A short drive from the CIQ, lies this bustling restaurant with a crazy crowd who would brave storms to taste a flavorsome light brown broth. When I was a little girl, I would look forward to Saturdays because pa will bring us to this stuffy yet fulfilling restaurant if we manage to catch the morning church service!
Now that I’m a big girl, Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh is where I’ll head for piping hot herbal pork ribs soup with friends who don’t mind the heat! So last Saturday, I was there with Kelvin, Vic, Mariko and Cablenazi.
Vic looked like he was glaring at Cable Nazi for scooping ladle after ladle of broth from the claypot. Haha. By the way, Kelvin and Cablenazi was so pleased with the fare that they ate 2 bowls of rice which they really shouldn’t had. GUYS DON’T EAT SO MUCH RICE. Must remember to always leave some space for more yummy goodies when you’re in JB.
:S
Basically the most important feature of this dish is the broth: it is a balance between the herbal and peppery version of Bak Kut Teh. Ah Soon’s herbal version is a tad milder than Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock (another one of my favourite) but it is still delectable. I’m a really big fan of herbs and spices. It should contain star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic.
Well we were late, so there wasn’t much ’stuff’ in the Bak Kut Teh lest for pork ribs. Normally in the morning before brunch, we can find additional ingredients such as offal and pieces of dried tofu or fried tofu puffs added into this claypot delight at Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh. If you woke up late, just like us, then just be happy with the pork ribs.
Secret. The Bak Kut Teh tastes so good because uncle Ah Soon insist on using charcoal to prepare his specialty dish.
(:
The Bak Kut Teh came in a big claypot so we gotta scooped the herbie treat into individual bowls. Hm. It’s weird how I dislike to have my Bak Kut Teh served in little porcelain bowls.… If I can, I would just slurp the broth straight from the claypot because I like my Bak Kut Teh extra warm. Haha. Or perhaps it is the claypot illusion that there’s more broth and meat inside.
Oh when you’re here, do try the Yellow Rice Wine Claypot Chicken, Tau Pok/Fried Bean Curd and Salted Vegetables.
Yellow Rice Wine Claypot Chicken was awesome. The meat was so tender, moist and and we can tell from the taste of it that the usually dry and unspectacular chicken meat had successfully retained the sweet taste of rice wine! It must had been simmered really slowly over a small fire the entire morning.
Also, the soft and a little goey Tau Pok went extremely well with the thick soy sauce and cut chillies. Do remember to eat the Tau Pok immediately when it is served because it will not taste as nice after it turned cold. As for the salted Vegetables. In my opinion, Ah Soon’s salted vegetable is one of the best among the Bak Kut Teh restaurants in JB. It’s not too heavily salted yet briny enough to tantalise my taste buds with a slight hint of pickled sourness.
If you noticed, we didn’t have You Tiao/Chinese cruller fried bread stick. Another reason for you to have breakfast here instead of brunch/lunch.
For Bak Kut Teh (4 persons), Claypot Chicken (2 persons), 2 bowls of Salted vegetables and 2 bowls of Tau Pok, we spent roughly RM65 on lunch for 5 hungry adults. Not sure if Vic, Mariko or Kelvin gonna crave for this and be back again but I will definitely say yes if dad wants to date me for breakfast this coming week when I’ll be back in JB for holidays. He’s the best. Cablenazi shall tag along if he has been a good boy this week.
Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh
141, Jalan Keris 1
Taman Sri Tebrau
Johor Bahru
016-7152678
Ah Soon is just 5 minutes walk away from the ‘famous’ Bamboo paper-wrapped herbal chicken which I personally think is over-rated. Would not recommend that Bamboo chicken restaurant because quality of food deteriorated after the renovation.
What’s a trip to Beijing without getting a piece of the Peking Roast Duck?
That night, we were all duck hunters.
Clues led us to the original outlet of Quan Ju De, an establishment known for serving Peking Roast Duck since 1864. Quan Ju De illustrious history begun during the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Tongzhi’s rule. Quan Ju De became the first restaurant in the world to serve the delectable roasted duck that was once strictly reserved to imperial families to commoners.
As with most classic Chinese restaurants, the decor is typically oriental. Lavish gold trimmings and vibrant red feature walls gave the restaurant an imperial feel. Not a bad dining experience. Although we did ordered other dish like beef, vegetables and other very tasty dishes but this post will focus solely on the duck experience considering it is an extremely famous duck restaurant in Beijing.
