Tang Tea House At City Square JB

In recent months, I have been hooked to Tang Tea House At City Square JB... Ever since I found this dining place, I no longer visit Kim Gary ( located at the basement)- Actually at Kim Gary, there is only one item that is nice which is the stone rice bowl.. the rest of their dishes really cannot make it, it has got tasteless spaghetti.

I have to admit in the past few years, I did pass by this shop.. but it somehow did not attract me to want to try their food there..but after having dine there once one fine day, I was hooked ever since.. ( What exactly made me kept going back again and again?)

On the first page of the menu, it shows the set menu ..Frankly speaking, I tried 2-3 of them, and I can say they are just average, dont expect any surprise.. if you are the first time there, please skip their set menu.. or else you will end up disappointed.

Some of the average food that I had tried before...

All their set menu comes with a hot/cold drink.. but the taste of the food really just average.. maybe a 5 out of 10 ( OK, I admit I have high expectations when it comes to eating) A nasi lemak set with a cup of hot/cold drink cost only RM8.00.

The Hor Fun and the 'Sheng' mian ( last 2 of the left column in the picture) are from their ala-carte menu... Yes, the food items in their ala-carte menu taste much better than those found under the set menu... ( around 6.5 out of 10) .. For around 2-3 Ringgits more, its advisable to choose from the ala-carte menu and order a separate drink...

The best part comes.. These are the 3 dishes/drink that kept me hooked.. I can purposely drive in just to eat these.. and I did eat them twice a week, once or twice before ( Crazy right?)

1) Yang Chow Fried Rice (RM9.00)

I was quite crazy over its fried rice ( comparable to the one at China Town Complex's Food Court fried rice and my mum's fried rice), everything was just right.. not oily, fresh ingredients, tasty.. ( actually the picture above should be the extra portion.. yes, I was so crazy over it, that I asked the staff if they serve bigger plate since the normal portion seem so little.. well, in the end, for extra RM2, the portion does not differ much, maybe just 1 or 2 mouthfuls more of rice, plus 2-3 bigger prawns) Eat this plate of rice on its own or top with green chilli for more flavours... ( Score: 9 out of 10) I also tried the luncheon meat fried rice, its also not bad.. but I prefer the yang chow fried rice.. they actually serve a variety of fried rice.. I don't know how the other fried rice taste, but you will never go wrong if you choose its yang chow fried rice.

2) Fried Fish Thick Bee Hoon With Milk (RM9.00)

The first time I ate this.. I was so surprised ! Why did it taste so nice...? ( Ok, Its comparable to the Tan Quee Lan St Fish Soup Stall, which is besides Apple Strudel..in fact better in my opinion)

I am a fish soup person and this yummy-licious fish soup thick beehoon meets every of my expectations.. The soup is really nice, flavourful.. with a perfect blend of rich condense milk and Hua Diao Jiu... ( don't worry it wont make you drunk!) Adding Hua Diao Jiu in the milky soup may sound weird, but it really enhances the overall taste of the soup making it very tasty! There is also some fried scramble eggs, a few slices of ginger and some green vegetables together with thick beehoon in the soup ( if you dont like thick beehoon, they also have thin beehoon, kuey teow and rice)... If there are more slices of fish.. it will be superb.. coz I think there are only 4-5 pieces of fried fish.. And I normally add some chopped chilli padi in the soup and its double satisfaction.. Oppss... I am getting hungry *v* when I think of this fried fish soup bee hoon ( Score: 9.1 out of 10)

3) Tea With Milk (RM$2.20-$2.40, cant remember the exact price)

For tea lovers like me, I really like the tea .... its those very rich type.. and it just taste right!! ( Think of Mr. Teh Tarik tea... its something like that.. just that this is the Chinese version of Mr. Teh Tarik tea) So far, it has not disappoint me.. ( Score: 9 out of 10) Regarding how other drinks taste like, I am not sure coz I only ordered the hot tea with milk everytime I am there.

