114. Malaysia - Pontian Market

Let me introduce this place. A place where the Malaysians there love and hate us, Singaporeans. This is the pontian market. A place which attracts many Singaporeans everyday. Singaporeans travel all the way to this market for the fresh fish haul up from sea. They have a wide variety of fish, sometimes a lucky catch, they will have lobsters. Besides fish and seafood, there will be vans selling fruits. When it is the durian season, the van will be loaded with durians, mangosteen season, the mangosteens and etc. Food....food food and food...it always attracts Singaporeans, no matter how far they are.

Why the Malaysians there love us? Because Singaporeans go there to buy their fish. Not 1 fish, 2 fish but whatever you have, they take it. The fishmongers just love Singaporeans so much. "Towkays and Lao ban niangs.....buy finish all my fish and I earn big bucks."

Why the Malaysians there hate us? The price of the fish was jacked up because of Singaporeans. The fishmongers took the chance to "chop carrots". Though some fish were more expensive than those sold in Singapore, Singaporeans will still buy them. Just because they were fresh fish. Definitely differ in taste!! The poor malaysians who reside there had to buy expensive fish. So, it is not surprising to chance upon the Malaysians there scold "Si Singa-po lang". Haha.

113. Malaysia - Kedai Roti Dan Kek M.1

Pandan chiffon cake @RM7

This kedai roti dan kek M.1 shop sits in the middle of the stretch of shophouses along Jalan PT. Mesjid. Kedai meant a place in Johor. This bakery sells roti and cake (kek). As for what M.1 means, I have no idea. Again, it is a shop which looks so ordinary. They have the bread and cakes in the front space and the baking is done at the back of the shop. Everything is freshly made. The pandan chiffon cake was divinely delicious. Must-try! It was so so so fluffy and light. Also, it was not too sweet. It was simply ambrosial~! The 10-inch pandan chiffon cake cost only RM7! Cheap and delicious. I'm so glad that I have found such a good pandan chiffon cake.

Banana muffin @RM0.80

The banana muffin is another must-try! Same thing....fluffy and light. Usually the banana muffins were pretty oil-laden but this one not the least bit oily and it wasn't dry. It was like the pandan chiffon cake....so delicious.

Kedai Roti Dan Kek M.1

761 Jalan PT. Mesjid, 820000

Pontian, Johor

Tel: 07-6870254

104. Malaysia - High King Seafood Restaurant

It happened to be a fine day together after the heavy rain pour at 3am this morning. It made a good day to travel out and this was why I was in Kukup, Pontian, a small fishing village in Johor. It is a favourite among Singaporeans and definitely not a strange land. Whenever there are any festive holidays, this small place will be overwhelmed with people. This is the seafood restaurant in Kukup which I will always patronise whenever I am in Kukup.

Frankly speaking, there aren't many restaurants to choose from. Only about 5 restaurants. The entrance to the restaurant has a ramp which enables cars to be parked into it. This is provided you will be dining at the restaurant. No valet parking but there will be someone to direct you, in case, you knock into something or someone. This is one good thing because if you didn't park your car at this restaurant, you will have to park it at the recently done-up and chargeable car park a few miles away.

The restaurant standing on wooden stilts, stretches out to the sea, able to cater to at least 30 tables. Dining by the sea is very comfortable as you will enjoy the sea breeze. No air-conditioner but sea breeze made the day. One flaw is the restaurant is directed located next to the jetty where boats will load their harvest from the sea and also load fish feed to their boats. The smell of the fish feed is quite a stench. I personally feel that it's a nostalgic feel, kampung style.
Fried prawn crackers were served. These prawn crackers were not those that were fried ready. They were fried on the spot from the dried and hardened paste. The prawn crackers were pretty different from what we usually have. It was harder and the smell of prawns was heavier. The ones we usually have were lighter and had pretty visible pores. The prawn crackers there were more compressed. There were hardly pores.

Fried Mee High King Style @RM8

This is a must-try! I can't resist the mee goreng sold in Malaysia. I think the malaysians have a better way of cooking a savoury plate of mee goreng. The mee goreng was very delicious. 1 of my makan kakis told me that the mee goreng wasn't this good previously. It was not too spicy nor too oily. It was very cheap. Look at that big portion for just RM8!!

