fen” or you can choose to mix up. The Foon Yew Lakso don’t that the fixed price, the price depends on how much ingredients that you add on.

Ingredients that can choose

Pisang Goreng

Are you craving for the nice fried banana fritters? At the same place, there come out the well-known fried banana fritters, even Sultan of Johor also like to eat the fried banana fritters from this stall. Except for the fried banana fritters, there sold over 16 fried snacks such as fried fish cake, fried tofu, curry puff and also provide nasi lemak and fried noodles.

Business hours: 1:00pm – 7:00pm, Monday to Sunday

Pisang Goreng Stall

Even in the hot sunlight afternoon, there still have a lot of the customers willing to wait in line to having the warm and freshly fried banana fritters. Through many good recommendations from Johoreans, we decided to went there to try their signature snack which is the fried banana fritters, the crisp skin and the plump banana flesh with the warm temperature in our mouth, we feel very satisfied to this fried banana fritters. This is because the owner selects the banana from East Malaysia and fried with medium fire for 5 to 6 minutes and sold to the customers directly.

Fried Banana Fritters

The dining environment is quiet hot because there is an open-air environment which is not air-con provided but the environment is cleaning. However, as you can see it the fried banana fritters stall still full of customers and are the favourite fried banana fritters of the customers. Even the hot weather and a long queue of customers, still cannot hinder the fascination of this fried banana fritters.

The dining environment

Stulang Grilled Fish

No doubt that when you mention the word of “STULANG”, the grilled fish (ikan bakar) will be recommended by the locals of Johor Bahru, because the juicy fish meat grill with the ‘sambal’ which is the Malay style chili sauce or the rare sauce that modulated by the chef match with aroma of banana leaves, it is very tasty that can appease your grumbling stomach. You can’t image how delicious of the grilled fish cuisine, as long as you try it.

Restoran Makanan Laut

We went to the Restaurant Makanan Laut which operate by the Malay owner for our dinner and we spent around RM70 that including three seafood fried rice, one grilled fish, one grilled sambal chili squid, one sambal chili okra dishes and four cups of beverages. It is the prices that very valuable because the seafood dishes are not really cheaper in Johor Bahru.

Operation hours: 6:00pm – 12:00am

Address: Jalan Stulang Laut 1, Taman Stulang, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Restaurant Makanan Laut

Dinner of us

The seafood fried rice is one of the side dishes that must be ordered which have the high popularity by the customers. It really satisfies our hunger because the ingredients include prawns, fish cake, squid, beans and mix with the black soy sauce to cook, is not really spicy that I think, so the people who cannot eat the spicy food, this seafood fried rice will be the nice choice for you. 

Seafood Fried Rice

There are other seafood options that can be chosen by the customers’ such grilled sambal squid. The owner orders the seafood every day so the fish is fresh and the squid is large and chewy. The squid that grilled with the sambal chili sauce such an amazing tasty which made me want repeat order this dishes again and again.

Grilled squid

Rare to come here, must order the famous grilled fish dishes of stulang area.  The sambal pepper of the restaurant makanan laut is really hearty good and squeeze to add on few of citrus juice. After our first try, we are deeply in love with this grilled fish dishes which the taste of sourness and spiciness that match with the juicy fish meat, the wonderful collocation ever.

Grilled Fish 

Gerai Ayong 海边阿荣饮食档

Gerai Ayong is the small stall that starting operation from 1977 years and near the landmark of Johor Bahru which close to the JB clock tower. As far as we know, the owner will buy the fresh seafood personally from “Pontian” area every day.  The fresh fish mixed up with sambal chili sauce that modulated by the owner which give the customers different feelings to the grilled fish dishes. No wonder the grilled fish dishes are so fragrant.

Address: No Gerai 30, Selera Tepian, Jalan Tengku Petri, Johor Bahru, Johor Malaysia. ( Johor Bahru No.30 hawker stall center)

Operation hours: Mon-Tue, Thurs- Sun 6:00pm – 12:00am

Gerai Ayong

Grilled Fish

There also serve the fried squid which is really crispy. When you first bite the fried squid, the crispy sound is keep emitted in your mouth and blossom with the oily juice taste of squid. Besides that, there also have a side dishes called roasted tofu that with the satay sauce topping, the light flavoured tofu and mix with the heavy flavoured of satay sauce which is the irresistible taste for us and we think it is the best mixed up. 

Fried squid

Roasted tofu with satay sauce

After eating the heavy flavoured and the spicy food that will cause our stomach feel the burden, we have ordered the red bean ice which also known as ‘ice kacang’ and the jelly ice to appease our stomach. 

Red bean ice (ice kacang)

Jelly ice

This two of the grilled fish restaurants meet our expectations which is very delicious, so we want to share the information for all of you in order to let more people enjoying such a great dishes in Johor Bahru.