Restoran See Hai (101) / Johor

With all the hoohaa going on about the toll rates, grocery and petrol taxes, me and The Wife have more or less sworn off our once weekly activity, driving across the Causeway.

But never say never! We still decided on going in to procure some *cough cough* Hong Kong drama serials one day. As usual, we were on the hunt for food, as are most Singaporeans who head across the Causeway. So if any of you ever decide to drive in, check this place out. It's called Restoran See Hai, or 101, located in the Sentosa part of town, just opposite the Sentosa Hotel. Actually most Singaporeans will know it. I believe if any of you have been to JB, you would have been in the area.

This is somewhat like our local zi-char style stall, and one dish specific to them that I don't think we can find back home is their 'Xiang Ye' (fragrant leaf) crab.

 

 

Similar to our butter crab, the difference is the addition of pandan leaves and fried garlic that add additional twists to the dish. Since the very first time we tried this dish, their crabs seem to have grown significantly...while they are meatier now, I would still recommend that you ask for the smaller crabs, because those are tastier! The creamy sauce has a tinge of spiciness in it, and makes for an interesting flavour. Yum!

Please pass on the veggies though, unless you REALLY need to have some greens.
The Kai Lan is like super old, very bitter. Neither the 'wok hei' nor the oyster sauce is strong enough to mask bitterness of the old veggie.

On a separate occasion, we also ordered brocolli, which I didn't have the presence of mind to photograph :(  The broccoli is also overcooked, not crunchy enough. My favourite veggie is probably broccoli, so it is my pet peeve when I do order it and it comes out all soft and turns mushy when bitten.

Some else NOT to order is the salted vegetable tofu soup. Do be fooled by my photos. While they might seem chock full of ingredients, the soup itself is horrid. Try at your own risk!

 

What we DO come here for is WITHOUT A DOUBT, the AWESOME CHICKEN WINGS.
Already de-boned with only 1 little wing bone left, a very safe estimate of my appetite for these at one sitting is no less than 10! Probably from the little kampong chickens, these wings are somewhat tiny, and I can finish 1 in 1 mouthful!

 

The BBQ stall (I think they operate differently from the main restaurant as they will collect cash upon the food being served) have a variety of items to  cater to everyone's liking. Another one of the items I like here is the squid, which actually doesn't carry much of it's own flavour after the marination. The reason I like it is because of the chewy texture and the way it is grilled. Just right!

Already marinated with chilli powder and probably some salt, most of these little buggers can be quite spicy to the uninitiated. Pair them with the green chilli sauce and you've got a kickass combo that will leave you needing some water!

Speaking of which, do try the apple juice with sour plum. It is a refreshing blend which gives a cool and light perspective to an otherwise heavy and sinful meal!

Price : RM 50 per pax is enough for happy bellies all around!
Location : 27/29 Jalan Sutera
                 Taman Sentosa
                 80150 Johor Bahru

Signing off,
The Lunatic