Anyway, we came across this Soon Café in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru. The cafe stated that they are a Hainanese Café that specializes in serving local and traditional cuisines.

The café was believed to be in existence since 2008 serving traditional cuisines to locals and also to tourists visiting JB. The cafe has both indoor and outdoor spaces for customers to select from.

Let me take this opportunity to include this café in the list of my ongoing #JomtaraletsSupportLocal campaign stories.

THE FOOD

I ordered their Yang Chao Fried Rice, Ginger Onion Pork with Rice, Long Bean and Baked Belly with Rice, Dried Curry Pork with Rice, and Sambal Squid with Rice.  

Overall, the food was good, the Yang Chao Fried rice may be simple but in terms of taste, it is not oily and salty. The mixed vegetables also balanced the whole set to make it more appetizing in the eye.

The gravy of the set was awesome. I like mixing it with their white rice. I think this is a good set. For price-wise, I can say that it's affordable for everyone.

The soy-sauce taste wasn't too much.  It actually compliments the bland taste of the long beans. I hope the portion of the long bean can be a bit generous to make it more interesting. This set for me was not too salty and every bite was really good in your mouth. You will really love it.

What I like about this set was the controlled usage of the sambal and oil. Usually, sambals are too oily, but this part, the oil level didn’t disturb the whole taste at all—in fact, it helps to give a good impact on your mouth. It was actually a remarkable set. 

In summary, I would say that my food experience at this café was really good.  It’s 8.5 out of 10.  This is a good food recommendation for backpackers or for small families like us.  

 DISCLAIMER:

Reviewed food was based on the date the food was ordered. Reviews given were based on honest feedback. The featured cafe may also have better menus which may even better according to your preferences.

For dine-in and other transactions amid to the SOPs due to the CMCO status of Johor, please check the update from the Restaurant Management for further assistance.

According to the Committee from the Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee, the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme which has started at the end of February 2021 will also be including non-Malaysians staying in the country for the free vaccination.

But with the ongoing registration, perhaps you could check again if you have successfully registered thru the MySejahtera App. Here are the steps for you to see if your application is successful.

Step 1 and 2: 

Step 3: 

The restaurant is an open-air eating place with big fans to make the place cool. I noticed that most of their customers are contractors, family, office workers, and seldom I see tourist trying their dishes. The Bak Kuh Teh is cooked on the spot just beside the entrance of the restaurant. 

Bak Kut Teh which literary means in English as “pork meat tea” is actually a pork rib dish cooked in broth popularly served in Malaysia and Singapore. This dish was believed to be from Hoklo and Teochew community during the olden times.

This dish is fantastic especially the pork broth.  Some restaurants are adding ingredients like “spare parts” (referring to the pig intestines), vegetables, and steamed dried or fried tofu to make it more interesting.

Anyway, let’s go back to this restaurant. By the time we sat down at their place, one of their crew came in and give us a set of spoons,  chopsticks, and “chilis” soaked in soy sauce. You just need to inform the lady (order taker) what you want to order and she will write down and give it to the person preparing the food.  

Sometimes, you may need to wait for about 15 minutes depending on the volume of their customers. At that point in time, the whole house was full so their team was very busy. It's noisy and their staff was really busy moving here and there to serve their customers.

The Food

We ordered their set and variety of Bah Kuh Teh, Heong Pneah, Salted Vegetable, and Soy Sauced Chicken.

The pork meat in their Bak Kuh Teh was tender and well cooked. The Bak Kuh Teh soup was fantastic. It blended well with both the mushrooms, ginger, lots of garlic, and onion leeks to add additional flavor to the whole set. If your soup is already finished, they can refill it for you for free.

For me, I like soaking that Heong Pneah into the Bak Kuh Teh soup. The taste is so nice. 

The menu will be served to you while it’s at boiling temperature so you have to be careful when you touch the clay pot. If you have kids with you- please better be careful on it.

Overall, the dining experience was superb. We finished our meal happily while enjoying their hot Chinese tea. 

DISCLAIMER

Reviewed food was based on the date the food was ordered. Reviews given were based on honest feedback. The featured restaurant may also have better menus which may even better according to your preferences.

For dine-in and other transactions amid to the SOPs to stop the spread of Covid19, please seek an update from their Restaurant Management for further assistance.

This place is both a flower shop and café mixed together. It's basically a good place to hold special events and all types of walk-in customers. You may also try to just dine in and have a cup of coffee just to catch up with your friend. The place is really beautiful.

THE AMBIANCE

The café itself was well decorated with lots and lots of flowers. The interior design was superb.  The details on how the wooden tables were arranged, the lightings used, the vase, and the spacing was well planned. The interior design showcases a modern concept of a cafe plus a flower shop which really syncs in as a good match. 

