Johor Bahru (Malaysia)! Places of Attraction (Tuas Causeway)

We've covered some of the restaurants that's good when you are traveling to JB via Woodsland here. (Legoland anyone?) If you are traveling via Tuas, we've got your back too. Here is our list of all things wonderful to eat (and what you can do to occupy your time between meals.) 

Restoran Tian Lai 
It doesn't look like much from the outside, and being in the middle of nowhere didn't helped its case. My friends were unusually hesitant when we arrived, and then they clocked in the Tian Lai signboard - almost unreadable from layers of dirt over it. But like the popular saying books and covers goes, one shouldn't be too hasty judging the quality of food based on a restaurant's exterior.  From this kitchen comes out some of the best food I've had. 

I'm not usually a fan of the Bamboo Clam (竹蛏 in Chinese), because of the hefty price tag that comes alongside it. But everybody enjoyed how fresh the seasonal clams were, and the ample amount of chopped garlic over the clams was a delight. 

For a restaurant specialising in seafood, they sure make a mean plate of Sweet and Sour Pork. The pork bits were slathered generously with their fragrant sweet and sour sauce, and best of all, they weren't soggy at all, but retained every bit of its crisp even when drenched in sauce. 

The Fried Vermicelli's unremarkable appearance belies its intense wok hei. I cleared the entire plate, and would have gladly ate more if I could. Best vermicelli I'd had. 

The Salted Egg Crab (Large - RM120/kg) was spectacular. Like all stir-fried (dry) crabs, one trick is to skip the pincers and go straight for the thin legs, because that's where all the gorgeous salted egg sauce coagulates together whilst stir-frying. With all the salted egg bits beckoning to you, this is the one time to take a pass on the pincers and reach for the legs. 

The Chili Crab was pleasant, and went well with the crispy deep-fried mantou and the pillowy softness of the bun within. But the salted egg crab was just that much nicer... We ordered around 2pm, and there were only three crabs left to choose from. We spotted fresh seafood being delivered around 230pm, and replenished the already-empty tanks in the restaurant. It's great to know that they rotate through their seafood quick, and nothing gets stuck for a long time. 

Their Hot Pot Tofu was world-class. (Skip a similar dish, the Golden Beancurd, which was a far cry taste-wise compared to the hot pot tofu.) 

The Sambal kangkong was really spicy. Two bites cleared my sinus. But the people 'round our table who could take the heat loved it.

The small Coconuts (RM6.50) that we ordered were universally sweet (we ordered 7!), but I understand if it's a seasonal thing. Definitely skip the Water Chestnut, which tastes artificially sweet.

Hokkein Mee was ... inoffensive. A waste of stomach space, and I'd rather load up on the other much, much more impressive dishes. Ditto for the Cereal Prawns, which tasted strangely like peanut butter. 

I hear the Keropok is nice here. Something to try the next time around, eh?  And no one's going to say no to the durian store right outside the stall front, though I'm not sure if even I can stand a full day's road trip with the scent of durian in the car. 

Directions to Tian Lai seemed confusing all over the internet, with each blog saying a different address. Even Google Map is slightly off... but here's the correct location: Tian Lai is right across BWC Car Beauty Centre. In the dimly lit street at night, look for the car centre, and then look a little further and you have Tian Lai.   

One tip on Tian Lai: definitely come in for lunch or early dinner, if you can. As mentioned, fresh seafood gets delivered around 2pm. The dinner crowd is horrendous, and the swarms of flies that appear in dusk would sour your appetite. For your sanity, coming for lunch is the best way to enjoy the best that Tian Lai has to offer. And when Michelin comes knocking in a few years time, remember - you heard all about Tian Lai here first. 


Tian Lai Seafood Garden
Address 
158 Jalan Leong Bee, 81550 Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia
Streetside parking is available! (You may not want to come in during peak hours though)

Bukit Indah
Bukit Indah is a popular region in Johor Bahru for Singaporeans on a day-trip. Bukit Indah Aeon Mall has a Aeon Hypermarket for the enterprising Singaporeans wishing to shave a few dollars off their grocery bills, but by and large, the grocery prices - and variety - is remarkably similar to Singapore. They're on to us, people. I do enjoy the fresh coconuts there, they open the coconut on demand and transfer the flesh and juice into a container. 

If you are a fan of preserved fruits, we love the preserved roseapples sold at TropiFruitis right outside Aeon.

Dragon-I is a dimsum restaurant in the mall. There is few branches scattered throughout Malaysia: we had once before while in Penang, and the dinner experience was so enjoyable, we brought back 10 liu sa bao back to Singapore on the plane.

Flowering Tea: RM6.50

On our return visit to the JB store, the liu sa bao (RM10/basket) is still the best that I've had. (Miss XS still swears by Singapore's Taste Paradise, but to each his own.) The skin may be a little tough especially when cool, but unlike the typical egg custards from other restaurants with a layer of oil floating unappetizing at the top, the ones here were perfectly homogenous. 

