House, Heart And Tummy Warming

In these days of economic instability, it is very heartening for me to hear when my friends decide to buy themselves property. If one has a roof over one's head, everything is a little easier. As such, I was more than happy to get myself lost trying to find Sharon Tan's new apartment block.

Luckily I took a quarter of the time my other friend, Jo-Lynn did. She took the grand tour of Subang, Kelana Jaya and back, which lasted a good two hours!

Still, it was time well spent because there was a lot of good feeling at this event. Sharon was surrounded by people who loved her and wished her well, including her mother, father and brother from Melaka, as well as friends from college and work.

All the bounty of a new beginning.

Sharon's chicken curry.

Sharon's mixed veggies. Loved the bamboo shoot!

Sausage platter with Sharon's mum's otak otak on the left.

She insisted on feeding us all, so she actually cooked on her first day into her apartment. She made chicken curry, pork vermicelli, mixed veggies and a platter of sausages as well as her mum's home made otak-otak. She also bought a tray of sushi. Needless to say it was quite a feed!

Platter of sushi.

 One of Sharon's bosom buddy's mum contributed a special touch - abacus balls. These are fantastic rice flour dumplings stuffed with minced meat and vegetables which are a real challenge to make. These were amazingly good and 100 percent home made. Yum!

Abacus dumplings.

With food and friends like this, Sharon's new house is bound to be filled to the brim with love and luck!

Lekor Chips

An-Nur Food Industry is a little manufacturer of local snack food which is doing Johor proud. The brainchild of Ghazaley Ayub, whose half Chinese parentage is possibly spurring on to bigger than cottage industry business, An-Nur produces a wholly Malaysian snack called keropok lekor. This is an East Coast delight which has found much favour with Malaysians on the whole. It is essentially a fish cracker, which can be done in a variety of styles. The ones that KL-ites are most familiar with is the long, think, elongated oval ones. These are crispy, if sometimes a little hard because they are thick.

The other style is the smaller, softer, squisher kind, which is called 'lekor lembut'. These are chewy, and tend to be oilier than the long ones. Both are now sold by most lekor traders.

Ghazaley did a survey of the lekor industry and found that 20 tonnes of lekor was used by the Johoreans in a day. This got him thinking, that if he could pare off one percent of the pie, he would be on to something good. And so he began by sourcing fish from Sabah, Mersing, and Kuala Selangor.  He brought these frozen 10 kilo blocks of fish back to his factory in Kampung Serkat, and began making lekor.

His lekor is frozen and bought by many traders, canteen operators and restaurants in the area now, and he is quite happy that 20 sen can buy someone a taste of his wares.

Lekor chips fresh out of the fryer.

Like a true innovator, Ghazaley developed another use for this lekor mixture. By adding pepper and onion, he has turned the mix into what can be called 'muruku'. He brands them 'lekor chips' and they are great! They are so good that one of Malaysia's so-called celebrity chefs, Jaafar Onn, actually endorses the product with no endorsement fee. That coming from a market where RM7,000 a month is usual for an endorsement, this is a real coup.

Amazingly addictive snacks!

Truly, the product is fantastic. They are crunchy and tasty and very addictive. It's really hard to stop munching them. It is not just a Malay taste, it is an all-round Malaysian taste, since I bought tubs for my family, neighbours and friends and all of them love it.

The factory cum store and cafe.

An-Nur has a cafe which it recently opened, so people can enjoy the fresh lekor and lekor chips with some drinks. The shop front also offers all the products for sale.

An-Nur Food Industry
161 Kampung Serkat
82030 Pontian
Johor
Tel: +607 696 0115

New Kukup Restaurant

New Kukup Restaurant is one of the seatown's oldest establishments.

This is the first seafood restaurant in Kukup Laut, the row of shophouses which is built on the sea in the district of Pontian, Johor. We would not have eaten here if not for the lady owner whom we interviewed for a book we're working on. She was quite insistent that we have a meal at her place, and so, that first day, we put ourselves into her hands and she served up some real good seafood.

She started us with the chilli clams. Folks in Pontian like this sweet chilli-based sauce. I found it pretty yummy with the clams and it went perfectly with the fluffy white rice.