It is a really nice place to hang out. One will really enjoy dining with family and friends. You will be amazed at how the decors were displayed. 

The only issue that one can be facing here is the parking space which may be limited during the daytime (rush hour time/ lunchtime). But during night time, the whole parking space behind the building can be all yours.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

We went there during non-peak hours. That was Sunday so it was quite a relaxed time. They have staff available to assist you. The staff  (it's a guy) was quite responsive.

The food came in according to the expected time of preparation. Of course, while waiting for the food to come, we took the opportunity to have photos inside their shop. I would say it’s really homey.

THE FOOD

We ordered their Oriental Fried Rice with chicken on top, Coffee, Grilled Chicken Chop, and some side dish like fries for the kids.

Every bite of that grilled chicken was remarkable. You will love it. 

The presentation of the cappuccino was fantastic. The design on top of that set was outstanding (which I didn't expect to be as such). The smell was quite strong. I am not a coffee lover, but looking at how they served the coffee to us—whoa it’s really beautiful.  

I guess this place is a good recommendation to fellas out there who are really looking for a place to just relax and enjoy their food. It was indeed a great dining experience for us. 

DISCLAIMER

Reviewed food was based on the date the food was ordered. Reviews given were based on honest feedback. The featured restaurant may also have better menus which may even better according to your preferences.

For dine-in and other transactions amid to the SOPs due to MCO status of Johor, please seek updates from the Restaurant Management for further assistance.

The majority of tourists from Singapore make Johor Bahru their next destination because of its close proximity. It’s really convenient to cross the border.

I have listed here some of the recommended things to do in Johor Bahru.

Top 10. Walking around Hutan Bandar Recreational Park

This place is very wide. It is mostly good for jogging and brisk walking.  The place is surrounded by big trees while situated in the middle of the city. It has lakes where you can see turtles and mudfishes around.

Aside from its playground, they also have their swimming pool. This is normally open to the public but because of MCO, this facility is temporarily unavailable. The place has also a lot of food places for you to have your breakfast too.

The park is believed to be crowded during the early morning from 6 AM to 8 AM and around 6 PM to 7 PM.

Top 9. Johor Premium Outlets

With MCO, each participating outlet has its own QR code for customers to scan and register their identity before entering each shop (I guess this is the new normal). Just need to be patient so everyone can enjoy shopping happily and safely.  

Going to this place from JB city center is not a problem. They have a bus service that connects you in one ride. It's very accessible.

Top 8. Walking Around Adda Heights Town Park

Parking is not an issue but bear in mind that this park is very busy during the early morning from 6 AM to 8 AM and from 6 PM to 7 PM.

Top 7. Danga Bay Park

They have a lot of rides here for everyone to enjoy. Most of their rides comes with attractive good lighting that makes the place very happening. It is a good place to explore.

They also have restaurants here serving seafood dishes. A bit pricey though but considered an outstanding one.

Top 6: The iconic Crown in Johor Bahru

It is recommended to visit this if you are in Johor Bahru. Take a walk at night here to see the colorful lights coming from the crown.  They also have fountains nearby as additional attractions to the area. It is open to the public and good for photo sessions.

Parking area is available and it's free. The parking area is just nearby “The Crown”.  

Top 5: Exploring the Old JB Town

It is also within this town where guests can walk around to explore the different shops (bakery shops) restaurants, and Kopitiam offering authentic Malaysian cuisines.  Majority of the old shops still exist. However, due to MCO, some had lessened their operation hours.

Top 4: Visiting Johor Zoo

As a traveler, I would suggest you take a photo in front of this signage as proof that you have visited and explored Johor Zoo.

Johor Zoo also provides opportunities to interact with the animals during feeding times. The entrance fee is not that expensive. It is worth going for the entire family.

Top 3: Mall Hopping

These malls cater to wellness services such as massage centers, nail polishing, hair cut services; You can also discover ongoing sales on branded and unbranded garments, clothes, shoes, phone accessories, and others.

During major events of the year such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Christmas, you will be amazed at the different themes on all these shopping malls. It is very creative.

The top most visited shopping malls in Johor Bahru include KSL City Mall, Paradigm Mall, Sutera Mall, Aeon Tebrau City, The Mall Mid Valley South Key,  Johor Bahru City Square, and R&F Shopping Mall. Each mall has its own specialty to offer.

Top 2. LEGOLAND Adventure

LEGOLAND offers more than 40 rides with different varieties of shows events and attractions which takes about 12 hours to enjoy the entire place. In 2019, the Sea Life Aquariums came in as part of the new attraction.

LEGOLAND Malaysia waterpark is the World’s largest LEGOLAND waterpark with over 20 thrilling slides for every visitor to enjoy. Children can enjoy customizing their own lego artwork with the available lego bricks inside LEGOLAND.

