It's DINNER TIME and we decided to try out the local delicacies at Meldrum Walk. Located within the bustling streets of Johor Bahru, it is about 5 minutes walk away from City Square Shopping Mall. The moment we turned into Jalan Meldrum, we were pretty impressed by scale and variety of the food stalls that was being setup in the open space within the back alleys. If I am not wrong, it could be one of the biggest in Johor Bahru.

Name: Meldrum Walk

Location: 1-35 Jalan Meldrum, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor

(GPS: 1.458943, 103.765652)

It is a food paradise and we were spoil with choices. After roaming through the streets for awhile, we decided to find a table near the stalls that were selling our favourite food. Being frequent diners at hawkers and street markets, we are quite accustom to dining in open space where the environment may not be that clean or pleasant. However, that is also the uniqueness and atmosphere of Meldrum Walk to indulge in. Denver & Gladys complained about the heat and stuffiness but they got over it as soon as the cooling drinks and yummy food arrived on the table.

Sweet and refreshing coconut drink for all to share. It was a pity the coconut was a bit too young and we cannot savour the coconut meat within.

Hubby ordered a Popiah roll (薄餅) and I like it when the skin is soft, thin and there's a lot of turnip, bean sprout, shredded omelette fillings and chopped peanut. We enjoyed the crunchiness of the vegetables and sweetness of the sauce, particularly stuffing the entire slice of popiah into my mouth to relish its flavour.

Char Kway Teow (炒粿条) is a common local dish in Malaysia and Singapore. The mixture of beansprout, cockles, fish cakes and flat rice noodles fried in dark soya sauce, sweet sauce, garlic, eggs and chives is a heavenly combination and all time favourite loved by adults and children.

BBQ-squid and stingray is the main highlight for the evening. We randomly picked the stall near our seating area and placed our order. Just looking at the seafood made us hungry!

BBQ-Stingray with sambal - Seeing the sambal sizzling on top of the stingray accompanied with the captivating aroma, was enough for us to dig our chopstick into its juicy, tender meat. Despite the spiciness, that did not stop our kiddos from digging in too. 

Squid has always been Gladys' favourite and even though she cannot take hot and spicy food, she would rather have us 'filter' all the sambal off the sotong before she pampers herself in the feast. She loves it so much that we ordered 2 plates of BBQ squid to satisfy her cravings.

Now its my turn! Fried oyster omelette (蚝煎) has always been one of my favourite local dish and definitely a not to be miss for me. Spotted a few people crowding near this stall and we went forward to make our order. We were surprised to learn that there were already so many orders before us and it was so popular that the waiting time is 1 hour!

Is the wait worthwhile? The question that ponders me was what's so special about this little plate of fried oyster that everyone is willing to hang around for? After a long wait, I was thrilled to see my pipping hot fried oyster delivered to our table. One glance at it you can see that it has a softer look and different texture. The oysters are big and I can smell the fragrance almost instantly.

All I can say is this is probably the softest fried oyster that I have ever experienced. It has a very different taste as compared from the ones we have in Singapore. Singapore's fried oyster is crispier and stronger in flavour whereas I find the version here smoother, slightly blender and with more moisture. It's worth to try if you are willing to wait and you like your Oh Chien to be soft.

Chicken BBQ was our final 'dessert' of the night. It was finger-licking good and the kids enjoyed it. Too bad our tummies were pretty full already and we decided to call it for the day. :)

Total Spending at Meldrum Walk

Popiah - RM2.50

BBQ Squid and Stingray - RM57

Char Kway Teow - RM4

Fried Oyster - RM11

BBQ Chicken wings - RM9

Sugar cane drink - RM4.50

Coconut drink - RM4

Grass Jelly drink - RM1.30

We revisited Johor Bahru again during the June holidays. This time exploring other parts of JB in search for more yummylicious food. Hubby has always been a great fan of Kuay Chap and thanks to JohorKaki's recommendation, we drove slightly further up to experience the famous kway tiao kia stall which has been in business in the area for more than 30 years.

Name: Guo Tiao Zi Tasek (果条仔)

Location: Jalan Tasek, Johor Bahru

Opening Hours: 7am to 2pm

(GPS: 1.485385, 103.722567)

Hubby ordered quite a lot as the trays of pig's skin, sausages, pig intestines, braised eggs were really tempting. 7 dishes + 4 bowls of kuay tiao cost us RM$34.20 (~SGD$13.60). The pig's skin is smooth and tender and the children LOVE the sausages most. The preserved vegetables is not too salty and I like the kway tiao soup where the taste is milder and more refreshing. Compared to the other kuay chap stall, the aroma and flavour of the various dishes prepared here is not too strong and just nice for my liking.

