Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)
Address: Level 2, Aeon City Mall, 1, Jalan Desa Tebrau, Taman Desa Tebrau, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
(Located within Aeon Mall Tebrau City)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uin3JhpFmrZxna6R7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
612 白玉翠虾饺 Har Gao Dumpling = RM9.80
613 蜜汁叉烧包 Char Siew Bun = RM7.80
614 黄金流沙包 Signature Egg Custard Bun = RM8.80
SST Tax 6% = RM2.11
Service Charge 10% = RM3.52
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
水記 Swee Kee is a Franchise that is known for their Chicken Rice in Johor Bahru. So I got invited by them to visit their Latest 5th Outlet which opened on 9-Sept-2024 to try out their Dim Sums and Seafood. 😋
For the sake of Review Transparency and Fairness, I Politely Declined and instead decided to Surprise Visit them Anonymously. 👍 As such, this Review will serve both as a Review for my Personal Experience and also a Feedback for them directly. This will be a Lengthy Read.
Location of the Restaurant
Located in a somewhat Secluded Side Alley of this Mall, this Eatery is not located on the Main Shopping Path. 🤔 Not a Very Big Place, it is nevertheless Nicely Renovated and Designed and Cleanly Maintained in a Modern Chinese Restaurant sort of look. 👍 When I was there at 10.30am on a Friday Morning, there weren't much Customers around other than me and maybe 2 other tables.
Customer Service Excellence from the Staff who attended to me. ♥️
The Staffs are Very Friendly and Polite. None of them were goofing off and everyone appeared alert and ready to serve even when I was there early in the Morning when there weren't much Customers yet. 👨🍳👩🍳 The Lady who attended to me wore a Noticeably Different Uniform compared to others. She's dressed in a Smart Light Green Shirt with Black Pants and wore Spectacles. 👓 I'm guessing she is probably a Senior Staff or a Supervisor?
Her Behaviour towards me was Very Customer Service Focused. 👍 Every Action she did, she faced me with a Very Reverent Polite and Respectful Smile. 😄 Because of the Atas Nature of this place, I tested them to see if they could serve up all the Dishes I ordered at the Same Time. 🤔 I could tell she took my Request Very Seriously and even came back from time to time to give me updates if this can be done. 👍 I'm very happy to inform that they could do it.
That said, I do feel slightly guilty that I may have caused her Unnecessary Stress with my request 😅 because she really took my request very seriously with her updates. I'm also sorry I did not catch her name, but I would like to extend my Compliments to her for her Customer Service Dedication. 👍 It took a Total of 12 Mins for all of the Dishes I ordered to be served up all at the same time.
The Meticulous Level of Detail in their Dim Sum Presentation ⭐
Before I go into each of the Dim Sums, I just want to add that I was immediately impressed with how all their Dim Sums are presented. 👍 Every Single One of them were presented in Very Good Looking Old School Traditional Bamboo Baskets and was even Custom Printed with their Own SK Logo no less. 😳
Every Dim Sum were served Hot here. Even the Baskets themselves were Hot to the Touch. 🔥 Very Impressive. To Top it all off, they even add a Piece of Banana (Lotus?) Leaf 🌿 in the Steamed Ones like Siew Mai and Har Gao not only as a support but also to smartly incorporate and Earthy 香气 into them. 😋
This Level of Meticulous Detail shows how Beyond Serious they are in treating their Dim Sums. 😳 Heck I have even gone to Hong Kong and even they don't present their Dim Sums in this manner they did. ♥️ In fact, this Level of Presentation is so next level, I intend to use it as a Base Reference Standard on how I will judge the Presention of Higher End Atas-Level Dim Sums in Future Eateries that I visit. 👍 Swee Kee really set the Bar very high for this one. 😅
The Chilli Sauce Condiment served for their Dim Sums is a Garlic Chilli Sauce with a Slight Touch of Honey. 🌶️🍯
Mildly Spicy, this is a Easygoing Spiciness and is not the Bite your Tongue type. Not partcularly Mind Blowing or anything, this was Acceptable for a Dim Sum Chilli.
Finally we come to the Actual Review of their Dim Sums.
