IT Roo Cafe (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce RM 16

IT Roo Cafe is widely known as the place to go to for chicken chop in Johor Bahru. Its concept is more of an eatery or coffee shop rather than a cafe. It is located 10 minutes away from the causeway and is in fact 1 minute walk away from its competitor;  Hua Mui Coffee Shop 华美茶餐室. 

The interior of IT Roo Cafe was simple and traditional with a mix of indoor and alfresco seating. There were many old photographs and articles put up against the wall showcasing its history. 

I visited at 12 noon sharp, which was the start of the eatery's operating hours and was surprised to see that there was already three customers sitting down and waiting to collect their takeaway order. I thought that I would be the first customer. 

Menu

This is IT Roo Cafe's menu. They sell a variety of food, other than western food, they also sell local cuisines such as fried rice and noodles which is again similar to Hua Mui Coffee Shop.

Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce RM 16 and Mushroom Soup RM 4.50

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce RM 16 and Mushroom Soup RM 4.50.

Mushroom Soup RM 4.50

The Mushroom Soup RM 4.50 was just average.  

Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce RM 16

As for the Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce RM 16, it was delicious! I appreciated the generous amount of mushroom sauce with slices of mushrooms and potato wedges. The sauce had a delicate mushroom flavour. They used a whole chicken thigh for their chicken chop and grilled it perfectly, resulted in a succulent chicken chop which retained the flavour and juices.

IT Roo Cafe serves two types of chicken chop; grilled or deep fried. The next time I visit, I will try their deep fried chicken chop as they are popular for both versions. During my visit, I saw many customers ordering the IT Roo Fried Rice which cost RM 7.50. It seems to be another item worth ordering. 

IT Roo Cafe (Malaysia, Johor Bahru) 
17 Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru
80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm to 9.30pm

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Kimdo BBQ 金都串串烧 @ JB City Square (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles)

If you are someone who frequently cross the causeway using public transport (i.e. bus), you would likely know about Kimdo BBQ 金都串串烧 . Kimdo BBQ is a small stall located at City Square which you would need to pass if you are entering the mall after clearing the customs. It is popular for its signature BBQ Single Bone Chicken Wing and Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles). Kimdo BBQ as its name suggests is a BBQ specialist. Their stall in City Square is in fact a BBQ expresss stall offering 15 to 20 BBQ items. Their main outlet is located at Taman Sentosa.

Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles)

I heard so much about their Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles) but have never tried it before since its quite troublesome and heavy to pack this back into Singapore. Fortunately, I got an opportunity recently. 

The Lau Shu Fen Noodles (Silver Needle Noodles) was delicious. It was filled with generous serving of ingredients ranging from salted fish, cabbage, mushroom, minced chicken and shallots. The soup was tasty too! 

Kimdo BBQ would among the first few stalls I'll visit. I think the concept of a barbecue pitstop in a shopping mall is pretty unique. You’ll get to choose from about 15 to 20 items for the staff to barbecue on the spot, ranging from the normal fishballs to the broccoli.

Single Bone Chicken Wing, Seafood Tofu, Curry Quail Eggs and Hokkaido Scallops

For the BBQ items, after you have ordered the items, the staff would BBQ them on the spot. Our favourite items are the Single Bone Chicken Wing, Seafood Tofu and Hokkaido Scallops. The chicken wings are unique as they are flat and just have a single bone. It was easy to eat it and the meat was full of smokey fragrance. Their homemade chili complement it perfectly even though it was so spicy. 

This is a stall that I always patronise for their BBQ items whenever I cross the causeway via public transport! If you have not tried this yet, you should! 

KIMDO BBQ 金都串串烧 @ JB City Square(Malaysia, Johor Bahru) 
J3-19B City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook
80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: 07 207 2838
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 10pm

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Teck Sing Restaurant 德星茶餐室 (Malaysia, Johor Bahru) 2nd post

Curry Prawn in Indonesia Style 印尼虾 RM 30

Teck Sing Restaurant 德星茶餐室 is a well known Chinese restaurant offering delicious food at affordable prices. It has several signature dishes, it's most famous signature dish is the Teck Sing Paper Wrapped Chicken.

Teck Sing competitor is just next door (at the left of the restaurant) called Bamboo Restaurant which also specialises in serving paper wrapped chicken. Years ago, Bamboo Restaurant's version was more popular. However over the years, the standard has dropped. Currently, Teck Sing's paper wrapped chicken is more popular among the locals and Singaporeans. 

Paper Wrapped Chicken 德星药材纸包鸡  RM 26

Teck Sing's signature Paper Wrapped Chicken 德星药材纸包鸡 aka Yao Cai Ji now cost RM 26. It used to cost just RM18 four years ago! The eatery uses kampung chicken which is wrapped in  a few pieces of thick superior paper and baked for several hours with various Chinese herbs. The chicken was incredibly fresh, soft, tender and juicy. It was so fork tender; the flesh fell part from the bones easily. So delicious and delectable! One of the best Yao Cai Ji I have ever had. A must order!

