Forget Chuck. Since I’m fast becoming a regular here, it is more appropriate for me to share on some of the staple dishes here which you can find on the menu! Unlike other conventional cafes, stepping into Eden Sanctuary really really feels like home. Everyone is well taken of at Chef Clement’s cosy dining room.

(:

Dinner last night started with the Tomato Basil Tartlet ($7.90). Though it looked like a typical canapé, it actually tasted better than what I had at Restaurant Week. Love the crispy savoury crust filled with a tomato based sauce on the inside. Magic of this finger delight is the fresh basil leave hidden beneath the layer of cheese.

These savoury tartlets are such delicate sweethearts. Complementary flavours of tomato, cheese, fennel, herbs and especially the refreshing tones of a lucky basil leave perked me up for what’s coming up!

Creamless Homestyle Pumpkin Soup ($4.00)

I wish mom was here. She always complains about cooking pumpkins. Well, I’ve tried creamy pumpkin soups and it wasn’t spectacular. So I’m particularly pleased with Eden Sanctuary’s clear broth version with herbs. I enjoyed every spoonful of pumpkin bumps, shreds or chucks. The texture is so inconsistently attractive, I’m hating how I am polishing off the bowl in just 5 minutes. Argh. It’s hard to flirt with a bowl of soup. They don’t last very long.

Fan of Shakespeare? I am especially when it come to his timeless tales of love and human fallacy. Remember Sir Andrew in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night who tried desperate to flirt with a maiden by the name of Maria and failed terrible? It is he who said “I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit”. Well, he’s a meathead if he has never tried Balsamic Strawberry Beef ($9.90). Look at that chuck of wonderment.

Oops Sir Andrew, pardon me. Nay you wouldn’t enjoy this if you don’t fancy an unconventional twist to your meat. I had mine at medium with a slight tarty. sourish pinch on the tongue. It was lovely. Accompanied with a drizzle of savoury sauce, the strawberries set off a fruity refinement to an otherwise typical piece of meat.

I’m sorry sweethearts. When I get started on literature, I can’t stop. So in Twelfth Night, Shakespeare takes a amusing approach to expose the ways humans fall prey to pride, vanity and self-deception. So we are all fools of our own deception. I felt like a simpleton fool just like Sir Andrew more often than not. Fools that are easily pleased, easily contented, easily amused. So tell me. Is that good or bad?

Nevertheless, perhaps there’s really nothing to hide especially after savouring the next dish at Eden Sanctuary. I could smell it as Chef Clement was on his way to my table. Ginger Leek Peanut Butter Fish ($6.90). Odd combination isn’t it? But trust me. You should really try this. There’s just something graceful and clever about this down-to-earth dish that screams simplicity.

Each mouthful is a blast of flavours from the distinct taste of ginger, leek and peanut butter. Yet surprisingly with such powerful elements, I could still taste the flaky fishy fish tucked under the brownish garb! No wonder Chef Clement said that a fish should taste like a fish no matter how it is prepared. You get that? Say bye bye to tasteless meat!

By the way, it’s a must to get a pot of floral tea to accompany these delicate creations. It goes perfectly well with the food here. All in all, Eden Sanctuary offers simple, natural and light on the tummy meals. A week ago I was here for lunch and the Creamless Carbonara Pasta was awesome! Yup CREAMLESS! I could successfully finish a slice of cheese cake after that! Ah ah ah, nothing to be guilty about because Chef Clement made sure that it’s a balanced, healthy meal. I’m just a simply fool at Eden Sanctuary waiting for the next serving of his witty creation.

(:

Eden Sanctuary Floral Cafe
18 Cross Street #01-16
China Square Central
Tel : 6224 2298
Remember to call for reservations!

And so, I was very pleased to let my mind roam freely while I stared blankly at the chef cooking my food before my eyes. He’s a shy chap. Hope I did not frightened him. I was ogling at the food. Not him.

I was lucky. It was dinner time but I was the only one at the counter! Usually it would be so crowded. Surprisingly, it wasn’t awkward at all as I sat alone at the teppan counter. Instead, it felt like I had a personal chef that evening, showering me with dishes of freshly stir-fried food. The setting at the counter was perfect for anyone who wanted to indulge in a casual dinner. As I was enjoying my teppan meal, there was a long queue for Sakae sushi booth seats.

