Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant
No. 15
Jalan Flora 1/19
Taman Pulai Flora
Skudai
Johor Bahru
Johor 81300
Malaysia


Quiet Seafood Restaurant Away From Crowds

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 5
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $10 / MYR $26 per person.





Located in the small but upmarket enclave of Taman Pulai Flora, just a 5 minute drive / 15 minute walk away from the Pulai Springs Resort in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, is the small and homely Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant. Specialising in Chinese style Zi Char and seafood dishes, Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is run by a matriach, and has been visited by several persons of importance in Malaysia.

Ambience at Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is akin to an open air coffee shop. Interior seating is limited to large tables, and there are several tables outdoor as well. The open concept of Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is great for cool, windy days, less so for nights where the weather is rainy, or hot. Opening daily from 5pm till late, Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is relatively clean, with functional, practical furniture.

Service at Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is decent. Orders are taken and fulfilled quickly, and you'll rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes for your food to arrive, even during busy periods. Staff converse in mostly Malay or Chinese Mandarin, though some can speak limited English as well. I commend them for arranging transportation, it's possible for diners to request staff to arrange a cab / taxi, as Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant has a regular list of drivers they trust.

Food at Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant consists of mostly Chinese Zi Char, with a focus on seafood. The list of dishes available is extensive, with most dishes being tasty, prepared with fresh ingredients, and portioned for communal dining. Prices are rather wallet friendly, and because they cater mostly to the surrounding neighbourhood, you'll see quite a lot of locals dining here, with very few tourists. Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant is about 40 minutes drive from the Tuas 2nd link in Singapore.





Opening only in the evenings till late, the big, bright signboard stands out in the night. It also helps that they are the corner unit of a long row of shophouses, making it easy to locate them.

Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant Signage

Beer Tiger

Chan Ji Seafood Restaurant Address & Contact

I found these dishes to be decent, nothing particularly outstanding, but not terrible either. Good filler dishes if you're dining here. A tip, ask for the prices of each dish before placing your order, especially the seafood dishes which are subject to seasonal prices.

Roast Kampong Chicken

Stir Fried Baby Kai-Lan / Chinese Kale / Chinese Broccoli With Garlic

4 Heavenly Kings Vegetable Medley

Stir Fried Lala Clams With Black Bean Sauce

Fried Oyster Omelette

Salted Egg Prawns

Salted Egg Pork Ribs

Claypot Braised Soy Sauce Chicken

Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Mee

Stir Fried Sambal Kang Kong / Water Spinach

Not surprisingly, the Signature Fried Mee Hoon is very good! The thin mee hoon noodles are stir fried in a savoury soy sauce, together with pork, shrimp, and egg, until the noodles have absorbed all the essence and goodness of the meat and seafood juices. Very flavourful!

Signature Fried Mee Hoon

Easily the best dish here, we ordered the Salted Egg Squid for 3 nights in a row! The oily, salty, eggy goodness coats the fresh, firm meat of the squid / sotong, making it savoury and umami all at once. So good I actually dreamt about it. Highly recommended!

Salted Egg Squid

I liked the Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork, where the chili lent a spicy heat to the taste. The eggplant / brinjal / aubergine is fresh, and cooked till soft, while the minced pork meat lends a savoury flavour. Best when paired with rice.

Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork

The Braised Pork Belly, Pig's Skin, Egg In Soy Sauce was pretty nice, as they've stewed / braised the ingredients of this dish properly. The pork belly is soft and tender, as is the pig's skin, which has little smell and tastes clean. The weakest component is the braised egg, while the egg white is good, I found the egg yolk to be a little dry. But the salty, savoury, soy braising sauce helps to lift the overall taste.

Braised Pork Belly, Pig's Skin, Egg In Soy Sauce

Shadow Of Opulence, Comfortable But Run Down

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Visited: Jan-2015
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 3
Service: 6
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $250 per person.
- $250 Accomodation 4D3N
-$0 Room Service


Nearby Attractions: Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Palace Museum, Legoland Malaysia, Endau Rompin National Park, Johor Bahru Art Gallery, Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, Istana Bukit Serene, Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, Sultan Ibrahim Building, Angry Birds Activity Park, Johor Bahru Zoo, Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru, Danga World Petting Zoo, Danga World Theme Park, Taman Merdeka, Kraftangan Malaysia Cawangan Negeri Johor, Hello Kitty Town, Tanjung Piai National Park


