益和云吞面 Yit Foh Wanton Noodles @Taman Century, Johor Bahru

Decided to enjoy the perks of the exchange rate by asking Mutter and Siyi to visit JB one day last week. I initially wanted to take Montag off but because something cropped up at work (as it always did), we went in on Dienstag instead, which turned out to be a win-win because Siyi could go that day. Mutter brought along her friend N, from her Bukit Timah trekking group. Even though they were all at least 60+, I spent Dienstag chasing these three ladies (though I'd have to shamelessly congratulate myself on having better stamina nowadays).

Before we went, I decided to locate some famous eateries on my google map. At first I had some problems with the GPS at home, so I decided to do screenshots of the map instead.  That was how we ended up using static map images for finding 益和云吞面.

It is located at Jalan Harimau, near KSL city. So we took S1 from the Causeway Bus interchange to KSL. Getting off at the hotel bay, I walked over to ask the security guard where was Jalan Harimau. He suggested that we cut through the hotel to get there faster, which we did, only to discover that there was no exit on the other side. So having now discounted his advice, we walked out of the hotel and asked around.

Turned out Jalan Harimau is a super long windy road that goes up and down the hill that KSL is standing on. Suffice to say we walked a super long distance from the hotel bay down the hill before we found the other intersection meeting Jalan Harimau, where we met two men on bikes. They told us to walk along the road to find the restaurant (which was near the 4D shop, they said), as they realized that it was pointless to tell us to walk back up the same way we came then turn left. 

So walking up the road, we discovered the security guard was 80% right after all. 益和 was super near KSL, and we ought to have either cut through KSL or walk around the hotel to get there. Luckily the ladies were in fitter shape than me and were pretty tolerant of my booboo.There were multiple 4D shops on that same row of shophouses though.

The restaurant seemed to be made up entirely of that one stall, where the cook stood over a great flame at the threshold of the shop, tossing noodles into whirling hot water, letting the lovely aromas beckon hungry customers in. It was obviously a family establishment with the two children playing at the counter. 

Being the only person who didn't have breakfast, I ordered fried wantons. Wantons are not sluts in South East Asian context, they are dumplings, little nuggets of marinated pork wrapped in flour skins before boiling or frying to awesome mouthfuls. 

We had the fried wantons with Made-in-Malaysia chilli sauce *yum* before we were served the wanton noodles. The noodles were chewy with the right amount of Q. While I still preferred the wanton noodles at my favorite ABC market stall, I liked the textures presented in the dish. They made everyone's preferences to correct order, mine and Mutter with no chilli, N's with some chilli. And Siyi's noodles came drenched in bloodthirsty red.

No kidding. It was so damn spicy that I needed my milky hot tea to lower the fire it ignited on my tongue. The boiled wantons were as wonderful as their fried counterpart. Neatly packed into flour parcels which skins did not break in the steaming, whirling liquid. I would go back there again just for the perfectly formed fried and boiled wantons. 

A different slice of Johor Bahru, Malaysia - What I bought

I am going to copy cat my favorite blog, Life of an American mommy living in Japan, who sometimes share on stuff she buys from the USA back to Japan (I wish I could convince B1 to become a professor  work at an airline instead :D, but I doubt I will be free to fly anywhere).

As usual, I didn't bring enough money. I was so confident that this trip would be devoted to walking and enjoying new sights, that I only brought 50SGD on top of the 133RM I already had. As usual, all the money was burnt up buying stuff, only I still can't figure out what did I do wrongly. I think I only brought 10 cents back or something *hopeless*. This is why I backpack when I travel if not I will go bankrupt buying stuff back. Only the weight of lugging luggage around can deter me. Just refer to the number of books I brought back from Germany...12.

