Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)
Address: No, J3-05, Level, Lot, 3, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
(Located with JB City Square Mall)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z9RmTF7U9UrFbwej7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
香菇烧卖王 Steamed Pork Dumplings with Mushrooms (Siew Mai) = RM13.90
状元虾饺 Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Har Gao) = RM13.90
蚝皇叉烧包 Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siew Bao) = RM13.90
Service Charge 10% = RM4.17
SST Tax 6% = RM2.50
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
If you are a Regular in City Square, you will most likely have seen this Chinese Restaurant before. 👍 Just as I mentioned in my Dragon-i Review, this is the other Restaurant in the Mall that also has the "-i" Affix. Dragon-i and Canton-i. I reckon they're both related Sister Companies? 🤔
Never-Ending Queues for this Place 😳
Next to Oriental Kopi, this is also perhaps the Next Most Popular Restaurant in this Mall. 😅 Just look at my Photo. Even before their Official Opening Time of 11.00am, there was Already A Very Long Crowd of People Queueing up even at 10.45am on a Friday Morning! 😳
I don't know why but the Queues for this place seems to be Never-Ending. 😳 Throughout the Whole Day when I was in the Mall. It is Extremely Rare to see a Short Queue. I only managed to be able to review this when I spotted a Rare Opportunity when there was Zero Queue. 😅 I can't even begin to imagine how the Situation is like on a Weekend!
Interior of the Restaurant
This Restaurant itself seems to be focused on Roasted Meats and Dim Sums. 😋 I believe this is also the Only Eatery in this Mall that you can eat Classic HK-Styled Dim Sums 港式点心 🤔 Perhaps this is why the Queues are is Neverending. Hahaha We Singaporeans sure love our Dim Sums! 😅
(Side Note: The other Eatery that serves Dim Sums in this Mall is actually DTF although its more Taiwanese-Styled, not HK-Styled of course.)
The Interior felt Slightly Smaller compared to Dragon-i and although Nicely Furnished and Cleanly Maintained, felt Noticeably Less Posh and Atas Looking compared to Dragon-i. 🤔 This place is still a Traditional Chinese Restaurant, but had a More Brighter, More Family Friendly sort of Feel. I thought it was interesting that they adopted a Very Pinkish Theme throughout. 😄
Many of the Staffs here look like Foreign Myanmar Folks. They are Friendly, Polite and Keep to Themselves. I was Very Impressed when one of them automatically without me asking pulled up a Cloth Bin and nicely guided me that I can put my Bag in it instead of on the Floor. 👍
This was Especially Impressive because this Staff acted on his own automatically without me reminding or asking. 👍 Excellent Customer Service Attitude. This Restaurant certainly trained their Staffs well because not even DTF Staffs offered to do this. 👍
Customer Service Excellence from the Supervisor
I am also Extremely Impressed with the Spectacled Senior Chinese Lady Staff with whom I ordered my Foods. 👍 Smartly Dressed with a Very Professional and Courteous Poise, She looked like she's probably a Supervisor. I especially loved her Very Professional Friendly Demeanor towards me that felt Genuine. ❤️
When rendering a Professional Service, most Service Staffs will adopt a Quiet, Friendly, but Still Very Polite Way which of course is nothing wrong by itself. 👍 But there is something Extra Bit Special about this Particular Lady's Customer Service Level that I felt was a Cut Above Next Level. 🏆
Even when she was wearing a Face Mask, I could still "see" her Smile, and her Friendly Tone of Voice felt Genuine. ❤️ It never felt like she's trying to Act Professional because she is supposed to be Professional. It felt like she behaved Professional because she really WANTS it. 👍 This Lady "Lives and Breathes Customer Service". This sort of Level is only achieved through Years of Customer Service Experience. ❤️
As I slowly observed her, even though she is obviously Very Busy moving about the Different Tables. She can even take the time to nicely ask Customers about how everything is. Absolutely Amazing. ❤️ After the Meal, I specifically went up to her to Personally Compliment and gave her a Thumbs Up for her Excellent Customer Service. 👍 She appreciated the Gesture.
I appreciated when I ordered from her, she very nicely pre-empted me that there would be a Service Delay and that my Foods are going quite awhile to serve up. 🕜 And this Service Delay is the Next Point of my Review. 🤔
Insane Service Delay Waiting Time for the Foods 😳
Because of the Service Delay that was mentioned, I did not request for them to try serve up all the Dishes together. Hahaha I'm not a Sadist ok? 😅 Longtime Readers of this Food Blog will know that I will always put the Timings of when each Individual Dish will serve up. Just look at the Timings below.
