Huang Ji Chinese Restaurant @ Taman Impian Emas

We've gone a little further from our usual shenanigans of cafe hopping, and today we're going to introduce this quaint little shop with a loud reputation in town. 

This shop here has been operating for years and yet it still keeps that typical tze char restaurant feel. In case you didn't know, tze char is a popular food culture among the chinese, and Malaysians simply love it! They are everywhere, with each having it's own famous dish, making them unique when compared to one another. 

This shop we dropped by here is called Huang Ji, named after the surname "Huang". So we reckon the boss is someone with that surname. It is well-known for it's claypot fish head curry (yes, we eat fish heads!)

Street view of the exterior of the shop

Brightly lit and clean interior 

Snap of the menu

Decor

Sizzling hotplate tofu

 We just love how this dish makes that delicious sizzling sound when served. But the plate is extremely hot to touch, so practice caution! The minced pork is stir-fried with onions, then the deep fried Japanese tofu slices are tossed in - voila!

Pork ribs braised with fried yam and Chinese rice wine 

 Many might not like this - because this is one true Chinese dish, with home brewed Chinese rice wine. We found the yam absolutely charming with the soft texture, perfect match with the well done ribs. We swear we could have downed a bowl of rice with this dish itself!

Clams cooked with ginger and broth

The Chinese are famous with their endless methods of cooking seafood, and they believe that with the freshest ingredients, simply steaming seafood would produce a dish so tasty. And here at Huang Ji, they cook their clams with ginger and broth, with minimal seasoning, which brings out the fresh flavour of the sea.

Omelette with baby prawns

Naibai greens

Steamed grouper

Extremely fresh fish was used, no slacking in terms of ingredients. Steamed to perfection, the fish meat was tender and not cloying, paired with standard Chinese soy sauce and condiments.

Fried chicken

This fried chicken dish is a must try. All of us love fried food, so this is absolutely the thing for us! Juicy, with its flavour all locked in. One bite and we think we've reached the limit of our food trail. *tears of joy*

Star of the day: claypot fish head curry 

What makes us more Malaysian other than curry? Fish head curry! And what type of fish head curry? We have the Malay fish head curry, Indian fish head curry and Chinese fish head curry. We just love fish head curry so much that the Chinese came out with the rendition of fish head curry - in a claypot. Chinese enough? This shop's fish head curry is so delicious, that we couldn't bear it and started drinking the curry gravy. YES, drink. Perfect thickness, and a definite match made in heaven with plain rice. The claypot was filled with long beans, okra and beancurd skin - not forgetting a huge fish head. This really swept us off our feet!

Just look at it drippin'

We love how the serving time was short, maybe because it is a weekday, but we heard that this restaurant will be packed on weekends. Nevertheless, there are many positive reviews on this restaurant so it is definitely worth a try! The price is reasonable too, all these dishes featured came down to a bill of below MYR 200, so a plus point!

Let us know once you've tried it out!

Our rating:

♥♥♥♥

Find them here:

Huang Ji Restaurant

No.9, Jalan Impian Emas 5/6
Taman Impian Emas, 

Johor Bahru

Operating Hours ：

11.30am- 2.30m / 4.30pm - 10.30pm 

(Closed on Tuesdays)

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. 

Posted by Xinyun

Brussels Beer Cafe (Puteri Harbour)

This time, we are going somewhere further, approximately 20-30 minutes drive from our college. Most people know this place as a heaven for kids but they are sooo wrong! It is not only a heaven for kids but also a heaven for adults. Puteri harbour is definitely the place. There is a nice hidden place you can chill which serves yummy yummy food, BRUSSELS!

Brussels opened their first branch in Johor Bahru a few years ago. It is a nice place to chill for a night. You can enjoy your food while admiring boats and enjoy the night breeze. On certain days, it can be very cold especially when it is windy.

Outdoor seating area

Brussels Chicken

The food served is definitely up to the standard. Brussels Chicken is chicken roulade with onions and mushrooms. It is served with asparagus and mashed potato. The serving may not look big but it is definitely sufficient for a person. This was recommended by the staff and we decided to give it a try. It is one of their signature dishes.

Australian Steak 

Corona with Lemon

Next, the Australian steak is medium rare cooked. It is so juicy and tender that you will want to have more and more. It is served with salad. The serving is also perfect for a person. I love the way they served Corona here. They serve Corona with a slice of lemon which not many places do so. With the lemon, it feels more refreshing and I will definitely drink more.

Our rating:

♥♥♥♥

Find them here:

Lot-5, LG Floor, Little Red Cube,

Pesiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour, 

79000. Nusajaya, 

Johor.

07-509 5626 

Operating hours:

12.00pm - 12.00am

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Posted by Stephanie.