Chilli clams (lala).

Next came the very fragrant crayfish, in a waft of steam and pepper. These flat prawn-family critters don't have very much meat on them. They look big, but there's very little eating to them. The market price per kilo is RM64. With most of that being shell, it's not a great investment. Also, the style it was prepared in made the meat a little too tough, although the mixture was really fragrant, with black pepper and salt and spring onions.

Deep-fried crayfish in pepper.

More shellfish came in the way of the Nestum prawns. These were absolutely delicious.  Deep fried with a coating of batter and Nestum, the prawns came out smelling so sweet that the mouth just waters at the scent. This dish did not suffer from the overcooking of the crayfish, and so it was a joy to rip off the shells and bite into a succulent, briny sweet prawn.

Fried Nestum prawns.

The crabs were her piece de resistance. A specialty of the restaurant, these salted egg crabs were amazing. Quite the best I have eaten. Usually presented quite dry, the dish here is moist, with lots of crumbed salted egg bits sticking to the crabs. The flavour is rich and intense. Salty, peppery from the curry leaves and dried chillis, and sweet from the moist flesh of the crabs. It was a shocker to learn that six salted eggs go into a plate of this size! That's a lot of cholesterol, but a lot of flavour too!

Salted egg crab was the bomb!

We rued our late lunch as it was so salty it quite dehydrated us when we were in the mangroves photographing. Kit lamented the lack of vegetables in our meal, but we decided that it was because the lady boss was insistent of showcasing her best wares.

Ong Mei Ling, the owner and second generation of this restaurant refused to take a sen for our lunch, which was no doubt quite pricey. So of course I made sure we returned for another meal. One which I paid for.

That happened the next day, after a bumpy boat ride into the Straits of Malacca, a visit to a charcoal factory and a dead end to hoped for meeting with the indigenous people of the area.

With a party of six, there were more people to share more food. As such we were able to try a bit more variety, beginning with a yummy fried rice with seafood which cost RM9 for the portion.

Seafood fried rice.

I made certain greens were on the menu this time, so we had kangkong belacan at RM10 a portion. The belacan (dried shrimp paste) is made from prawns caught around the area, so it was fresh and pletiful.

Kangkong belacan.

The pea sprouts (dao miu) in garlic was the opposite of the fiery belacan, and made for a greeny, raw lift to the meal. It was also RM10 for the portion.

Pea sprouts with garlic and onion.

The large fish in sweet and sour style was RM37 and very yummy. Fried just right, the skin was crunchy, while the flesh was still white and tender, full of bite and sea freshness. The fish comes from one of the many fish breeders in the area, so was also local produce, by my standards.

Sweet sour fish.

Mei Ling suggested the Creamer Prawns which she said was a creation of her sister's who went to eat a KL restaurant four times to get the flavours down pat so she could replicate it in New Kukup. It was sinful. Sweet, tangy, creamy, delicious, it was a helping of steamy goodness which came with a plate of fried buns. The prawns were RM36, the buns RM5 and I would eat the combination again in a jiffy. I can smell that good, rich fragrance as I write and remember!

Creamer prawns.

Fried buns to soak up that amazing prawn gravy with.

We also had the kam heong clams. 'Kam' means 'gold', after the yellow of the turmeric (kunyit) used in the mix. 'Heong' means 'fragrance' which comes from the combination of pounded, dried shrimps, chillie, ginger and other spices. The clams were plump and succulent and were completely enjoyable for RM20 a helping.

We had the signature chilled lime juice to drink. The salty sour drink is RM2 a glass and quite refreshing. Along with the wet towels, the meal came to RM146. It was a happy parting of cash from this writer!

New Kukup Restaurant
1 Kukup Laut
83200 Pontian
Johor
Tel: +607 696 0216

Tea Time

Time for a cold cuppa!

Here is another chain of Taiwanese milk tea shops. I'm not sure if this place has outlets in Kuala Lumpur, but my first sampling of Tea Time was in Pontian. The drinks came in handy after a long day out, and the first thing I noticed were that prices were a tad cheaper than most milk tea places in KL. For instance, the Pearl Milk Green Tea I ordered was priced at RM3.50 for 400cc and RM4 for the 700 cc size. The latter is the default size if you do not stipulate you want the smaller one. This drink was nice: milky, with the green fragrance of green tea. Of course I really enjoy tapioca pearls and these were caramelly sweet and chewy.