It took 24 Minutes for both the Har Gao and Char Siew Bao, 😳 and 30 Minutes for the Siew Mai to be served up. 😳 Everything was up within 30 Minutes! 😳 The Staff was seriously not kidding about the Service Delay! And this is on a Friday Morning Weekday! 😳 I was already lucky that I managed to get into this place without a Queue outside, and I still had to wait 30 Minutes for my Dishes to be served up! 😳
This Crazy Wait is actually a Detriment to the Restaurant because such a Delay actually means that the Customer is taking up time in the Restaurant 🤔 because of course any Restaurant would want fast and smooth service so they can serve More Customers to earn more Money. 🤔 Having a Customer wait 30 Minutes for the Food like this is actually considered Potential Loss of Income Opportunity. 💸
I have no idea if this is Normal, or if that particular day was Especially Busy or what. 🤔 So if you are thinking of coming here to eat, please take note of the Potential Queue Outside and even this Extreme Service Delay that you may face. 🤔 30 Minutes to serve up 3 Dim Sum Dishes on a Weekday Morning is frankly abit Insane. 😳
Having said that, surprisingly I wasn't too bothered with this delay since I was already in the Restaurant and not queuing outside. And I also wasn't in a Rush anyway. 😅 In fact, part of me also is happy that at least perhaps their Dim Sums are probably Made Fresh on the Spot instead of Pre-Made Frozen Products. 👍 Because I cannot for the life of me imagine why it would take 30 Minutes. 😅
Its so Strange because although Full-House, the Whole Restaurant is actually on the Smaller Side and it also didn't look like there were really that many Customers too. 🤔 Its also not as if they forgot my Order that caused such a Delay. 🤔 As I sat there quietly waiting and observing, I Purposely made No Effort to remind or expedite anyone about my Order, and No Staffs came over to re-check. It really was served up in 30 Minutes. 😳
The Default Condiments on the Table aren't alot actually. 🤔 There were just Green Chilli Slices, interestingly some White Pepper and Soy Sauce.
Nothing special about the White Pepper, it really is just Standard White Pepper that you'd buy from a Supermarket. Ditto with Green Chilli Slices 🌶️
The Soy Sauce does have some standard. Not Overly Salty, I thought it interestingly leans towards Slightly Sweetish. Decent, but not Super Amazing Quality.
香菇烧卖王 Steamed Pork Dumplings with Mushrooms (Siew Mai) = RM13.90
All of them are served up in a Standard Faux Bamboo Plastic Container like something you'd buy from Mr D.I.Y as with the Rest of the Dishes and not the Traditional Type. Typical of Most Dim Sum Eateries in JB. There are 3 Pieces of Siew Mai and they look Decently Wrapped though they do stick together. Wanton Skin has a Soft Melt in Mouth Quality to it. 😋
The Sambal served up with this Siew Mai has an Excellent Haebee Base, Sharply Salty with a Soft Texture. 😋 Spicy but doesn't Sting and it does linger long. 🌶️ Because Canton-i and Dragon-i are likely Sister Companies, I wonder if this is also the Same Sambal that they both use? 🤔 I cannot 100% confirm but that Haebee Base really feels like it.
Meat Filling is Noticeably Porky. This Porkiness is Quite Prominent. 🐷 Bite Feel is Soft and Bouncy. Not Super Bouncy but also Not Nua Nua. The Taste is a Combination of 🐷 Pork, 🦐 Prawn and 🍄 Mushrooms although I didn't see any Mushroom Pieces in the Filling itself. As I mentioned, because the Porkiness is Very Prominent, it forms the Dominant Core Taste Profile, followed closely with Mushrooms with a Prawny Aftertaste. 🤔 I would say this is a Decent Above Average Quality of Siew Mai, provided you are ok with this Slightly Elevated Level of Porkiness. 🐷
Adding that Sambal definitely helped alot of alleviate the Porkiness due to the Presence of Haebee. 👍🌶️ Perhaps they also know the Elevated Porkiness of this Siew Mai which is why this Sambal is specifically deployed alongside it as a Dampening Countermeasure. 🤔
状元虾饺 Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Har Gao) = RM13.90
It always amuses me why Har Gaos usually have this "状元" name attached to them. 😅 The Word means "Top Imperial Scholar" and has more of a Academic Connotation. Maybe eat already can score better in Exams huh? 😅 Served in 3 Pieces, they are Decently Wrapped although the Dough Skin does Break. Nevertheless it doesn't taste Doughy and have a Soft Melt in Mouth Quality just like their Siew Mai. 😋
The Filling consists of at least 1 Small Prawn 🦐 and I like how the Whole Thing is just Firm enough to hold its Shape, but Soft enough to have a Nice Crumbly Effect when you bite it in your Mouth and leaving behind a Meaty and Juicy Savoury Prawn Flavour. 😋
When I separated the Filling from the Skin, I'm surprised to find that the Filling is actually covered with a Very Soft Gelatinous Layer that doesn't taste like Flour. 🤔 I think this is Pork Fat? Maybe this is the Reason why it Crumbled away in my Mouth the way it did. 😋 Clever. This may be the 1st Har Gao that I've eaten that uses this Pork Fat Layer Technique for its Filling. 👍
蚝皇叉烧包 Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siew Bao) = RM13.90
Served in 2 Pieces at a Standard Size, this has got to be one of the Softest Bao Skin I've eaten. 😋 Even though it was the Last Thing I ate, it managed to retain its Pillowy Softness Amazingly Well. Its so Soft it falls apart very Easily.
