When you
dine at the rooftop café of Suasana Suites Iskandar Johor Baru, the bonus that
comes with meals served by Suasana Suites Café are free aerial views of Johor
Baru city.
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| An aerial view of Johor Baru City with the iconic Sultan Ibrahim Building on Bukit Timbalan and beyond to Singapore |
“Where
is that, uh?” (Curious to know more, I know this is your burning question.)
The
Suasana Suites Iskandar JB is an all-suites hotel on Jalan Trus, linked to the
Amari Johor Baru and Zenith Lifestyle Centre, conveniently located opposite
Johor Baru City Centre Mall on Jalan Wong Ah Fook.
Designed
with one, two and three-bedroom suites, Suasana Suites Iskandar JB is an ideal
accommodation for family and group short stays.
When I
had a tour of the facilities at its opening, I enjoyed the pleasure of the
panoramic views of JB city from the lofty Level 33A where the swimming pool,
gym and café, are all located on the building’s rooftop.
 |
| Another view of JB city with a view of buildings along three roads: Jalan Trus, Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak |
It’s not
often that city folks can savour an authentic taste of local cuisine from another
part of the country so the café’s Pay Day Treat promotion aims to serve
something out of the menu just for a few days each month.
So just
for a few days, from July 20 to August 4,
Suasana Suites Café will serve Nasi Kerabu Kelantan for diners to pamper
themselves with a Pay Day Treat.
Having
heard about the Nasi Kerabu Kelantan being served only for a limited time, my
friends and I decided to give ourselves a Pay Day Treat at Suasana Suites Café.
With my
car safely parked in the building, a short ride on the elevator takes me to
Level 33A of the Suasana Suites JB to meet my friends at the café for lunch.
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| A serving of Nasi Kerabu Kelantan with meat choice of Daging Bakar, barbecued beef strips |
At Level
33A I step out of the elevator lobby and am instantly wrapped in a blanket of familiar
warm wind with a hint of salt, being whipped in from the Johor Straits.
At a
glance I can tell from their outfits that diners at the café are a mix of
tourists, in-house guests and staff members from nearby offices.
While the
outdoor section may be ideal for dining by night, we choose the cooler interior
of the café, designed with tall glass windows that allow natural light to pour
in.
There is
an air of casual dining here as diners chat over their meal – seated at the
rooftop – surrounded by panoramic views of the city center.
 |
| A tasty portion of Muar Otah, filled with real fish! |
From
where we are seated, I have a clear view of buildings along Jalan Trus, Jalan
Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, and beyond to Singapore in the horizon.
We cannot
help but try to identify the buildings and I can even spot our city’s iconic
Sultan Ibrahim Building perched majestically on Bukit Timbalan!
The
wait-staff presents us with menus but I reach out to the flip-top menu standing
on the table for a quick look of their recommended dishes.
After a
short deliberation, we decided on the recommended dishes – a portion of steamed
Muar Otah and a Chilled Tofu for appetizers, Freddie’s Signature Fish Soup
Noodles, Hainanese Chicken Rice as well as the promoted item, Nasi Kerabu
Kelantan.
The Nasi
Kerabu set meal comes with a generous portion of blue rice, coloured naturally
by the juice of butterfly pea flower or bunga
telang, and various condiments like half a salted egg, fragrant raw herbs
salad, Solok Lada (a whole chilli
stuffed with tasty fish paste), kerisik
or toasted coconut, crispy fish keropok and sambal sauce.
 |
| Chilled Tofu is served chilled, topped with freshly fried shallots and drizzled in a delicious dark sauce |
In the
Nasi Kerabu set, diners can pick a choice of meat from Daging Bakar, barbecued
beef strips, Ayam Goreng Berempah, fried spiced chicken, or Ayam Percik, barbecued spiced
chicken slathered in rich coconut milk.
This set
meal also comes with Sirap Selasih, a
chilled syrup drink topped with basil seeds.
For the
uninitiated, the array of condiments for the Nasi Kerabu set may seem quite
intimidating but connoisseurs tell me that one of the best ways to savour this
dish is to mash the salted egg and mix it into the rice along with the other
ingredients and sambal.
Of
course, the traditional and best way to eat this rice dish is by hand but at
the café I decided to refrain.
 |
| A favourite comfort food: Freddie's Signature Fish Soup Noodles |
Eating
Nasi Kerabu with a spoon is still an exciting experience – every spoonful
absolutely bursting with delicious flavours!
The Muar
Otah lives up to our expectation of what a good chunk of otak-otak should taste
like, rich with flavour and full of real fish!
The
Chilled Tofu is topped with fragrant, deep-fried shallots and drizzled in a
delicious dark sauce – all aimed at (and succeeded in) whetting our appetite
for more food.
If
you are wondering who’s Freddie of the Freddie’s Signature Fish Soup Noodles
fame, wonder no more.
He’s
Freddie Lee, a member of the owner’s family who offered his favourite recipe
for fish noodles and (I was duly informed!) ever since adding it to the menu, this
dish has consistently remained the café’s top-selling item!
It’s
not surprising because Teochew-style Fish Soup Noodles is a comfort food for
many.
 |
| Affogato, ice-cream topped with a shot of hot espresso |
This
must-try bowl of rice vermicelli is served, topped with a generous portion of
fried fish – Sea Bass – in a deep bowl of rich fish soup, brewed with
traditional ingredients like whole sour-plum, tomato wedges and shredded
salted/preserved vegetables.
The
soup is tinged white from adding a dash of evaporated milk, but if you prefer
your fish soup clear (without milk), just inform the order-taker.
This mild, soupy, comforting dish comes with a side of cut chilli padi in soy sauce to add more flavour and a bit of zing.
One
cannot go wrong with the familiar flavour of fragrant Hainanese Chicken Rice, another
popular item here.
Served
in a set, the chicken rice comes with a portion of chopped steamed chicken,
clear chicken soup, and three dip sauces – dark soya sauce, chopped chilli and
garlic sauce, and minced ginger.
With
our stomachs comfortably full, it was still difficult to tear ourselves away
from the lofty views so we decide to linger over coffee and dessert.
We
each have our own preference so the order is placed for various types of coffee
like Americano or Cappuccino.
 |
| Deep-fried Durian dessert |
My
choice is Affogato, an Italian
coffee-based dessert where a scoop (or two!) of vanilla or chocolate ice-cream
is drowned in a shot of hot espresso…mmm…
A
popular dessert served at Suasana Suites Café is deep-fried durian, made with real
durian wrapped in a light pastry.
It’s
crispy on the outside but dripping with durian from the inside. Mmm…simply
irresistible!
Suasana
Suites Café is on Level 33A of Suasana Suites Iskandar Johor Baru, an
all-suites hotel located at No. 82-C Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Baru.
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| Crispy on the outside, dripping with durian from the inside |
This
all-day dining café with a menu suitable for all, is open daily from 7am to
11pm, with semi-buffet and ala carte menu for breakfast till 11.30am.
Look out
for monthly promotions in Pay Day Treats where you can treat yourself to local
food, not often found in a café menu, served from 11am to 10pm only on selected
days.
Pay Day
Treat prices are as low as RM18.90 nett for a meal plus chilled drink with a
10% discount for pre-purchases made a day in advance.
For table
reservations and pre-purchases, Tel: +607 – 267 0148 Extn: 7717 or +6017 – 283
5226.
For more
info on Suasana Suites Iskandar Johor Baru, visit their website and Facebook
page.
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