Later in the day, while we were on our way to the hotel, we tried another bowl of kway chap from the kway teow kia stall in Multi-mart (满地好). It is a small stall within the kopitiam, located near KSL City Mall.

Name: Unknown - Kway Chap stall in Multi Mart

Location: Junction of Jalan Harimau and Jalan Harimau Akar, Johor Bahru

(GPS: 1.485037, 103.760108)

For a bowl of kway chap, it only costs RM5! The soup is darker in colour and has a, thicker flavour. Pig's skin is tender and hubby seems to have a preference for the stronger taste.

Although we are not staying in JB for many days, it certainly help to have phone and data service. After reviewing from the various providers, hubby felt it was more worthwhile to get from Digi. RM25 for each starter pack with all-in-one internet+call+SMS plan.

This time, we are staying in Grand Paragon Hotel which is situated not too far away from KSL City Mall. Another important reason for our stay here is we can visit the weekly Monday night market at our convenience. 

Name: Grand Paragon Hotel

Location: 18 Jalan Harimau, Taman Century, Johor Bahru 80250, Malaysia

http://www.grandparagonhotel.com.my

(GPS: 1.480929,103.761813)

Bigger lobby with more resting area.

Although Grand Paragon may not look as new or glamorous, it has bigger room and beds to offer! Their deluxe room comes with 2 super duper single beds. Each bed size is about 4.5 feet which is only slightly smaller than a queen size bed. It can comfortably accommodate 2 persons per bed. Definitely a big plus for our family with our size!

The room is carpeted and comes with a bigger toilet with bathtub facility. Our room is clean and we did not experience any issue with the air-conditioning.

View from the room

Other facilities within Grand Paragon includes Gymnasium, Steambath, Foot & Body Massage Centre and a swimming pool. 

Located on the 11th floor of the hotel, the swimming pool overlook the heart of Johor Bahru. Although the semi-circle pool is pretty small, and did not come with jacuzzi, Denver & Gladys had a great time swimming and splashing water in the pool.

I like the view of the scenery from the top, while watching the kids enjoying their time in the waters. I believe it will be another sight and enjoyment when the night falls and the weather gets cooler.

After having a good swim and rest, we drove out again in the evening for more food hunting. We found ourselves back at Tan Hiok Nee Cultural Street and roamed around the little stalls in search for our 'appetizer' before dinner.

After our first fruit rojak experience with the Penang Rojak man, we are more than happy to try tasting it again from another stall. Love the combination of freshness and sweetness from the fruits and the children finished the whole plate without any hesitation.

Name: Fruit Rojak (Kin Wah Kopitiam 锦华咖啡店)

Location: 39-67 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000, Johor Bahru, Johor

(GPS: 1.45657, 103.763873)

I heard the Nasi Padang stall is also very famous for its home-cooked food. Would love to be back to try on our next visit. 

Check for our food galore in Part 2. 

19th March 2013

We had a good night rest and will be returning back home later in the afternoon. Good times always seem to past so quickly. Since we were up rather early, we ventured out of KSL Resort to see if there are any eateries nearby to settle our breakfast.

Time: 7:30am

Name: Chau Zhong Restaurant (潮宗菜饭专卖店)

Location: 25 Jalan Serigala, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru 80250, Malaysia

(GPS: 1.485731, 103.761261)

We spotted a teochew stall selling some dimsum, kway teow, assorted vegetables etc. Unlike the stalls in Singapore, customers have to self-service and fill their preferred dishes on the plate. You can grab as many as you like and the stall owner will based on what you have taken and charge accordingly.

Time: 8:30am

Location: Swimming Pool

The children wanted to go to the pool again before we check-out. It is great that they love the waters. I prefer to take the opportunity to relax and enjoy the Jacuzzi.

Gladys has been taking swimming lessons and she can swim better now. Our little girl can truly enjoy the deep pool without clinging on to Daddy anymore. 

Time: 10:00am

Name: Go N Play Playground

Location: LG - 20, KSL City Mall, 33 Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru 80250, Malaysia

(GPS: 1.485455, 103.762462)

After being frequent travelers (with kids) for awhile, we learnt one valuable lesson. Always bring a pair of socks for everyone. Many times, we passed by an indoor playground requiring children to enter wearing socks and almost everytime, we have none! Since then, socks are part of our check-list in our haversack. 