Preserved Fillipino mango and plums for Bär. He loves preserved stuff (whereas I don't really like them and spent a lot of time walking around this new big store in Tebrau City, totally devoted to selling preserved fruit). I told him if he didn't eat it I will give him hell. Indeed, the present that keeps giving. :D

I bought a tee and shorts for B1. The man keeps wearing the same bloody grey tee that shows up so much in this blog, that I simply have to tempt him with replacements.  

This pussy cat bag is for me. The *^%$# red one (I am pissed because its clasp came undone and my COACH sunglasses fell out) has pretty much rotted through, so I am trying to repair it with my bad sewing skills. In the meantime, I needed a new one.

Towels, especially microfibre towels. My apartment is a bloody water trap (more humid than normal), so I need things that can dry quickly), and an oven mitt. You'd be surprised how many times I burnt myself when using my wicked microwave oven.

I bought some rose tea, and specially concocted ginseng and rose tea (left) and Shark's Bone Abalone soup (right). No need to figure out the amounts myself. Instant restoratives!~

A different slice of Johor Bahru, Malaysia - 2 Bakeries

There are two famous bakeries near Jalan Dhoby, JB, Malaysia. The word Dhoby is derived from the Hindi word dhona, which means to wash. So it is a no brainer that that road is filled with Indian laundries that take the pride in bashing the shit out of your laundry making everything white and pretty again.

Salahuddin Bakery - famous for their samosas

One being the Indian Muslim Salahuddin Bakery. I feel somewhat pressured to buy something because I traveled all the way there, for chris' sakes. But this bloody uncle in front of me in the queue was really gross. Salahuddin being a very traditional shop, keeps its wares exposed on trays along a long counter, so that customers can point and choose splutter and sneeze. But no, this uncle was really disgusting. He was very impatient because the lady was serving someone else, so first he grabbed some buns with his bare hands, then worse, he started to move the banana bread around with the same bare hands so that he could take the biggest loaves for himself. I wondered when did his hands last touch soap and water... and felt visibly ill.

No loss, according to Ms Bear. According to her expert eye, it seems that the samosas were unnaturally dyed anyway. Not sure what she meant, but after that horrible uncle, I no longer wanted to eat anything there. So we moved onto look for the other famous bakery, Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory.

Anyway while wandering around looking for the bakery, we got lost. Luckily a nice lady sweeping outside her shop helped point us in the right direction. In the meantime, I had a fun time taking photos here and there.

These grapes at a cafe reminded me of Onkel H und sein Garten

A remodelled event hall. I have a massive thing for architecture

Chaiwalla Honest tea

Chaiwalla Honest Tea is cut out of two containers!!!! Too bad we were stuffed from Hua Mui. Next time next time...

Bunch of young Chinese tourists in the know of the famous bakery

Everything at Hiap Joo Bakery and Biscuit Factory, like Salahuddin is baked on site. Unfortunately I wasn't in time to catch their famous banana cakes which were still baking in the huge cavern of a wood-fired oven. Other than the famous Dragon kiln in Lim Chu Kang for firing porcelain, I don't know of any other wood-fired ovens in Singapore, so I was very impressed.

Bananas ready to go into the famous banana cakes (bloody hell, still not my fav kind)

Wood fired oven!!!

Ms Bear, clever bear that she is, bought some kaya buns that just came out of the oven while I was harassing the friendly uncle for banana cake ("Gimme me my banana cake now!!!"). We had them on the bus while waiting to go to Jusco. It was yummy and super hot!!!

Full of hot gooey sugary kaya

Kaya is made of eggs, pandan and sugar stirred at low heat constantly for HOURS so that the eggs don't harden in the mixture. It's a bloody pain to make. My aunt used to make some... *plotting*

A different slice of Johor Bahru, Malaysia - Little India

Disclaimer: I wish I could bring my better Nikon camera but I didn't dare to tempt the gods, so I stuck to my shitty Canon. So pardon me for the badly taken fotos. 

