Makan Melaka Restaurant

Venue - Makan Melaka
Address - Block 1 Changi Village Road #01-2046, Singapore 500001
Phone: +65 6542 1246
Time - 11am - Lunch

Overview
Nestled right in the heart of the pride of the East Siders - Changi Village. There is a reaturant called the "Makan Melaka".

Mind you, Changi Village is a place where the locals go to for their favourite food as it has been notoriously known to serve the best
Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice) in the entire Island. People queue up just to have that dish.
Restaurants come & go since I could remember coming there. However, the quality ones stayed on despite the hard times due to the operational costs.

Well, Makan Melaka has managed to stay put for quite some time now and for obvious reasons, there must be something good coming out of that kitchen
or it would have been gone long ago.

I was there with my 2 daughters for lunch, and I ordered a plate of Nasi Lemak Ayam Sambal, 3 Epok-Epok Sardine (curry puffs), 1 Chendol Durian and 1 Corn Chendol.

Something that amuses me, and perhaps the operators could do something about it.
Payment wise. I would have to make 2 different payments at the restaurant. One payment for the dish (Nasi Lemak + Epok2) nd another payment for the chendol.
To be fair, I did ask the Mamat who makes the Chendol why is it so? His reply was that they would be able to monitor the respective sale of the Food Dishes vs the Chendol itself.
Okaaaay. It couldn't be that hard right? There must be a system to monitor it in the simplest way. But I shouldn't dwell on that.


Service & Ambience
Getting sit indoor would be the best as its more cooling and with all that set up done by the restaurant to make it as Melaka'ish as possible.

Food
Nasi Lemak Ayam Sambal - There are better in the hawker centre just a 20sec walk away.

Epok- Epok Sardine - Huge in size, but not much in it. You'll probably get better with "Old Chang Kee".

Chendol - Well this is supposed to be their killer, the pride of it all. Well, it's average for me honestly. Probably why it was rated so highly by
a few establishments are perhaps they had it on a super long HOT DAY after work. Anything taste good when you're dehydrated.


So that's me for this review. I might have ruffled a few feathers but I am sticking to my honest reviews. As they say, 1 men's meat is another men's poison.



Sittings - Open Indoor -12 pax. Outdoor - 40pax
Food Type - Malaysian.
Cleanliness - 6/10
Service - 6/10
Parking - Public. Paid Parking.
Recommended? - Well.. Not for me.
Overall Rating - 5.5/10


Click Here for Makan Melaka Address

Al Fayeed Foods & Sheesha

Venue - Al Fayeed Foods & Sheesha
Address - Jalan Ibrahim 81200 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Phone: +60 1978 08001
Time - 8 pm Dinner



Still on my Johor adventure trail for the time I am here, this time it takes me to the heart of Johor itself, the capital of Johor - Johor Baru (JB).
I have passed this place many times and it was always packed with patrons, there were Ang Moh (Caucasian), Indians, Malays & Chinese. Probably a truly 1 Malaysia eatery!

So the curiosity kills the cat & both me and my friend - Yuko Astian decided to explore what is the hype and vibe of this place?

To begin with, it is just a normal stall by the roadside with many young adults having dinner and coffee followed by the Sheesha.
So that's what we thought it was, until we parked the car a bit further and decided to do a but of walking. (Well finding a space is a another set of problem)

The walk towards the stall itself is one that I enjoyed, being that this place is surrounded & based in an Old & Rustic part of JB really adds character to this whole area.
It is immersed with Street Arts, Colonial Architecture & the nicely done wall mural by their local young artist.

We were at the stall 10 mins later and we were lucky to have a seat by the street. Hey... It's street food. And street food are always the best!


Service & Ambiance
It was very efficient, the turnaround for a table after someone left takes about 1 minute.
FYI, this place are manned & operated by young adults and I truly commend them for a job well done.
The area is clean, well not restaurant clean but clean enough for me a person with a slight OCD.
Food arrived within 10 minutes and the servers really know their dishes and if you asked, they would recommend you what
is best.
To add to all these street ambiance I couldn't help but enjoy the Acid Jazz they played from their player.

Food
I had the Garlic bread which is a must try for you. It is soft on the inside & crunchy outside.
Sup Tulang (Bone Broth) This is nice as well it goes well with the garlic bread or steamed rice.
Ayam Goreng Halia (Fried Chicken with Ginger). This is average, there are better ones out there.
Watermelon Juice - No sugar. Refreshing!

So in a nutshell, this is  place to go for you & your mates if you wanna have a light dinner, coffee, sheesha while you lepak & do people watching.

Sittings - Indoor. 40 pax. (Under Shed) 40pax (Outdoor on the Streets) - Recommended.
Food Type - Malaysian, Western & Middle Eastern
Cleanliness - 6/10
Service - 7/10
Parking - Plenty. Free Parking! Just need to have luck & patience in finding one.
Ambiance - 7/10
Recommended? - Yes. If the weather is fine.