The food and drinks served here are prepared by aunts who are more experienced and serious.. so that is why the food and tea here so nice ( and I guess the set menu already very cheap, they might have cook them in bulk resulting in a drop of quality as compared to their food found under the ala-carte menu)

Tang Tea House is located at Level 4, City Square Mall JB..

( 2 Levels above Watsons side)

* They don't charge 10% service charge.. but just a 5% tax if I remember correctly.. I know it just cost around SG$10 for 2 main dishes and 2 hot tea.. ( Cheap and nice!)

If you visit City Square JB, do give my 3 favourite food/drinks a try.. and let me know if you like or hate them..

But so far, I brought a few friends, Dear and Aunt to eat/drink these 3 items, none of them said not nice..

Jusco Tebrau City Found!

Yes, I finally found my way to Jusco Tebrau City .. Think this is the furthest place I had drove to, from Hougang. (Special thanks to one of my dear readers, Fi Oh Na!, for giving me useful direction guides in reaching the place.. Yes, after making a right turn after the Shell petrol station, I told myself to go straight.. and if I see Layang Layang Museum and Sultan Ismail Hospital, I was on the right track).. Yipee... I did saw the sign board before I drove up the expressway.. well, it was really pretty far from Customs.. around 20 minute drive, since there was heavy traffic.. 

Well, its my 2nd time going to Jusco Tebrau City, but my first ever self-driven trip all the way in, so there is a sense of satisfaction for a ka-you driver like me, at least I did not end up in the Ghost Town Jusco..

Spotted Lavender! and this one got an open concept kitchen in which the pastry chefs make and bake freshly bread/pastries . We dine in at the cafe, my very first time dining at a Lavender Cafe... At first, I thought the cafe only sell drinks.. but I was so wrong.. they also serve light snacks, and as well as a variety of main dishes,like rice, noodles, pasta, etc..

The Manhattan Fish Market also quite cheap, during weekdays...

Tiramisu ( 2 for RM9.90)
Cappuccino ( RM0.95)
Latte ( RM0.95)
Mediterranean baked fish with garlic rice (RM13.90) this dish is nice and healthy, as compared to fish & chips. 

Total bill: RM29.55 ( around SG$13, pretty cheap.. and I think this is my first time drinking such cheap latte and Cappuccino, only SG$0.50 each)

In order to enjoy the super cheap coffee, need to order at least a buy 1 free 1 item, or a main course.. but I was surprised that for RM0.95, its applicable to a selection of coffee/tea - black coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, english breakfast tea and earl grey tea. The above offer only valid in West Malaysia from 3-6pm, excluding weekends and public holidays. However, they do have lunch specials during weekdays also..


Actually there are not much things at Tebrau City, but it has got a big supermarket..but there are M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Lancome, The Manhattan Fish Market, Harris Bookstore, MNG, G2000, Esprit, Summit, Voir, Crocs, a cinema and a few other restaurants ..Parking is super cheap though.. RM$1 per entry, and 1st hour is free. All the clean restrooms are free entry too...

A Visit To A Ghost Town Shopping Mall!

Last evening, I had wanted to bring my mother to Tebrau City Jusco, where I never drive there before ... so I searched my GPS for "Jusco" and I found a few destinations just 6km away from JB customs.. (Actually my mum's friends did tell me to drive all the way straight after the right turn after the Shell petrol station which was nearest to JB customs, and one of them told me it was around 10km away).. I did went once, in my friend's car and she was the one driving not me.. but I also remember she drove all the way straight.. 

But just now I chose to follow my GPS instructions and ended in an ulu place. which was also Jusco but the one in Permas Jaya ( no wonder I passed by private houses, short lanes, dark roads..) In fact when I reached the place, goosebumps appeared on my arms (No jokes!) .. it was really an ulu place with a big open air car park..and worst still inside the shopping mall, the number of all the staff totaled up was definitely more than the number of customers found there.. It was that bad!! 

^ Besides Jusco

^ I Spotted A & W there.. but no customers!

