eevon.sg

Searching for some old hutongs around Shichahai area, we wandered in a maze of Si-He-Yuans which linked us to one hutong to another. Though we were lost, the experience of being secluded was peaceful. Such were the effect of the enclosed walls which afforded some degree of privacy and calm. We felt like we were miles away from the city’s bustle.

Strangers looked at us with curious eyes while they performed their daily rituals within these spot-stained, ancient walls. I felt comfortable that no one was bugging me to buy anything. I was actually pleased to be ignored. With that, we continued this little tour of ours quietly under their silent watch.

I saw cute, grubby kids with rosy cheeks playing along the alley.  They looked happy. I saw old folks sitting leisurely on rattan chairs staring into space. Some looked happy. Some not so. Then there was an old men smoking from a pipe, a cobbler and a fruit vendor with her three-wheeled cart. The air had a faint scent of freshly baked bread, coal and raw meat. Weird mix but it wasn’t unpleasant. As I made our way through these narrow walkways, I got more intrigued by the way the poorest in Beijing live their lives. At each sharp turn which twist and turn with no rhyme or reason, I can never foresee what lies around each corner and that was the thrill of exploring a hutong.

Before wide boulevards and high rise apartments, almost all the folks in Beijing live in these narrow alleys called hutongs. Along these alleys lies the courtyard houses which then link up and form a network of hutongs. I peered into one of the courtyard house and found that while the exterior were preserved, the clear cut design of a Si-He-Yuan was totally messed up inside. Sadly, there seem to be ugly extensions of all sorts in the house and the original structures have been lost in almost every case. Messy. Ugly. Sad. The fact that almost all hutong residents don’t see their neighborhoods as historic districts is disheartening.

Originally designed as a building complex formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard, it was meant to house one family! But the 1950s went awry for the Chinese if you knew what happened. Since then, most of the Si-He-Yuan were converted to house several families as tenants. That probably explains the overcrowding and unsightly extensions. What a pity! Really hope the preservation works will turn out well.

Sorry no pictures here. I hid our camera as I wandered along these old lanes because this residential estate felt so private and exclusive. Snapping pictures just felt so awkward! Took the extra care not to be rude and invade the locals’ private spaces. Ah it was extremely fascinating to wander through the maze of old Beijing! Do take a walk along these hidden paths if you’re not afraid of getting lost!

In any case, the hutong today is fading into the shade for both tourists and inhabitants. Out from the maze, we strolled along the riverbank of Houhai where the more tourists-targeted shops, restaurant and hangouts are located. I must say that I had more fun exploring the maze of old hutong neighborhoods than shopping at the touristy haunts in the same area.

Here are some pictures.

(:

The setting looked like a movie set!

Was getting bored of this Clarke Quay lookalike place until we chanced upon a rundown eatery that proudly displayed a ‘China’s Time Honoured Brand’ at its entrance. This dilapidated shack is a gem.

Good thing all of us are feeling adventurous! We ordered 2 plates of odd-looking snacks and a bottle of Tsing Dao to share. That mass of black stuff is fried pork tripes while the white one should be boiled sheep innards.

Both are springy and chewy. Too bad if you’re into innards. These wobbly pieces of protein goes really well with the peanut sauce!

Lots of love to Hao, Libei, Betty, Zhenyi, Sirui, Isaac, Ruth and Shuyan. I miss all of you loads!

(:

I have no idea how many time I’ve said this but I’m gonna say it again! I love Beijing! This beautiful city is one of the world’s most important historical site. Don’t you agree that is exudes a unique ambience balancing ancient and modern? But it takes hard work to keep a balance between these two extremes. As Beijing gets giddy with the rest of China to rapidly urbanised, it is saddening to know that the atmospheric hutong lanes, traditional residential homes and Si-He-Yuan courtyard houses all are fast disappearing. So you better start making plans if you want to catch a glimpse of Beijing’s past.

To get to Shichahai area: take bus 60, 13, 118, 701, 42, 823 to the north gate of Beihai Park. You”l see the Lotus Market. The entrance of the Shichahai area is just right opposite.

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.

Thanks Mun Wai for the recommendation! Mr.Ong and I still drools when we think of this restaurant. Can’t wait to go Hong Kong again.

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

After the tyre puncture incident, we had a smooth journey to Muar. Took us approximately 2 hours to reach from JB. To get away from JB which is getting  crowded by the hour, drive north to Muar for cheap and good food.  Accommodation is pretty affordable too. I will share more about that soon.

