Joanna James
The capital of the Malaysian state of Johor, Johor Bahru, has many things to amuse its visitors, including its delectable cuisine. Here are some tasty delicacies to try out while you're there.
What's not to love about roti canai? Its super cheap, filling and delicious! This is the go-to breakfast of every Malaysian, and will appear on the breakfast menus of any restaurant in Johor Bahru be it a hawker food stall along the streets or a high-end establishment like the ones at the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel Johor Bahru- you won't miss it! Roti canai is a flatbread that is inspired from Indian cuisine and become a daily breakfast staple in Johor Bahru and all across Malaysia. The dough is stretched and flipped into perfect thickness and round shape and cooked atop a flat girdle until both sides are golden brown and crispy. The inside is chewy and soft. Roti canai is served alongside a range of curries from dhal to fish and chicken.
Derived from the Hainan Province in China, Hainanese Cuisine is popular across Malaysia including Johor Bahru. In this cuisine, food is less oily, lighter and the seasoning is milder unlike the cuisine of the Chinese mainland. Hainanese cuisine features a lot of seafood dishes such as those made from crab, shrimp, and freshwater and ocean fish. Some of the most famous dishes of Hainanese cuisine that you can try out when in Johor Bahru are the baozi, mantou and congee.
This is a soup of many bold and aromatic flavours. The Kway Teow Soup is a favorite dish in Johor Bahru and you can get one for about RM16.00. There are a variety of ingredients used to make the Kway Teow Soup and some of these include sea bass, prawns, fish ball, pork, fish maw, abalone slices kidney, and liver.
Get yourself a good cuppa of herbal tea when in Johor Bahru to kick start the day. A cup would cost about RM1.00, and you can request it can be made either bitter or sweet depending on your taste. May go for the sweeter version of it that's made using chrysanthemum flowers and other herbs. One of the best places to try out a cup of this when in Johor Bahru would be at the Jalan Dhoby, Kok Yow Yong which is a herbal tea shop that's more than 100 years old!
If tea is not your thing and you need a stronger beverage, try some coconut wine or toddy. Toddy is made using the fermented sap of the coconut palm and its alcoholic percentage ranges from 2 to 10%. A mug of toddy would usually cost about RM3.00. It tastes a lot like barley water and you'll experience the kick after a while of consuming. Toddy is said to have the medicinal property of relieving colds.
If you're craving for some good old KFC, try the Malaysian version of it. Grilled chicken chops in Johor Bahru would cost about RM14.00 and would feature a selection of chicken chops like thigh; grilled or deep fried and swathed in a generous drizzle of mushroom or pepper sauce.
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