Aside from badgering the chef who was tasked to carve the magic duck for us to take pictures while he was working, we had fun watching him shaves the crackling skin of this magic duck that was originally served to the emperor several hundred years ago and is considered by some to be the national food of China.
Served in well-cut slices with house-made pancakes, fine-cut green scallions, fresh cucumbers and a dish of paste-like soy of fermented wheat flour. The duck was tender and just right. Very moist and tender and not the least bit fatty. I also love the skin which was light and crispy! Oh I’m a sucker for skins that crackle in the mouth. Plus, some of the skin has a thin line of fat underneath!
I think this crepe-like Chinese popiah was so delicious because the gamy duck meat went perfectly well with the refreshing scallions, cucumbers. Not to mention the spicy glutinous glop we smeared all over the steamed crepes which tasted like thick sweet soy sauce with a slight hint of garlic, pepper. the result is an amazing combination of spicy, sweet and a very fresh tasting.
No wonder we were told that the magic duck is irresistible.
Yesh I was at Supperclub for an exclusive World AIDS Day event of art, music and dance! Despite the gloomy weather on the outside, I managed to have quite a rocking time with plenty of good food, great company and wonderful music at the VIP chill out room (:
If you remember a while ago, I was spreading the message of AIDS awareness and early testing! A big thank you to all who supported this effort by commenting on the post. Of those who commented, Kuan, Ivy and their partner joined me at the party! Hope you girls had fun! Kudos to the folks from Health Promotion Board and Ogilvy 360º for organising it.
I still prefer Maroon 5. But having any rock bands in the house always make a good party and partying for a good cause always rocks! Supperclub’s King sized beds with plush cushions is very comfy. Not to mention the many servings of Shepherd pie I had that evening.
Jack and Rai performed Pixelated, a song dedicated to World AIDS Day 2009. As what Vic said, this song reflects the need for more people to “look at HIV/AIDS through pixelated eyes so Learn more about HIV/AIDS to protect yourself and your love ones and show your care and concern for people living with HIV.”
Here are some lovely pictures of me and my peeps.
Claudia, me and Vic. Thanks dude for the pictures!
Vic was showing off his geeky specs! I must try it on!
With the geeky specs, I tried to do a wink here with my left eye. fail. lol.
By the way, a graffiti was created by graffiti artist Killer Gerbil near the entrance, driving the message to paint our life right with bright, striking colours!
Fortunately the hostels at Peking University was fully booked. So, we had the opportunity to make The Beijing Fuyuan Garden Business Hotel our home for 9 days! It is a beautiful garden hotel located in the Haidian district, walking distance from Peking University and the Summer Palace. I was so pleased that we are so lucky to have stayed here instead of from stuffy dormitories!
We had so much stuff, the entire lobby was filled and you could hear everyone talking at the same time. Yeah it’s a mini war zone when you have 30 exuberant undergraduates waiting to be given their rooms.
We checked in after dinner. Sky was pitch dark and I must say, my first impression of this hotel was kinda eerie. For you to have a better idea of how spooked out the place was, here’s a picture of the corridor leading to the rooms.
The interior deco was very oriental. Slightly gaudy with lots of red and gold. I thought twice before passing through the labyrinth of dark passages before reaching my room.
As for the room, it was pretty decent. The spooky Chinese Hungry Ghost style deco was missing in the rooms. GOOD.
Quick check on necessities. Working air-conditioner. Checked. 24-hr hot water. Checked. Free toiletry supplies. Checked. Hair-drier. Checked. A variety of power sockets. Checked. Electric kettle. Checked. Internet access! Yippee! I have everything I needed and more!
Anyway the highlight of this garden hotel was of course, the garden. The entire grounds of Beijing Fuyuan Garden Business Hotel consist of both traditional southern and northern Chinese garden landscapes with man-made hills and isles in the center of lakes. Can you imagine bunking in an estate which used to be some rich government official’s residence centuries ago?
Yup. Government. That kinda explains the super tight security we experienced here. There were always two military policemen on guard at the gates who keep check on who goes in and out of the hotel. They looked dead serious and were in the “attention” posture all the time! But it was good to be taken care of like that.
