Hey Hive!
If you missed the previous post, we started recounting another vacation where we went just across the border for a few days to Johor Bahru, Malaysia! This was back in July 2023, when it was too hot to travel elsewhere and we just needed a short getaway.
Last week, we wrapped up our first day in JB by visiting a night market and tasting some authentic Malaysian street food!
This was actually our first time visiting a night market in JB since we usually only go over for day trips, and it was quite overwhelming with all the stalls and people! But I guess that just means it's legit and the food is good.
We enjoyed some yummy food before getting some dessert and cooling down at a cafe beside our hotel.
Now on to the next day!
16 July 2023. Sunday.
We were staying in a boutique hotel that was a little ways away from the main city in JB but it was just for the night so it was time to check out and go to our next hotel!
Sean wanted to get a drink since it was a very warm day, so we stopped by The Alley, a bubble tea shop next door.
The Alley is quite a famous bubble tea brand from Taiwan and has since expanded across the world. Singapore has a few branches as well but they're quite pricey so this was a chance for us to splurge a little.
The cafe was also nicely decorated with some modern furnishings blending into the industrial-style design.
It looked quite spacious but there weren't too many seats so I can see this place being quite crowded. Thankfully it was completely empty when we went by.
I think there was only one staff member there too.
This was the menu, and while it's not the cheapest even after converting the currency, it's still slightly cheaper than in Singapore.
We placed our order and went to wait for our order to be ready.
Soon enough, our milk tea with pearls and jelly was ready! It was pretty good, but then again I'm not well versed in bubble tea enough to know which is better than the other.
We ordered a car to take us to the next hotel and we saw the same stray cat making his rounds outside the cafe.
It seemed like he was the boss overlooking and protecting this whole stretch of shops.
It was a short car ride to our next hotel and when we entered the lobby it was like night and day compared to the boutique hotel.
Granted, the boutique hotel lobby was nice too, it's just that it was clear that it was an old hotel that got refurbished with slightly gaudy furniture.
Coming to Double Tree by Hilton was a huge step up from that, and I felt like we stuck out like a sore thumb in our cheap clothes.
This was our first time staying in such a fancy hotel, and they even gave us warm cookies while we waited to get checked in! The service was already impeccable.
After we were all checked in, it was time to head up to our room! The lift lobby was nice and bright too, unlike the boutique hotel.
We were so excited to check out our room and see what it was like!
I don't remember what type of room this was but it came with 2 queen sized beds.
The counter had a drawer for coffee, tea and mugs.
The bathroom was also very nice, bright and spacious.
They had the typical bathroom amenities all wrapped up.
What was very unique that I've never seen before was this Pillow Menu! You could actually order the kind of pillow you wanted and have it delivered straight to your room! Now this was a true luxury right here.
Our room wasn't very high up but it still afforded us a view of the pool, which I was also excited to see.
After we put down our bags and tested out the beds, which were very comfortable as well, we went down to check out the hotel facilities.
The pool was actually quite nice, with these lounge chairs in the water where you could lie down and sunbathe. Unfortunately I was not in a position to swim at the time, but I would've liked to experience the pool especially on a warm day like it was.
The pool also had plenty of regular chairs so you could sit and enjoy the breeze. There were some overhanging fairy lights as well, so I think this place would look quite nice at night, and a good place to hang out with friends and family.
After that we went to check out the gym to see what equipment they had. It was quite a nice gym with a variety of the typical machines.
Sean wanted to try and do some pull-ups but there were warnings against using the equipment without proper footwear so we were extra cautious.
There were restrooms on the same floor for people patronising the gym and pool, and I actually liked the colour scheme they used here.
The restroom was completely empty so I managed to get some pictures. It was quite nice, with clean towels for people to use at the pool.
I like that they put floor mats down as well, since they know people might be coming in here barefoot from the pool.
There was also a jacuzzi linked to the restroom, which was a pleasant surprise. I would've thought they made this common to both genders though, but I guess it'd be easier to maintain indoors.
This hotel was a true oasis of luxury, complete with a rejuvenating sauna among its impressive array of amenities!
After we explored all the different amenities, we went back to the lobby
They had a nice photo spot advertising the hotel restaurant which I think is quite well-known. I heard many people stay here just for the food!
The nostalgic-looking design must mean that they specialise in traditional Nonya and Malaysian cuisine.
Unfortunately, our booking didn't include any hotel meals since it was quite pricey and we could get food elsewhere. But I guess now we know why it's expensive.
The lobby itself had a lot of plush seating for people to relax as well.
Our hotel was just a short walk away from the mall so we didn't book a car this time and just took a walk.
From the outside the hotel looked pretty regular though. I guess they focused more on the interior design.
We passed by this snack stall that looked very tempting with all the different kinds of murukku, which is an Indian savoury, crunchy snack and one of my favourites!
We rarely walk out in the streets of JB too, so this was also quite a new experience.
It was warm but thankfully the sun wasn't too overbearing that day.
Soon enough, we arrived at City Square Mall!
We were back at the checkpoint and could see a lot of people on their way back across the border since it was a Sunday.
This was good since it meant that the mall would be less crowded and we didn't have to squeeze in with the crowd.
I'm not sure if this arcade was new to us at the time but there were quite a few people playing in there since it was a weekend.
We headed to the roof since there was a special place we wanted to visit!
It's this restaurant called Ho Seng Kee, which is apparently famous for their wonton noodles!
On our last visit, we stumbled upon this restaurant that had been featured in several YouTube videos. Sadly, we had already eaten, so we couldn't indulge in its offerings. But this time, it was top of our list to finally experience what all the buzz was about!
It was already past lunch time so we managed to dodge the lunch crowd at least.
This was the menu, and although they specialised in wantan mee they had other toppings as well like prawn dumplings, pork belly, even unagi and scallops, which was surprising.
They also had different flavours for the wantan mee, like white, black, curry or truffle. We've never seen flavours for wantan mee so this was also new.
It was quite a big restaurant with a good many tables, so I can only assume it gets quite packed during peak hours.
There is a QR code for each table and you can order through your phone.
A few minutes after we placed our order, a robot waiter came by to deliver it to us!
The first thing we received was our drink, which Sean wanted after our walk out in the warm weather.
After that our wantan mee arrived! We also ordered a side of fried wantans since it's our favourite. Each bowl of wantan mee also came with a side of soup.
Everything looked and smelled so good, we were salivating and couldn't wait to dig in!
I think Sean ordered the original white wantan mee and also added fried egg and lard bits. The egg had a fluid yolk that mixed well with the sauce and the noodles.
The noodles were delicious with a nice springy texture. The sauce was quite light but gave the noodles a nice savoury flavour. The char siew pork was alright, nice and tender but not the best I've tasted. Overall I'd say it's still better than average.
It was very tasty indeed! I can see why many people would come here. They've apparently been around since 1936 as well, and a restaurant with that long a history must be legitimate.
I think the portion was too small for Sean since he finished his bowl in 5 minutes! Granted, we didn't have breakfast but I was satisfied since this was our first meal.
The restaurant was actually a lot bigger than I initially thought! There was more space in the back but I had a feeling it was more for an event space than for more customers.
I'd say it was a satisfying lunch indeed and after that we had to walk it off so we went to explore the mall! But more on that next time!
Thanks for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Check out my previous post in this series!
Tasting Yummy Street Food in JB 😋 - TacoCat’s Travels #298 (MY)