Pearl Milk Green Tea.

 The menu does not seem comprehensive, even if there are over a hundred drinks. That is because there are many repeats in the series. You can make milk tea, or milk tea with pearls, or milk tea with pudding, but there are no double ingredient drinks like milk tea with pearls and pudding. That's a little frustrating for a variety freak like me.

Kit was quite happy with Milk Tea with pudding (RM4, with passable pudding but nothing close to Chatime), while I took away a plum lemon (RM4.50) which I found to be a boon when drunk after a day on a bouncy, pitching boat in the open Straits of Malacca. On another visit he had the milk tea float which featured a blob of chocolate ice cream in milk tea for RM4.50. Not the most pretty drink, I can tell you! Hence the lack of photos!

The Yakult with wintermelon was tangy and delicious, and even though I know it was more the character of the Yakult than the mix itself, I give Tea Time credit for mixing it up! I really did like the slightly sour, milky taste of the Japanese probiotic drink, with the earthy, slightly musky flavour of the wintermelon. For RM4, it was one of the more original drinks, since it had a most beguiling aftertaste of ginger snaps!

Tea Time shares the same kitschy cutesy decor of many Taiwanese eateries. It's meant to promote a cheery vibe and atmosphere, and largely, I think it succeeds.

A place to chill and hang out.

Food-wise, expect only quick service style foods, meaning lots of pre-mixed sauces, frozen foods, and the like. I had the Salad You Tiao which was pretty yummy. It was Chinese cruellers stuffed with a fishcake like paste, fried, and drizzled with salad cream. Pretty zero where nutrition is concerned, but yummy for RM3.90.

The plate of Mixed Snacks had fish cake, black pepper sausage, fish nuggets, tofu and fish ball, all which were quite tasty. At RM5 they made quite a filling snack. The Curry Laksa was not to either of our tastes. I was a little repulsed by the smell that preceded it. It was not a bad smell, but it was one where the top note of lemongrass completely dominated, to the point of being sickly. Upon eating, the taste was a a lot more muted than the fragrance, thankfully, but there was nothing exemplary about the RM4.90 dish.

Looks bad, smelled odd. Tasted okay, but the damage was done!

Tea Time
8G Jalan Delima 7
Pusat Perdagangan Pontian
Johor

Sate Debot

Satay and then some!

How wonderful it is to see the lesser used meats and organs being used in satay! I'm a big fan of the yucky bits (must be the Chinese in me!), and I was very happy to see this Malay satay seller in Pontian, Johor, offering not only the usual chicken, beef and mutton, but also lungs and tripe, as well as fish. Sate Debot is a small stall on Jalan Delima 7, across the street from Marrybrown.

Although I was full from a meal, I just had to try out the stall. I like satay - it is one of my favourite Malaysian foods, and a good satay is always welcome. I passed on the chicken and beef, but ordered mutton, which was lovely - the gaminess of sheep always tastes better a little fire blackened and caramelized with spices and traditional satay marinade. At 70 sen a stick, it was the most pricey satay item, but it was goood!

I have never had paru (lungs) in satay form before, although it is an offal variant which the Malays use very often in other dishes. I have had it fried and crunchy, braised and chewy and stewed till soggy, but this took the cake. The sweet marinade of lemongrass (serai), cinnamon and cloves gave it a lovely lift. Lung by itself is quite tasteless, but after being marinated, this was really a delight. A huge plus was the soft chewiness of the meat, which was simply exquisite. For 60 sen a stick, I wish I could bring a whole mess back to my folks in Kuala Lumpur!

I didn't know what babat was, but ordered it anyway. When it arrived, I knew it as tripe and was not at all unpleased, because it's another thing I quite enjoy. Again, the marinade made it sing, and the offal was nearly meltingly tender. It was heavenly, if something as base as stomach lining can be heavenly!

The other safe option I ordered was the fish satay. These chunks of fish were compressed until they tasted meaty. The delicate flavour of fish was overpowered by the spices of the marinate and therefore was quite a lost cause. It was not terrible (very little can be, with a great marinade), but it was lacking in texture and synnergy, which was a shame.

