V & You Vegetarian Restaurant near KSL Mall in Johor Bahru in Malaysia

You wouldn't usually catch me seeking vegetarian cuisine when I am overseas but it was different on 18 August 2024, as it was the 15th day of the lunar month, my mom was with us in Johor Bahru and she was insistent on having vegetarian food. 

So I found one near KSL Mall; V & You Restaurant. Just a note in case you are unaware of the culture among Chinese Buddhists in Singapore; most tend to go vegetarian on the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month. I am the rare few who don't.

Anyway, the main reason captivating me to check out this restaurant was the availability of the Hakka thunder tea rice which I totally enjoyed for its taste, its varied ingredients and its texture!

Oyster Sauce Mushroom Bun - since there were five of us, I must take the opportunity to buy a carbo-rich bun so that we all can share the fats, together! 

Sadly, the dough sticks to my teeth  which was irritating but I honestly loved the earthly flavor from the mushroom filling. If only they could improve the dough and if they do, my mom will seriously consider buying frozen ones so that she can steam for breakfast whenever it is vegetarian day.

Petai Fried Rice - the wok hey was there and although a tad spicy, it was palatable and much better than many other fried rice that I tried before. 

Char Kway Teow - visually, this looked so pleasing and I couldn't wait to take a bite! Took a bite and it was much sweeter than expected. Beyond the sweetness, the taste was just bland. 

Thunder Tea Rice -  here come the star! 

Let's mix everything up so that joy will envelop me in every single bite as my teeth and taste buds grind and soak in the flavor from the vegetables, the nuts and the tofu! 

But before I throw a scoopful into my mouth, it's essential to soak the mixture with the accompanying 'tea'! Yummy it sure was, with the fresh mint tea complementing with the crunch and nice flavors from all the ingredients! Psychologically, this also felt healthier given that it's vegetarian! Okay, maybe I should have gone for brown, instead of white rice. 

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Should it be vegetarian day when I visit JB again and my mom were with me, I would likely return given the restaurant's proximity to KSL Mall, where mom usually has her massages! 

Address

19, Jalan Serigala, Taman Abad, 

80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

(near KSL Mall)

Map

As above. 

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Total - RM 49.00

25s Cafe & Brunch @ Hoi An in Vietnam

The weather was warm even though it was still about 1.5 hours to high noon and I desperately needed a place to just chill; a search on my "saved" places on Google Map brought me to the highly rated cafe.

25s Cafe & Brunch which was strangely quite empty but I put it to the timing of just 10.30 am, in middle of two meal peaks. Just for your info, the cafe opens for business at 8.00 am!

Such a pretty corner! No, I am not going to be seated here as I noted a staircase that would brought me to the upper levels of the building, where I could possibly have a great view of the street.

Space on level, which had that chillax atmosphere that materialized after the staff switched on the cooler fan right next to our table! Another relaxing factor was the playing of English songs that I automatically sang along to, since there wasn't other customers beside us.

View of the street from the second floor.

You know Hoi An isn't only for tourists when you can still see residents! Like this topless gentleman who was obviously enjoying the bustling from the comfort of his home.

There's a rooftop level which I presume would be more popular when sun sets as the sun was literally shining on me and I can't wait to escape from its harsh, dangerous UV rays.

Views of the street and the classic, homogenous rooftops of the buildings at this UNESCO world heritage site; looked so cool without the modernity of contemporary landscape!

 

Going down was more daunting than going up! And this top fence was wobbly, with just a flimsy hook to hold it in place! Imagine if a kid were to just push past me; I bet it will be death in a foreign land. 

Vietnam White Coffee - I survived and let's reward with an iced cold Vietnamese white coffee! In Hoi An, I realized that the cafe owners focused a lot on presentation.

Pity I am no coffee connoisseur and this piece of information was literally lost on me. Robusta or Arabica; I can't tell the difference. 

Nevertheless, still a nice cup of coffee to finally wake my soul. 