While Hubby and I were doing our window shopping the night before, we found a hidden gem located at the lower ground floor inside KSL City Mall. An indoor soft playground with 3 layers of play structures! Go N Play opens from 10am - 10pm and the pricing is super CHEAP! RM5 for every 30 minutes of play (per child). No indoor gym or playground in Singapore can beat this price! Denver & Gladys can play to their hearts content and we do not have to worry too much about the charges.

Although the price may be cheap, the condition of the playground is in good order. The staff took Denver & Gladys' temperature, ensured they are wearing socks and sanitized their hands before entering the playground. If your child does not have a sock, parents can purchase one at RM1 per pair!

Not only that, if you like to do some shopping or foot reflexology while your child is playing, you can leave your contact number with the staff and come back later. Since we are travelers, away from home, we do not wish to take the risk and prefer to stay close to our kiddos. There are seats inside the playground with movie screening on a wall mount television. Parents can sit down and enjoy a movie while waiting. Drinks and ice-cream are also on sale if we wish to have a drink. 

Our kiddos had a great time, burning out a lot of calories from the morning's workout at the pool and at the playground. 

All good things have to come to an end. Hubby check-out of KSL resort and load our luggage in the car while the children were playing. Time was short but we utilized our time fully! 

Time: 12:15pm

Name: Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant (凯旋)

Location: Level B1, The Puteri Pacific Hotel, Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim, Johor Bahru

(GPS: 1.460787, 103.762097)

It was lunch time and we decided to dine at Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant (located inside Puteri Pacific Hotel) which serves Halal Dim-Sum buffet. We parked our car inside the hotel which definitely look safer than leaving our car along the roadside. 

Kai Xuan offers "All you can eat" Dim Sum buffet at RM36++ (Adults) and RM18++ (Children) which is pretty reasonable. Since we had been indulging in the local food stall and returning to Singapore soon, we decided to treat ourselves a good and relaxing meal inside the air-conditioned restaurant.

We were a little skeptical on how Halal dim sum (no pork, no lard) will taste compared to the non-halal ones, especially not seeing any crowd during lunch hours on a Tuesday morning. Nevertheless, I am rather pleased after browsing through the list of dim sum Kai Xuan has to offer. 

How did the dim sum @ Kai Xuan fare? 

Assorted fried dim sum were served first - Crispy Yam Puff, Deep Fried Wanton, BBQ Chicken Pie and Salad Prawn Dumpling. I am not a big fan of fried food but it seems like a MUST try when we are having dim sum. I like the BBQ Chicken Pie (叉燒酥) as there is a good amount of filling and it is sweet. The crust are crispy and not too flaky. The prawn dumpling goes well with the mayonnaise dip too. 

Cheong Fun is our family common, favourite dimsum and and we will usually order at least 2 flavours. This time we tried all of them, namely Scallop, Prawn and BBQ Chicken Cheong Fun. I believe the prawn filling Chee Cheong Fun seems to be more popular among our kids as it was the fastest to disappear from our table.

The children love egg-tarts and they can eat at least 2 of them. We also enjoy having carrot cake but I usually find the portion too much and filling for us to finish.

My personal favourite is the Steamed Glutinous rice in Lotus leaf. I must order it whenever I am having dimsum. Simply adore the fragrant, softness of the rice and the sweetness of the meat.

Steamed chicken feet (Szechuan Style) and Seafood soup dumpling. Hubby and I did not enjoy the dumplings in the seafood soup as it has an unusual taste. We regretted ordering 2 bowls and had difficulty finishing up. This is probably the only 'left-over' food we had.

Steamed dimsum coming up! Siew Mai is another MUST order dish and we had total satisfaction. :)

Even though our tummy is feeling up to the max, there is still space for desserts. :) Mango Pudding for Gladys, Chilled Honeydew with Sago for Denver, Chilled Almond Beancurd with Logan for Hubby and Shanghai Pancake for myself. :)

The layer of milk on top of the mango pudding is sweet and definitely a haven for Gladys. The other chilled desserts were also refreshing after a heavy meal. I love to try the pancakes from different restaurants but the Shanghai pancake disappoints me as it was not as crispy, sweet and filling as I hope to be.

No doubt there's only 4 of us (including 2 children), I am always amazed with the amount of food we were able to finish! We headed straight home after our lunch and this concludes our 2D1N vacation @ Johor Bahru. 