I thought the satay here was the highlight of my eating in Pontian, but Kit waking at 5am and feeling decidedly ill made me wonder if I can ever eat here again. Sad, sad!

Marrybrown

Some Malaysians may remember this Kentucky Fried Chicken me-too product. Does anyone remember MacDota too? A similar chicken restaurant, also locally owned, which has now truly vanished. Marrybrown has been quite the survivor. While its presence in Kuala Lumpur and the bigger urban centers have decreased, it seems to have been part of a well thought out strategy to confine themselves to smaller towns and areas where the big boys don't see the value of the small footprint. A big plus point is that Marrybrown has also made inroads in to the Arab Stream market, with quite a number of outlets in the UAE. Fabulous going for a company founded by a woman from Johor! And how heartening to know that Marrybrown's chicken is ten times better than the Arab equivalent - ChicKing. Yeehaw!

My post on this Malaysian business is of course fired by the discovery of a Marrybrown outlet in Pontian, where we resided on our last trip South. We ate there twice in four days, both at dinner time, and twice, we saw a man who was a dead ringer for Colonel Sanders dining at the fast food outlet. It was quite a chuckle!

A nice cheery welcome in a small seaside town.

Marrybrown stands out here because it is the cleanest, brightest place in Pusat Perdagangan Pontian. True, it does not serve the best food (that award goes to the satay stall which may have been the cause of a bout of food poisoning for Kit), but it is clean, the menu is on the wall, and generally one can get by by pointing and grunting. I do have to say there is certainly something to be said for small town hospitality. The girls behind the counter were real Southern sweeties - simple, cheerful, struggling a little with English, but making up for it with patience and shy smiles.

Service with a smile was real, and from the heart in Pontian!

I'm combining the sum of both my meals in one post, so please don't fall off your chair at the amount consumed! The first night we decided that we needed to try their signature product - the chicken. So Kit hd the Lucky Plate Value Meal. It consisted of two pieces of fried chicken, one spicy, one regular; as well as a bun, vegetable salad, fries and a carbonated drink. He had Revive. The meal cost RM10.10

Lucky Plate.

We found the chicken very salty, but otherwise palatable. The pieces were still moist and the batter was crunchy. There was a distinct difference in taste between the regular and the spicy versions, although by looks, it was harder to tell the two apart, unlike at KFC when the Hot N Spicy pieces are always bigger, because of their heavy batter.

The bun triumped hands down over KFC's. It was really a very wholesome looking bit of bread, having a sprinkle of corn meal on top, and looking less processed and flaccid than the Colonel's. The mashed potato was less velvety than their competitor's, and the chicken gravy on top less peppery. They replace coleslaw with vegetable salad. Some may remember that KFC once also had this vegetable salad consisting of jicama and carrot cubes and  peas, tossed in salad dressing. I was only beginning to enjoy the crisp, raw taste of the product when KFC removed it from their menu. Marrybrown's version suffers a little from over keeping. Jicama (or bangkuang) contains quite a bit of water, and it releases it in the mixture, making it a bit soggy. Taste-wise, it is good, and I continue to enjoy it, enough to order a small portion of it for myself for RM2.

Vegetable salad.

Being in a coastal town made me hanker for fish, so I ended up with fish and chips. If I had eaten it the next day, I would have had a 20 percent discount, since it was the offer of the day for Wednesdays. Still, there were no regrets because this was the best fish and chips I have had in a non-fish and chip restaurant. Truly! They used good quality fish fillets (definitely not cheap dory!), and the fish was fried to golden perfection. The chips were the regular sort, but I certainly did not expect real chips! There was a very nice dip which was their version of tartar, but a bit more spiced and full bodied. The coleslaw wasn't bad either. As a Value Meal, it was RM13.90.

Fish and chips.

On the next visit, we decided to try out the attraction of the restaurant - the swing seats. It's a great idea: it gives the place a less sterile feel, and makes for an attraction for the kids. While cutesy, I do think I prefer my meals eaten in stasis!

Swinging good times? 

