On our third last day in Singapore, we hired a private car service to bring us to Johor Bahru (JB) to visit Annie and we shopped! It was Mom’s first time in the town. Sister and I had been to JB earlier this year but we didn’t get to do much shopping on our previous visit due to time constraint. Sister managed to get what she needed for her apartment from Daiso and I got a few new shirts from H&M and G2000.
It took us less than an hour to cross border as Sister’s place wasn’t far from the checkpoint. We arrived at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee before 10AM. Annie was running late so we walked around the area to have a feel of the place. Our first food stop of the day was Big Bites Cafe as we needed to use their washroom. Big Bites Cafe used to be Maco Vintage but it had changed ownership and re-branded as Big Bites Cafe.
BIG BITES CAFE
18 Jalan Ibrahim & 14 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, 80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
When I first heard of Maco Vintage previously, it was for their Mille Crepes. When I chanced upon Big Bites Cafe the other day, I was wondering why is the cafe not named as Maco Vintage as I identified the big parking lot at the back of the cafe. I had seen pictures from previous patrons and the drawings on the outside walls of the cafe left me with a huge impression. My only answer at the time was a change in ownership and I was right.
Musang Mille Crepe
We tried their Musang Mille Crepe. It had a distinctive durian flavor. Perfect for durian lovers but we were rather disappointed with the texture. It was icy cold. I think they did not retrieve it from the fridge in time for it to “melt”. So, we can actually chew on the icy bits.
Earl Grey Mille Crepe
Having tasted the Musang Mille Crepe, we preferred the Earl Grey Mille Crepe for the texture. At least, we didn’t get to chew on the icy bits. Taste wise, it tasted distinctive of earl grey as well. However, I think their Earl Grey Mille Crepe melted faster than their Musang’s. You can see the liquid at the bottom of the crepe.
KIN WAH COFFEE SHOP
8 Jalan Trus, 80000, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
After finishing our first breakfast of the day, we headed for our second breakfast at Kin Wah Coffee Shop accompanied by Annie. She told us to get a table first as she was finding parking space. The coffee house was jammed packed with patrons but we managed to secure a table by the corner. We saw that majority patrons ordered Nasi Padang so I thought that it must be good?
Nasi Padang | RM8.50
Nasi Padang is like the Chinese owned coffee shop version of economy rice. You can pick what you like onto your plate and the boss will then charge accordingly. Mom was rather surprised at the price I paid for this plate of Nasi Padang. Despite being steeply priced, I liked what I had. The rice was fragrant albeit being slightly wet for my liking. The sambal was pretty spicy. I find that the spicy food in the west was no joke but I liked!
We walked across to Hiap Joo Bakery after breakfast at Kin Wah Coffee Shop. Hiap Joo Bakery is famous among the locals for their Coconut Buns and Banana Cake. As it was a Monday, they only start selling buns after 11AM and 12PM for Banana Cake. There was a short queue at the time we were there but Mom and Sister managed to snap two packs of Coconut Buns and a pack of Kaya Buns.
Annie drove us to AEON Tebrau City after breakfast. She intended to drive us on a road trip to Kluang but I preferred shopping over day trip to Kluang. So, she suggested AEON Tebrau City instead since they have a big size Daiso inside the mall.
TEOCHEW CHENDUL
AEON Tebrau City, 1 Jalan Desa Tebrau, Taman Desa Tebrau, 81100, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Original Chendul | RM6.50 & Durian Chendul | RM9.90
Penang Fruit Rojak | RM8.90
Chee Cheong Fun | RM6.50
Pandan Chicken | RM6.90
After lunch, we decided to head over to Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) for some final shopping. I am only interested to go as I heard they have a G2000 outlet in the area. As I mentioned earlier, I managed to get two pieces of work wear from JPO. At least, I didn’t leave JPO empty handed.
Sister and I spent quite a bit at Bath & Body Works. We got almost a grand worth of products. I think we stayed at Bath & Body Works the longest as compared to any other shops in JPO. Annie and Mom were surprised that we came out empty handed despite the long time we spent inside. We bought gifts for our friend and requested the staff to pack them nicely. The kind staff told us to leave our Bath & Body Works purchases behind and collect them before leaving JPO so that we don’t have to carry them everywhere we go.
My brain couldn’t function properly right now so I think I am going to end the blog here. Part 2 will come in another day, hopefully by tomorrow. So, stay tune if you’re interested!
DAILY SNIPPETS OF LIFE 