Restoran Hua Mui (Certified HALAL / Near Causeway / Recommended)

I was feeling nostalgia over the weekend and decided to pay a visit to a popular 60 year old kopitiam in Johor Bahru. This kopitiam is rumored to be so popular that the Royal family visited it for regular takeaways. Our "Yummy King" had also traveled all the way north to "pay homage" to Restoran Hua Mui. 

Hua Mui started in 1948 after being converted from a British bar to a kopitiam thus it is also known as "the Cafe with a Colonial touch". It was one of the earliest Chinese restaurant to offer Hainanese style western food. 

While modern entrepreneurs are starting chic little coffee shops with retro furniture and fixtures, Hua Mui restaurant is continuing with its 60-year-old tradition. Ask anyone who grew up in Johor Baru and they´ll tell you about this landmark kopitiam in Jalan Trus that´s run by the Chiang family.

When the business started in the 50s, its clientele comprised mainly European government officers, their friends and families.That was probably because it´s located within walking distance from the Sultan Ibrahim building in Bukit Timbalan which housed the state administrative offices. Their menu of western dishes and local favourites must have contributed to the attraction.

The ambience at Hua Mui is typical of a busy kopitiam. The wooden banister feels smooth, worn down probably by the thousands of customers who make their way up and down these very stairs daily.The walls upstairs are adorned by old black-and-white photos of Johor Baru and several sets of deer antlers. Most importantly, their food is really cooked to "historical perfection".

Information

Address : No 131, Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru, 80000 (Near Johor Old Temple) 

Branch : No 50, Jln Sutera Tanjung 8/4, Tmn Sutera Utama, 81300, Skudai Johor

Opening Hours : 7:30am - 7:30pm daily

Facebook Link : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131119566127

Signature Dishes : 

• Hainanese Chicken Cutlet - Whole piece of chicken leg dip in golden bread crust, accompanied with green peas, tomatoes, potatoes and a special gravy.

• Hainanese Fried Rice - Special Hainanese Fried Rice accompanied with potato wedges - Fried with Peas, Prawns, Vegetables and Hot Dogs. 

• Hua Mui Stir Fried Noodles - Fried with beef, prawns, noodles, garlic and chicken stock. Gravy is black and thick like KL Hokkien Mee. 

• Toast, Half Boiled Eggs and thick and fragrant Hainanese Kopi.

Situated in a colonial building from 1940s

Take the stairs up to a retro environment.

You will see all the Malaysian customers 

in the Kopitiam at anytime, no matter what 

races or religions you are from...all of them 

just like to have cup of coffee over here. 

The area will be crowded at most of the time.

Retro cash machine

Retro style of sending
food up to second floor....

Amazing collection of Western Food

Free flow of peanuts

Signature Dish : Chicken Chop.
Sauce is a bit cold but the chicken
meat is just perfect!

Fish and Chicken Combo

Chicken in Butter Sauce,
better than any chinese restaurant.

Seafood Soup.

Tomyam Soup, really spicy but delicious!

The only disappointment,
their beef steak is really hard and
difficult to chew. Please stick to
their signature dishes.

Amazing Price of Sing$35

They now have a branch near Sutera Mall.

Restoran 59 (Abalone Noodle Supper / Car Wash / Non Halal)

One of the things my mates and I like to do is to pop over to Johor Bahru in Malaysia for late night supper, petrol and car wash 

(It may sound crazy to safety conscious Singaporeans; I do go in like 1 A.M ALONE but I AM STILL ALIVE....). One particular popular JB supper destination among Singaporeans is Restoran 59 Abalone Noodles.

The three main reasons for its popularity can be attributed to the following:

1. It offers excellent Kuay Teow/Noodle soup with Abalone at a cost of RM5 (small), RM8 (medium) and RM10 (large). The bowl of soup comes with clams, pork, abalone, prawns and a bowl of noodles in black sauce. The soup stock is delicious from all the good stuff they put in it and for RM3 more, you get an extra helping of abalone. 
2. It is located in Jalan Kelewang which is near the shell petrol station where many Singaporeans "flood" for cheaper petrol.
3. There is a excellent car wash service beside it where you can leave your car while proceeding to try 59's delicacy. It is perfectly safe to leave your car key and car with their car wash boss.                                                                           

Should you still be hungry after the noodles, there is a van that sells lok lok. Lok lok is like fondue. You choose your sticks from the display, cooked in the soup they provide, and carry your stash back to your table. However, try not to think about hygiene. There is also a stall beside it that sells Muar Otak, spicy fish pate in banana leaves from the town of Muar.