Strung up fresh chrysanthemums perfect for hanging up in  your house

Some Saturdays ago (I am getting really bad at writing my blog), instead of playing CoH, I went JB with Ms Bear, and got to check out a different side of Johor Bahru. Usually I always hop onto the bus to go directly to the shopping mall. But that week, I got to appreciate a different side of JB, the Little India.

I just wanted to go out and walk about so I was totally cool with accompanying Ms Bear as she ran her various errands. In return she accompanied me to Jusco (which she wanted to know how to go anyway) and checked out various famous eateries which happened to be the Little India area. So it was a win-win.

We walked past Sri Mariamman temple. While waiting for her to exchange money, I gave money to the old Indian lady begging just outside the money changer. It was near the Indian harvest festival, and somehow she reminded me of my late grandmother so I gave her some. Instead of putting the money in the plate in front of her, I handed the money to her. She grabbed my hands in appreciation and whispered something with a toothy smile, which made me sadder. 

While Ms Bear was busy in the shop, I was busy admiring the handsewn embroidery on this blouse

Ms Bear made a blouse at a tiny dressmaker shop along the road (shown in above picture). She said that you would make a similar blouse in Singapore for the same price (RM55), but save so much money here instead due to the exchange rate (I think it was 1SGD to RM2.445, the Onkel at the money changer was very friendly, but usually we change in Singapore because the rate is higher there). 

Ms Bear buying prayer stuff and flowers for the harvest festival

Indian Tidbits

Ms Bear is bloody strong, I'd tell you now. She hauled BOUQUETS of flowers, kaya buns, tidbits, prayer stuff all the way from Jalan Dhoby to Jusco back to City Square (with loads of new clothes, frying pans, etc- I forgot the rest) then over the Causeway (think of it as a massive u-turn of several miles on foot) to her home on the other part of Singapore. I wanted to drag myself to some barn and shoot myself between the eyes to escape from the exhaustion and I bought barely half the stuff she did. I was in awe.

She then brought me to an Indian accessories shop (you know, if she wasn't there, the likelihood of me going in would not be very high), because I asked her to. And then we walked to Hua Mui to lunch on their famous fried chicken chop, before walking around the Jalan Dhoby area.

Buses to popular shopping malls in Johore Bahru
Jusco Tebrau City  (see my earlier post)

KSL (the new shopping mall near the Causeway) - Take bus S1 from the bus interchange downstairs (building next to the customs and JB train station).

Restoran Hua Mui - Cham stands for 儳

Hua Mui known for their Hainanese chicken chop

We didn't have any difficulty finding Restoran Hua Mui because it was really near Kota Raya Plaza and the big Indian Temple, which Ms Bear was very familiar with. In fact, it was along the route that she would take to get her washing done professionally. No kidding, there are still real Indian launderies along Jalan Dhoby (Hindi word for washing place), unlike Singapore's Dohby Ghaut.

There were a lot of quaint and interesting shops along the way, e.g. cloth shop, accessories shop (for the Indian clientele), coffee shops, and little shops selling flowers for prayers. There was even an undertaker. *faint*

Menu

Walking down Jalan Trus, we came upon Hua Mui. Downstairs was very crowded, so we made our way up some rickety stairs to the second floor which was also crowded. Only 2 tables near the windows were available. We slowly grilled on our seats under the relentless sunlight that spilled in through the open windows.

Early birds got the cooler seats

Opening the menu, I decided to choose the intriguingly named Cham. There were two chinese words, but I couldn't read them because they were very small. I should mention that while I am fairly fluent in Mandarin, my written and reading comprehension are pretty awful. I especially hate to read for small words, and would rather guess at the words than read them.

Hot lemon tea on left, cham on right

My guess in this case was that it was chilled chinese tea. I was like fuck, when it came, looking like coffee. Well it was sort of coffee, because it was "chan", i.e. 儳, which means mix in chinese. In other words, it was coffee + tea.

Cham! (meaning "dire" in Hokkien). I don't drink coffee, so I knew that I definitely would be unable to sleep later that night. Luckily it was sweet yet very confusing to my palate.