Hotel Facilities: Business Centre, 1 Ballroom, 6 Conference Rooms, Laundry Service, Free Wi-Fi, Gymnasium, 6 Restaurants (Gleneagles Terrace Restaurant, Qing Palace Chinese Restaurant, Cinta Terrace, Cinta Deli, Waterfalls Cafe, Elephant & Castle Pub), Spa, 3 Swimming Pools, Video Game Arcade, Pool / Snooker Tables, Billard Tables, Gift Shop, Foosball Table, Tennis Court, Squash Court, Golf Course, Paintball Range, Doctor On Call, Bicycle Rental, Tour Desk, In-Room TV Guide, Currency Exchange


Hotel Activities: Business Meetings, Exercise Work Out, Spa, Internet Surfing, Video Games, Pool / Snooker, Billards, Golfing, Swimming, Paintball, Team Building Activites, Foosball, City Tours, Shopping Tours






Introduction
Located near the Johor Bahru 2nd land bridge, just a 40 minute drive away from the Tuas 2nd Link in Singapore, Pulai Springs Resort advertises itself as a 5-star, family friendly golf and recreational resort. The reality though, is far different; Pulai Springs Resort not only shows signs of aging, but much of the once grand premises is either under permanent renovation, or abadoned entirely. Having said that, Pulai Springs Resort still remains functional as a short holiday destination, and has since attracted the attention of corporations looking for an event space, as well as wedding couples.


Ambience
Pulai Springs Resort has sprawling grounds. The trouble is much of it has fallen into disrepair. Fountains and ponds throughout Pulai Springs Resort no longer have any water or fish. The various buildings, elegantly designed with influence from Royal Malay architecture show signs of aging. Despite this, Pulai Springs Resort has well a maintained landscape, especially its gardens and golf course. The main building of Cinta Aya, where the majority of hotel rooms are located, are relatively clean, and presentable. The lift however, is old, slow, and unable to bear its certified weight limit.


Room
Pulai Springs Resort fails to live up to its 5-star status in its rooms. The rooms also show signs of aging, though to their credit, they do keep it clean and presentable. Pulai Springs Resort rooms are very spacious, even the 1 Bedroom Suite features a living room, kitchenette, bedroom, and large bathroom. The bed is large and comfortable, as is the sofa. But the cushion covers look dirty, and I found spiders in my room. I also had a fused light bulb. Television channels are rather limited, but fortunately, they have free wifi throughout the premises.


Food
Food options at Pulai Springs Resort seem extensive, until you realise that many of them are closed permanently, or under constant renovation. Gleneagles Terrace Restaurant is where most of the 3 meals of the day is served, buffet style, including the breakfast. But the chef's skill isn't that great, most of the food here comes out tasting bland, overseasoned, oily, or just looks dubious. Variety of ingredients is also an issue, you mostly get the same type of ingredients, just presented in a different style each day. Not good at all. They do offer some live music in the evenings, and sometimes, the beer garden is open.


Service
Service at Pulai Springs Resort is friendly, and they'll try to assist you, though many staff are unable to converse in English. But they are efficient, and rather proactive with helping out. Service staff at the various restaurants are quick at clearing empty / dirty plates, and also helpful at portioning dishes, but their standards could be improved. For example, they manner in which they clear tables sometimes may dirty the clothes of diners. However, I must commend the staff who willing gave us a joyride in the golf cart buggy, that was 1 of the highlights of my stay at Pulai Springs Resort.


Facilities & Activities
Pulai Springs Resort promises a multitude of activites, but not all of them are available. Many are run down, in disrepair, or just abandoned. The remaining facilities are mostly well maintained, and see regular use. The best facilities at Pulai Springs Resort include the Gymnasium, Swimming Pools, Spa, and Golf Course. The problem is that everything here closes early, around 8 plus. Their Conference Rooms are also very popular, apparently, many corporations / institutions use this place for meetings. Pulai Springs Resort is also popular for wedding photography amongst newly weds, we saw at least 3 couples gettings their photos taken on the premises. Overall, Pulai Springs Resort is great for a short stay, but there's very little to do at night, and the food isn't that good.