I hate queues.

Advice: jump the queue by requesting to sit at the teppan corner. Then, on top of a teppan meal, simply order sushi as side dishes to satisfy your strong sushi cravings.

Sakae Teppanyaki set meals are pretty decent. At a reasonable price of $19.99 I had the beef dinner set that came with salad, seafood teppan chawanmushi, salmon, garlic rice and Miso soup. I couldn’t finish everything. The portions were generous for 1 pax.

I enjoyed the garlic-ky rice and loved the even more garlic-ky teppan beef covered with delectable teriyaki sauce. However, the best dish was tied between the Seafood Teppan Chawanmushi and Mixed mushrooms.

The Chawanmushi was housed in the bowl-shaped onion. Very cute! Waited patiently as the egg steamed on the griddle. I simply couldn’t wait for it to be ready!! The moment my personal chef served the Chawanmushi, I immediately scooped the perfectly steamed egg out from the onion husk and crushed the tender chunks in my mouth. It was sweeter than usual because of the onion! OMG I’m such a garlic and onion lover!

(:

I could smell the mushrooms when it was still half-cooked and the hard-to-describe-peppery-sweet aroma was tantalising. Don’t you agree that mushrooms smell wonderful? I liked how spongy and flavoursome these mushrooms were. This is one dish where I don’t mind having more! Honestly, I rather have more mushrooms and do without the salmon.

Here’s the menu if you want to find more on Sakae Teppanyaki offerings. I shall try the lobster dinner set at my next visit! Probably with more fans of teppanyaki, they can start training chefs to do some entertaining stunts for us at the teppan counter. How about stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano or flexing some muscles performing wild spatula and knife stunts! It’ll be so cool!

Sakae Sushi
Lot 1 21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4
#03-10 Lot 1 Shoppers’
Other outlets with Sakae Teppanyaki

The celebration was held at the new Esmirada At The Pier located in the thriving dining hub of Robertson Quay. Warm lights illuminated the interior of Esmirada At The Pier and the combination of rustic brick walls with blue accents brought an easy-going allure. Seemed like the perfect place to idle away a lazy Saturday evening with girlfriends!

Esmirada At The Pier is a really cosy and casual restaurant with a rustic charm! We spent the evening at the al fresco seating. Good thing that the courtyard was breezy and when dusk arrived, pretty candles tea lights evoked a romantic feel! Nice.

Ken and I enjoyed a glass of Sangria with Esmirada’s Famous Garlic Bread (S$6) – a towering crusty baguette loaf fragrant with garlic and butter – before digging in to the selection of appetizing antipasti, salads, soups and tapas!

My favourite starter would be the refreshing Greek Salad (S$16)! The cheese was awesome and it gave the salad enough flavor that salad dressing isn’t needed. The sharp taste of onion went really well with the red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Tasty! Would be perfect if I could add a bit of garlic, a dash of oregano and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar! Hehe I like my salad to be fancy.

Tossed a couple of cold prawns on our plates too to go with the wine. Fresh goodness.

Of course, Mediterranean food is not Mediterranean without some grilled meats, pita bread, and falafel. It was nearly impossible to decide what to taste first considering the selection dishes displayed on the counter.

That’s the roasted pork. I love the few unique starters especially the delectable Balkan dish, Cevapcici (S$18) – grilled meat fingers made from minced beef and lamb and served with a homemade mustard ragoo dip.

Another tasty entrée was this. Make a guess what this is.

Smoked ham! Totally scrummy! Look at the size of that humongous piece of meat!

The chef was there the entire evening making sure that each slices of smoked ham was cut to perfection. These delicate paper-thin slices of smoked ham were so well-flavoured.

Our appetite was further satiated by main courses such as the Esmirada Skewers (from S$28) – perfectly grilled quality ribeye steaks, lamp chops, chicken kebabs, king prawns, swordfish and vegetables served on a custom-made iron frame and accompanied by bell pepper relish, tzatziki sauce and oven baked potatoes.