The hotel’s enclosed compound came complete with lush greenery, pavilions, small bridges and a huge lake. I felt like I was on a set of some Chinese drama series. Lots of sweet spots to sit a spell.
Painted murals in the pavilions replicated the life of those who lived in time when China was still thought to be the center of the universe. Pity it looked so new.
Who used to walked these decorated pathways? Was the mistress of the estate a fiery phoenix? Probably. You can’t helped not being a bitch when your husband is allowed to recruit concubines at whims. The tyranny of being a woman in those times.
Anyway, we were here at the pavilion after dusk with some bottles of Tsing Dao beer and packets of snacks. It’s a sweet spot.
I never knew that gulping cold beer while overlooking a vast lake with swans in shadows and calm waters reflecting the flickers of street lights would be so awesome. I recalled savoring moments of silence with my friends who was just as comfortable in appreciating the brooding mood quietly in such an apt setting.
Unlike those conventional international hotels, I think that this forgotten venue is such a beautiful place. It is old and it has a story to tell. Who was it who owned this estate? I’m still trying to figure it out. Only clue was is was built over 800 years ago. I know. I’m so attracted to all things vintage.
Well from here, I could easily flagged a cab to go to the Beijing Train Station and Tian’anmen Square that was not far off. Would definitely consider this hotel because of it’s close proximity to Peking University. Honestly, if you’re in Beijing, you must visit the first national university of China. You’ll be so fascinated by the beautiful traditional Chinese architecture at its campus grounds. With the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace just a stone throw away, Beijing Fuyuan Garden Business Hotel is a good choice away from the city bustle.
Beijing Fuyuan Garden Business Hotel
(Beijing Fuyuanhuayuan Shangwu Jiudian)
Jia 1, Fuyuan Men, Haidian District Beijing China (Hai Dian Area)
Tel : 010-62561115/62520008
How many of you grew up reading Archie and friends? Let me tell you, dining at OverEasy feels like an experience at Chocklit Shoppe, the soda shop at Riverdale frequented by Archie’s gang! Of course, Riverdale is a fictitious town. Interestingly according to wiki, when readers were asking “where is Riverdale located?”, the editor replied that “Riverdale is more of a state of mind than an actual physical location. It could be anywhere that kind people live and just have fun, like Archie and his friends. It could be in the Midwest, or along the Eastern Seaboard, or even a town in Canada, Mexico, or England.”
Where kind people can stuff themselves with fine American food and just have fun? I suspect Riverdale’s favourite deli has a franchise right in the heart of Singapore. Check the plush comfy seatings. Nice.
We shared the OverEasy Festive 3-course Dinner ($48++ person). For starters, we went with the potato and leek soup instead of a salad. Good choice because the soup was thick and creamy just the way I like it.
Mains, it’s either the Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy or Roasted Beef in Beef Jus. Thanks to Cheryl, we managed to tried a bit of both and both are just as good! Can’t decide.
That’s the turkey served with the best mash potato I’ve ever tasted. Yes it’s even better than the Malaysia’s KFC version. OverEasy’s mash potato are fluffier, richer and creamier. SINFUL. I was telling Ken and Cheryl that I can finish a XXL tub of this perfect, lump-free, creamy mash potato. This is the best mash I’ve tasted so far. Turkey was fine but lack the gamey flavor. Liked the chivey gravy and cranberry jam!
Tasted the beef too. My favourite meat!!! Yay it was a little pink just the way I like my meat; medium. Prefer the juicy, medium rare slices of oven-roasted beef to the tad dry turkey. But I may be a little bias because this is my favourite meat. Hehe but it did had a better bite!
Our desert was the moist and juicy Apple Cobble! The diced apples were tender, warm and its golden brown crust was perfectly baked! It was a hit right away! I think there was a slight fragrant taste of cinnamon. It actually beats the truffle dessert I had at Pierside. Will definitely be back for this baby.
On top of the 3-course dinner, we got The Burger of the Month (Turkey Burger) that costs $21++. Burger was ok but the house fries was so addictive!
We ordered 3 very unique drinks to complement dinner. Guess what they are. Winner gets a drink!
It’s easy right? Just guess lah.
You know what’s tough, trying to stay on a diet at OverEasy IS tough. But as Cheryl said “when the going gets tough, the tough gets easy”. Yeahh go easy on your diet! Just let it go when you’re at OverEasy.