This visit round I decided on a light meal and ordered the Chicken Porridge Value Meal for RM5.80. It is possibly the best fast food porridge! For one, it tastes real. One can see the grains of rice, while the Golden Arches version is all gloopy. Marrybrown's version is also full of little bits of spring onions, fried shallots and sliced chicken. It is served in a real bowl, not styrofoam, and really does hit the spot. And the helping is a nice big one too!

Best porridge in town!

I ordered Mambo Fries (their version of Curly Fries) for RM4.20. These lacked the soft fluffiness of the A&W ones, but also, thankfully, the acrid aftertaste of over flavouring of the McDonald's variant, which I simply cannot stomach any more.

Mambo Fries.

Kit opted for a Hotouch Burger Value Meal for RM9.50, with fries and a drink. The burger bun looked as wholesome as the bun served with the Lucky Plate, and was as fluffy. However, Kit did say that the chicken patty was a full fillet of meat. While it is good in that it is clear Marrybrown uses a whole chicken fillet for this burger, it does mean more biting and chewing.

HoTouch Value Meal.

HoTouch burger under wraps.

I do have to say that while not a true highlight of my culinary experiences, I am very proud as a Malaysian foodie to say that the offerings at Marrybrown are perfectly acceptable on an international scale as far as their sort of food is concerned.

Kit would definitely eat here again, and has his eye on the curry laksa. Me, I like friendly service, and this place warmed the cockles of my heart with their good-natured crew.

MarrybrownRestaurant
1-A Jalan Delima 7Pusat Perdagangan Pontian
82000 Pontian, Johor
Tel: +07 686 1280.

Kiwiberry

And so the sharks move in for the kill. Seeing the success of the frozen yogurt chain, Tutti Frutti, a host of other unenterprising copy cats have jumped on the band wagon, hoping to have a slice of the froyo pie.

New (copy)cat on the block.

One of them is a kiosk in Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya. Called Kiwiberry, it is the exact model for the American chain, sans table seating. The one distinction makes them able to offer the products at slightly lower prices per 100 grams, but with the very real possibility of their clients being stepped on or rolled over by the shoppers passing through the narrow strait where the kiosk is located.

Nearly the same hardware too.

Truly, Kit actually got trod on when he stopped to snap these pictures. Hence, there are no photos of the actual froyo! But trust me when I say that it is quite good. There is a distinct difference between the fruit flavours and the the vanilla and chocolate. I got Kit a combination of the latter and he found it very thick and creamy. The vanilla was sweetly perfumed, almost as if there was some shred of real Madagascan vanilla in it, as the name suggested. The chocolate was a tad too dark, and perhaps bitter for me, but it went well with the vanilla.

One thing I found was that although the machines seemed to be replicas of the usual soft serve ice cream machines, the ones used at KiwiBerry are less responsive. When one decided they have put enough in the cup, it takes the lever a little while to respond, thus making money for the kiosk because more froyo comes out as the machine slowly cuts off. Therefore even if the product is a little less expensive per 100 grams, it might end up the same as a cup from Tutti Frutti because of the slow shut off valve.

The two cups I got came up to RM23. I'm not complaining overly much because I believe that if one decides to eat something, one must ensure the cost of the item is in one's wallet already. Also, as far as products go, their raspberry and passion fruit yogurts are pretty decent - light and tangy, and clean tasting, and therefore refreshing. In all honesty, the product would have to be good if they are placed in such a crappy place. Because really, to be trod on and bashed by a trolley for a RM1 ice cream cone is one thing, but to pay RM10 for a serving and not have anywhere to sit is a bit much!

KiwiBerry
Lot F42
Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya

Ikan Bakar, Pontian Kecil

On my first night in Johor, I was insistent that I immerse myself in the local delicacies. I guess having five stalls in a row offering the same thing makes the item a local delicacy! (Or show small town traders up as having no initiative to differentiate).

Whatever the case, I really like grilled fish. Johor, being a coastal state, is big on fish, and this makes ikan bakar (grilled fish) one of the most popular foods.

Clients pick their fish and have them grilled.

I was a little let down to find the rays (skate) so small, but I settled for the biggest of the lot, as well as a leatherjacket (cincharu). While the fish was being cooked, I sampled the local otak otak (minced fish flavoured with spices and coconut milk, grilled in palm leaves). I found it pretty good, if a little too sweet. I loved how the fragrance of the palm leaves scent the food!