^ My only console to see my favourite bakery ... Lavender!( there also got a Watsons, much smaller than City Square's Watsons)

Despite Jusco Permas Jaya offers free entry to restrooms for customers, very cheap parking ( RM$1 per entry, and 1st hour free somemore), I would never want to go there again.. super deserted, quiet, nothing much to shop, nothing much to eat.. I still prefer City Square ... much more convenient with nicer food...

Think without my GPS, I confirmed lost in the ghost town, cannot get back to Singapore.. Even my mother felt uneasy when she was there... ( the whole big car park like only got 1 Singapore car, which was ours!) So scary! Its my fault for not searching under Tebrau City Jusco so ended up in Permas Jaya Jusco, because I thought there was only one Jusco in JB.. but I was so wrong, there was 4 Jusco in JB.. and my GPS just took me to the nearest one.. (and the most deserted one!)

Anyone know how to go to Tebrau City Jusco? If I am outside Pelangi Plaza, which lane should I stick to ,so that I can drive smoothly and easily to Tebrau City, without losing my way?? ( I saw there are 3 lanes towards Tebrau City direction though)

Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS

^This is my little saviour that guided me in JB this afternoon.. Without it I think I might ended up going in circles just to find the right route.. After using it a couple of times, I do find it quite useful to own a GPS...

^When searching for our destinations, once we select Point Of Interest icon,  it will lead us to this page..

^ When I clicked the food icon, I will be brought to a selection of the different cuisine in Singapore, Not all, but a few of them.. even my favourite Lao Zhong Zhong Eating house at Tai Thong Crescent can be found in the data..

Some other features which I like:

• It is user-friendly.
• When I am approaching an ERP gantry, it will prompt me that I am approaching one, and informed me about the timing and asked me to make sure that I have sufficient amount in my cashcard.
• When approaching speed camera, it will also prompt me that I am approaching one soon, and what is the speed limit of the road.
• When coming to a spilt junction along expressways, there will be a spilt screen to show somehow the actual scene that I am at, and show me which lane to take..
• Includes the addresses of some of the popular food places, there was once when we were at Katong area and wanted to eat Fei Fei Wanton Mee, but not sure which route to take ..so we tried the food search and it brought us to the shop..

Some things which I dont like:

• Some times when its saying some street names, I dont really understand what its saying until I see the road name on the screen... 
• It comes with 3 selections, fastest time, shorter distance and off-road.. most of the time, it will direct us to the nearest expressway if we choose the fastest time.. but some times it will also lead us to taking a longer route.

Overall, I find Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS quite a useful device, especially in situations when I do not know my way or totally lost my way. I think there should be other expensive GPS with better features, but Garmin 255W works pretty well in guiding me from point A to point B.

My First-Ever Self Drive-In trip Into City Square JB

11th Jan 2009 - A day I will remember because I did a very brave thing.. I drove into JB City Square, with my mother. Normally when I go to JB ,with my mother, it will definitely be by public transport ( bus and mrt) ..but today I tried to drive in.. ( Actually I was quite scared since I had heard many horror incidents about robbery and thefts from those who drove in) My mother asked me to try try since we never did so before..

 

Since the operations of the new Malaysia Customs opp Woodlands, I had never travelled in by car, neither did I sit in other of my friends' cars to go in.. so today was really a big challenge for me, because I totally have no idea what will I see after stamping my passport after the Malaysia Customs.. As in which lane to turn..