Zi Char - Kimly Live Seafood
18 Boon Lay Way
#01-98 Tradehub 21

325 Clementi Avenue 5 #01-155

221 Boon Lay Place
#01-100 Boon Lay Shopping Centre

346 Jurong East Street 31 #01-71

163A Gangsa Road #01-01

282 Bishan Street 22 #01-24

147 Serangoon North Avenue 1 #01-419

346A Kang Ching Road #01-01

237 Serangoon Avenue 3 #01-130


Reputable, Tasty Zi Char In West Singapore

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $14 per person.


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A major Chinese Zi Char seafood franchise operating mainly in the west of Singapore, Kimly Live Seafood is slowly expanding its influence islandwide. Despite operating in mostly casual heartland environments like food courts or coffee shops, Kimly Live Seafood has gained a loyal following for its authentic, delicious Chinese Zi Char dishes at wallet friendly prices.

Being housed mostly in heartland eating areas like coffee shops, the ambience at Kimly Live Seafood is mostly casual, bustling, and noisy. Diners use mostly functional plastic chairs and tables. Don't expect too much ambience here, but the good thing is Kimly Live Seafood always has large communal dining tables blocked for them.

Staff at Kimly Live Seafood usually can converse in a mix of Chinese Mandarin and English. Despite the manpower crunch in Singapore, Kimly Live Seafood usually has ample staff in both the kitchen and front of house service, so it's easy to attract their attention. Food is prepared and served quickly, and empty / dirty tables are also cleared efficiently for the next set of diners. Don't expect too much conversation though, staff are always rushing around.

Kimly Live Seafood is known for their full flavoured, extremely tasty Chinese Zi Char dishes. Their seafood is especially fresh, and several tofu beancurd items are made in-house. Portions are designed for communal dining of at least 2 - 3 people, too large for just 1 person. Prices are very affordable, expect to pay about SGD $13 - $20 per person here, even if you order seafood dishes.


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Their menu is rather extensive, and specialities here include their seafood dishes, meat dishes, and tofu beancurd dishes.

Kimly Live Seafood Menu

Kimly Live Seafood Menu

Kimly Live Seafood Menu

The Yang Zhou Fried Rice (SGD $4 / $6 / $8) was the weakest dish I had here. It wasn't bad, but average at best, with the rice cooked properly, holding a hint of wok hei / breath of the wok. Properly eggy, but the lack of smoky pork meat / Chinese sausage let down the overall taste. Good enough to order, but not on its own.

Yang Zhou Fried Rice

The Kimly Homemade Beancurd (SGD $10 / $16) was excellent. The tofu beancurd was soft and tasty, and the thick, gooey gravy is delicious. The thick, crunchy pieces of broccoli lent good texture, while the soft braised shiitake mushroom slices lent an earthy flavour.

Kimly Homemade Beancurd

Almost like a combination of a thick soup / broth / stew and a gravy, the Superior Stock With 3 Mushrooms (SGD $12 / $16 / $20) has a drinkable gravy stew, thick and flavourful. Also goes well over rice! The trio of mushrooms, including golden enoki, shiitake, and straw mushrooms, alongside snow peas, broccoli, carrots, and fish maw are all fresh, resulting in a tasty dish.

Superior Stock With 3 Mushrooms

The Butter Squid (SGD $14 / $18 / $22) features a crisp, savoury batter which clings tightly to the fresh, meaty sotong / squid rings. Fragrant with the use of curry leaves, and with a hint of spice from the red chili, the dish is satisfiying, and not too oily. Love the small crunchy bits of fried batter!

Butter Squid

The Pork Ribs With Orange Sauce (SGD $12 / $18 / $24) carries good flavour, with a hint of orange sweetness on the meat. Pity then, that it's slightly overcooked, bordering on dry.

Pork Ribs With Orange Sauce

The Dried Beancurd Fungus Spinach Soup (SGD $10 / $15) is more like a stew or gravy, rather than a soup. But it tastes good, with soft spinach, still crisp dried beancurd skin, and delicious black fungus. The gravy has that signature savoury, earthy, almost mushroom like taste. Pretty good!

Dried Beancurd Fungus Spinach Soup

Imagine a combination of a Chinese Teochew style steamed fish, and an authentic, clear Thai Tom Yum Soup. The result is the Kimly Thai Style Steamed Seabass Fish (SGD $23 Seasonal Price). With the unmistakable taste of sour plum, lime juice, and ginger, alongside the use of lemongrass and chili, the claypot soup / broth the fish is served in is sour, spicy, savoury, salty, and all around delicious. Good enough to drink as a soup, not too overwhelming in taste. The seabass fish itself is meaty and fresh, and the portion is large enough for 3 - 4 people. You can order this with other types of fish, ask the staff for recommendations on the daily catch!

