Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)
Address: 2, 2, 1, Jalan Sagu 36, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QPteDB5BRW87D6Fa6
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
海鲜饺 Seafood Dumpling = RM7.80
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM3.30 each (Minimum Puchase of 2 is Required)
皮蛋瘦肉粥 Century Egg Pork Porridge = RM6.80
SST Tax 6% = RM1.71
There are No Menu Available at this Eatery/Restaurant.
This is a Very Popular Dim Sum Place that is always being recommended by Food Blogs or regularly mentioned by People whenever talking about Places in JB to eat. 🤔 Its a Somewhat Old Looking but Large Kopitiam Eatery and according to some Online Sources have been around since 2008. (17 Years of History). Not that long tbh considering some other Places in JB have been around for even longer. 🤔
The Staffs here mostly consists of Myanmar Folks. They are Polite, Friendly and mostly keep to themselves. Some Google Map Reviewers complain that the Staffs were Rude and Shouted at them. 🤔 Luckily I didn't face such issues. They were Friendly and Alright when I visited. 👍 Although Google Maps states that it opens at 7.00am, they really only start serving around 7.30am. 🤔
Nevertheless, 7.00am is a Good Time to come because Seats really do fill up fast. Most people will recommend to come here on a Weekday but coming here on a Saturday is absolutely doable although you must be here early. By 8.00am on a Saturday, it is already Full-House. 😳 If you are a Solo Diner, be prepared to share seats with others. 🪑 I like that the Staffs are Friendly and Polite when approaching me to request if I could share my Seat which of course I did. 😄
The Interior of the Place
The Whole Place is really divided into 2 Sections, the Main Dim Sum Serving Area and the Dining Area. 👍
There are 4 Specific Sections for the Dim Sum Area:
粥/包点部 Porridge Station
Focuses only on Porridge (Baos are in a Separate Station despite the Name)
包点部 Bao Station
Focuses on the Various Types of Baos/Buns
炸点部 Fried Station
Focuses on Fried Items like Carrot Cake etc
蒸点部 Steamed Station
Focuses on Steamed Items like Siew Mai, Har Gao etc
1) After getting your Seat, a Staff will come over and ask if you would like any Drinks. 🥤
Interestingly, they don't offer any Coffee/Tea here, 🚫☕ only some Processed Juices and Chinese Tea. 🥤🍵 Once you've made your selection, you'll be given a Piece of Paper with your Table Number written. 📝
Note: Remember to keep this Table Number Paper with you all the time.
2) Once the Dim Sums are ready to be served from 7.30am, go over and queue up to whichever section you want. Sometimes the Staff will shout out Specific Dim Sums. 🗣️ If its something that you want, go ahead to that Section. Pick whatever you want from the Selections available. Prices for each item are not listed.
3) Pass them your Table Number Paper. They'll then mark down what you ordered. 📝 Collect your Dim Sums on the Spot and Self-Service Bring Back to your Table or continue to Order more from Other Stations with the Same Procedure. 👍
4) Pay at the Cashier Counter at the End of your Meal. 💵
The Only Condiment available is a Garlic Chilli Bottle. 🌶️ It has a Slightly Vinegary Taste and Spiciness is abit of a Spicy Tease that doesn't bite.
That said, there is also nothing particularly special about this Garlic Chilli as it is the same type that is served in most Dim Sum Eateries in JB. 🌶️🤔
鲍鱼卖 Abalone Siew Mai = RM7.30
Served in 3 Pieces, they are served strangely soaked in Siew Mai Juice. 💦 This is the 1st time i'm seeing Siew Mai being soaked like this. 🤔 This Siew Mai Juice tastes like a Non-Salty WTM Soup due to the Siew Mai's Wanton Skin itself.
Its called a Abalone Siew Mai, but of course this is Faux Abalone, not the Real Thing. 😅 Its Meaty but Extremely Dry and its Main Purpose is to give a Meat Jerky Texture to the Siew Mai. 🤔 Really surprise they choose to make this Faux Abalone in such a Dry Version. I thought it was quite Clever to use Dry Abalone this way to give it an Additional Meaty Chew although it was Slightly Unusual.
The Main Filling itself is Porky 🐷 and Prawny 🦐 with Slightly Bigger Cuts of Prawn Meats that you can see. Not Overly Prawny or Porky, I thought this was a Decent Mix Ratio with neither trying to overtake the other. 😋 Overall a Decent Tasting Siew Mai if abit Strange in Presentation and Topping Ingredient.