Nur Tahara

This time, we Mad Girls decided to explore a little further on our selection of food. We decided to go.. Arab and Pakistani! This restaurant is located at a distance of ten minutes away from our college, at Setia Tropika. It serves various types of Arab and Pakistani food, ranging from their Arab rice and Nasi Briyani, to their specialized bread, all the way to their very own types of desserts. 

All the more if you're looking for Arab food which is healthy, this is definitely the place to go to. It begins off with their selection of drinks. The drinks served are unique as they serve solid Pakistani tea (which is their specialty), and they use fresh fruits to make their fruit juices (orange juice, pomegranate juice, mango juice and many more).

Up next is the fresh appetizers, whereby the salad served will be a big portion of fresh and juicy cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. 

Salad

Next.. The main course. If you wish to try out something that is not too heavy but still filling, their different types of naan bread (plain, butter, cheese and garlic flavor) and chappati bread will do just that. These bread will be eaten together with a gravy of your choice.

Plain Naan

Chappati

However, if you opt for a heavier meal, their Arab rice will keep your tummy full for many many hours! They serve Arab rice, Nasi Mandi, Nasi Briyani, Pakistani Rice and a few others. What is unique about this restaurant is that you can choose to as many types of rice that you want, and it will be served in a big 'dulang'. And of course, it comes with your pick of chicken, beef, fish and even lamb! Their rice is eaten together with salad and the sauce with it, and at times with Arab yogurt as per your wish. 

A mixture of four types of rice - Nasi Arab, Pakistani Rice, Nasi Mandi & Nasi Briyani

Salad with its spicy gravy

This place is DEFINITELY worth the try, and once you've tried it, you'll definitely go back there for more. No REGRETS. 

Our rating:

♥♥♥♥

Find them here:

Restoran Nur Tahara Nasi Arab & Beriyani

No. 19,

Jalan Setia Tropika 1/30,

Setia Tropika,

81200 Johor Bahru,

Johor, Malaysia.

017-648 1407

Operating Hours ：

10.30am - 10.30pm

Open daily, unless Public Holidays.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Posted by Fina

Ratatouille La Gourmet

Mad Girls have gone to a food paradise!

Weeks and weeks of delicious food, here's another not to be missed!

Ratatouille La Gourmet is perfect for gatherings, and they serve a wide array of food, suitable to be savoured throughout the day, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. This restaurant serves mainly western food.

We absolutely love their lunch set meals, because it comes in a package, beverage, soup, main course and not leaving dessert! Feels just like Christmas!

Choice of Freshly Brewed Pot of Tea or Cup of Coffee 

Cheese Cake

The cheese cake is rich, yet not cloying. This is good because we usually get sick of cheesecake after a few mouthfuls.

Cottage Pie

Roasted Rosemary Chicken

We believe that this is their most well-received main dish on the menu! Like the name suggests, a whole chicken leg marinated with rosemary is roasted to perfection and matched with a special sauce, accompanied by mashed potatoes and boiled veggies. 

As tough as it may seem, the meat is tender - crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside.

Vegetable soup

The vegetable soup consists of several types of vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, celery and onions. It is cooked to a moderate consistency, with the vegetables still in shape but extremely soft in texture. However, because Mad Girls are slaves to meat and desserts - this wasn't such a turn on...

Mint chocolate ice cream 

And after all the salt - a little sweetness to balance things up isn't too much, is it not? Ratatouille gives us an option to choose from several flavours of ice cream after the main course, well, that is if you order the set meals...

Our rating:

♥♥♥

Find them here:

Ratatouille La Gourmet

73 Jalan Adda 3/1

Taman Adda Heights

Johor Bahru, 81100 

07-2893175

Operating Hours:

Monday - Sunday

11.00am - 11.00pm

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. 

Posted by Thulasi & Xinyun

Restoran Zheng Zhong @ Taman Gaya

We all know that we can get bored of even the most expensive cafes and pricey western food. And when that happens, we will all crave for something close to our own culture. 

Today, we're going to introduce the food from this particular shop. Restoran Zheng Zhong - named after the literal Chinese meaning of 'original'. Apparently, this shop that is hidden deep in the rows of shop lots in Taman Gaya has an astounding reputation! It has been reviewed in a Malaysian food show, Ho Chak, which has many seasons airing on 8TV for years.

View from outside (Photo obtained from Google images)

So, you must be wondering now, what's with this random Chinese words and stuff. The stuff this shop has to offer is the bomb-diggity! It sells Kuey Tiao Kia, or in short 'KTK' which is a southern delight. We doubt anywhere nothern of Malaysia sells this. Second question would be, what on earth is KTK?

Kuey Tiao Kia is basically a meal where people have braised food to go with a bowl of kuey tiao (variety of noodle) in hot soup. And different KTK shops sell different braised delights, whereby each has its own specialty. The main star for this category of food is....PORK!

Look at the pictures and judge for yourselves!

Braised egg and tofu

The egg is basically boiled eggs in braising gravy, but the tofu is *licks lips* VERY smooth. If you fancy a savory sauce of a thick consistency, then this is for you. Remember to drench the tofu or eggs with a good portion of the gravy. 

