Palates & Bagels by T.A.M., Jalan Dhoby, Johor Bahru

Came by Palates & Bagels (10 Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, tel : +60 11-2101 0150) to try their pistachio kunafa croissant.

Looks like minced tuna but it's kadaifi/kadayıf.

The inside of the croissant was stuffed with the pistachio flavoured pastry. Not bad tasting - a little nutty with milky sweetness and the texture was very crunchy.

Grapefruit peach sparkling oolong. Less ice, less sweet.

Lynns Food & Beverage, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru

We noticed the chicken rice from Lynns Food & Beverage (31 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, tel : +60 12-708 3048) the last time we were in the vicinity and told ourselves we'd come back and check them out. You may wonder what made us pay attention to chicken rice from such a nondescript looking location. Well, they were served in folded paper boats.

We got distracted also by some of the kueh kueh and had an order of their kuih dadar. These rolls had a nice pandan aroma. The coconut stuffings were kinda dry rather than "juicy" and soaked in gula melaka like we had imagined.

Chicken rice was competently done and the portion was pretty generous. Rice was sufficiently greasy and flavoured adequately. There was a good portion of poached chicken, some pickles to cut through the grease and a lime-y chilli. I don't mind coming back just for this.

Milo gao wasn't as gao as we imagined but it's pretty nice.

Roast & Coffee - Retro Garden 1968's, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru

Roast & Coffee (62 & 63 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, tel : +60 11-1895 6100) came up on our radar sometime late last year. They're a Nanyang cafe that isn't dissimilar to Oriental Kopi.

Got a couple of drinks. Butter kopi's respectably robust and that ice cham was surprisingly good with a nice tea flavour.

Curry lava egg - a couple of soft boiled eggs on toast soaked in curry. Nothing unexpected here and pretty good eat.

These guys use pretty good tasting otah that's filled with bits of fish. Enjoyed their otah omelette sandwich.

This was called Madam J seafood mihun. Seafood consisted of prawns and couple of squid rings. The former was nice - sweet and fresh tasting, filled with tomalley that was spilling out as you detached the heads. The broth was savoury, not exactly seafood-y and filled with evaporated milk and hua diao (花雕)? Appreciated how the home made fried shallots added to the broth. Delicious as a whole but the portion was kinda small. 

Chef Hainanese Western Food, Margaret Drive Hawker Centre

I ate once at Chef Hainanese Western Food years ago back at Tanglin Halt food centre and haven't gotten any food from them since they've migrated to their current location (#01-32 Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, 38A Margaret Drive). I remember being not impressed by their mixed grill but it was a long time back. Here's a fresh start getting reacquainted.

Portions were huge. This was their Chef Set 4. Crinkle cut fries tasted potato-y and unexpectedly addictive. Cheap pink sausage was cheap pink sausage. Chicken chop's actually pretty good with nice charring and the meat wasn't overly thin or dried out. Not a fan of their breaded fish....think that's dory. Potato was surprisingly sweet and naturally flavoured. The coleslaw which didn't have any sauce/mayo was the weakest link. One actually has to pay a dollar for tartare sauce here.

Oh I have missed thee, spicy dry Megamen

It has been a while. Still loving the spicy dry Megamen from Brothers Ramen (一, 二 , 三, 四, 五, 六, 七, 八, 九). The one thing I thought could have been improved on this precarious mound of noodles + bean sprouts + minced garlic + seaweed + ajitama + pork fat was their thick charshu from a cut of pork which is kinda boring and lean. Like maybe bring back that braised pork belly. One can hope.

Formaggi con burrata di Parma from Fernando's Pizza

 

Fernando's New York Slices at Margaret Market has been renamed Fernando's Pizza. I'm wondering if the change could be due to the fact that that some of their toppings are starting to look more Italian and, assuming that I'm not imagining it, I'm seeing the wispy spectres of Zazz Pizza on the menu here. Man I miss Zazz Pizza.

Anyways, this was Mozzarella, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, burrata, prosciutto di Parma and figs. How could I say no to them? I did wish that they were more generous with those figs and perhaps, not have them cut up so small. Otherwise, great combination of umami and milky saltiness accented by some of that stinkiness from the Gorgonzola and creaminess from the burrata. Good with and without their spicy hot honey.