And the sweetness was just right, not too over. 

Caramelized Apple Toast - this was amazing; the toasted bread was spread with peanut butter and with the slices of caramelized apple on top, it's like having a deliciously homemade peanut butter and jelly toast, with better plating! 

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A light meal that satisfied.

Time-lapsed video taking at the cafe! 

Address

25 Nguyễn Thái Học, Old Town, 

Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Map

As above. 

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Vietnam White Coffee - 49,000 dong

Caramelized Apple Toast - 65,000 dong

Click here for my 8 Days' Itinerary to Danang (The City of Bridges) & Hoi An (The City of Lanterns) in Vietnam

Mom's Birthday 2024

It's been quite a while since I last posted something on family and it's not because we don't meet up; we do catch up very often but for celebrations, it's usually a meal without cakes as the kids are all grown-up and candle-blowing isn't as desirable anymore.

But my elder sister got my mom a cake for her birthday this time and after dinner, we retreated to the comfort of my house so that the teenagers in the family would be less shy about singing songs! 

Of course it's time to have some update on the kids! Jovyn drew a card for my mom whereas the red packet came from Joyce. I am not much of a present-person, preferring to let my mom decide what she wants so that I don't have to scratch my head.

September babies; for my immediate family of nine persons, three are in September! That means a concentration of higher expenditure during this period of time with all the feasting! Gratefully, my elder sister paid for the birthday meal. :P 

Singing the birthday song - in English and Mandarin.

Just wondering, is there a hokkien version?

Making her wish - knowing my mom, the health and wellbeing of family come first and next will likely be the opportunity to win big in the next lottery like 4D and Toto. At her age, buying the lottery is one sure way to reduce the risk of dementia!

Want to know how she is? Hint: the candles.

Anyway, happy birthday to my dearest mom! 

Pranakorn Noodle Restaurant & Roti & Tea Cafe @ Mixt Chatuchak in Bangkok [Thailand]

I can't imagine having lunch in many of the eateries at Chatuchak Weekend Market as they are mainly hot, and humid outdoors, and rescue came from the nearby, fully air-conditioned Mixt Chatuchak! 

Honestly, I could have gone back to having krapow at the food court but no, I am feeling adventurous and decided to check out this popular eatery on the ground level by the name of Pranakorn Noodle Restaurant, and is seemingly connected to the adjacent Roti & Tea Cafe.

Thai Milk Tea Iced - I love the signature tea flavor from Thai milk tea although their sweetness is extremely off-putting. My request for less sweetness often didn't result in much change but this shop heeded my request and this was simply perfect for me! 

Dried Noodles Pork - requested for large with egg noodle, which I assumed should be relatively safe, and it did look promising with many slices of pork and pork balls.

The first thing that hit me after taking a bite was the sweetness from the dark sauce, followed by spiciness that ended with nuttiness from the chunky peanut bits; can't really taste the usual nice flavor from egg noodle and the pork was a tad too porky for my liking. 

Banana Roti with Cheese - we got this from the adjacent Roti & Tea Cafe since I wasn't quite satisfied with my noodle. I have always told my friends that Thai pancake is literally roti prata with condensed milk, although the use of condensed milk wasn't as much practised in Singapore in the past. 

OMG, I love this! They weren't as liberal with the condensed milk (Thai loves sweet stuff) and I love the crispy outside, soft fluffy inside texture! Best decision I made was to have this with cheese as the sweetness (from banana and condensed milk) was dampened by the saltiness from the cheese yet resulted in a perfect balance between the tastes! 

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Maybe next time, I would drop by for the thai milk tea and banana roti with cheese first before I kick start my shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market! 

Address

Ground Level of Mixt Chatuchak

8 Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd, Chatuchak, 

Bangkok 10900, Thailand

Menu

As above

Pricing

Thai Milk Tea Iced - 60 baht 

Dried Noodles Pork - 85 baht

Banana Roti with Cheese - 80 baht