Mixed Vegetables @RM12

The mixed veggies was just so-so. I was expecting to see glass noodles in this dish because the Singapore's style has it but there wasn't.

Fried kangkong with garlic @RM8

The kangkong was good. It was very smooth. I believe kangkong fried with sambal will be a better dish with the woolala effect but it is definitely not a wise choice. It will be laden with chilli oil which isn't good for the heart. Also, this dish was especially ordered for my aunt who didn't like spicy food.

Sweet & Sour Garoupa @RM60

We were a bit disappointed when we heard that the garoupa was a reared fish instead of sea-caught fish. The difference between these two. The reared fish's meat is not as tender as the sea-caught fish's. But we make do with the reared garoupa anyway because our purpose of visit was to eat seafood. I like the way they fried the fish till it was so crispy. A bite of the fish provened that the fish's meat was as expected to be. When I ate a slice of the pineapple, it was the taste of those overripe pineapple. Minus a few marks. However, the pineapple was just a side garnish. Given the price, I think it was quite a steal.

Fried lobster with oats @RM60

The fried lobster with oats was the lauded item of the meal. Must-try! The lady said they had only managed to catch two lobsters yesterday. One at 300grams, the other, 600 grams. So, we took the later. Butter was used to fried the lobster and the curry leaves made the dish so fragrant. The lobster meat was tangy, juicy and succulent. Together with the oats, it's just wolala. It was a great steal! You can never get lobster at such a cheap price (SGD24) in Singapore! So, if you do patronise this restaurant, always ask if lobster is available. Don't miss out this great steal.

The bill totalled up to RM157 (SGD66). I think it was very cheap considering that lobster and the garoupa were on the list. It was an enjoying meal on the sea.

High King Seafood Restaurant

No.7 Kukup Laut

82300 Kukup, Pontian, Johor

Tel: 07-6960259

79. Malaysia - Ah Soon Bak Kut Teh

Praises for this chef. Look at the ferocious fire! So many stoves. Note! They used charcoal. Woohoo....His hands are very fast. Obviously, it's hard to control the fire...but he can control his cooking. It was not easy, dude. Kudos!

The steaming hot claypot bak kut teh. Bak kut (pork ribs) with pig liver.

Claypot sesame chicken

If you ask your ah-gong, ah-ma or daddy and mummy, they will most probably know this ah soon. Oh! That bak kut teh, they would say. Ah Soon bak kut teh is located in Malaysia, Johor Bahru but it is not a stranger to many Singaporeans. You will see a lot of singapore cars parked just outside their shop. Why? The words just pass on and on. Singaporeans are known for the traits of being food lovers. Many Singaporeans patronise Ah Soon. My parents ain't an exception but I was there for the first time because I wanted to try this long discussed ah soon bak kut teh.

It was raining when I went there. They had the rollers down but their signboard printed on the rollers. With the number of customers eating there, you shouldn't have missed it even though you have not heard of them.

As usual (from what I have heard from my parents), the shop was full of customers. We had the bak kut teh with pig liver. Now, put aside the bak kut teh first, I have something to say about the pig liver. If you have eaten pig liver in Malaysia before, you would have realise that the pig liver sold in Malaysia is much much nicer than Singapore's. The pig liver is so fluffy soft and it sort of melts in your mouth the moment you put it in. I have never fail to order pig liver when I eat bak kut teh in Malaysia, not just at Ah Soon. Haha.

Back to the bak kut teh. Well, I think ah soon's was just so-so. The soup base was slight salty, the bak kut wasn't soft enough. I personally preferred bak kut that was cooked till it was soft. Not because I have grandma's teeth. LOL* It wasn't exceptionally delicious so it made me ponder why the thong of singaporean customers there? Haha. Could it be their curiousity acting in like me? I personally felt that the sesame chicken was slightly better than the bak kut teh. Though, it was just chicken cooked in sesame oil. So, you realise how 'powerful' coffee talks can be?

Kedai Makanan Ah Soon

141, Jalan Keris Satu,

Taman Sri Tebrau

80050 Johor Bahru, Johor

Tel: (016-715) -1678/2678/3678

Opens from : 8am -3pm

Rest on Mondays