Kang Kong with Sambal Chilli RM10

The Kang Kong with Sambal Chilli  RM10 was very well executed. It was well-cooked and the Kang Kong was still crunchy. The Kang Kong with Sambal Chilli strangely was more sweet than spicy with the fragrance of garlic and shrimp. Despite that, this dish was so savoury and delicious that we polish it off within minutes. This is a common dish that is available at most eateries and yet Teck Sing has proven that their cooking technique is still one of the best.

Curry Prawn in Indonesia Style 印尼虾 RM 30

Another dish that we tried was the Curry Prawn in Indonesia Style 印尼虾 RM 30. Cooked in a claypot, it arrived pipping hot with several huge prawns in curry broth! The prawns were fresh as they were easy to deshell. Moreover, the meat was firm, succulent and sweet. The curry broth was spicy, fragrant and milky. It is best accompanied with plain rice! 

Teck Sing Restaurant 德星茶餐室 (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

1 Jalan Sutera Satu, Taman Sentosa

80150 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Tel: 07 334 7025

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm

Website

Location

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Ah Hua Kway Teow 亚华粿條(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Kway Teow RM16

Ah Hua Kway Teow 亚华粿條 is a Teochew kway teow soup eatery located 10 minutes walk from the causeway. In fact, it is near Hua Mui Coffee Shop and Hiap Joo Bakery. 

You can find Ah Hua Kway Teow 亚华粿條, by looking out for the big signage "Restoran Sekee". It is essentially the only stall operating in this coffeeshop/restoran.

Inside, there is a big seating capacity which can easily fit in 40 customers. When I visited on a Tuesday morning at 10 am, it was not crowded. There was less than 10 customers.  

There was just 2 person manning the stall. The lady took the orders, prepare the ingredients and cook them. Once the food was ready, a man would then deliver it to the table and collect the money. 

What caught our attention was this. The broth and ingredients were cooked over the charcoal stove! Wow, I really wonder how she manage and control the heat!

In terms of product offerings, it is simple. Just 2 sizes (i.e. small bowl for RM8 and big bowl for RM16). Of course you can choose the type of noodles and whether it should be dry or wet version etc.

Kway Teow RM16

Since I rarely visit Johor Bahru these days, I went for the RM16 (big) soup version. For the RM16 version, customers can choose for more ingredients or oysters. I chose more ingredients. 

When the bowl of kway teow arrived, I was surprised... because of the food presentation. The ingredients were were presented neatly. Noodles and meat slices were underneath. Liver slices were placed at one sie while kidney slices were on the other side. It was even topped with a piece of seaweed, that was placed at the top of the pile of kidney. 

Kway Teow RM16

The Kway Teow RM16 was served with lots of kidney and liver slices, lean meat, minced meat, kway teow (noodles), pork lard, shallotand topped with seaweed. She was really very generous with the ingredients. There was more than 6 thick slices of kidney!

The kidney tasted difference from those that I had before. There was no yucky after taste and it was jelly like. Normally, when you cooked kidney soup, the flavour would overwhelm any other flavour in the broth. But for this version, it did not happen. Having said this, I must say that the broth was disappointing. Although it was cooked in pork bone over a charcoal stove, it was quite bland tasting, with just a mild-sweet flavour. Also, I had expected a smokey fragrance as it was cooked over a charcoal stove.. but that was clearly missing. I guess I had my expectations too high.

I noticed that most people ordered the dry version which comes with lots of orangey sauce. Maybe I should have ordered the dry version instead! (anyone ate that before?)

Ah Hua Kway Teow 亚华粿條(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Restoran Sekee 司機

30, Jalan Segget, Johor Baru Town

80000 Johor Bahru

Opening Hours: Sun to Thu 8 am - 2.30pm

                         Closed on Fri and Sat, and alternate Thu

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By Grace, Trus (Malaysia, Johor Bahru) (Closed)

*Closed*

Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90

By Grace, Trus is a soft serve cafe located along Jalan Trus, 15 minutes away from the causeway. In fact, it is located less than 1 minute walk from the famous Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂.

We visited the cafe at 12 noon sharp when it just opened and was the their first customers.

Menu

They specialise in serving only charcoal earl grey soft serve.

Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90

We were told that their signature is the Osmanthus Charcoal Earl Grey Soft Serve RM18.90. It was one the most interesting and contrasting dessert I had. The unique ingredients includes wolfberries, muffin, charcoal early grey soft serve ice cream, osmanthus, rice crispies pop and osmanthus jelly and foam. It was quite an innovative dessert. But I would just prefer the plain charcoal early grey soft serve. 