Check out the pulley system in the middle of the foto

Hua Mui was quite recently renovated, but it still relied on an old pulley system to convey its dishes between the floors. Then when the chicken chop reaches upstairs, the staff only needs to top it up with the sauce before serving. Hot liquids for the customers upstairs were all prepared upstairs, so there was no chance of spillage or scalding.

The famous Hainanese chicken chop

Hua Mui uses dark meat and not breast meat, therefore the tenderness of the meat contrasting with the crunchy coating. I didn't really like the potato wedges but I read somewhere that they were the pièce de résistance. I liked the tomato though (nice chickenly flavor).

Still, it was an interesting experience. :) I must say the place must be hankering for the tourist dollars, because this dish, no matter how nice, is not worth 12 dollars in a currency. If I had to pay SGD12 for this, I will say fuck you. As it was it was Ringgit 12 (i.e. SGD4.91).

Scenes from the Melaka trip - Intriguing shots from all our cameras!!!

I guess I like this Bild because it looks like a Nippon Paint commercial. Did I mention that the evil Paint Shop auntie charged me a paintbrush at S$1 which keeps shedding like a Shar Pei, while her hubby charged my Vater S$0.70. What the f.

So cute. But my Raccoon Stuhl is still cuter. I tormented the Onkel by making him dig out all the Raccoon stools he had until I found one that didn't shake so much. At nearly S$10 for a stool, you'd be damned sure I will test *winks*

 These are chopsticks that are imprinted with your last name, i.e. surname/ familienname. Boggles the mind.

I like color *winks*

Scenes from the Melaka trip - Food down the Memory Lane

You won't see this much in Singapur anymore.

The famous Geographer Cafe. Whatever.

The 叮当Man. He makes a <<叮当>> sound when he carves out the sweet from the block.

Pineapple tarts of various shapes and forms

Ice shaving machine. We used to use this to make flavored ice ball, now we dump the ice ball in a plate filled with other ingredients and call it "ice kacang"

Teletubby's Kryptonite - Guess what?!

Durian cream puff. Be afraid, be very afraid.

 In Singapur we mix the Air Tauhu and the Air Cincau. You order it by telling the hawker you want a "Michael Jackson" but because I like to be politically correct, I order a "Obama"

Bootleg Peranakan food - Bloody hell, and I cannot open a stall at a food festival without a NEA licence.

Ich liebe meinen Stuhl

Am Samstag bin Ich mit meinen kollegen nach Melaka (Malaysia) gereist. Ich habe ein "Racoon" Stuhl gekauft. Es ist sehr CUTE , nicht wahr?

Planning Kota Tinggi + Pengerang Town Trip

With the success (???) of our crazy Pulau Ubin trip from Hell, the dudes wanted to extend the craziness to our neighbouring shores, this time Pengerang (Southeast side of Western Malaysia... in case you want to know, because I have been asked this five times today already). I saw the sign to Pengerang when we were waiting for our boat to Pulau Ubin at the Changi jetty that day. Pointed it out to the five guys but it seemed they were stone deaf and all ignored me. Until today, probably after they recovered their enthusiasm and also from the aches and pains from the trip, that they realised "hey, we can go there!!!"

I have been researching on what to do there. It turns out that Pengerang is a fantastic place to visit, with its indigenous creatures, ostrich farm, and affordable seafood. If accompanied with a side trip to Sungei Rengit (for seafood lunch) then to Desaru (beautiful beach) or Kota Tinggi (beautiful waterfall), it will be a completely exciting ride.

I have some doubts over cycling on roads, especially in Singapore where the drivers drive like they are wasted (and probably are. I have redoubtable faith on the power of Audi engines). But rural Malaysia? Hmm.