Click here for Al-Fayeeds Page

Click here for directions

Sambal & Sauce - Puteri Harbour

Location - Puteri Harbour

Address: Persiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour 79000 Nusajaya, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia LG01 & 02

Phone: NA

Time - 7.45pm. Dinner

Hi & hello to all of you.

As much as I refrain from writing bad reviews on eateries, I am obligated to give my honest opinions on the places I have visited & dine and this venue are one of those which unfortunately falls for which in  Malay we called it - "Hidup Segan Mati Tak Mahu" (Ashamed to be Alive but refusing death).

This is a franchise, for which I am so sure in their other outlets they are probably getting better support from the Franchise Provider, or just that the Operator have itself to blame.

Trust me, I have frequent Johor many times, and Puteri Harbour is where I spent most of my time in.

We don't have to look far back as we could clearly recall the demise of Felda's Savarro @ PH in which after so much fanfare, it slipped into oblivion a few months back and for the same reason, this place could follow suit and "Tutup Kedai" (Close Shop)

On the menu, it states dishes which you could find at any Mamak stall but rather unfortunate, that most of the dishes are not available or taken off the menu. See below. All those which doesn't have a price or X out are not available.

I ordered the Nasi Goreng Lada Padi (Chili Padi Fried Rice) & Scrambled Eggs.

My friend ordered Roti Canai (Prata) but we were told they don't serve Roti Canai at night. Well just 2 weeks back we were having them. And for a Mamak stall that doesn't serve Roti Canai throughout it's operating hours that's a cause to be concern. 

He then opted for the Mee Goreng Mamak (Indian Fried Noodle), the staple & main dish for any Mamak stall.

The waiter was fast in getting our orders. Our Food & Drinks arrived within 15 mins.

Food presentation was rather average (but who cares if it's a Mamak right!) but what we are about to savour are much to our disappointment.

Both our dishes are so bland that even the "sambals" (sauces) couldn't help to salvage the dish. 

For a stall in Puteri Harbour immersed with all that location, views & good traffic, Sambal & Sauce @ PH are definitely way below the standard.

Dear Operator, if you are reading this, please make the necessary changes you deem fit. To at least, serve those in  the menu. The area has so much potential. Malaysians loves their Mamak..

Good luck.

Note: My friend ordered Roti Canai (Prata) but we were told they don't serve Roti Canai at night. Well just 2 weeks back we were having them. And for a Mamak stall that doesn't serve Roti Canai throughout it's operating hours that's a cause to be concern.

Sittings - Outdoor. Up to 60 pax.(Open / Fans)

Food Type - Malaysian

Cleanliness - 6.5/10

Service - 6/10

Parking - Plenty & Free.

Recommended? - No.

Click here on location

Cick here for their main Facebook Page

Banafee Village

Venue - Banafee Village
Address: Lot 9022, Jalan Dato' Abdullah Tahir, Johor, 80300 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Phone: +60 7-333 3377
Time - 7.30 pm. Dinner


This is a place that needs no introduction for Johoreans & Singaporean alike who crosses over the border for the full package
(Fuel, Car wash, Makan & Marlboro Red!) :)

For this blog entry, I am not gonna dwell too much into the food as I have been there many times over & many of you as well.
Ok but since this is a travel/ food blog I would have to do well at least a bit on it.

This is a place that sells varieties of dishes, drinks & desserts. From Malay, Chinese, Thai, Western & even Middle Eastern. This place has it all.
If you can't decide where to eat, you would just have to come here and you'll be delighted at the amount of varieties they have here.

In all the time I have visited Banafee Village, the below are what I liked the most & would recommend them to you.

• Mix Grill. An array of nice BBQ beef, chicken & muttons with the arabic bread & sauce.

• "Sup Ekor" (Oxtail Soup). This is THE BOMB! The broth is full of flavour and heavily spiced up. You have to try this. Could go along with rice or french loaf.

• "Nasi Ayam Penyet" (Smashed Chicken Rce) . A very generic food but still an awesomely smashing dish to have here. I always asked for the extra "ulam" salad as they go along very well with the "sambal" chili paste.

•  Mongol Chicken. The spices of this dish will satisfy you.

Along with all the food varieties they have, this place is a suitable venue for all ages. It is family friendly & always have a great acoustic band to accompany you
throughout. (Band starts at 9 pm) The reggae band on Sunday night is the best!

A tip for everyone. Parking is aplenty but there's always a crowd during dinner and I suggest you just forget about parking but instead directly send your car to the in-house car wash.
For RM10, you just drop your car, they will wash, tyre shine & vacuum it for you. Ohh they would park it for you as well. How's that for RM10..?! Come on. Don't cringe on this


On football nights, they have this big projector screens which would show the match LIVE. So you soccer fanatics could also have your dinner & then "Lepak" watching your team fight it out with the Sheesha. :)


Sittings - Open Area. Up to 350 pax.(Open / Fans). Private Rooms are also available with A/C.
Food Type - Asian, Western & Middle Eastern
Cleanliness - 6.5/10
Service - 7.5/10
Parking - Plenty & Free but will be full during dinner time. (See parking tip above)
Recommended? - Yes. Yes. Yes. (This is not a typo) :)


Click here for Map & Location

Click here for their Facebook Page

Boat Noodle @ Teh O Ice 50 cent

Location - Boat Noodle @ Teh O Ice 50 cent

Address - 24, Jalan Nusaria 5/2, Taman Nusantara, 81550 Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia.

