Restaurant Pekin @ Taman Sentosa in Johor Bahru [Malaysia]

Have you heard of Restoran Pekin in Johor Bahru? More commonly known by its Chinese name, 北京楼, it was said to be a reputable restaurant favored by local Johorean Chinese, with five branches in the state! 

Given the proximity to The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, we opted to patronize the branch at Taman Sentosa; just so we can walk over (and took the opportunity to digest) after our meal. 

Interior; traditional Chinese with round tables that's more efficient for sharing,.There were already quite a few tables of customers when we arrived at about 5.30pm, way before the peak dinner crowd. Without further ado, let's review the food! 

Parsley Beancurd - charged on a per piece pricing with a minimum order of four pieces. Don't be too worried about the pricing as it cost only RM 3.00 apiece (less than S$1).

Despite its name, I can hardly taste the obnoxious parsley flavor! p.s. I actually don't mind parsley. Beancurd had that impossibly thin skin that managed to hold the heavy yet silk soft insides that had the flavor of light egg beancurd. 

Mixed Vegetables with Salted Egg - the vegetables included pumpkin, green beans and lotus roots that were encased with a thick batter. Although my taste buds did pick up the salted egg flavor, it wasn't as sweet and turned cloying after a while. 

Crispy Pipa Duck - ordered half a duck to be shared among the five of us. I was expecting better plating than just a pile of chopped meat served on a plate. Well, plating is secondary to the taste and we shall find out.

Skin was crispy as promised but the meat was tough, chunky with not much flavor. Among the four dishes we ordered, this got the lowest rating. 

Suckling Pig - now, this was actually the reason why I suggested this restaurant. However, I am aware that reservation is required. Hence, imagine my elation when I received the confirmation that there was sufficient portion for us!

When I was a kid attending wedding dinners, suckling pig was a my favorite dish and I had to savor the limited portion I had as it had to be shared by about ten persons (typical seating size for one table). Now, there's slightly more to indulge as my sisters usually wouldn't eat too much. 

Thin, crunchy skin that had a layer of fat, featuring a flavored Chinese seasoning and a smoky flavor that set it apart from your typical roast pork. Dip it into the sweet sauce for that elevation to the heavenly realm! The last statement was more for me as the rest of my companions didn't share the same affection like I had for suckling pig.

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Key question; would we be back again? I honestly wouldn't mind coming back for the suckling pig and maybe the parsley beancurd but I would need another group of companions as the rest didn't feel much for the dishes they had, except for the beancurd. 

Address

38, Jalan Baldu 5, Taman Sentosa, 

80150 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim, 

Malaysia

Map

As above.

Website

https://pekin.com.my/en/

Pricing

Parsley Beancurd - RM 15.00

Mixed Vegetables with Salted Egg - RM 28.00

Crispy Pipa Duck (Half) - RM 38.00

Suckling Pig (Half) - RM 188.00

(Subject to Service Tax)