Ken tried the famous Spanish saffron rice dish, Paella Espanola (S$30), that is brimming with fresh mussels, squid, prawns, chicken and vegetables. That was a hearty dish.

Always have space for dessert when it is chocolate fondue and fresh strawberries!

I’m sure no one could resist creamy smooth chocolate cascading down a chocolate fountain. Sinful.

Craving for some Mediterranean goodies? Well there’s something going on now. You can enjoy 15% discount off Total Bill from now to 31 March 2010 (not applicable with other promos) at all three Esmirada outlets.

Esmirada At The Pier
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-03 The Pier at Robertson

Thank goodness Bro got one of his university mate who happened to be around the area to help. His task was to bring us to an unidentified nyonya restaurant located next to a half-shop selling cendol and local snacks. He’s a very smart lad. He found Restoran Nyonya Suan in less than 10 minutes.

Everyone was HUNGRY! Our orders were taken to the kitchen even before our seats turned warm. Our first dish, the Assam Fish (RM30) was served in less than 15 minutes. Goodness. Spicy tamarind fish never tasted so good. I love my white rice with dishes like this! The fish was very fresh and was accompanied ladies fingers, eggplants, onions and tomatoes. I really love the tangy spicy gravy that had a slight creamy taste of coconut milk. It was more sourish than spicy and that really perks up the dish. It went so well with the steamed white rice that all of us got extra serving of rice.

Then we had the Ayam Rendang (RM9) which was awesome! This Nyonya flavoured chicken was hot, spicy, sweet and had a distinct coconut flavour! This dish was so good my tastebuds are still dancing with joy. Do you now that Rendang is a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia ? Apparently Nyonya cooking in the South (Malacca and Singapore) has an Indonesian influence. Thus, the Nyonya food is generally sweeter, richer with liberal use of coconut milk and traditional Malay spices. That explains the richly pep up chicken chunks that had thoroughly absorbed the spicy condiments. Ah fusion food at its best.

Ma loovess sotong/squid so we got the Sotong Kunyit (RM10). Other than the kunyit/tumeric, the dish was laced with lots of fresh aromatic herbs that made the scrumptious dry sauce. My guess, the sotong was stir fried with a blend of chilies, shallots, lemongrass and belachan (dried shrimp paste). Nonetheless, the main ingredient, turmeric did gave an essential earthiness to the dish and I can taste a tinge of lime which left a pleasing soft citrus tang. Mm delicious!

The Telur Dadar Cincalok (RM8) was probably the only dish there I couldn’t appreciate. Though the addition of Cincalok (fermented small shrimps usually served as a condiment together with chillis, shallots and lime juice) gave the typical omelette an exotic twist, I thought that it was a tad too salty.

My favourite! Brinjals! That’s the Terung Sambal Cili (RM8). Mouthwatering. I love the combination of sambal prawn on top of brinjals. These purple delights carried a peculiar pungent-spicy taste when accompanied by fragrant curry and fiery sambal. Am really puzzled why Cablenazi hates this tasty vegetable so much. Tsk Tsk Tsk

Oh one thing you must must must get here is the nyonya cendol, shaved ice with tiny green starch noodles, red beans and syrup! Mmm the taste of fresh coconut and gula Melaka/palm sugar charmed me and by the way a bowl cost RM2 only!

A trip to Malacca is nothing without a bowl of cendol. It’s a excellent choice to quench your thirst after all that well-seasoned Nyonya food.

Pss you know, thanks to MediaCorp mass advertisement of peranakan culture, I used to secretly thought that Peranakan cuisine is overrated. Not anymore. The peranakan lunch I had at Restoran Nyonya Suan has exceeded my expectation.

Dear Gilbert Nyam, I will be back.

Restoran Nyonya Suan
No G12 & G14, Jalan PM 3,
Plaza Mahkota, Bandar Hilir,
75000 Melaka.
Tel: 06- 286 4252

We were there on a Saturday evening and it was almost full house; prepare to wait if there’s a crowd. Over here, the chef take his own sweet time to prepare his goodies. But it is worth the wait. Anyway time passes quickly when we were chatting about what to eat next and if we should go for durian ice cream dessert after dinner. Gluttons!