 

I went in the the mid afternoon and was lucky that there was no traffic jam, infact all the way from Woodlands customs to Malaysia customs was very smooth traffic.. I still remember last time my friend paid her toll fee using cash upon reaching Malaysia customs.. but just now when I was told that I needed a Touch & Go card in order to pay for my toll charge, I was like"shit" I dont have the card how.. luckily the staff just asked me to walk to the next lane to buy the Touch & Go card from the counter at RM20... and within 3 mins I was back with the card to pay payment of RM2.90... My mother just tapped the card on the scanner, and RM2.90 was deducted showing a balance of RM7.10 ( which mean the card cost RM10..think it works something like our cashcard)

 

I was just glad that I finally managed to get my passport stamped .. so next came the biggest challenge for me, how am I going to get my way to City square ( even though its just opposite the building, I seriously dont know which route to take to reach City Square) The first thing I saw when I drove out of the customs, was this Shell Petrol station, then I saw many Singapore-registered cars pumping petrol.. I also wanted to refill petrol, but when I looked around, I saw all the pumps stated V-Power sold out.. only got Fuelsave 95...so I exited from the petrol station and saw 3 lanes infront of me.. Ling's uncle told me to take left upon seeing the petrol station with a smile ( which petrol station got with a smile,.. I thought of esso).. so I happily turned into the very left lane that states something central.. dada,.. I ended up at Malaysia Customs Checkpoint multistorey carpark.. actually I can park there, then walk over to City square, just like how I walked from the checkpoint to City Square if I were to go by public transport.. I was thinking quite boliao to walk .. so I was determined to find my way to City Square...

 

Then I drove out and dont know how ended up seeing Pelangi and Holiday Plaza.. I know these 2 places are pretty close to City Square.. but i just dont know which route to take.. then I saw a Caltex petrol station at an ulu place and drove in to pump petrol...( then I realised I never pump petrol by myself ever, coz normally its the pump attendant who helped me do the job) .. I dont even know how to open the cap of the oil tank (oh gosh!!).. when I unlocked the cap, I heard a strange sound .. and I wonder if I opened correctly.. but no choice, I already opened the cap..so I pumped in some petrol.. drama!!!! I pressed a few times nothing came out, the meter still at 0.000.... then it was at my 5th or 6th press, then the meter started to move... I continued to press not knowing when I need to stop.. normally I know when its almost full, there will be a "tick" sound .. but more than 10litres of petrol had be filled..I still hear no "tick" sound.. then I just ah gar ah gar stop at 11litres+.. I was so afraid of over-filling the oil tank since I cannot see how much oil was in the tank.. So cartoon! can you imagine that I dont even know how to gauge if the oil tank is full a not...

 

 

I knew I was lost somewhere near Holiday Plaza.. so I quickly took out my little smart GPS which my dear passed me since he cannot use it.. and keyed in Merlin Square, since nothing appeared when I keyed in City Square.. and with the guided directions of the GPS, I finally found my way to City square carpark within 10mins ..Phew! I cannot imagine how I am going to get to City Square or go back to Singapore if I dont have the GPS to guide me the correct route.. or else I would be going round and round the estate the whole afternoon...

 

Today I realised that there were not much things to shop at City square, Watsons do not have store wide promotion and there was no fairs at the atrium.. Ate at Seasons ( fish & chips) only today then I realised the RM12.90 lunch & dinner promotion only available during selected timings... and we paid the normal price of RM17.90  just because we have our meals between 3pm to 6pm... after 6pm will be charged RM12.90 for the same servings.... bought our lavender bread & stuffs [ my favourite raisin cake only left with one :(  ], and some other stuffs before driving back...

 

Luckily my first drive-in to City Square was pretty smooth traffic.. no jams.. because I already very stressed to drive in an unknown place, plus with heavy traffic, I sure become ganchiong spider. haha...

 

Think taking public transport is so much more relaxed than driving in ( for me)

 

Total Cost to drive in:

• Toll Charge At Singapore Customs: SG$1.20
• Toll Charge At Malaysia Customs: RM2.90 ( if dont have touch & go card, need to purchase one on the spot at RM20)
• Car Park Charge At City Square: RM4.00 ( RM2 per hour, saw that after 6pm on weekday is RM3 per entry)

 

It was really an exciting and unforgetable adventure for me .. maybe next time I will try to drive further up to Jusco ( but the big carpark at Jusco seem scary coz last time when I went there with my friends, we encounters some scammers)... haha.. but I think first thing  I need to know is the correct route to just drive to City Square without losing my way... And I must know also how to ownself pump petrol to the max into the oil tank, because I think JB is like self service, dont see the pump attendant helping customers to pump petrol...

