Tag: things to do in johor bahru

Johor’s Kam Long Curry Fish Head – is it worth queuing up for?

If you search for the best places to eat in Johor, Kam Long Curry Fish Head will definitely appear on any list.

Even though we were there after lunch hours at around 2:30 pm, we still had to queue to get in. But fortunately, I think we only waited about 15 mins or so as they were quick to move people in.

Before you get a seat, they will take your orders first. We were thinking of getting either a medium-sized fish head or a large one but was unsure of the sizing portion. So, we asked what would be good for 2 people and they said the medium would be sufficient.

I thought they only had one level so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there was a second level that is air-conditioned!

The Curry Fish Head arrived pretty quickly. The first picture on the left was how it looked when it came and the picture on the right-most shows the surfaced fish head after I pushed the tau kee aside.

The first bite was heavenly. The curry was creamy and not too spicy – it’s like your typical chinese-styled curry but done really well. The tau kee was my favorite part of the dish because it soaked up all the curry juices and oil and because of that it tasted sooo good. The cabbage and lady’s fingers were soft and flavorful – thanks again to the wonderful sauce. And lastly, the star of the dish which is the fish head was really good. The meat was smooth, tender and not dry at all. Overall, I loved the taste of this curry.

The only thing I wished was different was the size of the dish. While the pot looked big, we were soon starting to regret not ordering the large portion. This is because while there were a lot of tau kee and vegetables, the size of the fish head was too small for the two of us. If we ever go again, we will definitely order the large portion with an additional serving of tau kee!

If you are in Johor and you don’t know what to eat, make sure to visit Kam Long Curry Fish Head – it is definitely worth queuing up for!

Hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Address: 74, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

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Tasik Biru, Kangkar Pulai – Johor’s Hidden Beautiful Blue Lake

Tasik Biru is located in a construction/quarry area near Gunung Pulai Recreational Forest. In order to find it, you have to use the satellite view option on Google Maps. But even with that, we still got lost.

Google Maps brought us to the entrance of the site. However, when we reached, there was a warning sign that said “Danger and no trespassing”.

When we saw the sign, we were a little apprehensive about going in even though we knew that other people had gone in before. While we were puzzled and not really sure if we could go in, a construction worker asked us if we were visiting the blue lake and he told us that we just had to drive in and it would be on the right side. Honestly, I thought they would tell us to leave but they didn’t. 

It was a little dangerous riding on the rocky paths but it was really fun.

After getting lost for a while, a guy in a truck pointed out the way for us and we finally made it to the starting point. 

From there, we had to climb up the steep hill. We were thinking of riding the motorcycle up but I thought it was too dangerous especially with 2 people on a bike. We took a few wrong right turns but we finally found our way. If I’m not wrong (I can’t really remember clearly), do not take the first or second right turn but go all the way up and take the third right turn and go all the way to the end.

At the end, we had to climb down a short path to reach the lake. I think it is possible to climb up to the viewpoint from the first right turn but the easier way to get there would be to climb up higher on the wider paths, turn right on the third path and down a short narrow one as shown above. 

While it was really hazy, the view of the lake was really beautiful. It is possible to go down even further if you wanted to but be careful as it is a little steep.

Before we left, we took more photos. It’s not every day we get the chance to ride into a beautiful desert looking area.  

If you are thinking of going, don’t be afraid of the warning signs or getting lost inside. There are many helpful people who will point you in the right direction. And while the short steep climb to get to the lake is tiring, the view of the lake is worth every effort!  

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Bloom by Mok Mok @ Mount Austin Johor

After reading great reviews and seeing really beautiful pictures, I finally decided to visit Bloom by mok mok. The cafe is located just a mere 18 mins drive from Woodlands checkpoint in the area of Taman Mount Austin.

While the outside of the cafe seemed pretty ordinary, the design of it’s interior is impressive and so very pretty.  

We knew we wanted to try one rice bowl, one burger and definitely a dessert.

Our first dish was the Beef Burger with Onion Chips. While ordering, the waitress asked us how we wanted the beef to be done and we said medium-well. I think we said that because we usually had steak done either medium-rare or medium-well and we didn’t think twice. This turned out to be a bad decision. The patty was a little mushy and everything else in the burger had a soft texture as well so the whole burger didn’t taste very appetizing. Perhaps, with a well-done beef patty, it would taste a whole lot better. Luckily, it’s saving grace was the heavenly onion fries. They were so crispy, so salty and flavorful – we ate every single onion chip.

Overall, I think the dish is ok. I probably would not order it again but am open to trying their other burgers.

Our second dish was Gyutan. When I read the description of the dish, I thought it was just a normal beef bowl. When the waitress took our order, she told us that Gyutan actually meant beef tongue. We were taken aback a little, but I love to try new things and knew I had to try it.