The Filling within is the Ooey Gooey Sweet Type that I like and I noticed in particular there are no pieces of Spring Onion slices within. 🤔 The Filling had a Rich Thick Gluey Consistency and the Meat is 软软 Soft Soft in Texture. Not Overly Sweet, having both the Soft Skin and Soft Meat Filling swimming in my Mouth was Delightful! 😋
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Doing a Price Comparison with D'Shanghai and Swee Kee Dim Sums.
大上海 D'Shanghai (KSL City Mall) and 水記海南鸡饭小厨 Restoran Swee Kee (Aeon Mall Tebrau City) are 2 other Similar Shopping Mall Level Dim Sum Eateries. Just for fun, I thought i'd do a Price Comparison between them. 😅
Please take note that this is a Comparison of Shopping Mall Level Dim Sum Eateries. So please don't come into the Comments Section 鸡蛋里面挑骨头 and complain that they are Expensive compared to a Non-Shopping Mall Dim Sum Eatery ok? 😅
烧卖 Siew Mai
D'Shanghai = RM8.70
Swee Kee = RM8.80
Canton-i = RM13.90
虾饺 Har Gao
D'Shanghai = RM9.70
Swee Kee = RM9.80
Canton-i = RM13.90
叉烧包 CSB
D'Shanghai = RM8.90
Swee Kee = RM7.80
Canton-i = RM13.90
It is interesting to see that Canton-i Prices for all 3 of the Dim Sums are fixed at RM13.90. 🤔From this Comparison, the Prices of Canton-i are Certainly Significantly Higher compared to the other 2. 🤔 Although to be Fair, Canton-i is located Right at City Square Mall, which may have the Highest Rental Cost among all JB Shopping Malls due to its Closest Convenient Proximity to Singapore. 🤔 Its literally the 1st Mall you see after you cross the Causeway afterall.
The other 2 are located further away. D'Shanghai at KSL City Mall, and Swee Kee at Aeon Mall Tebrau City. Transportation Costs will factor in to the Actual Real Price you have to pay for them despite being Cheaper when taken at Face Value like this. Although that said, if you were to take Public Bus 🚌 to KSL City Mall, D'Shanghai 大上海 would actually be the Most Affordable in this Comparison. 🤔 That said, also need to see your luck, because D'Shanghai is also a Popular Dim Sum Eatery in KSL. 😅
If you don't mind a Non-Mall Dim Sum Eatery, and don't mind walking a Short Distance out of the Mall, Hock Chiang Hin that I reviewed previously would be the Next Nearest Place to eat Dim Sum at a More Affordable Price. 👍
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At RM13.90 (S$4.30) each, the Price is Significantly Higher compared to other Shopping Mall Level Dim Sum Eateries in JB 🤔 and it was Absolutely Insane to have to wait 30 Minutes for my Food to be served up. 😳 This is something they definitely need to improve upon amongst other things I've mentioned in the Review.
To Finish off this Review, this Eatery passed my "How Eager are my Plates taken away" Final Test. 😅 As I finished my Dim Sums and sat there for at least 1 Minute, 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.
If you have a Craving for some Dim Sums while in JB City Square and just don't feel like travelling out of the Mall, I can still recommend this place although you need to be prepared that there may be a Very Long Queue and probably an Insane Extreme Wait Time for your Food to be served up. 😅 Have you eaten from this Eatery in JB City Square Mall? I'd love to know how you think of them! 😄
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