By Grace, Trus (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

9, Jalan Trus

80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Tel: +60 17 740 1733

Opening Hours: Daily 12 pm to 10 pm

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The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Eggs Benedict RM25.90

As new players continue to join the cafe scene in Singapore, a similar trend is taking place across the causeway. There are at least 10 cafes along the stretch of shop houses at Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. Both streets are just 15 minutes walk away from the causeway.

We visited The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen which is a cafe along Jalan Dhoby. We arrived on a week day at around 11am. The cafe has a small seating capacity of around 25. When  we arrived, the cafe was half full. By the time we left at around 12 noon, the cafe was full and there was a queue! It as obvious from the tone and slang that all the customers in the cafe were Singaporeans!

Beverage Menu 

The beverage (coffee, tea, juices and chocolate) menu.

Brunch Menu

Brunch Menu

Churros with Salted Egg Yolk Dip RM16.90

We ordered the Churros with Salted Egg Yolk Dip RM16.90 for sharing. It was a pity the churros was not crisp. The salted egg yolk dip was delicious. But towards the end it became quite jerlak.

The Breakfast Platter RM29.90

The Breakfast Platter consisted of buttery scrambled eggs, sautéed mushroom, grilled tomato, chicken sausage and turkey ham pastrami served with museli bread. At RM29.90, it was so value for money considering that it would have easily cost around $18 in Singapore. Moreover, it was delicious. One of their best dish! Shiok!

 Eggs Benedict RM25.90

Eggs Benedict with beef pastrami which cost RM25.90 was disappointing. The egg (yolk) were overcooked and no longer runny. As for the beef pastrami, they were on the salty end.

Overall, the prices at the cafe was reasonable and we really liked The Breakfast Platter. Do give it a try! With the number of cafes nearby, we are so spoil for choice! =)

The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

33, Jalan Dhoby

Bandar Johor Bahru

80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Tel: 60 16 713 2714

Opening Hours: Daily 9 am to 7 pm

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Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Banana Cake (big) RM9.80

Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂 is a well-known traditional bakery shop located 15 minutes walk from the causeway. If you know where Hua Mui Coffee Shop is, it is just further down the coffee shop. The bakery sells only banana cakes and buns, and no longer sell biscuits. Their cakes and buns get sold out pretty fast after each baking session even if its a weekday. It is so popular because the cakes and buns are baked the traditional way where wood is used as fuel. It takes a lot of experience to control the heat using this method.

I visited the bakery on a weekday at 10.45 am and was surprised that there was no queue. The reason was because there was only a few boxes of banana cakes left. The buns were being baked and would be ready only at around 11.15 am. Hence, we bought a few boxes of banana cakes and went over to a nearby cafe. I came back at 11.20 am and there was a queue of about 10 persons. The turnover rate was fast and I managed to buy the Coconut Buns and Kaya Buns. I wanted to buy more, but did not as the buns could not be kept for long (as the buns were placed into plastic bag without being allowed to cool down, condensation had form). By this time, the banana cakes were sold out. The next batch would be ready at 12 noon.

Menu

The prices of the buns and cakes are pasted outside the shop. I hope I get to try the curry potato buns and otak-otak buns sometime soon! 

Banana Cake (big) RM9.80

The Banana Cake (big) which consist of 10 slices of cake cost RM9.80. Its appearance is ordinary just like any other cakes. Never judge a book by its cover. The cake was oh so moist, soft and light. In terms of taste it was fragrant and not overly sweet! 

Coconut Buns RM3.70

I have not so much about the bakery's buns but have not managed to try any till this occasion.

Coconut Buns RM3.70

The Coconut Buns RM3.70 tasted even better than the Banana Cake. The bun itself was light and ordinary. The bomb was the coconut shreds in the bun which were still so juicy. With each mouthful, the flavours of the coconut and juice in it explodes in the mouth. The taste of it was right smack out of this world! You got to try this yourself!

As for the Kaya Buns RM3.70, they pale in comparison. Just purchase the coconut buns and banana cake!

Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory 协裕面包西果厂(Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

80000 Johor Bahru

Johor, Malaysia
Tel: 60 7 223 1703

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 7.30 am - 5.30pm

                           Closed on Sun

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Bev C - Cafe & Fashion Retail Store (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

Lemon Tea Ice Cube Drink and House Special Espresso Ice Cube Drink with Chocolate and Milk

Singapore and Malaysia are closely linked to each other in many aspects, even food. Just like how the number of cafes have emerged in Singapore in recent years, the number of cafes in Malaysia and Johor Bahru have also increased. One such cafe with a unique concept is Bev C.

Bev C is located around 15 minutes walk away from the the causeway / City Square. It stands out among the other cafes because of its unique concept and design. It is both a cafe and fashion retail store!