A few tips (from the websites I visited):

What you should bring
Passport
SGD and RM
Lots of drinking water if you are pedaling
Bikes (optional, bike surcharge on bumboat is S$2 one way)
Medical kit (if you are unlucky enough to fall down)
Bike repair kit (optional. Some sites recommend renting a van to follow you to your destination)

Getting there
Bumboats shuttle from Singapore's Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tg Pengelih from 7 AM in the morning to 7 PM in the evening, operating on a first-come-first-served basis: once 12 people show up, the boat leaves. The journey takes about an hour and costs S$8 or RM 15 per person, plus S$2 for a bike (some sites say it is S$10, others say S$9). There are semi-scheduled departures in both directions at 7 AM and 1 PM, and the last boats back leave by 4 PM.



Coming back
1. if you are doing a day trip, remember to arrange with the bumboat uncle to meet you guys back at the jetty. If not, the jetty closes at 4, and there is no guarantee you can get the boat even if you reach there earlier.

2. To go back to SingapoUpdated!!!re, submit your passport at the first counter. The boat man will keep the passport for a while and when they collected enough passport, they will call you to collect your passport and every passenger will ask to queue up to pass through the immigration together.

The bumboat leaves when there are 12 passengers, sometimes they ask you to top up the fare so that the boat can leave earlier. Eg. The current boat fee is RM 15 per person if there are 12 passengers. If they are only 10 passengers, the boat man will ask everyone whether they are willing to pay RM 3 in extra, which is RM 18 per person, so that the boat can leave without waiting for another 2 more passengers.

3. There are at least one boat leaving from Singapore/Tanjung Pengelih to Tanjung Pengelih/Singapore at 7am and 1pm. The boat fee from Singapore is SGD 8 per person (some sites say it is S$10, others say S$9) and from Tanjung Pengelih is RM 15. But the fees from Tanjung Pengelih will become SGD 8 after 1pm. It means, the boat man will ask for Singapore dollars after 1pm.

4. The taxi fees from Sungai Rengit to Tanjung Pengelih is RM 20 per taxi or RM 5 per person. The taxi will move only when there are 4 passengers, or else you have to 'top up' the fare (包车).

If you missed the bumboat
1. Take the Merjdjan Ferry Services (tel. +60-7-8253333) speedboat service from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, which runs seven times a day every day except Tue and Wed departing from 7:50 AM to 3:50 PM, with the last return from Tg Pengelih at 7 PM. Taking only 20 minutes, this is much faster but also more expensive at S$28/38 one way/return.

2. Take the Sebana Cove ferry back to Singapore (4/5 services daily, last departure at 9 PM), but this is much more expensive (S$38 one-way) and you'll need to arrange a taxi to take you to Sebana Cove first.

So far, I have found some interesting reads, that I will share here:

Tristangroup (for booking dirt bikes, pit bikes, mountain bikes at Pengerang.

Sungei Renjit map (could be seriously outdated)

Pengerang blog (written by one of the locals) Talks about the wildlife, and how to access the village.

Rainforest Resort (according to VirtualTourist, RM20 for fireflies cruise, RM30 for buffet)

Pixel's blog entry

I also managed to find a map of interesting locations nearby.

Updated!!!

The Sungei Renjit map is not outdated. Good Luck Restaurant serves Lobster that sticks to the shell. Jade Garden not that much better. They serve expensive seafood and their other dishes are edible not excellent.

Book the boat before you go, especially on a holiday. Make sure you reach the Pengerang jetty before 2pm if you are coming back by boat.

Tristan Group service was good. They returned my careless colleague's watch, after he left it strapped to the bike, driving it back to the jetty for us. Their bikes are usable but have unfriendly seats.

Do not cycle unless you have racing bikes, or are too energetic. Rent a motorbike. 50.3 km to Desaru is no joke. No street lights. Nothing. Read post on Pengerang to Desaru.

I printed this map from Bikely.com. Route 90 has few trees. Bring lots of sun block. Book the Fireflies cruise before you go.