In
Johor, Mee Rebus Haji Wahid hardly needs any introduction.
My
family and I are familiar with Hj Halim, the sixth son
of Hj Wahid, whom we fondly call Bai
– Punjabi for brother – probably
because he wears a full beard, and faithfully followed his trail to wherever he
served this popular Mee Rebus at various locations in the city.
A logo in the new image for
Mee Rebus Haji Wahid
I remember eating his servings of Mee Rebus at the Public Bus
Terminal at Jalan Trus and then at the original Tepian Tebrau, a food-court situated
close to the Johor Baru seafront, and finally at the food court at Angsana Johor
Baru Mall.
In the 1970s, when we often hosted parties at home, our family
arranged for Hj Halim to serve Mee Rebus from a live cooking station set up in
the garden.
This was where I met with Hafiz, Hj Halim’s son, who would help
his father serve plate after plate of their Mee Rebus to our guests.
The
distinct taste of this family recipe noodles has earned a faithful following who
enjoy the fragrant plates of warm stewed yellow noodles
drenched in thick gravy, with a side of hardboiled egg and a slice of lime to
squeeze, garnished by ku-chai vegetables,
bean sprouts, chopped green chilli, and topped by a special crispy pendaram condiment.
The Mee Rebus Haji Wahid brand identity
is repeated in the wrapping paper for noodles
Pendaram are the savoury crisps sprinkled on the stewed noodles
as a topping, not only as a garnish but also for a crunchy bite, in sharp
contrast to the soft noodles.
In 2018, while I was considering the Contents for my book
sequel,
I did not hesitate to include the legacy of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid into the
section for Heritage Trades in My Johor
Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People.
This
familiar Mee Rebus was also in the menu at the tea reception hosted after my
book launch event for my guests to savour a taste this recipe which had
remained consistent since 1918.
The air-tight packet of pendaram
is sealed by a logo sticker
Hj
Halim or Bai, said back then his grandfather Wak Baidali, used to peddle his
Mee Rebus every afternoon using a kandar – two rattan baskets hung from
two ends of a pole which he carried across his shoulders – around the Bukit
Zaharah building and Kampung Ayer Molek area.
In
1938, his son, Haji Wahid, operated the only Mee Rebus stall in the Satay Club,
a food court dedicated to serve satay, situated along Jalan Campbell (now Jalan
Tun Abdul Razak) opposite the former Johor Baru Railway Station.
While
Hj Halim operated the outlet at Angsana JB Mall, his son, Hafiz, made their
family Mee Rebus conveniently available from outlets opened at food courts
within shopping malls.
Outlets
were opened at Aeon Bukit Indah, Aeon Bandar Dato Onn, Aeon Danga Bay and Aeon
Tebrau City in Johor Baru, as well as outside Johor at Aeon Nilai, Aeon Ayer
Keroh, Aeon Puchong and Aeon Shah Alam.
Chicken Pepes AKA Chicken Otak2
I
even remember reading a Facebook post that Professor Kassim Thukiman posted
with a photograph of a plate of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid and a text that declared
how delighted he was to discover a favourite Johor dish at the food court in
Aeon Ayer Keroh.
When
Toppen opened in 2019, I was thrilled to see that Mee Rebus Haji Wahid had an
outlet at the mall’s food court to serve shoppers there and from nearby IKEA.
My
most recent taste of these familiar noodles was in July 2021 when my sister
went grocery shopping at Aeon Bukit Indah, and came back with takeaway portions
of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid.
Due
to the global pandemic and subsequent Movement Control Order lockdowns
implemented since March 2020, my family and I did not venture out for Mee Rebus
so that takeaway lunch was such a tasty treat for us.
Tasty morsels of Chicken Pepes
When
Singapore commemorated its National Day in early August, I watched with
interest, documentaries on Singapore history screened on the Discovery Asia
channel.
One
of these documentaries was on archive films that showcased old and fuzzy Black
& White films that documented the precious heritage of street food in an
era when Singapore and Malaya were still one country.
When
I saw scenes of peddlers selling food carried on the kandar across their
shoulders, my thoughts flashed to Wak Baidali who used to peddle his Mee Rebus here
back in 1918.