After about 20 minutes, we could smell our first dish coming. Behold, the Chinese drunken chicken! We ordered the medium sized one that cost RM14.

As we ladled the chicken pieces and soup we were enthralled by the extremely fragrant smell of Chinese rice wine but guess what. It tasted even better. The chicken meat was tender, moist and We could taste the rice wine and a slight hint of Chinese herbs, ginger and sesame oil which really gets the taste buds going. I particularly like the sweet wolf berries.

Absolutely superb. I could have this for dinner everyday. It was rich and really delicious. Ah no wonder this dish is considered a health-building soup. We felt so ’strong’ after slurping the soup that we can stomach anything and continue the food hunt!

Next, the Asam fish! We loved it! The fish was so soft, silky and was slathered with asam gravy that was distinctively sweet, spicy and sour. For those who can’t take spicy stuff, you’ll be pleased to know that the spiciness was not to the extent of numbing the tongue. I would say that the asam is more sourish than spicy.

Not wanting to overeat and waste food, we ordered a small serving of the asam fish at first but we finished the entire serving in less than 10 minutes because it was damn good. So to satisfy our cravings, we ordered the asam fish again. This time, we got the medium sized serving with 3-4 large piece of fish. That’s the one you see below.

It was served with eggplants, long bean and fried tofu skin. After soaking the fried crispy fried tofu skin into the tangy gravy, you’ll get a soft and rubbery crumpled sheet. The tart sourish flavor of the asam gravy really accentuated the golden fried flavor of the tofu. Another side dish that were meant to match this dish is the papadum, a thin crispy wafer that taste like a cracker. We dipped it into the asam gravy and it’s amazingly tasty. By the way, if you have no patience to pick out fish bones, no worries. It’s 90% flesh.

By the way, it cost just RM33 for a small and medium order of the asam fish.

Besides these 2 specialty dishes, we ordered a plate of stir-fry vegetables (RM6) and claypot beancurd (RM7) with mixed vegetables as sides. These 2 dishes were fine but they were still outshone by the drunken chicken and asam fish.

Surprise surprise. Just when we were about to finish off all the dishes, there was an electric cut in the area. The entire estate was pitched black. Interesting. But we did not dined in darkness. The chef and a few of his customers/workers drove their car and positioned them strategically facing the restaurant. All headlights were turned on and the warm orangy lights lit the entire place with a cosy feel.

Despite the sudden electricity cut, dinner was a cooling and relaxing affair. We spent about RM65 for here which I find reasonable, considering the quality of the fare. Can’t believe we managed to chow down all these even after eating for the entire day.

Jie Sheng Restoran
3, Jalan Permas 10/B
Permas Jaya
81750 Masai Johor
019-7989123
3pm-12am
Closed on Thursdays

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.

This is where Baby and I go when we want to find ourselves a good treat. Most of the time ,we know what we want when we enter this restaurant. However, when in doubt, we’ll look out for signature dishes! The menu is very friendly and the recommendations are good.

The deco is chic and of course Thai-ish. Lightings were warm and we felt quite at home with the setting. l like the bright colored paintings and the comfy rattan-looking chairs.

Finally the star of the night arrived. Tom Yum Goong garnished with coriander leaves! Thai Accent offers 2 version. The thick broth or the clear soup. We got the thick one which is spicier! They are very generous with the use fragrant herbs as we can smell the aromatic lemongrass and lime leaves as soon as the soup is served on the table. Extremely appetizing. Don’t you love restaurants that are generous? *applauds*

The slightly herbaceous flavor of this distinctive sweet and sour soup is heavenly. Ah I adore spicy food.  The hotter the better. While some use chocolate as a comfort food, I prefer soups. Especially such spirited soup like the Tom Yum Goong.

Anyway, this is one of those stuff you can eat to clear your sinus so here’s where you should be heading to if you’re down with flu. lol. Btw guess what, the burning feeling of savoring this fiery dish actually releases endorphins. And endorphins makes people happy! Fyi drugs such as morphine, heroine and cocaine releases endorphins. No wonder there’s an instant feel-good moment each time I slurp down a spoonful of Tom Yum goodness.

Tom Yum Goong goes extremely well with the fragrant white rice. Yes, rice is free flow here!

