Eating Your Way Around Johor (Part 2)

In Part 1, we brought you around the towns in southern Johor. Now, we travel northward to another 3 towns in search of more delicious eats.

YONG PENG

This township may be small but it makes up for its size with many stalls offering delightful traditional dishes, making it a true food paradise.

The day began at Maxim Snack Shoppe for the popular local breakfast of roti bakar (toasted bread), coffee and curry puffs. To step into this shop is to step into another world, as the owner is a collector of vintage items and knick-knacks like enamel cups, old movie posters and vases. The roti bakar definitely lived up to its name, with a slightly smoky taste topped off with a generous layer of butter and homemade kaya (coconut jam). The curry puffs, with its flaky crust and chunky spicy potato fillings, were huge and so tasty you can’t stop at one.

Maxim Snack Shoppe offers simple yet delicious old-school drinks and pastries like tea with condensed milk, curry puffs, taro cake, toast bread and pies.

The entire shop is filled with vintage paraphernalia that will take you back to the past.

With so many things to try in Yong Peng, we had to pack up soon and head to Restaurant Ing Ki for their braised noodles. A Yong Peng delicacy, the braised noodles are covered in a thick gravy, served with fresh cut garlic and chillies. According to the owner, Mr Ho Soon Teik, the noodles are best enjoyed while hot as the texture changes when it’s cold. He also insisted we try the other house special, the Hok Chow (egg drop) soup. This thickened soup is made with tofu, prawns, egg and minced meat, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the braised noodles. Mr Ho is semi-retired and doesn’t have anyone to pass the family recipe to, so do drop by to enjoy this dish while you still can!

When we told friends we were headed to Yong Peng, everyone insisted we had to try the famous fish balls at Yuan Yean Fishball Eating House. These heavenly fish balls were definitely worth the stop, with a soft and bouncy texture. Thomas, the second generation owner also suggested we try the fried Fuzuk (beancurd sheet), another favourite with customers. This crispy side dish can be eaten on its own or with rice and noodles.

The braised noodles at Restaurant Ing Ki are personally cooked by the owner Mr Ho, as regulars known the difference if someone else takes over.

The fish balls at Yuan Yuen are freshly made daily from Ikan Parang (Wolf Herring fish) with no MSG or preservatives.

Yuan Yean Fishball Eating House
123, Main Road, Yong Peng (next to Caltex Petrol Station)
Tel: +6019 752 8927

Maxim Snack Shoppe
230, Jalan Besar, Yong Peng

Restaurant Ing Ki
Taman Sri Rahmat, Yong Peng 83700, Malaysia

BATU PAHAT

Ramly Kopitiam is where locals from all walks of life gather to meet and exchange gossip over some delicious local food. While the shop is Chinese owned, it is run by Mr Ramly and his wife now. What’s even more surprising is that Mr Ramly speaks Mandarin and Hokkien fluently, as he worked alongside the owner for over 30 years.

It’s evident that Mr Ramly knows most of his customers as he greets each of them by name. Seeing the large crowd, we quickly ordered some satay (skewered and grilled meat), mee rebus (boiled noodles) and kaya toast (toast with coconut jam) before they ran out.

The satay was succulent, juicy and mouth-wateringly good, made even better when dipped in the peanut sauce. The bowl of mee rebus looked ordinary but the taste was nothing but that. This wonderful bowl of noodles comes with flavourful broth, sprinkled with sliced potato, prawns and beancurd.

Mr Ramly then brought out the house special, the kaya and butter toast. The kaya is specially made by Mr Ramly himself in the kitchen, every two days.

Next on the list was Nasi Baryani Mohd Shah, which is located along a stretch of other stalls selling the same dish. Upon tasting it, you will understand why it’s the most popular stall there. The fragrant, savoury rice will take your taste buds to heaven, enhanced by soft chunks of soft curried mutton or chicken that falls off the bone easily. But don’t take our word for it, taste it for yourself. Drop by early, as the nasi briyani (spicy rice) sells out very fast.

Mr Ramly and his wife have been running the coffee shop for over 30 years.

Juicy and succulent saya cooked over a traditional chracoal barbecue.

The nasi biryani (spicy rice) here is so good, even the Sultan of Johor orders it for delivery.

Nasi Baryani Mohd Shah
Stall 14, Kompleks Niaga Peserai (Benteng Peserai) Jalan Peserai, Batu Pahat

Ramly Kopitiam
3 Jalan Engan, Batu Pahat

MUAR

For the discerning coffee drinker, 434 Coffee is a must-visit when in Muar. While this Malaysian coffee has long been enjoyed by locals as Kopi O (black coffee), it’s the Kopi Elephant that will give your taste buds a jolt. This bold tasting coffee is exclusively homegrown in the area. Also known as Liberica, the Kopi Elephant got its name due to the large size of the beans.

Mr Kiar, the second-generation owner tells us there is only a 1% production of Liberica beans in the world, and he’s proud to have them here in Muar. It has a sweet taste and a delicious aroma that lingers long after you’ve drunk it. Coffee lovers, remember to make a pit stop here when visiting Muar!

434 Coffee is renowned for their Liberica beans that are proudly homegrown and roasted in their factory.

The nasi biryani (spicy rice) here is so good, even the Sultan of Johor orders it for delivery.

434 Coffee
Address: 121, Jalan Maharani Muar, Johor