As with any Dim Sum Eateries that I first visit, I will order their Basic Fundamental Dim Sums to test. 👍 Because if an Eatery cannot even get the Basic Fundamental Dim Sums right, there is really no point to try other offerings. I really like that even in their Menu, the Main Fundamental Basic Dim Sums are even listed as some of the 1st ones on the List. 👍 Again, this may seem like a Very Minor Detail, but this shows they know what they're doing. 👍
One thing I do notice is that they don't have alot of Varieties of Dim Sums available. 🤔 In fact its just only 2 Pages. This is understandable since Dim Sums is just something new they offered. So if you are someone who prefers a Huge Variety to choose from, you might want to take note of this. 🤔
611 鱼子蒸烧卖 Siew Mai Dumpling = RM8.80
The Classic Siew Mai. 😋 This was Beautifully Wrapped and there are 3 of them in Standard Size. Very Juicy Bite when you sink your Teeth in them. 😋 The 1st Thing that hits you is the Prawn Flavour and I think they use at least 1 Prawn in this. 🦐 The Next Taste that follows up Very Closely are Mushrooms. 🍄 Although it looked like Pork is used, its Completely Not Porky at all. 🤔
In the Cross Section Photo I've taken, you can see the Little Bits of Mushrooms inside. 🍄 Not Overly Prawny or Mushroomy, this Combined Taste of Prawn and Mushroom paired Together Very Well and I thought was a Winning Combination. 😋 This is a Juicy, Delicious Above Average tasting Siew Mai.
612 白玉翠虾饺 Har Gao Dumpling = RM9.80
I was immediately impressed with the Delicate Beautiful Folds on this Har Gao. ♥️ It had a Delicate Skin and the taste profile reminds me of the type of Skin you'd normally encounter morr in a Chee Cheong Fun but here its in the form of a Har Gao Skin.
It looks Thick but is Melt in Mouth Quality. 😋 That said it does unfortunately break. Inside is a Whole Juicy Bouncy Prawn with some 汤汁 within. 🦐 Not a Single Trace of Pork that I tasted, this is More Prawny in Taste Profile but its also Not Overly Prawny. Nice Tasting Har Gao. 😋
613 蜜汁叉烧包 Char Siew Bun = RM7.80
There are 2 Pieces of them and the Bao Skin is Delightfully Pillowy and Fluffy Soft. 😋 The Filling within is the Sweetish Gooey Type that I like and I also like that its Not Overly Sweet. 👍I especially LOVE the Slightly Larger Bits of Char Siew Pieces within because this gives it an Extra Meaty Bite Texture instead of Regular CSB Fillings where everything is all Mashed Up Finely. 😋
Thick and Rich Tasting, this CSB Filling just had a Very Jiu Lou type of Atas Taste to it. 😋 Very Good Quality CSB, certainly not those Foodcourt type of Standard. This CSB also paired VERY WELL with the Liu Sha Bao that I am going to describe later, and you will soon know why. 😅
614 黄金流沙包 Signature Egg Custard Bun = RM8.80
This Liu Sha Bao is Listed as their Signature Dim Sum so of course I had to give this a Try. 👍Presented like a Black Obsidian Jewel, they look Beautifully Ornate and Instagrammably Beautiful with a Very Artistic Yellow Golden Calligraphic-Like Brush Stroke on them. 🖌️ Atas Looking AF!