Service was efficient and every customer is well taken care of although there’s always a crowd during dinner time. Quite a feat to make sure everyone has enough servings of rice and ice water (free too). Lemons were added to the ice water to give it a refreshing tinge to it. TLC.

Oh lets move on. We ordered another dish. We can only order 2 dishes (includes Tom Yum Goong) each time we’re here because we’re gonna waste food if we get anything more. That’s a disadvantage of getting Tom Yum. It goes so well with rice you end up filling your tummy with more rice and usual. Then you have no space for anything else.  :/

The last time we came, we ordered the Green Curry Chicken. Zany of us to do that because just like the Tom Yum, we enjoyed having it with rice. So this time, we got smarter and got ourselves the Baked Honey Pork Ribs which was absolutely titillating!

Wonder how they make the meat so tender. Much tender than my favourite Bak Kut Teh. Maybe they uses young ribs because Young ribs are more tender and juicy! Mouth-watering. Must be the delicious honey.

Warning: The Tom Yum Goong can be extremely addictive. You’ll be coming back again and again for more. Just like us. Too bad they only have 1 branch in Singapore. Yeah don’t even have branches in JB. But apparently they have 12 Thai Restaurants in KL. :/

Other goodies you can try: authentic Thai Iced Tea, Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns, Steam Siakap with Lime & Chilli Sauce and the Mango Sticky Rice dessert! Yup I’ve tried all these and still loving it!

In a nutshell, dinner at Thai Accent is always Aroi Mak Mak (very delicious in Thai)!!!

Thai Accent
VivoCity #02-145/146
Tel: 6376 9282
www.seacuisine.com.my

Yung Kee is conveniently located in the heart of Hong Kong Central District. It’s 4 minutes from the MTR Central Station (Exit D2) on foot. Yung Kee’s gold building was eye-catching and have a very oriental feel. Staff were polite and service was alright.

According to all guide books, roasted Goose at Yung Kee, Wellington Street is a must.

No wonder. Yung Kee did impressed me with this moist, and undeniably delicious roasted goose. But the skin is not as crispy as I thought it would be.

As for the Century Eggs, these ‘hundred-year-old-eggs’ do have an ancient look to them. lol. These are duck eggs, preserved in potash and salt for several weeks to several months. After the fermenting process, the egg white turns dark grey and the yolk blackish.

Century eggs is a Chinese delicacy that I cannot get enough of. I love having these odd looking oval stuff in my porridge! It also tastes odd. But oddly tasty. The yolk is especially flavorsome. Preserved sliced ginger goes really well with the egg because it balances off the egg’s aftertaste.

Ordered another side dish. It’s a clay pot mix of vegetables and goose feet. Neither bad nor spectacular. Kinda plain though. Would not order this again.

I’m not sure if I will come back to Yung Kee the next time I dropped by Hong Kong. It seems to be popular among tourist and I want to try something the locals would. Perhaps I’ll give Yue Kee a try after reading this raving review by My Wok Life. Hm and I agree that Yung Kee did made the wallet lighter.

Yung Kee Restaurant
32-40 Wellington Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2522 1624
info@yungkee.com.hk

Not sure if you are a fan of exotic food. Snake is considered as an exotic Chinese food that may revolt many stomachs. Haha. Anyway we dig weird Chinese exotic food and unusual grub.

We had duck liver sausage, Chinese sausage and wax duck for dinner!

The duck liver sausages or Ren Chang is so unlike what we have in Singapore/Malaysia! It’s perfectly moist and we find delicious nuggets of fat in a chubby sausage. The liver-taste was not overwhelming. I actually prefer duck liver sausages than Chinese sausages.

Chinese sausages or Lap Chong is pretty common among Southeast Asians as compared to Ren Chang. It is sweeter, harder and drier than Ren Chang. Singapore actually has Chinese sausages with low fat, low sodium content and even a high fibre version. Not sure how it taste though.

As for the wax duck, it’s actually a delicacy enjoyed by many Malaysian Chinese during the Lunar New Year. Wow. They have this all year round in Hong Kong. No it doesn’t taste like wax candles. Haha. It’s actually salt preserved meat that has an oily waxed texture. Unlike the ones I’ve tasted before, Snake King’s wax duck is much more tender!