When it came, I felt that the presentation could have been a little better. The rice was seasoned well, but I think it could have been elevated. What surprised me was the beef tongue. When I think of beef tongue, I think of something that is very chewy and hard to swallow. However, this dish proved me wrong. The slices of beef tongue actually tasted like normal beef slices. Maybe it is a tiny bit chewier but the difference is not big at all.

I feel the dish can be so much better in terms of presentation and the flavor profile of the rice.

We ordered tea as well to compliment our food. I forgot the name of the tea but I quite like it. It was flavorful and the aroma was really pleasant.

Honestly, after eating the two dishes above, I contemplated on whether I should try their dessert and I’m happy I did. We ordered a Cream Cheese Souffle Pancake with Mangoes. We were told that we had to wait about 20-25 mins for this. When it came, the presentation was beautiful and it just looked so appetizing. The souffle was very light and airy, the mangoes tasted sweet and really fresh, the vanilla ice cream was thick and creamy and the cream with nuts was just heavenly. The whole dish was done very well and each component completed each other in terms of flavor pairings and texture. I loved this dish very much. 

While the savory dishes did not meet my expectations, the desert and atmosphere of the place more than made up for it. Perhaps the other dishes would have been really good, but unfortunately, I ended up trying these. If you go, you have to try their onion chips and souffle pancakes. For me these were the areas they excelled in. Also, let me know how the other dishes taste and perhaps I will visit them again someday!

Hours: 12:00 pm – 11:30 pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/bloomjb/

Address: 87, Jalan Mutiara Emas 2a, Taman Mount Austin Johor Bahru

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Is KFC Malaysia’s Zinger Waffle Burger really worth your calories?

KFC Malaysia

While in Johor, I’ve passed by this advertisement numerous times and have always wanted to buy it but the timings were just not right. Finally, while we were in Capital City (because we had nothing much to do lol), we decided that trying it had been long overdue. 

What attracted us to this burger was the unique combination of the waffles and the chicken and of course the delicious looking advertisement. Obviously chicken and waffles is a dish that is rather common but still it is the thrill of buying something that is only available for a limited amount of time.

The Zinger Waffle Burger starts at RM13.50 for just the burger, with the 6% gst it comes out to a total of RM14.31. At about $4.80 for Singaporeans, it is neither cheap nor expensive.

The burger does have all the layers stated in their advertisement. However you can’t see the mayonnaise and the maple syrup layers BECAUSE there wasn’t much given. The burger was extremely dry!

The waffles were thick and pretty dense. The taste was ok but it needed more maple syrup. The chicken was acceptable as well, a little too peppery for my liking and it needed more mayonnaise.

Putting everything together was just a disaster. And I emphasize again, perhaps just perhaps adding more sauce to the burger could have saved it.

If you are interested in trying something just because it’s available only for a limited time, do so. But if you care for the calories you consume, I suggest you give it a miss.

Where: Any KFC outlet in Malaysia

Website: https://dinein.kfc.com.my/promotions/zinger-waffle-burger

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Warakuya Japanese Restaurant: Delicious sashimi in Johor Bahru

Located just 5 mins across the Singapore-Malaysia border lies this hidden gem. On a typical weekday, there would be a queue outside this restaurant. While you wait, you can get yourself a free drink outside, a massage in a massage chair or just browsing through their menu deciding on what you want to order later. Unfortunately, there is no queue system here. While people outside kind of know who came first, the restaurant staff does not. They would randomly come out and ask anyone who is nearer to the door how many seats they needed. Thus if you are there and there is a queue, make sure to let a staff know that you are waiting and hopefully they will give u a seat. 

The decor is really elegant and creates a good atmosphere for eating.

Trying their sashimi is a must! Everything is super fresh and leaves a clean taste in your mouth. Be sure to go there early as sometimes they run out of certain types of sashimi.

Besides their sashimi, they serve other types of delicious food. Be sure to try their mentaiko pizza, unagi don, makis and crepes!

The mentaiko pizza had a crispy thin crust with a generous serving of mentaiko sauce. The unagi was extremely delicious, the use of miso paste in the don complemented the dish well. The maki was fried well which contributed to a crispy skin. The crispy skin and the soft rice went well together. Lastly, the soft shell crab crepe was yummy as well. The crepe was light and fluffy and the soft shell crab was fried perfectly.

At the end of the meal, they would serve a complimentary dessert pudding. I’ve tried yam flavored, coffee flavored and chocolate flavored puddings. Who knows what you might get, how exciting!

All in all, this restaurant serves good quality food at reasonable prices. Even though the lack of a queue system is a drawback, you will not regret trying their food!

Hours: 12pm – 11pm

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Warakuya-Japanese-Restaurant-Johor-Bahru-201231549891803/

Address: 43, Jalan Kuning 2, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

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