 

 

 

* Pumping Petrol in Malaysia is indeed much cheaper as compared to Singapore. Around 45% savings.. By the way, so strange, the Caltex station I went do not have caltex 98 instead I saw caltex 97 with techron.. no choice pump in caltex 97..

 

What A Memorable Day!

Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant At City Square

I go to City Square, JB pretty often..but this was my first time eating at Hong Kong Kim Gary Restuarant, last time it was a Zhi Char restaurant..so all these while, I thought its the Zhi Char restuarant.. At first my mum suggested to go to eat Zhi Char from this restuarant but when we were there and browsed the menu..we realised that it was not the previous Zhi Char Restuarant.. but a hOng kong Cafe.. the menu look rather tempting so we went in to try...


There were a lot of food available... and all look quite tempting.. in the end, we ordered their set meals.. unagi seafood rice stone bowl ( forgot the actual name, something like this) .. and fish fillet baked cheese rice in bamboo something.. ( paisei, I forgot the name of this dish too) .. but I got took pictures with my hp...

RM16.90 ( This is NICE!.. and alot of ingredients)

RM16.90( this is rather a simple and plain dish, although it has got cheese, its not overwhelmed with the cheese .. ok for me I find for the fish ( the fish dont have any fishy smell which is a plus point) , although the stone rice is nicer... there is a lotus leaf at the bottom of the rice.. )

Free dessert & a cup of drink ( as we ordered set meals) + a soup

The food were pretty nice for the price we paid.. imagine for SG$8+, we got eat a set meal which consist of a main course, a soup, a dessert and a cup of drink.

In the end, we reckon that we would be visiting the shop again so we applied for their lifetime membership card and got instant 10% off.. and brought home their free sanwich for month of July.. For RM15, we will be given 10 vouchers to redeem for free snacks/drinks for the coming months. 50% off birthday voucher was also given to us, which we can use 1 week before or after our birthday.

Hong Kong Kim Gary Restaurant also available at Vivo City and Tampines 1, but I guessed the prices wont be as cheap as in Malaysia.

* But this membership card which I got only can be used in Malaysia.. HAHA.

13th July - Went JB again

Yesterday afternoon, I went City square with my mum again.. haha, this time round we did not have the tahu goreng, instead we ate madonalds.. and it only cost SG$5.80 for 2 filet-O-Fish sets, $2.90 for 1 set. Actually it would be cheaper if we had not change to Coffee. Their coffee and tea is more expensive than their cold drinks.

Did not eat Tahu Goreng as the shop was closed by the time we went to the shop at around 6pm+..


Some of the things I bought:



Just last week, I went to see doctor at Ang Mo Kip clinic and the doctor gave me this cream for my acne on my back.. and I saw to Ling, who told me that if she had known that doctor wanted to give me this cream, she would have asked me to buy from JB.. and said that Roy had a tube too, .. I bought from clinic at SG$32.. and JB only sell at RM$32.80 ( around $13.70) .. WOW, more than 50% cheaper lor... I remember last time I bought the pills to delay menses at JB too and the price difference also super big.. like SG$2 vs RM0.30 per pill. This Retin A is available in 3 types of percentage, the this blue is the 2nd higher.. I wondered if the highest % ( which is the red tube) will be more effective..





And to add, they were from the same batch somemore, just that I bought at different places( countries).. Around 55% cheaper if I have bought my 1st tube in JB. With SG$32++, I could have gonna 2 tubes in JB.




Haha, I got another pouch.. before hand, I bought Glow magazine in Watsons Singapore at SG$2 and chose the colorful bird prints.. and Watsons City Square sell these pouches individually... haha, so I bought another design.. They only got this flower design and the black one left..



Etude house got sale ( up to 50%) but I did not see what items fall under the 50% ... These accessories were going at 40% off.. The sale end 31 August 2009.