Bev C is uniquely design. From its appearance, it would not be a sweeping statement to say that a tremendous thoughts and effort had been placed into its design. It is suitable photo shoot, be it OOT (Outfit Of the Day), selfie or welfie.

Looks at these pictures.

There is even a cozy corner with a bed! How cool is that!

House Special Espresso Ice Cube Drink with Chocolate and Milk RM 12.90

As for their drinks, they are not only thirst quencher, but also Instagram worthy and unique. Most patrons will come here for their ice cubes drinks which are one of the must tries at this cafe due to its unique concept. The concept is not to use (normal) ice cubes which dilutes the drink. Hence, for this House Special Espresso Ice Cube Drink with Chocolate and Milk RM 12.90, it came with Espresso ice cubes!! Cold milk is then poured into the glass filled with  espresso ice cubes and chocolate.

Lemon Tea Ice Cube Drink RM 12.90

Another popular drink that is enjoy by patrons from all walks of life is the Lemon Tea Ice Cube Drink RM 12.90.

Lemon Tea Ice Cube Drink RM 12.90

Yes, you saw this correctly, there are lemon tea ice cubes. It is so refreshing and perfect for this scorching weather!

White Chocolate Truffle Pie RM 13.90

The White Chocolate Truffle Pie RM 13.90 is one of their best sellers at this cafe. Very forgiving in terms of taste and not overly sweet. The truffle flavour was on the faint end though.

To me, Bev C stands out more as a cafe compared to a clothing retail store. With its unique design and menu, it is bound to attract even more attention from both sides of the causeway although it is located along the same alley with many other cafes. Great place to chill out at! 

Bev C - Cafe & Fashion Retail Store (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)
54 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee 
80000 Johor Bahru
Tel: 07 221 3530
Opening Hours: Tue to Thur, Sun 11am - 8pm 
                         Fri to Sat 11am - 10pm 
                         Closed on Monday
Website

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Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) is a well known kelong seafood restaurant located in Johor Bahru. Although this restaurant is located around 30 minutes drive away from the checkpoint, it is popular among Singaporeans. At the car park which is unmarked, you are likely to see more Singapore registered cars compared to Malaysia vehicles.

Restoran Todak is unique as the whole restaurant located along the coast on kelong stilts.

The restaurant is located directly opposite Singapore's Sembawang Coast and provides a picturesque view. As you can see from the photo above, those cranes in the background are from Sembanwang shipyard.

Although the restaurant has indoor seats, most of the tables and chairs are located outside (without a roof) - alfresco style dining with the sea breeze. We arrived early for dinner as we were aware that the restaurant would be packed and some of the seafood would be sold out if we arrive late.

The live seafood are displayed with the prices indicated. For their crabs, they have different pricing depending on the prices. The cheaper ones typically get sold out before 730 pm. The you will need to wait and see if new stock comes in in the next couple of hours or order a more expensive crab.

We used the big menu (above) and ordered our food based on the recommendation of the type of cooking style for the food.

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

The Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry were delicious! The prawns of different sizes were relatively big and very fresh; succulent and sweet tasting meat!

Fried Buns (Man Tou)

We ordered fried buns (man tous) which complemented perfectly with the Indonesian Curry gravy.

 Salted Egg Crab

The Salted Egg Crab was unique. I was expecting this to come with sauce and was surprised when it was a 'dry' dish. Taste wise, there was just a slight hint of salted egg flavour. Initially, we thought that the wrong order was delivered to us as this tasted more like fried garlic crab! I was not too impressed with the taste. But the saving grace was that the crab was so fresh! The meat could be easily extracted from the shell and was so tender.

Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) Gong Bao 宫保Style

The Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) was cooked Gong Bao 宫保style. This dish was very well executed. The Japanese snail had a smooth texture and was springy! The Gong Bao style complement the Japanese Snail quite well. If the sauce was slightly more spicy, it would be more ideal!

Egg Omelette (Fu Rong Egg 芙蓉蛋)

Egg Omelette was fluffy and addictive - very well executed.

Butter Crayfish

Had great expectations for the Butter Crayfish. But it disappointed in terms of presentation and taste. I was expecting a more buttery flaovour that would make this addictive.

Lala

The Lala too was just 'meh' disappointing. The Lala were not meaty and plump enough. This is definitely not the best lala; is average.

Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan

The Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan was well fried. Cooked and tasted just right. It complemented the plain rice extremely well.

Complimentary Fruits

After each meal, every table would be served with a plate of Complimentary Fruits.

Receipt

The total cost of our meal. Relatively cheap after converting to Singapore dollars considering this meal fed five persons.

This restaurant is definitely worth coming back to. I saw several tables ordering their fish and oysters. The oysters were huge! The downside is the distance from the causeway; you would probably need a vehicle. 

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

No 1 Kampung Orang Asli, 
Telok Jawa, Masai 
81750 Johor Bahru
Tel: 07 386 3696

Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 1130pm

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