Little rays on ice made me think long and hard about conservation.

Otak otak.

We ordered lime juice as well as chikong, to drink. I've always had an issue with 'drinks' like ice kacang and chikong (chikong, by the way, is the Malay perversion of the Chinese leng chi kang, or cold longan). My issue is that though these items are on the drinks menu, one eats the ingredients in both ice kacang and chikong. So technically, they are desserts.

I digress! Anyway, the chikong was good enough that Kit wanted one for himself (I managed to completely waste a bowl when it tipped on the slanting table and spilled its icy contents on me!). It was not the traditional way of doing it, but food evolves, and sometimes the evolutions become what is deemed the norm for the dish. This version has the dried longan as well as barley, black grass jelly, bits of candied wintermelon and a whole lot of bibs and bobs.

Drink up!

That's a smorgasbord if I've seen one! It's chikong, if you have not guessed!

The fish were pretty good. Both were covered in the same sambal, but it was a good one, so there were no big issues, apart from the ray being really too little too eat. The thick skin of the leatherjacket sealed in all the juices of that fish, so it came out perfectly.

Little ray.

More eating on this cincharu!

The whole meal came up to RM31.30, which was pretty decent. Even the stray cat was happy with his portion!

Fentimans Curiosity Cola

Nothing can make me break my usual disdain for carbonated drinks more than a well-written beverage menu. Hence, while at La Bodega in Bangsar Shopping Centre for a meeting, I succumbed to a fizzy drink by this British traditional drink maker.

Curiosity killed this cat, certainly!

Fentimans has been brewing drinks since 1905 and are known for their 'botanical brews'. This means using products sourced from nature, to give their drinks flavour. Since cola is originally made from the sasparilla tree's bark, I guess this means the natural ingredient for this cola came from parts of a tree.

However, apart from the lack of the nauseating carbonation of modern-day pop drinks, and a subtler flavour, this cola didn't do much for my curiousity!

Chili's Tastes Of America

This meal at Chili's was probably one of the best I've had. This was largely because there was a new promotional menu, meaning there were new things to try. Secondly, because all the things on the new menu were items I loved.

The only things not from the Tastes Of America menu were the lemonade and tomato juice, both RM8.95 and refillable, and the cup of beef rib soup (RM6.50) that my pal Pat had.

Tomato juice is the only thing I drink at Chili's, apart from water.

A little bit of this hearty Beef Rib Soup went a long way to warm up appetites.

We shared the Boston-style crab cakes. At RM28.95 it was a bit steep for five cutlet-sized pieces, but crab isn't cheap, and I think these were made with good crab meat. The crabcakes had capsicum, garlic and cilantro (ugh!) and were rolled in golden breadcrumbs and served with a creamy cilantro dip, as well as a chipotle one. They came served on a bed of crispy tortilla strips, which were yummy, and which i would have chowed down if not for the rest of the food waiting.

Boston-style crabcakes. Quite a difference between the Maryland ones.

The New Orleans Jambalaya, RM25.95, brought back fond memories of a certain Doug Harrison and his Creole cuisine. This was a dish which was very well-reminiscent of New Orleans, and I loved how the diced chicken sat well with the authetic jambalaya sauce. The big, plump shrimp, in surprisingly large numbers was also a huge plus and made this a hot favourite.

Everything was big and ballsy in this great Jambalaya.

The Chicken Club Tacos were a bit of a letdown after the Jambalaya, as the chicken strips were overly grilled and dry. Although the mesquite flavour was present in the RM25.95 dish, the chicken breast is always the make or break in a taco, and the dryness made it very hard for the good beef bacon, ancho chile ranch dressing, diced tomatoes and mixed cheeses to work their magic. Pity, because the rice and black beans were very correctly flavoured, in the best of South of the border style.

The tacos were KO-ed by the dry chicken breast.

While the last item was a bummer, the overall selection was good, and I was able to forgive a lot because of those jambalaya prawns! Service was good, as usual, and the wait staff were friendly and attentive, so all in all, the meal rated quite high for me.