A Japanese-Teochew Omakase experience

 

When my foodie-friend KK Lew, invited me for this food-tasting experience, he said that our mutual friend, Tony of Johor Kaki fame, would also be joining us.

 

Teochew Muay or rice porridge paired
perfectly with fragrant sayur manis stir-fried
with egg and garlic

I agreed that it was an excellent opportunity for us to meet up again, especially after more than two years since the borders were closed due to the global pandemic.

 

Closer to the date of our appointment, I received KK’s phone message that read: “I will send you the actual location a while later.”

 

When I received the address, I quizzed him on it because I had guessed that it was the former Come & Eat Teochew Muay restaurant, located on the ground floor of the block of three-storied flats along Jalan Stulang Darat, known as San Lau.

 

Chilled Mango wine
with the chilled shot glasses

And I was right. I soon learnt that this restaurant was now run by a mother and son team who still serve Teochew Muay or traditional Teochew rice porridge along with Omakase-style dining on Teochew-Japanese specialties – only by appointment – and this was what we were about to experience.

 

A mix of Teochew cuisine with authentic Japanese fare was indeed a very intriguing combination and I eagerly anticipated this dining experience.

 

I had a flashback to my story on Johor Baru, Our Little Swatow, documented in My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, on why Johor Baru earned its name as Little Swatow after Swatow, one of the Teochew districts of Guangdong Province in China.

 

Swatow was the place of origin for most of the Teochew who made Johor Baru their new home since 1844 when the Johor Ruler invited the Chinese in Singapore and the Riau Islands to open up land in Johor to cultivate pepper and gambier here.

 

Six Oden items in the dashi-based warm soup

In my story, I discussed details on the Johor Ngee Heng Kongsi or society, as well as Teochew Culture and of course, Teochew Food.

 

Just as I arrived at the ground level of San Lau, I received a phone message from KK that read, “If you arrive earlier, look for our host, Rena.”

 

At the restaurant, I spotted a welcoming smile on that lady’s face and greeted her with, “Hello, Rena!” and she graciously ushered me into a private dining room.

 

Konjac Konyaku

I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised because the restaurant offered casual dining in a non-airconditioned space with some tables arranged on the pavement outdoors but it also had an air-conditioned, private dining room within.

 

I thought that this arrangement was reminiscent of a Speakeasy bar…

 

Then Tony arrived, followed by KK and our foodie friends to make up a party of five.

 

Buta Kakuni with knots of Shirataki

Rena, our gracious host, was in her element as she served a bottle of chilled Mango wine which was brewed from three types of mangoes – sweet, sour and fragrant – along with chilled glasses for us to pour our own shots.

 

I did not hesitate to quiz Rena because I was curious to know more about their concept of Japanese-Teochew Omakase dining and was delighted to learn that it was purely due to her passion for Teochew cuisine. After all, she was not Teochew but Fu-chow.

 

Sayur manis stir-fried with egg and garlic

With the help of her son, Owen Low, they apply the Japanese Omakase concept for Private Dining to serve a clever mix of Japanese cuisine with Teochew specialties to discerning diners who enjoy the taste of traditional and exotic dishes.

 

Omakase is a form of Japanese dining where guests leave themselves in the hands of the chef and are served dishes made from ingredients that are seasonal, elegant and artistic. And while I was ready to be surprised, I needed to know (roughly) how many dishes to expect so that I could pace myself and enjoy the taste of every dish.

 

Steamed Diamond Trevally to savour
with tau-cheo sauce and chilli

Rena then explained that their Private Dining set was an eight-course meal, starting from RM600 for a minimum of four diners but diners may add on more food.

 

Upon making the reservation, Rena would ask in advance if the diners have any food allergies or what they refrained from eating, and their preference for Beef, Pork, Fish or Shellfish, so that dishes and ingredients served should meet with the diners’ taste.

 

Satisfied with this clarification, we raised our glasses to celebrate our reunion as conversation flowed in our catch-up chit-chat.

 

Seated around a table, with plates and chopsticks arranged for each one of us, I expected some dishes to be served in individual portions while some dishes should be shared in a leisurely and casual meal.

