Johor

 
Eating in JB
by Joanne Teo Lifestyle@AsiaOne, 16 Oct 2000
Who can resist the cheap eats from across the Causeway?
We love the low Malaysian Ringgit and the food in JB. It's no wonder that on weekends, a dinner outing to JB has to start as early as 4pm just to beat the jam at the Causeway.
Over the years, I've found a few cheap-and-good and cheap-and-above-average places to eat. I don't promise they are still around, as I rarely find the time to go now.
Don't forget

For a bloody experience with sea hum or cockles, I head to Jangan Lupa (Literally translated as Don't Forget). The sea hum is immersed in boiling water for just the right amount of time. But the best part is the ginger and chilli sauce that comes with the sea hummmmmm.
You may be tempted to have some satay while you're there. At last count, there were five satay stalls in that small eating centre. Selecting which stall is good is difficult. And I swear, only one satay stall is worth eating from, if at all. Ask the sea hum man and he will tell you. If he's free, he'll even order for you.
The ice kacang stall next to Jagan Lupa is worth a try.
Jangan Lupa is nestled with a bunch of other stalls and is right next to the sea. Heading from the Causeway, drive along the coast. It's on the left hand side.
Don't get distracted by the large hawker centre on the right just before the General Hospital. Jangan Lupa is on the left hand side of the road, right next to the coast.
On to the fishball noodles

If you head in the opposite direction, keeping the coast on your right, toward the roundabout with the never-working fountain, go up the bridge toward New Hong Kong.
Drive to the end of the road, toward the ferry terminal, duty free shops and Eden Hotel. Take the last left along that road. Drive till you come to a T-junction and turn right.
Go past the King's stables, follow the road till it becomes a one way road from the other direction. It sounds more dangerous than it really is.
Right at this corner is the best fish ball noodles in JB, according to the locals. Only the best Ikan Parang is used in these fish balls. Morning, noon, till tea time, I find people here eating fish balls, cakes and wrapped around meat and so on. It seems that there is no bad time to eat fish balls.
You don't have to go to China
At the other end of the same row of shop houses is Pekin Restaurant. Here you can partake in cheap and good seafood. You will sometimes find the owner helping out, stacking chairs or serving tea. If business is especially good a particular year, the owner gives each of his staff a holiday overseas.
The other more upmarket Pekin branch is located somewhere in a housing estate between Carrefour and Giant, the local hypermarket. It's one of my favourite restaurants, with excellent roast meats, fried tang hoon (vermicelli) and fish maw soup. Good luck finding your way there!
And I'm not telling you where my favourite Gu Bak Kway Teow (Beef Noodle) stall is. I have eaten at that stall since I was a kid living in JB. It closes around 1pm and if more people know about it, it's going to close even earlier than that!
Hey, I can't tell you everything. Part of the fun is in the discovery.