The main reason why we chose to stay in KSL Resort and visit Johor Bahru on a Monday instead of over the weekend is because of the Pasar Malam (Night Market) located outside KSL City.

Time: 6:00pm

 Pasar Malam (Opens every Monday only)

Location: Just outside KSL City Mall

This was probably our most relaxing walk through the streets as we were not in a rush to return back to Singapore as compared to our previous experiences. Its our third visit and we were familiar with the stalls and surrounding.

Mobile vendors occupied the entire street, stretching from KSL City to Grand Paragon Hotel. We were hungry again and this is where we will be eating and drinking to our hearts content!

YUMMY FOOD WE ATE ALONG THE WAY

Before we begin our eating trail through the market, I must give credit to Denver and Gladys who have been following us in most of our trips. We are very blessed that they are not too picky about food and rather adventurous in trying out new things. It was rather crowded but they endured the heat and followed us closely as we hop from stall to stall.

1) Fried finger food - The children love fried stuff. Fried fish fillet (RM1.50) and chicken (RM2.50) was our appetizer to start the evening. 

2) Penang Rojak - Walking further down, we found the Penang Rojak Man with his mobile rojak stall on a motorbike. Despite visiting the market twice, we never notice his existence. It was through JohorKaki's recommendation that we kept a lookout for him this time.

Unlike the other rojak that we have tasted so far, this was totally different. It has a variety of fruits (including pineapple, jambu, apple etc) mixed with cucumber, ground peanuts and his specially made thick, gooey sauce. Customers can choose to add more spice into the sauce which looks really tempting... but we decided to keep to the original flavour so that our kiddos can try it too.

The fruits were fresh and nicely cut. The sauce was nothing like the ones we tried before. It was very thick and sweet which blends well with the fruits. Gladys seems to love it and keep on munching on the fruity rojak. Hubby is not a fan of sweetness and I believe the spicy sauce would add on to his preference. A box of fruit rojak costs RM5.

3) Muah Chee - made from glutinous rice flour, these little sticky, chewy dough mixed with peanuts topping is also one of our favourite street food in Singapore and JB. :) Big box cost RM4.50 while a smaller box is RM3.50

4) Roasted pork - A MUST eat for Hubby and myself whenever we are here. The skin of the roasted pork is crispy and its meat is sweet and tender. We love the size the roasted pork was chopped into and the little bit of fatness within that made us drool. Total enjoyment. We spotted two particular stalls and bought a box from each stall, costing RM10 per box.

5) Soya Milk - There are many stalls selling drinks but we particularly like the soya drink stall from JiaJia. Price is cheap and they have soya bean curb available in original sugar or brown sugar. Perfect drink to quench our thirst after eating so much.

6) Carrot Cake - Carrot cake seems to be rather popular here. Crowd surrounded these stalls for their orders. Just looking at how this couple work together is amazing. The uncle is in charge of frying the carrot cake while the auntie crack the eggs and lay the styrofoam boxes in order. They are so systematic and fast, filling up the boxes with carrot cakes to meet up with the customers demand.We also joined in the line and ordered a box of carrot cake at RM3.50.

We spent 1.5 hour to cover the entire stretch of the night market. Total 'damage' for our dinner is RM39.80 (~ $16 SGD) for the amount of food we ate along the way.

As the night falls, the lights were up and the night market is as vibrant as ever. We love this pasar malam and will try to pop by whenever we are in JB.

Time: 7:35pm

Name: 51 Soya Bean

Location: LG - S7, KSL City Mall, 33 Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru 80250, Malaysia

(GPS: 1.485455, 103.762462)

We made our way back to KSL City. The children were tired and we sat down to have a bowl of Original and Mango flavoured soya bean curd (豆花) at 51 Soya Bean.

51 Soya bean is quite famous in Singapore with an outlet in Old Airport Road. Similiar to "老伴豆花", the soya bean is smooth and silky. There are always long queues observed in Singapore but we were able to sit down and enjoy our desserts here. It is also slightly cheaper costing RM3.20 (~$1.30SGD) for a bowl of original flavour soya bean curd.
lal

Time: 8:00pm

Name: Hotel Room

We were finally back at the comfort of our hotel room. It has been a long day and everyone is tired. Hubby and I managed to squeeze another hour to do some night window shopping at KSL City Mall before we rest for the night.

Next on: Our final day in JB