So our 2D1N outing kicked off with a hearty lunch at Restoran Ah Kean. Baby’s dad recommended this restaurant. Apparently their food contains less MSGs. They felt less thirsty after eating here as compared to other restaurants that offer the same fare. Which is…

Our favourite food! Bak Kut Teh!

Yay! The Bak Kut Teh is served in a large claypot instead of individual bowls. Yeah there’re restaurants that serve this yummy dish in individual bowls. Bak Kut Teh served in small portions can never match than those served in large claypots. Iin Muar, the broth is herby and there’s pork meat balls swimming in it. Interesting. That’s the key ingredient that differs Muar Bak Kut Teh from other variations.

We also ordered braised pork (I love the fatty white layer), salted vegetable and yu tiao. Salted vegetable and you tiao/Chinese doughnuts was mediocre.

Eh the rice is served with pieces of yam, mushrooms and shallots! Brownish because they must had added soy sauce. No wonder it’s like eating fried rice. OMG. I wasn’t very enthusiastic over it. Guess I am not a fan of matching savoury rice with Bak Kut Teh. I think that fragrant white rice goes better with the Bak Kut Teh soup!

Although the Bak Kut Teh and braised pork is up to standard and pricing is reasonable (RM38 for 4persons), I still prefer Teh Hin Hock’s Bak Kut Teh because it’s herbier. The braised pork kinda won my heart though. It was bursting with flavours but I would prefer having steamed fish as my side dish anytime.

Lunch at Ah Kean was fairly good.

Ah Kean Bak Kut Teh
5516 Ground Floor
Jalan Bentayan 84000
Muar Johor Malaysia
Tel: 012-2755982

This is a secret chow place that only locals know! It’s near Angsana shopping mall. Before I elaborate, take note that the parking lots at Lorong 2 are really limited and you can expect yourself to sweat like a pig while lunching. Nonetheless, I bet you will never ever regret coming here.

This is how Lorong 2 looks like. Narrow lanes and lotsa cars parking by the side of the road.

I’m not sure if you can spot the signboard because it’s not very conspicuous. It’s hidden behind a mountain of tin cans!

Instead of making their signboard a landmark, the shop next door which distributes chicken feed is easier to notice. So look out for Soonly Poultry Farming.

Ah. Do not be deceived by the restaurant’s humble appearance! Judging by the number of tin cans in the jumble outside the shop, you can roughly gauge the restaurant’s popularity.

Let me introduce the delectable spread!

The bak kut teh

I’m a super big fan of this stronger flavoured bak kut teh soup which is created by adding medicinal herbs.

There’s  meaty pork ribs and innards simmering in the tasty broth. Mmm this pot of goodness has such intense aroma of herbs and spices! I can have this for every meal! Too bad I don’t stay near this restaurant.

Garlic Steamed Fish

To order the fish, you need to go to the kitchen/counter to pick your own fish! Ma ordered 2 red snappers because bro and I were very hungry.

Here’s the steamed fish with garlic, spring onions and coriander leaves.

Make sure you have enough of this slighty acerbic dip that goes very well with the fish. It’s very zingy!

Garlic fried xiao bai cai with minced pork

As you can see, the fish and veg are quite garlicky! That’s why you should order chinese tea to go with these flavorsome food. I like Xiang Pian Tea, ??.

BURP!

For a table of 5, the bill came up to RM58.90. We ordered 2 fishes!  OMG! really reasonable right?

What else can I say besides hoping that the food and price will remain as good when more people get to know about this hidden gem. The thing with fantastic restaurants is that the standard will somehow deteriorates when it start expanding/franchising. That was what happened to Bamboo Restaurant. It’s famous “Paper wrapped Chicken” shrunk in size while the price actually went up. We never went back there for makan ever again. Boo!

OK. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, you will definitely complain about the heat when you dine here. It’s hot in the al-fresco area and stuffy indoors. Yet, although I sweat like a pig when I chow here, I must say that this is a makan experience itself. Anyway you will feel so shiok savoring these dishes until you don’t mind the heat/stuffiness at all!

I love herbal bak kut teh!

Kedai Bak Kut Teh Hin Hock
No.25A Lorong 2
Tampoi 81200
Johor Bahru
019-7793434
Closed every Monday