海鲜饺 Seafood Dumpling = RM7.80
Whenever I review Dim Sums, I will always order Har Gao. I wasn't able to do so this time and I will discuss why later in the Review. 🤔 This right here I guess is still somewhat related to a Har Gao I guess? 😅
Beautifully Made, its a Soft Steamed Dumpling that is Very Fragile to the Bite due to its Very Crumbly Texture and I love how it disintegrates in your Mouth. 😋 When dissecting it to take a Closer Look, I'm impressed with the Slightly Larger Cuts of Prawn Meat 🦐 wrapped within a Melt in Mouth Soft Skin. Not at all Prawny or Doughy, this tastes good.
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM3.30 each (Minimum Puchase of 2 is Required)
Costing RM3.30 each, there is a Minimum Puchase of 2. This is not an Issue as it tasted Good. 😋 It has a Soft Pillowly Skin and the Filling is the Sweetish Type that I prefer and its also Not Overly So. 😋 I liked the Sticky Gluey Gluey Texture and Amount of Meat is Decent. Nice Tasting CSB.
皮蛋瘦肉粥 Century Egg Pork Porridge = RM6.80
This is something that Everyone seems to always recommend when eating at Gim Cheng. 🍲🤔 They only have 1 Flavour of Porridge and its basically a Classic Cantonese Styled 皮蛋瘦肉粥. The Real Reason why this is so Highly Raved is mainly because of the Ultra Soft Texture of this Porridge. 🍚😋 Super Soft, Creamy, Thick and Gluey, this is basically "Ber" level of Porridge.
This is boiled so long that you don't get to taste much of the Rice Texture. 🍚🤔 Really Ber Quality, this is like High End Restaurant Quality Porridge. In all the Porridges I've eaten in JB so far, I think this is the one that is Closest to Ber Quality for me. 🍚❤️ Not Many People bother to cook Porridge until this Level because its Very Time-Consuming. 🤔
Within this are Chicken Slices, Crispy Youtiao, Century Egg and a Copious Amount of Scallion Slices. (Almost) Every Ingredient in this Porridge worked Perfectly. Abit of Slight Saltiness from the Chicken Slices, 🐔 some Delightful Crispy Crunch from the Youtiao with the Scallion Slices occasionally shooting thru with its Freshness and all carried by that Super Creamy Porridge Base. 🍚😋 The only thing I thought got lost in the Mix is the Century Egg which I don't really taste. 🤔 Also, I feel the Default Salt Level in this Porridge is Good Enough 🧂 and you don't need to add anymore Soy Sauce.
The Reason why this Place gets my Highest Score
and also Why this Reason is also a Double-Edged Sword ⚔️🤔
一句话: Fresh
This is not a Dim Sum Eatery where you order from a Menu to have it served up to you. 📝🤔 They are Freshly Steamed from the Main Kitchen at the Back and sent up to the Relevant Stations for you to pick and choose. 🔥 This means that the Dim Sums are not Pre-Steamed and kept in the Kitchen somewhere. One Unique Thing about this Eatery is how the Dim Sums (especially the Steamed Ones) come out only in Small Batches for Customers to Choose and Pick. 🤔 Doing this way ensures that the Dim Sums are always Piping Hot and Super Fresh literally right off the Steamer or Fryer in some cases. 🔥😋
Why this Process is also not such a Good Thing
But because this is how they serve the Dim Sums, the Whole Process becomes like a Tikam Tikam Game where you cannot be sure to get Exactly the type of Dim Sum that you want. 🤔
Let me explain.
For my case because I always go for Classic Siew Mai and Har Gao, I actually had to stand around the Steamed Section quite awhile to wait and queue, 🤔 and even so, I may not even get what I wanted as the item may be already taken by someone else ahead of me by the time its time for me to choose. 😅 I had to end up waiting for their Next Batch to appear. This was why I did not manage to try their Har Gao and took their 海鲜饺 Seafood Dumpling instead because I did not want to wait any longer. 🤔
What I also notice is that the Most Popular Classic Dim Sums such as Siew Mai and Har Gao are especially the ones that are being Slowly Dripfeed in Very Small Batches each time. 🤔 The ones that they serve more are the "Less Popular" 冷门 ones. Business-Wise, this Process makes alot of Sense.
By doing it this way:
1) They can control the Number of Dim Sums that they serve. 🤔
In Every Dim Sum Eatery, I reckon there is always an issue of Making Too Much Dim Sums and having Food Wastage for Unsold Items at the End of the Day. 🤔 Its always a Balancing Act of whether how much Dim Sums should an Eatery make. With this Method of carefully controlling the Number of Dim Sum Output, the chances of Food Wastage are much lesser. 👍
2) They can control the Type of Dim Sums that they serve. 🤔
Because some people just prefer Only Certain Type of Dim Sums, doing it this way can coax people to try some of their More Unconventional Ones instead of just the Regular Classic Dim Sums. 🤔 Think about it. You're in a Queue looking forward to get Siew Mai and Har Gao, but aiyah this Batch all taken by others already. 😅 But you're already in the Queue with other people behind you, so you might as well choose something else fast since you're here and because everyone is looking at you while you choose and you will paiseh don't want to hold up the queue. 😅 So you think to yourself "Ok Nevermind get this random one first to try, maybe later I can get my Siew Mais or Har Gaos."
