Today, Martin, Bob, Maureen (Ms Tam Chiak), Kai and I went on a Johor Bahru food trail. As usual, I had no plan and no itinerary ;-p As soon as we got in the car, Miss Tam Chiak declared "I am hungry". Martin suggested that we stop first at Meng Fang kway teow kia stall 茗芳粿條仔 at Cedar Point. But, Meng Fang was closed when we arrived as it was their scheduled rest day :-( That's what happens when you follow someone who has no proper plan ;-p My instruction was clear. "Where else got pig's blood"? So, we swung around to Kah Hoe kway teow kia 榕树下粿条仔 a stone's throw away at Jalan Maju. First mission accomplished! My reputation redeemed, somewhat. Uncle Bob then sat us down to a lesson on pig offal; the finer points about big intestines, big head intestines, fallopian tubes.... We just enjoyed the different textures and flavours ;-D Uncle Martin was insistent that the Taiping Fish Porridge stall in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA) be our next stop because he was craving for it after tasting it once about 6 months ago. We drove for over 30 minutes to TUTA only to find it closed as it was their rest day :-( I needed a quick recovery plan from the double blow this morning :-( I quickly drove to nearby 源记鸡饭 chicken rice before I got lynched the situation spiral out of control. I like 源记鸡饭 for their unique poached, roasted then deep fried chicken. The 3-step cooking process gave the chicken a crispness and moistness not found in the usual roast or fried chicken. But, what I really thought would appease Uncle Martin after this morning's boo boos were these pills. Sure enough, Uncle Martin forgot about missing his favourite Giant Grouper 龍躉 fish porridge once he munched on these bishop's noses. After the party was suitably placated, it was time to proceed to our third food stop. While driving in the Skudai area, cluelessly wondering where to stop next for food, it crossed my mind that I had not been back to Restoran Tong for nearly 3 years. I loved Restoran Tong's kampung chicken and had wanted to try their famous steamed fish. So, today's the day ;-D But I had forgotten where exactly is Restoran Tong and had to stop 3 times for directions before we finally found it (Pardon that blur spot in the picture. Rain drops were falling and one landed on my lens as I took that photo ;-p ) Kenny has been running the show at Restoran Tong for 3 years already. Dad and founder, Ah Tong still helps out in support. We had a steamed promfret fish. All these 20 years, Ah Tong still personally goes to the market every early morning to personally hand pick the fishes for his restaurant. Restoran Tong's famous kampung chicken. Served in big chunky cuts in eye catching yellow chrysanthemum colour. The flesh and skin were tender soft and moist. Each bite releases a pleasant type of natural chicken flavour. "Cannot find in Singapore" my veteran foodie friend murmured as he chomped another bite. We all love Restoran Tong's winter melon soup. The piping hot broth served in a claypot was mildly savoury sweet with the sweetness coming from the winter melon, longans, barley, and the fresh pork ribs. The delightful layered sweetness was balanced with slight savouriness and a subtle hint of dang gui 當歸 herbs. Boss Ah Tong still buys racks of fresh pork ribs from the market and cuts the ribs himself at the restaurant. Our final stop today was Tong Tong Hong Kong Delicacy right across the road from Plaza Pelangi. Tong Tong was originally in Singapore. After capturing our hearts with their Hong Kong roasts, Tong Tong crossed over the Causeway to Johor Bahru. No wonder the stall was called Cross Way Bay when it was operating in Singapore ;-p Anyway, we tracked Cross Way Bay / Tong Tong down in JB. (Disclosure: We became fans/ friends with Martin the owner, and he invited us to visit his new shop in JB ;-p ) We were here especially for Tong Tong's siew yok (roast pork) and it was spot on. The golden skin was light and crackly to the bite. The tender and moist fat and lean meat layers were still dripping sweet natural warm juices. Beside the roast pork, Tong Tong serves good roast and poach chicken too. The chicken were succulent, tender, juicy and had a nicely balanced savoury sweet flavour. Now Tong Tong also serves wanton noodles. The crunchy egg noodles are tossed in chili or traditional style sauce, topped with shop roasted char siew and fresh greens. The wanton mee came plated more prettily than in many restaurants. With our stomachs overfilled and our cravings satisfied, we ended our food trail in Johor Bahru on a hearty note at Tong Tong. Here are the details, if you like to visit these restaurants: Restaurant name: Restoran Ka Hoe Kway Teow Kia 榕树下粿条仔 Address: Jalan Maju, Taman Maju Jaya (near Plaza Pelangi), Johor Bahru Map: http://g.co/maps/83qdb GPS: 1.480811,103.767425 Hours: 6:30am to 12:30pm (Closed on alternate Weds) Restaurant name: 源记鸡饭 chicken rice stall in Kedai Kopi Yee Chia Ler Address: Jalan Temanggong 11, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai. Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/yzXhA GPS: 1.509252,103.652329 Hours: 9:00am to 2:00pm (usually sold out earlier) (Closed on Monday) Restaurant name: Restoran Tong 东肉骨茶馆 Address: 41, Jalan Hang Lekir 10, Taman Skudai Baru, Skudai, Johor Map: http://goo.gl/maps/U54dr GPS: 1.502524,103.638818 Hours: 9:00am to sold out (usually about 2:30pm). Opens at 08:00am on weekends. (Rest days are not fixed. Rest for a week every two months.) Call 07-558-5367 to check. Restaurant name: Tong Tong Hong Kong Delicacy 糖糖美食方 Address: 1C, Jalan Maju, Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru (opposite Plaza Pelangi) Map: http://goo.gl/maps/qt7ME GPS: 1.480682,103.764989 Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Closed on alternate Saturdays) Date: 2 Apr 2015 Return to Johor Kaki homepage.