Their signature dish is of course the “snake soup” !!!

It is thick like a stew and has shredded snake, chicken, pork and mushroom! Extremely tasty and it kept us feeling warm in the cold weather here!

Definately a MUST TRY in Hong Kong! Service is good and you’re eating in a typical Hong Kong style cha chan teng just like a local. In fact, most of the customers are locals!

Bought a doggie suit from a cart just outside the restaurant. So cuteeeeee! Took home a hogwarts-like uniform for skii-boy, my aunt’s schnauzer!

Snake King Two
No. 24 Percival Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel1: +852 2831 0163
Tel2: +852 2832 2977

Well, it’s pretty easy to locate the restaurant. It’s very close to the Tebrau Market and Crystal Crown Hotel.

Here’s how Tebrau Market looks like.

Now, the foooood!

Ok Since it’s a birthday celebration, the Longevity Noodles (long life noodles, or ???, “Chang Shou Mian”) is a must! It’s part of the Chinese culture. Chinese being Chinese, food in particular is super rich in symbolism. Well these long noodles represent a long unbroken life. We are not supposed to cut it (unless we bite it in our mouth?) because this will incur bad luck/shortening our life. That’s what they (ancient/modern conservative Chinese) say la. We know it’s not true!! LOL. The dish is just meant for celebrating life.

Beautiful isn’t’ it? That’s quite a huge serving but it’s just right for 10 pax. The noodles are really thin and long. There’s lotsa bean sprouts, Chinese mushrooms, lean pork, veg and fried boiled quail eggs! Mm the bean sprouts were really crunchy.

Sweet & Sour Steamed Fish/Thai Steamed Fish

The fish was very delicate, very fleshy and the sauce was ok. It could be spicier by my standard (I loveee spicey food).

Well fish is an essential dish at the dinner table during celebrations because in Chinese culture, fish is a sign of prosperity. Also, the chinese word for fish,? ‘yu’ sounds similar to the Chinese words for abundance. Thus, eating fish will help fulfill our/my bro’s wishes in the year.

Stir-fry Five-flower Pork (Wu Hua Rou, ???)

Five-flower pork = belly pork with a beautiful cut, four or five layers of alternating lean and fat meat. MMMmm The Five-flower pork was chopped into bite size and it tasted absolutely heavenly when stir-fried with dried chillies and freshly chopped onions. I loveeee the wobbly skin layer.

You know, the thick flavorsome gravy goes really well with fragrant white rice. Since this pork dish was cooked using a claypot, it is highly aromatic and pleasing. The claypot cooking method helps to retain the juices and flavor because the goody juices released by the food as it cooks cannot escape from the pot!! Trapped!

Cuttlefish with stir fry lean pork, celery and lotus

My sis favorite dish. She is very passionate when it comes to eating cuttlefish. Lol. It’s a very complementary combination of mid-size cuttlefish flakes, lotus, celery and lean pork. The strong fishy taste was cleverly offset by the fresh, tarty flavour of the lotus and celery.

Roasted Chicken

Though I’m not a big fan of chicken, I took a few more pieces than my usual helpings because the meat was strangely moist/mildly briny and not as dry/tasteless as chicken normally is. Not bad.

Do take note: you need to pre-order the roasted chicken a day before!

OK The bill was around RM200++ for 10 pax and my fav for this dinner would be the Five Flower Pork!

Ah besides the dishes above, you can try the cod-fish, prawns etc. In fact, just order whatever you feel like eating la. Everything they served here is definitely pleasing to your taste buds and value-for-money. Honestly, the quality of its food had been consistently good for a restaurant that has been around more than 20 years.

You can call them a day in advance if you wish to book a private room! A private room is suitable for mini gatherings/birthday dinners etc. There’s no booking charges/extra charges for reserving a private room but you need to accept the 2 bowls of peanuts which cost RM6 each. Well I would suggest getting a private dining room if you have about 10 people dining (including you).

Food pictures were taken with dad’s Nokia E66.

New Lucky Seafood Restaurant
1-5 Jalan Keris
Taman Sri Tebrau
80050 Johor Bahru Johor
Tel: 07-3337519/332530