Phone: +60 7-570 1797

Time - 1 pm (Lunch)

So here I am in Johor, where the rivalry between them & Singapore are very high but yet we have so much respect for one other.
They are the closest neighbour we have, where Singaporeans exploit and took advantage of the cheaper fuel prices, groceries, short getaways, golfing & many more.

In return, they throng into Singapore by the tens of thousands every day, to work there and earn 3 times more currency than what it is here.
But hey, what are neighbours for right?

So in this part of Johor called Gelang Patah, situated just 20 mins away for the Malaysian border via 2nd Link, there lies an awesome gastronomical eatery - Boat Noodle.

From the facade of the building, it's just a normal typical Malaysian eatery , but it will change all that perception once you have entered it.

The decor is minimally modern, but yet inviting, bright & hip.
One thing with regards to hipsters eateries are, they are actually more artistically than gastronomical and I wasn't expecting much from this place either.

Well as the menu states, " TRUST US, WE SERVE THE BEST NASI KRABU", so I decided to go for the Beef Nasi Krabu, and I ordered the THAI ICED GREEN TEA to go along.

Took them less than 5 minutes to have have our food served.
Again, being a hipster place, the food does looks good.

But Lo & Behold! The taste just exploded in my mouth the moment it gets into contact with all my taste buds! I was like literally, "WOW! Power sehh"
It's possibly one of the better Nasi Krabu I have tried here in Malaysia.
The shredded coconut, salted egg, side salad and the sambal (Chili Paste/ Sauce) all of them adds depth into this simple dish.

A slight downside - I wish the rice served are steaming hot and not just being warm. 


Next...! That THAI ICED GREEN TEA that I ordered.
My Oh my... Well to begin with, I have never been a fan of sweet drinks and the reason I ordered this was that it was supposed to be "Green Tea".
Like the healthier ones that is. Well that's me assuming it was.

And being in Malaysia, I always asked for a less sweetened one.
Well I was wrong. So wrong.
It came in a Milky form like the ones you find in Starbucks and probably better than Starbucks.
Yes you heard it right, coming from me who doesn't have a sweet tooth. It is smooth... Like creamy smooth. Not too sweet and the flavour is just perfect. You should try this drink. Really, you'll regret if you don't.

Seriously people. Do dine in here if you could, trust me on this one.
The prices are affordable as well.



Sittings - Indoor. Up to 50 pax.(Open / Non- Air conditioned)
Food Type - Asian, (Northern Malaysia & Thailand)
Cleanliness - 7/10
Service - 7/10
Parking - Plenty. Free Parking! Hey it's Malaysia!
Recommended? - A very BIG FAT YES!
Payment - Cash Only

Click here to know more about Nasi Krabu


Click here for location

Click here for Boat Noodle page

Watsub Sandwiches

Location - WATSUB Sandwiches

Address - East Village. Simpang Bedok. Singapore

Time - 2 pm

For my first ever blog, I am reviewing this little makan shop located in East Village at ever rustic Simpang Bedok.

This place is run by our own boys probably early 30's or late 20's.
The moment I entered the cafe, I realized it was set up similarly like a Subway shop where you choose your bread, dressings & everything else.
The similarity ends there.

As you read the walled menu, you realize that this place has it's own story to tell through it's sandwiches.

Ordering was easy as you walk by the showcase panel just like SUBWAY.
The only downside was, making the payment. It seems they had a trainee manning the counter and he is somewhat struggling with the machine & confirming our orders.
I have no issues with Trainees but probably not to have them manning the register during peak hours as others might not have much patience.

We sat indoor (It was too humid outside). The ambiance was alright, modern decor with simple sittings but are very limited and probably could only seat 17 pax indoors at one given time.
They could probably sit another 17 outside as well on the common walkway.


I ordered the Tuna Melt sandwich, a Flat White coffee while my missus & kids had the Meat Ball Sliders & Chili Dogs.
The Tuna Melt I ordered was nice to begin with, servings were well on par with the price.
It was full of flavour & nice to chew on with the bread being fresh toasted & the tuna complementing the cheese.
I love cheese! And to have that smooth, tangy melted cheese in the sandwich is something that I love the most.
The Flat White coffee are the same with what you will get elsewhere, but I am there not for the coffee.

Perhaps one thing what they could improve is - (The owners if you are reading this, please change that habit). Please do not stand outside of your shop to smoke.

You have build & present this so well, so please do not tarnish it. Do some reflection and perhaps if you agree, relay it down to your crews.
I am sure it will do no harm but only good to your place.

Sittings - Indoor & Outdoor (Very Limited)
Food Type - Sandwiches ala Subway
Cleanliness - 7/10
Service - 6.5/10
Parking - Plenty. (Paid Parking) Nothing is free in Singapore!
Would Recommend - Should try.

Click here to view their page - It's awesome


Click here for location