When you break them open, the Hot Salted Egg Filling immediately flowed out and were Very Fluid in Consistency compared to some of the other Liu Sha Bao that I've eaten. 🌋 The way it flowed really befits its 流沙 Name (Flowing Sands). ♥️ It was actually mesmerizing to see how Smooth it flowed as you can see in the Video I attached. ♥️
The Skin Texture is pretty much the Same Pillowy soft as as their CSB. It taste pretty much the same despite it being Black in Colour. ⬛ In fact, I feel going for a Black Colour Bao Skin is actually a Good Choice because it provides a Very Distinct Contrast so you can see their Yellow Salted Egg Filling much more clearly. ⬛🟨
Most other Dim Sum Eateries won't bother to do this because it is Extra Work to make an Extra Dough just for this Dish when they can just re-use their CSB Dough. 🤔 But because they bother to go the Extra Mile to make an Extra Black Dough to do this instead of just re-using their CSB Dough, this just shows how much effort they put in to their Dim Sums. 👍 As for the Main Salted Egg Filling, the Taste of Salted Egg is Definitely there. 🥚 Its Delicate and not Overpowering in Taste with a Nice Gritty Texture that you'd expect. 😋
But make no mistake, this is a VERY MESSY BUN to eat. VERY MESSY. 😅 There is so much Filling that flowed out, I had to resort to using the Bao Skin to try mop up all the Goodness and it wasn't enough Bao to do so. 😅 Now remember I mentioned that their CSB paired VERY WELL with this Liu Sha Bao, thats because you can use the CSB Bao Skin to help mop up any Leftover Salted Egg Filling! 😅
OMG Mixing Liu Sha Bao Salted Egg Cream Filling with CSB is a Combo that I never knew that I needed in my Life! SO GOOODDD!!!! ♥️ You MUST order both their CSB and LSB just for this! Ahhh!! Typing this and thinking about it makes me want to go try it again! 😄
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At RM8.80 (S$2.70) for the Siew Mai, this is Affordable, Above Average Quality and is definitely worth the Money to try. 👍
At RM9.80 (S$3.00) for the Har Gao, likewise this was Affordable for the Quality they have here. 👍 You are certainly not going to see this type of Delicate Folds on a Foodcourt type of Har Gao for sure. 😅
At RM7.80 (S$2.40) for the Char Siew Baos, again Affordable and Excellent Quality. 😋 This CSB punches above its Weight Level at this Price Point.
At RM8.80 (RM2.70) for their Liu Sha Bao, Yes Please! ♥️ Everything about this Dish Screams "EAT ME NOW!" 😄 Remember to pair this with their CSB for some Amazing Salted Egg Cream Mopping Goodness! Hahaha! 😁
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Doing a Price Comparison with D'Shanghai and Loon Sing Dim Sums.
大上海 D'Shanghai (KSL City Mall) and 隆盛佛跳墙酒家 Restoran Loon Sing are 2 other Top Score Higher-End Dim Sum Franchises that I've visited before and just for fun, I thought i'd do a Price Comparison between them. 😅 All of them are Decent Quality Dim Sums, and all of them have gotten my Top Score. 👍
烧卖 Siew Mai
Loon Sing - RM14.80
D'Shanghai - RM8.70
Swee Kee - RM8.80
虾饺 Har Gao
Loon Sing - RM16.80
D'Shanghai - RM9.70
Swee Kee - RM9.80
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao
Loon Sing - RM12.80
D'Shanghai - RM8.90
Swee Kee - RM7.80
流沙包 Liu Sha Bao
Loon Sing - RM11.80
D'Shanghai - RM8.90
Swee Kee - RM8.80
As you can see in this Comparison, Loon Sing is the Most Expensive in this List although to be fair, it is an Actual Higher-End Chinese 酒楼, and they do have a Weekday Offer which can help bring down the Prices further.
The 2 Franchises we should be looking are Swee Kee and D'Shanghai because the both of them are Dim Sum Eateries located within a Shopping Mall. As you can see, the Prices for them are Very Competitive.
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At the End of the Day, I feel Swee Kee's Dim Sum Quality is right up there among the Higher-End Dim Sum Franchises in JB. 👍 Its the Little Things they do such as their Custom Made SK imprinted Dim Sum Bamboo Baskets, to using Banana Leaf to hold their Steamed Dim Sums for 香气 that I feel make them stand out. 👍
This is something that I have not seen done in other Higher-End Dim Sum Eateries yet. Heck like I mentioned, not even the Dim Sum Eateries in Hong Kong that I visited do until this Level. 😅 I really appreciate this Amount of Meticulous Detail that shows how Beyond Serious they are in treating their Dim Sums. ♥️
And we haven't even touch on the Customer Service. ♥️ Even as I finished my Dim Sum, no one came over to rush to keep my plates, and I didn't feel rushed to leave at all. 👍 THIS is the Quintessential Perfect Dim Sum Experience. 🏆 But of course I myself also Automatic lah and left soon after eating without hogging seats for hours on end. 😅
Hopefully they are able to do more Promotion and Marketing to reach out to more people because the Dim Sums here are really no joke. 👍 More People needs to know there is a New Dim Sum Contender in JB! 😄 This is an Easy Top Score from me and I'm not even Kidding. Thank you for taking the time to read this Super Long Review Analysis / Feedback.
Have you eaten from this Eatery here in Aeon Mall Tebrau City? I'd love to know to know how you think of them! 😄
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