Zhen Jiang Kao Lei Gu (Pork Ribs - RM35) - was really impressive. A generous amount of aromatic sauce over hot crispy skin is a sure winner in my book.

Xiao Long Bao (RM11.50/basket) were decent (above average compared to SG's restaurants, Miss XS interjects. She ranks Paradise Dynasty > Din Tai Fung > Dragon-I & Crystal Jade > Imperial Treasure). 

I didn't take a picture of the Sliced Fish, but it was one of the best dishes I had here. Avoid the Whole Fish that came highly recommended: the meat was dry and the sauce too cloying sweet. 


I like the Crispy Half Duck (RM45), but others remarked it was cooked too long, resulting in a dry texture.

The Honey Crisp Eels (RM22) made a great bridging dish to snack between waiting for other dishes to arrive. The honey sauce can get a little too sweet towards the end. 

The Spicy Beef Brisket La Mian (Beef noodles - RM22) was not spicy. Like, in the least. It could be the least spicy version ever. I slurped down the soup. It's a decent dish, and I liked it more than the fried rice (as below).

Perhaps the least favoured dish was the Shanghai Fried Rice(RM23).The Pork Ribs atop was delish, but the tepid fried rice had no wok hei and was a chore to finish.

Dragon-I

No. 8 Jalan Indah 15/2 | Lot G13A Ground Floor, AEON Bukit Indah Shopping Centre, Johor Bahru 81200, Malaysia

Also in Bukit Indah
Across the road from the mall is a happening strip of shops catered towards the tai-tai lifestyle. I channel my inner tai-tai and had a grand ol' time there too. The K Style Korean Hair Saloon that people rave about online is always too popular to fit walk-ins in, so you'll need to call several days ahead to get a slot. I went with Ivan from I-image Hair and Make-up Saloon (Males hair cut RM30, hair dye RM80), who consistently do great haircuts and dyes.

I-image Hair and Make-up Saloon 
20, Jalan Indah 15/3, Bukit Indah, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

If you're keen on a massage, Kaki-Kaki is the renowned one with the free food, but we've had a good experience at Thai Relax when we found out that Kaki-Kaki was fully booked up. It's fine whichever you go for, but do call ahead to book a slot whenever possible. The one that you should avoid is Eminent Reflexology (皇足轩) Massage: as you head to the counter to pay your bill, they obfuscate the final bill and slip in an extra 10 ringgit hoping you wouldn't notice. There isn't a receipt either; the payment probably went under the table. 10 ringgit is not a lot in the grand scheme of life, but it soured the entire experience. Enjoy that extra 10 ringgit. We wouldn't be back, nor recommend anyone to go there. 

Jeju Korea Restaurant draws a big crowd come meal-time, and it's always pleasant to see charcoal-fired grills. I'm also pretty impressed by the number of side-dishes.

The Pork Neck (also known as pork scotch if you're fancy) is fabulous, and even fattier and juicier than the Pork Belly. The Marinated Beef Ribs were soft and chewy, and the over-sweetness of the marination made me wished I chose the unmarinated version instead. But all in all, a great meal. Their Kimchi Soup was by and away superior to most restaurants in Singapore (the latter which somehow tastes supiciously similar to Shin Ramen).

Restoran Ta Si Xi HK dim sum (大四喜香港点心楼)

It's not meant to be a fine-dining experience (think baskets of hearty dim sum!), but we particularly enjoyed their xiao long bao and ming xia juan. 
Address: 
11, Jalan Camar 1/3, Taman Perling, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia 81200

Restoran Sunroast 

It's located about 2 hours from Tuas Checkpoint in Yong Peng. This restaurant made its name roasting its meat the old-fashioned way via charcoal. I wandered around and found a pile of charcoal neatly stacked together, each stick thick as my thigh. Don't play play.  

The Roasted Pork Belly is perhaps the best dish here. The pork meat was a little oversalted, but the crispy skin made up for it. Their Char Siew and Charcoal Roasted Duck are decent, though the char siew had a thick coat of oil covering it. Duck's good, but a little plain. As Ya Wang in Johor Bahru has shown, a herbal sauce - dang gui or anything - would complement the roasted duck very well.   

The town of Yong Peng is renowned for its noodles, and the noodles at this restaurant was cooked firm to the bite. Perfect. The Italians would have approved too. We also had the Chinese Herbal Pork Tail Soup, a heady brew of ling zhi and dang sheng. The pioneer generation amongst us loved it, but we younglings found it too bitter. 

Their refreshing Lemongrass Tea gave a nice contrast to the oily and savory dishes. 

We paid RM98.40 for the eight of us. 

Address: No 2,Bt 1/4,Jalan Air Hitam, Yong Peng 83700. (Their address listed on Google may be a little outdated, so this is their Facebook page.)

Hours: 7.30am - 4.30pm. 

Wish-list!

Cafe hopping in Bukit Indah? I found this list helpful.