On a food adventure in Johor Baru with her family, Hanna Hussein checks in at the comfy four-star Berjaya Waterfront Hotel and discovers that her bucket list attractions are just a short drive away
THE traffic from Kuala Lumpur is surprisingly pleasant and it takes us less than four hours to reach Berjaya Waterfront Hotel Johor Baru, our staycation for the weekend.
My family and I rarely stay at a hotel when we visit the capital of the southern state as we have a lot of relatives in the city. For this trip, however, I want to indulge my parents so they can just unwind and relax without any unnecessary worries.
The four-star hotel gets extra points for its strategic location that offers a good view of the Tebrau Straits.
It's just a walk away from The Zon Duty Free outlet where you can get the best bargains for chocolates, timepieces, pewter and more.
Since my must-do activity in JB is driving around the city looking for good food, I have already put a few on my weekend bucket list. I soon happily discover that the distance to these eateries from the hotel is not more than an hour.
CHECKING IN
From the connecting car park, we head to the lobby to check in. It feels so welcoming to hear soulful piano tunes emanating from a live performance at the centre of the spacious lobby floor, which is also the Palm Lounge.
The hotel layout is a bit unusual. It has a cruise ship design and the Palm Lounge, located in the centre, is surrounded by the corridor to the rooms. It's almost like the layout in a cruise ship, with a classy touch here and there.
While checking in, I request connecting rooms and the helpful staff gladly obliges.
We opt for two deluxe rooms which turn out to be spacious. The interior may be a bit out of style. With the striped carpet flooring and old-fashioned furniture, it reminds me of an 1980s movie set.
The rooms are really clean, cosy and comfortable and the four of us are really looking forward to a comfortable weekend stay.
Like other stay-in guests, we will have our breakfast at the Salt and Pepper Cafe Restaurant, which offers all-day dining serving both local and international fare. It has a unique dining ambience as it has a sweeping view of the straits.
Besides this restaurant, the hotel also has four other F&B outlets.
A DELIGHTFUL START
Since JB is a foodie city, we choose to skip breakfast at the hotel on the first day.
To kick-start our foodie adventure, we head to Taman Cempaka, located 20 minutes from the hotel, to try the fare at an eatery whose culinary reputation has gone viral.
It's not even 9am but Fendi Roti Canai, a warung stall located at Flat 5 Cempaka in Jalan Persiaran Teratai, is already teeming with customers.
The stall is clean, spacious and airy, with ample seating. In fact, we are seated shortly after we arrive.
The owner personally welcomes us. He is friendly and talkative. Affandi Shariff, or Fendi, has been making roti canai since 1990. Now that's 30 years of experience!
According to Fendi, it has taken him years to master the art of making roti canai.
"It was very challenging at first, especially getting the right mix of ingredients and mastering the technique," he says, adding that he perfected the recipe by constantly experimenting.
We order from the menu and go also with Fendi's recommendation — roti canai and two soft-boiled eggs, served with dalca and sambal on the side.
Indeed, the roti is just the way I like it, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The gravy is delicious though a little sweet while the sambal gives it a bit of spicy zest.
According to Fendi, the dough is prepared overnight as it needs time to rise. The longer it rises, says Fendi, the more flavour it has.
Besides roti canai, there are also nasi lemak and traditional kuih. Fendi's prices are very affordable too. One roti canai kosong is priced at only RM1! That is probably why the locals flock to the eatery.
During this Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, the eatery's dining hours are from 6.30am to 11.30am.
As expected, customers need to adhere to standard operating procedures including writing down their contact details and having their body temperature checked. Each table seats only two persons. For takeaways and enquiries, call 019-7849600.
LOCAL'S BEST
Next on my list is one of my family's favourite places to dine — the Selera Johor food court. It's located in Plaza Larkin, less than 20 minutes' away by car from the hotel.
As the name suggests, the food court offers many varieties of Johor's culinary delights. My family often comes here for mee rebus and rojak Asma but today, we are going to try the Asam Pedas Claypot Ezool.
Ezool has a number of outlets all over the State but here at Selera Johor, you can dine at ease as there are many tables and the place is very clean. Just don't come by during lunch hour as it will be packed.
The fish selection is wide but my dad is craving for Asam Pedas Telur Ikan Mayong, which is quite hard to get elsewhere.
Happily, Asam Pedas Claypot Ezool has it on the menu. The size of the roe is quite huge too! Each asam pedas set is served with rice, salted egg and cucumber slices. The portion is quite huge so we order additional rice so everyone can share the delicious asam pedas.
Have I mentioned how it tastes? Well, it's amazing, especially if you are into spicy food.
AL-FRESCO DINING
In the evening, my aunt suggests a local hang-out area near her housing area. This al-fresco eatery offers quite a menu selection but we are there for my favourite comfort food, porridge!
It used to be located at Taman Desa Rakyat in Pasir Gudang but the stall recently moved to Bang's Cabin Bistro in Pusat Perdagangan Kota Tinggi. From the hotel, it takes less than an hour by car.
The porridge sets that come with side dishes are priced from as low as RM7! The side dishes include paru goreng, paru sambal, udang sambal, sotong sambal and many more.
The normal porridge set comes with assorted condiments like fried peanut, salted egg, fried anchovies and spicy sambal. A dish of kangkung is included.
I highly recommend the udang and sotong sambal set which is priced at RM14 and RM15 respectively. The spicy sambal gives the porridge an extra oomph.
Besides porridge, there are also chicken rice as well as grilled seafood.
The eatery opens from 11am to 10pm except on Mondays.
TRAVEL SAFE
BUSINESSES are now open and dine-in is allowed for eateries in Johor Baru provided that customers follow the guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOP) outlined by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The SOP guidelines include social distancing, body temperature check, recording customers' information for tracing purposes, as well as providing sanitisers for customers.
It is also important to wear face masks when in public spaces.
FAST FACTS
BERJAYA WATERFRONT HOTEL JOHOR BARU
88 Jalan Ibrahim Sultan
Stulang Laut
80300 Johor Baru
Johor
TEL 07-221 9999
WEBSITE www.berjayahotel.com/johorbahru
STAY Well-furnished and spacious rooms. There are three room options — Deluxe, Family Deluxe and Suite.
EAT There are five F&B outlets — Salt N Pepper Cafe Restaurant, Xuan Restaurant, Palm Lounge, The Club and Coffee Bar
DO There's a gym and a pool.
GO The Zon Duty Free outlet is just next door.
HIGH Location!
LOW The hotel honestly needs to spruce up its look.
CLEAN & SAFE COMMITMENT
Berjaya Hotels and Resorts Clean & Safe Commitment was designed to enhance safety and minimize risk for guests.
It ensures the hygiene and sanitation practices of all Berjaya Hotels and Resorts meet or exceed regulatory requirements and the recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO).
This commitment also includes new cleanliness protocols that meet or exceed our already rigorous standards.
These protocols are based on the most current information available on sanitization and cleanliness for the hospitality industry, as well as other pertinent industries.
For more info, please visit www.berjayahotel.com/clean-and-safe.html
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