JB - So Near Yet So Far

Original cake
citysquare mall , level 3

You need strong arms to make this cake.

So much effort goes into producing these cakes and each procedure has to be done right. The meringue has to be wiped up properly to give the cake its height , the timing of removing the cakes from the oven is of essence and the turning over of the cake trays to extend the " stretch " of the cake .

It's no wonder that these cakes though just made with simple ingredients can taste so good . It is best eaten warm and the cake texture is unbelievably moist - like a cross between a pudding and a soft sponge cake .

I easily finished 3/4 of the cake at one seating.
It was that good .

And getting it at Rm15 dollars made every bite sweeter .

Auntie Lim Cafe
5-1H, Austin heights, Taman mount Austin, JB

It was my first time to mount Austin since I have heard reviews of the infamous seafood porridge and fishball noodles there.

However my attention was drawn to this lovely cafe with wooden grid windows and a cosy atmosphere. There were too many cafes to choose from in mount Austin so for a safe bet , we went where the crowd went.

The Nasi lemak with fried chicken was really good . The coconut rice was fragrant and well
Seasoned while the chicken was tender and very juicy - perhaps because fresh chicken was used.
The egg was wobbly and provided some good moisture to the dish and the sambal gave a fiery kick to the meal.

The cafe was nice to provide us with a bowl of curry gravy which was really tasty and full of rempah.

At RM 9.90, it was too difficult to miss even though we had earlier had our wanton noodles lunch at Ho seng kee 😍.!

The best find in JB while hunting down Hiap Joo bakery was this soft serve from Shakespeare milkshakes.

Everything about this cafe pleases me . From the tasteful design of the cafe interior , to the background music , to the smell of fresh waffles and the sight of its Patrons enjoying their ice cream and milkshakes .

The matcha soft serve had a distinctive green tea flavour without being too milky and was adorned with a splash of powdered roasted barley tea. The cone was also dipped slightly in chocolate and studded with roasted peanuts . The soft serve also has just the right level of sweetness (just a faint sweetness to balance out the Flavours ).

It is one of the best matcha cones I have had .
And at RM 8 , everything just tastes better .

Tong Guan Kopitiam
City square , JB, level 3 , MF-22

This was an unexpected find in Citysquare.
Just Neighbours to the popular Taiwan type sponge cake , Original cake which just landed foot in city square ( you won't miss it because if the snaking queues ), I found a poster outside tong guan Kopitiam marketing its egg sponge cake which boasts a simple but authentic recipe.

Feeling that I shouldn't leave JB without a box or two in hand ( even if it wasn't hiap Joo or original cakes ), I decided to give tong guan a try .

There were no snaking queues but there were certainly lots of pre- ordered cakes set aside on their counter table. When I found that I had the privilege to get the last 2 cakes out of 4 remaining cakes - I was elated and felt that these cakes were really meant for me .

The cakes were still warm when I bought them and I fell in love with them at the first bite. One cake is good for 4 to 6 persons but I finished half of it alone at one seating.

Being a lover of cakes and especially traditional type of cakes , I have never experienced a cake with a texture that is so pillowy Soft ( and yet with a good structure ) and moist . The best part is that I couldn't sense or smell any baking soda ( which was pretty strong in hiap joo's banana cakes probably to help make the cakes rise ).

As promised by the marketing poster of tong guan bakery - indeed all natural ingredients - just high quality flour, eggs, milk , canola oil, sugar .

Health enthusiasts will be happy to know that this cake doesn't contain butter.

Ho seng kee
Level 6 , city square , JB
Wonton noodles as authentic as it can get

Hi peeps ! Reporting directly from Across the causeway immediately after savouring these Juicy prawn wontons from newly opened shop, Ho seng Keng. This shop may be new but the brand name is very very old .

The prawn wontons were plump and juicy and the soup base was flavourful with almost no trace of msg - just the sweetness from high quality pork broth.

The prawn wantons were served with a side bowl of handmade noodles ( you choose your style of white , Chilli or black ) .

This was a very very good bowl of prawn wonton noodles - almost like eating out of my grandma's kitchen .

Very happy to say Ho seng kee has preserved their traditions right .

Ho Seng Kee
Citysquare , level 6

Ho seng kee wonton noodles
An old brand brought alive !

This bowl of handmade noodles was so good - I literally wolfed it down. Unlike the noodles you find in Singapore , these noodles are flat ( more like the Hakka noodles) and more crunchy.

The char siew pieces were lean and well seasoned while the wantons were juicy and the homemade wanton skins were smooth like silk.

Ho seng kee boasts of a recipe that was from canton and then brought alive in JB, Pontian by its founder. It has finally found its way to citysquare . The brand promises no use of msg, less oil and only the use of high grade eggs and high protein flour for its noodles which are handmade daily .

The wanton noodles were light tasting and so was the soup accompanying the noodles - naturally sweet broth from only the freshest ingredients.

This bowl of noodles literally took me back through the years where food was made naturally with less chemicals and preservatives .