Information:

Address : Jalan Kelewang (Turn in from Jalan Keris/Beside Wisma Tiong Hua

Requested by the Lady Boss to take
this picture before approval is given
to take photos. 

You can choose to sit inside or....

Invade the roads.

The noodles is just superb and
chewy to my liking.

Abalone Soup! Yummy!

Ice Jelly.

While waiting for the car wash,
check out the food across the street or ...

buy some fruits.

Total Burnt : RM20 for two (Inclusive of 2 coke light)

Kai Xuan Chinese Restuarant Dim Sum Buffet (Puteri Pacific Hotel / HALAL)

When I first started this food blog, my Muslim colleagues commented that while the food introductions are good, there doesn't seem to be much Halal certified choices for them. To my Muslim colleagues, this post is mainly for you. Thanks to Puteri Pacific Hotel's Kai Xuan Restaurant,  I hereby introduce their attractive RM36++ dim sum à la carte buffet which are Halal-certified. Going to Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant does not require much travelling time. The hotel is situated less than a ten minute drive away from the Johor checkpoint

Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant serves mainly exquisite Cantonese and Szechuan dishes. Their Chef Vincent Yap Gin Kee presents a menu which is guaranteed to titillate and tempt the taste buds of even the most discerning gourmet. The restaurant serves more than 40 varieties of dim sum, which include Hong Kong Chives Dumplings, Steamed Shark's Fin Siew Mai Dumplings, Deep Fried Prawn Bencurd Rolls, Crispy Yam Puffs, Scallop Cheng Fun, among others. Their dim sum seems to be prepared with the freshest of seasonal ingredients. 

Information

Address : Puteri Pacific Level B1, Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim

Opening Hours : 11.30am until 2.30pm for lunch / 6.30pm until 10pm for dinner. 8.30am until 2.30pm on Public holidays and Sundays.

Pricing : RM36++ for adults and RM16++ for children (5 - 12).

Contact : +60-7-219 9999 and ask to be transfer to Kai Xuan Restaurant. 

Website : www.puteripacific.com.

It is very near to City Square
and beside Plaza Kotaraya.

Five Star Lobby

Entrance to Great Dim Sum

A sophisticated setting in
which guests can enjoy the best
it has to offer in Chinese cuisine.

A waiting area with daily
news to keep you entertained.

A perfect blending of sweet
and sour sauce for Dim Sum Tasting.

More than 40 choices of Dim Sum.

Deep-Fried Prawn Beancurd Rolls
 Crisp beancurd skin with juicy prawns.

BBQ Chicken Pie, the 
Halal-version to the char siew sou. 
Thick and flaky crust with a piping hot centre. 

Fried Prawn Dumplings.

Century Egg Porridge with Shredded Chicken
A good and heart-warming starter.

Tasty sweet corn buns. 
They do not have char siew baos 
but they have another 3 types 
of favors in Chicken, Red Bean Paste 
and Lotus Seed Paste. They turned out to 
be more satisfying than I would expect. 

Fresh Scallop Dumpling, you can't get
such Dim Sum in Singapore at $19 per pax. 

Crispy Egg Tarts, cute as they may be,
 the buttery crust and egg-filled centre 
is superb.

BBQ Chicken Chee Cheong Fun

Nonya Style Steamed Glutinous Rice 
in Lotus Leaf, wrapped with a 
hearty portion of rice and meat. 

Chicken Feet. The taste is just
right, not too spicy or salty.

A dim sum staple, the Siew Mai.

Steamed Dried Oysters stuffed
in black mushroom.

Crystal Prawn dumpling.

Sharked Fin + Siew Mai
= Atas Siew Mai. 

Personal Favorite:
Steamed shark fin dumpling.
The shark fin oozes out with
the tearing of the dumpling skin.

Seafood Mango Rolls.
Their chef managed  to blend
Mango so well with prawns
in a crispy skin.

Chilled Honeydew with Sago

Glutinous Rice Dumpling
in Black Sesame Paste.
Would have gobble in a 
Mango Pudding if my 
stomach allows.

Sing $19 per pax.
Although many Singapore
restuarants serve Dim Sum Buffet
at this price, they usually dump
you with ordinary, mass-produced
Dim Sum. Kai Xuan serves you
specially crafted Dim Sum
in a 5 star environment with
5 star services. Make your choice.


Free Vouchers of 18 Rm for next Visit !