Kimly Thai Style Steamed Seabass Fish

The Barbecue Pork Ribs (SGD $9) is halfway decent. The sauce is nicely savoury with some sweetness, and the meat is moist, coming off the bone easily. But I didn't like that there is quite a bit of fat on the meat, and the texture of the sauce is rather clumpy.

Barbecue Pork Ribs

The fiery Sambal Sweet Potato Leaf (SGD $8) is rather potent, you can see, and smell, the chili heat even before putting it in your mouth. The sweet potato leaf is fresh, with a nice vegetable taste, and the chili isn't powerful enough to overwhelm it. Worth a try, especially for those who like spicy food!

Sambal Sweet Potato Leaf

The Butter Salted Egg Crispy Prawn (SGD $18) was delicious! Love the coating of the salted egg, which sticks well to the fresh, meaty prawns, lending a savoury, salty taste. The curry leaves, fried together with the prawns, lends a nice depth of flavour. Good!

Butter Salted Egg Crispy Prawn

The San Lao Sliced Fish Hor Fun (SGD $4 / $8) has a nice amount of that light, savoury gravy, which balances well with the generous portion of hor fun noodles. The hor fun noodles has that signature 'wok hei', or breath of the wok, with some slight charring. I like that they give a heaping portion of crunchy bean sprouts, which lend texture, and the slices of fresh fish are large and thick. Recommended!

San Lao Sliced Fish Hor Fun

The Stir Fried Kai-Lan (SGD $8) is pretty good, fragrant with the use of garlic. The kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli is fresh, crunchy, and satisfiying.

Stir Fried Kai-Lan

The Bee Hoon Soup (SGD $4) is a clean, light, one dish meal. The bee hoon noodles are thin and light, and the ingredients of fish cake, sliced pork, kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli, and prawns are fresh, though the portion is on the small side. Love the thin, clear, yet flavourful soup.

Bee Hoon Soup

The Twin Mushroom Dou Pok Cabbage (SGD $10 / $15 / $20) features crunchy kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli, soft and tender shiitake mushrooms and straw mushrooms, and nice pieces of dried soy bean skin / tau pok. The bean skin picks up the savoury oyster sauce well, and the dish is pleasant, comforting, and rather healthy.

Twin Mushroom Dou Pok Cabbage

The Ginger & Spring Onion Venison Rice With Egg (SGD $6.60) has a tasty, deep, savoury gravy, fragrant with ginger and fresh spring onions. The venison / deer meat itself is bite sized, but retains a slight chewy texture, though it's flavourful. The rice is rather average, but I was disappointed with the egg, which had a semi solid yolk, even though it was non-greasy. Decent enough dish overall.

Ginger & Spring Onion Venison

Ginger & Spring Onion Venison Rice With Egg

The Sweet & Sour Pork Rice With Egg (SGD $6.60) is decent, with a nice, savoury sweet sauce that is not too thin, almost gravy-like in texture. The pork meat is slightly firm, but fresh. I did feel that there was a little too much onions, and I wish the ratio of bell peppers / capsicum, tomatoes, and pineapples, could be increased. The rice is average, but the egg was a disappointment, as the yolk had already broken over the rice.

Sweet & Sour Pork

Sweet & Sour Pork Rice With Egg

Update Jun-2015: I'm always a little hesitant when ordering gravy heavy dishes with seafood, as they tend to have very little / non-fresh seafood, or gravy that is too salty. However, the Seafood Yee Mee (SGD $4.50 / $7 / $9) here has a nice savoury gravy without being too salty, and the noodles are slippery and chewy. The portion of seafood is small though, but at least the fish slices, squid, and prawns are fresh.

Seafood Yee Mee

Update Jun-2015: The Hong Kong Style Fried Noodles (SGD $4.50 / $7 / $9) is among the best dishes here! The noodles are stir fried with diced pork slices, crab stick, cabbage, egg, and bean sprouts, in a light soy sauce, then garnished with shredded lettuce and lime juice. The result is an incredibly fragrant and savoury dish, the noodles are slippery and well coated in sauce, with an eggy, meaty taste from the ingredients, and the vegetables lending a crunch to texture. Highly recommended!

Hong Kong Style Fried Noodles

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