While eating this New Dim Sum, you realize Oei? 😳 This one taste not bad too! 😋 All of a Sudden, you now have a New Favourite Dim Sum at this Place that you look forward to. 😋 Rinse and Repeat, at your Next Visit, you try another different Dim Sum that you like and before you know it, you're a Regular at Gim Cheng already. 😅
Clever huh? This Boss knows how to play Psychological Games 心理战 with Customers. 🤔 Very Smart Business Sense to do things this way. And he can do it this way too because I reckon most of the Dim Sums here are Tasty themselves and also 适合大众口味, so the chances of choosing a Real Dud is Slim. 👍
Doing a Price Comparison with Gui Yuan, Kak Kak and Hock Chiang Hin.
桂苑港式点心茶楼 Restoran Gui Yuan, 佳佳點心茶樓 Restoran Kak Kak and 福振興餐室 Hock Chiang Hin Dim Sum are 3 Similar Popular Kopitiam Level Dim Sum Eateries in JB that are also Highly Raved. Just for fun, I thought i'd do a Price Comparison between them. 😅 I'll leave this information here for your reference.
Gim Cheng
烧卖 Siew Mai = RM7.30
海鲜饺 Seafood Dumpling = RM7.80 (This is the Closest to Har Gao I could find for Gim Cheng)
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM3.30 Each (Min Order of 2)
Gui Yuan
烧卖 Siew Mai = RM6.50
虾饺 Har Gao = RM6.80
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM3.00 Each
Kak Kak
烧卖 Siew Mai = RM5.00
虾饺 Har Gao = RM5.50
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM2.50 Each
Hock Chiang Hin
烧卖 Siew Mai = RM3.00
虾饺 Har Gao = RM3.00
叉烧包 Char Siew Bao = RM1.80
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At RM7.30 (S$2.30) for the Siew Mai, I thought they were Decent Tasting although it was strange to see them Soaked in Siew Mai Juice like this. 💦🤔
The Piece of Dried Faux Abalone was a Bold Choice for a Topping and I felt it worked by giving a Meaty Chew to the otherwise usually Soft Bite Texture of Siew Mai. 🍖
At RM7.80 (S$2.40) for the 海鲜饺 Seafood Dumpling, I must say I am impressed with it despite not being able to try their True Har Gao. 🦐🤔 The Thing I really like about it is how Crumbly the Bite Texture was in my Mouth.
So while I may not have been able to try their Har Gao, this is also a Nice Substitute. Its also sort of a Har Gao if you really think about it. 😅
At RM3.30 (S$1.00) each for a Char Siew Bao, this is definitely worth the Money to try even though I have to order a Minimum of 2. 😋
If you enjoy a Classic Decent Soft Bun Sweet Meat Filling Tasting CSB, you won't go wrong with this one. 👍
At RM6.80 (S$2.10) for the Porridge, I feel this may be the True Signature Dish for this Place. ❤️ This is also the Only Item that you can reliably get without going through their Tikam Tikam Process of Choosing. 😅
The Soft and Smooth Creamy Ber-like Quality of this Porridge really hits the Spot for me. 🍚😋 This may be the 1st Porridge I've eaten in JB that is as Close to Ber like this. Don't Miss Out on this if you're here! Now I understand why it is so Highly Raved by People who eat at Gim Cheng. 👍
I have Absolutely No Issues with this Place. Taste Quality for all the Foods are Good, Staff Service is Polite and Friendly and Everything just felt Affordable and Value for Money. 👍
The Only Issue I have is that the choosing of Dim Sums here feels like a Tikam Tikam Game. 🤔 If you are the type that only aim for Only Very Specific Types of Dim Sums, you might not like how Random this place is with their Random Selection and how they Seemingly Purposefully Slowly Drip-Feed all the Most Classic Popular Ones. 🤔 This place is really more for People who keep an Open-Mind, and is willing to just try whatever is served up that day. 👍 This is quite a Different Style of Mentality you need to adopt when eating here. 🤔
Whether you like this place or not really depends on whether you like their Serving Process which is Very Unique compared to many other Dim Sum Eateries in JB. 🤔 I disliked it at first, but grew to slowly adapt to it myself and eventually still enjoyed my time here. 👍 I now understand WHY Gim Cheng is so Highly Raved. 👍 Highly Recommended!
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