 

Blood Cockles in half shells

All this talking about their dining concept had whet our appetite for good food and when the first course of Oden was served, I counted (and happily ate!) six different items in a bowl of pleasant dashi-based warm soup.

 

The next course was a platter of Konjac Konyaku, firm pieces of gelatinous konjac on a bed of lettuce.

 

Its light flavour was in stark contrast to the rich taste of the next dish of Buta Kakuni, Japanese braised pork which literally means, “square simmered” pork. I was delighted to fish out knots of shirataki noodles to savour with its tasty gravy.

 

Assam Fish made with Terubok fish

After a brief pause, Rena returned to serve us bowls of Teochew-style rice porridge, a light congee that paired perfectly with fragrant sayur manis or sweet greens stir-fried in egg and garlic.

 

I didn’t know about the others but the fragrance of these tasty vegetables just brought back pleasant memories of homecooked meals at my grandmother’s kitchen.

 

Rena then told us that the fish was being steamed and should be served presently.

 

Spooned up Beef Tendon from the deep bowl

Then the platter of a whole Diamond Trevally was served along with two bottles which I saw, one filled with preserved salted soya beans or tau-cheo chui while the other was filled with chilli sauce.

 

Fans of fish will appreciate this Teochew-style of savouring freshly steamed fish dipped in tau-cheo chui for flavour and chilli sauce, if they wished to have an added zing.

 

In the privacy of this room, we did justice to strip the flesh off its bones and left almost nothing for the cats…

 

Sampling a taste of Shiokara

I recognised the next two dishes, that could not be more traditionally Teochew, which were usually savoured with muay or rice porridge.

 

A dish of Blood Cockles in half-shells, marinated in soya sauce, chilli, garlic and coriander and the other, Assam Fish, slices of Terubok fish slow-stewed in soy, salted vegetables and chilli until its bones were ready to melt in our mouths.

 

From Teochew specialties, our menu moved back to Japanese cuisine.

 

Rena probably observed how we enjoyed the fish dishes because the next course was also fish, Saba Misoni, fried fillets of mackerel.

 

By the time I put down my chopsticks, I had lost count of the number of courses/dishes served thus far because we were not only enjoying the food but also the pleasant company and conversation.

 

Happy Birthday 2022 KK, celebrated
with birthday cake presented by
Rena [Right]

To round off the meal, Doteyaki or stewed Beef Tendon (KK’s favourite!) was served in a deep bowl, generously garnished with chopped fresh scallions. Only when we dug deep into the bowl, we could then spoon up the tender cuts of beef tendons.

 

In typical Omakase meals, dessert was not included so this beef dish should mark the end of our leisurely dinner together.

 

I was probably too busy enjoying my portion of Beef Tendon when I heard the word Shiokara mentioned in a conversation with Rena. This is an exotic dish of marinated marine animals like squid and tiny pieces of meat in heavily salted and fermented viscera. Yes, entrails.

 

When both KK and Tony agreed to try it, Rena was happy to serve us a small portion, just to taste.

 

Facade of New Come & Eat Restaurant
at Jalan Stulang Darat, Johor Baru
[Photo courtesy of MAGistrate]

While the viscous consistency of this dish may be off-putting (for some!) I watched Tony savour his first taste before having a taste of my own. We agreed that it tasted intensely salty and its flavour was not unlike our local preserved shrimps or cincalok.

 

After a gulp of Shiokara, a sip of Rena’s Mango wine created a mellow taste, one (I must admit) was rather pleasant.

 

Later when Rena returned to the room, she was armed with a cake, graciously presented to celebrate KK’s birthday – she saw from his Facebook posts that it was his birthday that day. So we had a sweet ending to our interesting meal, after all.

 

Prior appointment is required for this Omakase dining experience served for a table of minimum four diners starting at RM600 only. For Private Dining arrangements, call Rena on Tel: +6011 2835 1005.

 

New Come & Eat Restaurant [Non-Halal] is at 34-A-2, Jalan Stulang Darat, Taman Stulang Darat, 80300 Johor Baru, Johor.

 

Open from 12pm to 8.30pm (Closed on Monday).