Meatballs and beancurd skin

The picture above shows a bowl of deep-fried tau kees (beancurd skin) and meat balls soaked in the herbal soup. As it soaks in the broth, the beancurd skin will gradually soften but retains a certain degree of crispiness, making it extremely pleasurable to eat.

Deep fried ngoh-hiang

Rolls. Except with minced pork, mixed with carrots, water chestnuts and chinese all-spices - wrapped in thin beancurd skin and deep fried. There's a win there when it's deep fried. 

Braised pork belly and sliced pig's ears

Braised duck

In Malaysia, people do not eat duck as a staple meat. Instead, housewives cook chicken, pork, beef or mutton. Duck, on the other hand, is widely known for their succulent texture when roasted, therefore roasting is the main cooking technique for duck meat. However, this shop cooks great duck meat, as it is braised and also, drenched with their herbal gravy. Trust us, it's super savoury. 

Star: Kuey Tiao & Soup

One bowl after another. 

must try!

As observed from the pictures, all the braised food are drenched/served with a generous amount of gravy. The gravy is key. With a good braising gravy comes delicious braised food. Broth = Success.

People enjoy KTK for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even supper. It's like the Chinese's rendition of all day brunch! Mad Girls are raving for this!

Our rating:

♥♥♥♥

Find them here:

Restoran Zheng Zhong

30, Jalan Sasa 4,

Taman Gaya,

81800, Ulu Tiram, 

Johor, Malaysia

+60 14 310 4661

Operating hours:

Monday - Sunday

12.00pm - 9.00pm

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Posted by Xinyun

Cafe De Flore

After a long hectic week with assignments, it is time for us to chill and relax. We went to this little cafe, Cafe de Flore which is located five to ten minutes from our college. Upon reaching, we were attracted by the decorations and renovations.

First, you will see a cello right in front of the cafe. If you choose to sit outside, you can admire the cello. When you step into the cafe, you will be amazed by the decorations. The beautiful decorations give us a feel of being in Paris and UK, which we LOVE A LOT! They even place a red phone booth right inside the cafe, which is so cool! We have to say that, all the decorations are extremely creative.

They serve dessert and some snacks with beverages. They do not really serve main course. The price range for their cakes and beverages are considered average and reasonable. In short, we were more mesmerized by the decorations of the cafe than the food served.

It is a nice place to chill with friends as it is considered quiet. Due to the limited number of seats provided, we were not able to stay too long in the cafe as we did not want to "hog" the seats. 

View from outside

Clock as table

Love this antique clock so much!

Eiffel Tower as lighting 

Mint Cheese Cake

Cheesecake with Hot Chocolate

Iced Latte

Hot Peach Tea

Our rating:

♥♥

Find them here:

Cafe de Flore

G10, Block A, 

Jalan Jaya Putra 1/1, 

81100, Johor Bahru,

Johor.

016-750 0688

Operating hours:

2.30pm - 12.00am (Daily)

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Posted by Stephanie.

SEE & SAW

This time, Mad Girls ventured all the way to town and our choice of the night is one of the trending cafe, SEE & SAW! It is famous as a hipster cafe. Besides, it is also renown for its self-built furniture. According to the owner of the cafe, all the renovations decision,from scratch is made by him, He played a part to build the furniture which is an extra pointer for the cafe! All the furniture are made of wood which is to give their customers a feeling being a part of nature.

Their signature beverage is Cold Press which is a blend of different fruit juices. There are five colours of Cold Press which are yellow, green, red, purple and orange. We love this because the way they mix the fruit juice is awesome. It is very refreshing. If you want to chill at a cafe with your friends but coffee is not their preference, you can bring them here for fruit juice. I doubt anyone will say no to fruit juice because it is a healthy drink. You can rest assured that there is no preservative in their drinks. A bottle of Cold Press is approximately RM 16.90 for approximately 300 ml. They do serve others including coffee as well but Cold Press is a must try.

The ambience is romantic with the dim lights. You can choose to sit inside or outside of the cafe. However, if you choose to sit at outside, you can enjoy the view of the Straits of Johor. If you want to meet up with your Singaporean friends, this is definitely the place. We love this place but the parking lot provided for customers can be improved. There is insufficient parking lots to be provided to their customers.

Main entrance

Outside seatings

The bar

The inner renovation

The special toilet! 

The display of Cold Press

So in love with their bottle! 

Butter fish Thai pesto spaghetti @ RM 19.90

Cold Press

Seared Salmon and Poached Egg @ RM 20.90

Our rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

Find them here:

6, Jalan Skudai, 

Straits View, 

80200, 

Johor Bahru. 

(Next to 8 Lido)

Operating hours:

Wednesday - Monday 3pm - 1am

(Closed on Tuesday)

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Posted by Stephanie