 Top 1. Food Exploration

Food places can be just along the road serving nasi lemak or carrot cake. You can also check out Pasar Malam where you can see a lot of street food that would really satisfy you till the end.

With the geographical structure of Johor Bahru, nearby countries like Indonesia and Singapore always visit Johor Bahru as their next destination because of the different food available in town. 

Some of the popular places for street food is at Taman Sentosa where you can have the chance to discover different street and hawker food for both halal and non-halal food.

Singaporeans also visit Gelang Patah area for a short gateway to explore seafood restaurants and other “Kopitiam” offering authentic coffees for coffee lovers.

How to get to Johor Bahru?

 There different modes of transportation on how to get to Johor Bahru.

 By Flight

• Domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur or any other parts from Malaysia and touch down at Senai International Airport.
• Upon reaching Senai International Airport, you can take taxi, private hire, or grab car to JB Sentral area. However, if you want to be economical, you can take Causeway Link Bus service from Senai International Airport to go straight to JB Sentral.

 By Ferry

• There are different ferry terminals in Johor Bahru and even around Johor. If you are coming from Indonesia (Batam) or Singapore, you can take any ferries that go to the Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal.
• This ferry terminal is located beside the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel in JB. It is the most recommended one. It is nearby to these places especially to shopping places in Johor Bahru.

 By Bus (Express Bus Service)

• There are different express bus service providers from the different parts of Peninsular Malaysia towards  Johor Bahru via the Larkin Bus Terminal.
• From Larkin Bus Terminal, you can take taxi, grab or even public buses to get to your desired destination. But if you want to get connected to the hotel where you book your reservation, it is advisable for you to take taxi or grab car as it is door to door.

 By Bus (Stage Bus or Cross-Border buses from Singapore)

• Johor Bahru can be accessible via 1st Link or 2nd Link from Singapore with the bus service operators from Singapore and Malaysia.
• If you want to go to Johor Bahru City Center,  you are advised to take the 1st link (from Woodland). It is more convenient. Bear in mind that during Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Malaysia and Singapore Public Holidays, the causeway and immigration clearance area will be too pack and it may take you about 3-4 hours to enter Malaysia especially during peak hour time from 6-9 at morning time and 4-9 evening time.

 By Train

• There is a train service line between Singapore and Malaysia. This is thus far the most convenient way as it only required one stopping point to clear the Causeway. The train journey will only take about 15-30 minutes traveling time including clearance from the immigration.
• Bear in mind that if you intent to take this service, you are advised to book your train ticket in advance to secure the seat. Don't last-minute buy the ticket in as you might not have enough slot on that day.

Note; This article was been published by the author from another website but it was updated in this cite with the inclusion of a topic "How to get to Johor Bahru". Some photos used were captured before MCO.

I myself have been affected by this pandemic. Hence, we joined the trending source of income—to have our home business support our daily needs.  We started a small-scale business for cakes and cookies.

As a newbie on this home business for fresh cakes and pastries, we need to look for a good supplier for fresh fruits and vegetables. And this is how I known about the fresh fruits of Share & Shine in Adda Heights.

I found out that Share & Shine in Adda Heights offers a wide variety of imported and local fruits including vegetables that you may need in order to bring the best quality of your food project be it a cake, soup, Asian delights, or any international cuisine. Name it, they have those fruits and vegetables you may need.

The shop also offers frozen fish and processed meat which maybe good for you to explore too.  

In conjunction with my #JomtaraletsSupportLocal campaign stories, let me share my experience when my wife asked me to find an Australian strawberry for her cake to be delivered the following day. I need to look for an authentic Australian Strawberry (this was specifically requested by our client).

Getting to Share and Shine is simple. Their address is easily located via Waze App or Google Map. I need to use these navigation apps since I am not familiar with the ins and outs of Johor Bahru. 

The surrounding area in Adda Heights is not that crowded. It has a lot of parking space so you don’t need to worry about it.

Inside the shop, you will be surprised with their room that has 5 degree centigrade. It is open to the public.  It’s really cold inside as if you are in the opening winter season in Canada or in New Zealand. It’s really cold. All the fruits and vegetables were displayed there to maintain their freshness.

You can’t stay inside for 10 minutes without a jacket. If you want to visit this place, please bring a jacket with you. I found this place quite interesting. The shop has available jackets for you to use in case you need one. You may need to take about 20 minutes inside the room to get what you need.

Anyway, with this fresh Australian Strawberry from this shop, our client was really satisfied. They were surprised with the freshness of the strawberry in that cake tower. They said that the strawberry was very juicy. 

For customer service wise, their team was friendly and very flexible to assist you with what you need. Perhaps you can consider them for your future fresh fruits and vegetable needs.