Meanwhile,
I was working with BrandCulture PR MarCom to produce a video in collaboration
with Zenith Lifestyle Mall to commemorate Hari Kebangsaan or National
Day 2021 and the first teaser poster was posted a day ago, with a few more due
to appear in the coming days before the video is aired on August 31.
A portion of takeaway Mee Rebus Haji Wahid
After
Hafiz saw the teaser poster yesterday, he sent me a thumbs-up emoji with a
message assuring me that he will be looking out for the video.
In
another minute, he sent the next line: “Can you give me your address…want to
send Mee Rebus especially for you… with my warmest compliments.”
Sometimes
dreams do come true. And this was a dream come true for me because ever since I
saw the archive film of a peddler selling food using a kandar I was
longing for a taste of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid.
A plate of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid with gravy
I confessed
to Hafiz that I rindu makan and last had a takeaway Mee Rebus from their
outlet at Aeon Bukit Indah in July so I was deeply humbled and happy to accept
his kind offer to send my family and I a Mee Rebus treat!
In
his reply, Hafiz proudly declared that while my previous takeaway was served by
his staff, now he will personally prepare and serve me Mee Rebus from his
kitchen.
Since
June 2021, Hafiz was serving Mee Rebus from his kitchen based in Kampung Ubi
Baru (I looked it up on the map and found it near Tampoi-Pandan) with a
delivery service mainly to addresses in Johor Baru, Senai and Kulai.
He
explained that the pandemic with long periods of lockdowns, had deeply affected
their family business and they had no alternative but to cease operations of
outlets at Toppen, Aeon Bukit Indah, Aeon Bandar Dato Onn, Aeon Danga Bay, Aeon
Nilai and Aeon Ayer Keroh.
The
outlets that remain opened at mall food courts are in Aeon Tebrau City, Aeon
Puchong and Aeon Shah Alam.
By
this time, I had given Hafiz my address and was eagerly anticipating the
delivery of my order, scheduled for 12.30pm.
How to place your order for
Mee Rebus Haji Wahid
At
about 12.10pm, I received his message to notify that the delivery was on its
way.
He
also told me to expect a pack of Chicken Pepes and sent a photo of the
banana leaf-wrapped morsels commonly called chicken otak-otak, which he
recommended to eat along with his Mee Rebus.
When
I quizzed him about it, Hafiz explained that this delicacy was made in
collaboration with Mr Noh of Otak-Otak JB.
My
delivery arrived safely and the first thing I noticed from the see-through bag was
a logo for Mee Rebus Haji Wahid, a brand identity that was repeated on the paper
wrap and sticker which sealed a bag of crispy pendaram condiment.
I
took a closer look and smiled when I read the tagline: RECIPE SINCE 1918. A
LEGENDARY LEGACY by BAI Jr.
I
thought it was very apt for Hafiz, the son of Bai, to adopt the moniker, Bai
Junior, as he was taking a heritage recipe to new heights by serving it with a
modern touch.
I
liked the logo colour and motif, and could not help but notice that the tagline
for Mee Rebus Haji Wahid was in English and not Malay.
I
guessed it was probably because both Hj Halim and Hafiz – Bai and Bai Jr – are also
conversant in English and they know that the taste of their family recipe Mee
Rebus crosses all boundaries and can be appreciated by international food connoisseurs.
So
it was very wise of them to present their brand image with a tagline in an
International language.
With
such a proud heritage preserved in their family recipe for Mee Rebus, it was
good to see the next generation being involved with the business and giving it
a refreshing image while promoting a familiar brand.
The legacy of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid is
documented in My Johor Stories 2: Interesting
Places and Inspirational People
Read
the story about the legacy of Mee Rebus Haji Wahid under Heritage Trades, documented in my book,
My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People*.
Place
orders for Mee Rebus Haji Wahid conveniently for delivery through two
platforms: https://meerebushajiwahid.maynuu.com/ and https://meerebushajiwahid.yezza.store/
With
delivery fees as low as RM5 depending on location, they offer three slots for
delivery during Lunch Hour, Evening or Dinner.
Mee
Rebus Haji Wahid is also available from Almizan Satay House, located at PTD
64399, Jalan Tebrau, Kampung Ubi Baru, Taman Ekoperniagaan, 81100 Johor Baru,
Johor. Enquires welcome at, https://meerebushajiwahid.wasap.my
*My books, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage and My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, are available from MPH bookstores nationwide and online from mphonline.com
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