In preparation for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, the F&B team from café BLD Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel come up with their special menu which will run as Selera Ramadan iftar buffet from April 3 to May 2, 2022.

Chef Hamizi from Café BLD mentioned their menu for this year uses traditional spices and local ingredients to ensure the authenticity of every dish being served during the buffet. Diners can look forward to a classic dish including other traditional Malay cuisines.

The buffet also showcases some Japanese cuisine like sushi rolls, salmon, and tuna in sashimi form. They also have their international salad station that showcases a wide variety of sections of salad leaves, salad condiments, dressings, and sauce.

One can also experience local dishes such as sate ayam, sate daging with traditional condiments. They also serve ayam goreng rempah, ayam percik, redang ayam, itik salai lemak, ikan masak lemak cili api, sambal petai udang, ketam goreng, kunyit, daging rendang tok, kambing gulai and many more.

Selera Ramadan iftar buffet is priced at RM168 nett per person and RM64 nett for children aged 6 - 12. Children below 6 years old will get to dine for complimentary. Early-bird promotion voucher also on sale from now until 2^nd April 2022.

These are the signature dishes that were captured during the food preview at The Mesh Restaurant inside the Four Points by Sheraton Desaru.

Diners at the hotel can experience local cuisines using local ingredients in Desaru to bring out an authentic flavour that will excite the entire family.

The Mesh Salad is a combination of Curried spices, asparagus, savory Granola, and sesame Dressing that is a good option for a healthy diet meal.

The Lobster Roll at the Mesh is considered as one of the specialties of the restaurant that forms a light yet mouthful sandwich made with flathead lobster and Ebiko in a Brioche. The ingredient of this set was sourced out at the Sungai Renggit where it is locally known as the Lobster Town.

Their Kolo Mee was one of the must-try dishes as it blended with chicken dumplings with a side dish of Chicken Char Siew combined with egg noodle.

The Sichuan Eggplant Beef is also considered as their game changes set which was made of tofu, choy sum, Sichuan cooked beef that is paired with steamed jasmine rice to make the whole set complete.

Their 24 Slow-braised Short Ribs is also one of kind. According to Mr. Colby Choo, Director of sales and marketing, this is their best-selling dish.  This set is presented with a combination of beef Asian Aromatics flavored short ribs and western favorite Pomme Puree or mashed potatoes, paired with Charred Kai Lan .

As a finisher, The Mesh restaurant is also showcasing its own version of Tau Sar Piah Cheesecake. It is accordingly baked dessert with mung bean crusted inspired by the traditional local Tau Sar Pia savoury pastry with a modern twist in a cheesecake rendition.

The Mesh also offers its Mesh Afternoon High Tea that comes with signature pastries from homemade scones, delectable savoury sandwiches, and wagyu sliders paired with premium Boh Tea selections that are just nice on your nice afternoon tea.

I got the chance to visit Kota Iskandar in Johor to do some sort of project photoshoots and I was honestly in love with the architectural design of the building as well as the simplicity of the landscape inside this fabulous place.

Sultan Ismail Building is where the meeting places for the Johor state legislative assembly and it is facing the Dato 'Jaafar Muhammad (BDJM) building.

Kota Iskandar is also known as the Putrajaya in Johor where most of the officers are here. This place was opened in April 2009 and the architectural design of the place was inspired by Moorish- Andalusian and Johor Malay designs and motifs.

For some couples out there, this place is an ideal place for taking photos for pre or post-nuptial weeding. Some youngsters were also spotted around the vicinity taking Instagramable shots or as background to their TikTok contents.

Kota Iskandar is located in Iskandar Puteri near LEGOLAND and the Puteri Harbour. 

Such a nice mega-project that showcases an amazing landscape for the community to hang out and refresh while relaxing on a man-made beach facing the island of Singapore.

If you plan to use their facilities please be reminded that there is a fee to use their pools and other water activities except for those quadbikes (ATV), banana rides, etc around the beachfront of Forest City.

Here is the important thing to know when visiting this place:

This place is also ideal for a family picnic if you don’t want to use their pool. It's nice to set your picnic at their grassy area but bear in mind that it may be very hot around 11 AM to 3 PM. 

To get here, you will need to drive for about 30-40 minutes from Johor Bahru with a speed of 80-100 kilometers per hour depending on traffic conditions. To avoid the jam, you can use the Express Way.

You can use any navigation app available online to guide you on the way to get here. 

Got the chance to walk along Taman Merdeka during this Chinese New Year break with the kids.

One can be amazed by those various historical sculptures that showcase significant highlights in Malaysia’s History for Independence. It's very educational, especially for the kids. 

Taman Merdeka is also a recommended place for joggers and for fellas out there who need space for zumba sessions, yoga sessions, and physical activities that required space.

Other sighted activities here include fish feeding. The fish food can just be bought at the main entrance of the park.

If you are driving, you can just easily locate this by using any navigation app. It is nearby the city center of Johor Bahru. Parking is free so don't worry.

PS: There are some areas that were cordoned. Some sections are still under maintenance. 

The launch of Vaccinated Travel Lane-Land (VTL-Land) between Malaysia and Singapore on 29 November 2021 is to facilitate quarantine-free, seamless cross-border movement by integrating health protocol, security, and immigration clearance.

Due to increased public demand for travel via VTL-Land, all categories of travelers who are Malaysian and Singaporean citizens will be able to enter Singapore and Malaysia respectively, via VTL (Land) effective 20 December 2021.

Holders of Malaysian Permanent Resident status can continue to enter Malaysia via VTL (Land). Travelers are still required to be fully vaccinated and for unvaccinated children below the age of 12, they must be accompanied by vaccinated parents or guardians.

Eligible travelers will be subjected to COVID-19 testing and further health requirements determined by the respective countries. The VTL-Land will still be limited to only bus transportation. VTL-Land designated bus operators will offer tickets to meet increased demand and are subject to a prevailing public health situation.