Review Rating: ⭐ (Not Recommended)
Address: 173, Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/euvpXrLZk6RQvpfc7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
🍲 Mixed Seafood Noodle (Congee) = RM28.90
Service Charge 10% = RM2.89
Service Tax 6% = RM1.73
Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.
This is a Michelin Rated Seafood Soup in KL that is Extremely Popular and Very Hotly Discussed in Many FB Food Groups when they opened a Branch in JB. 🤔 I have been to their Michelin-Rated Original 海脚人 Hai Kah Lang (KL Taman Cheras) and enjoyed it so much that in that Review, I gave them my Highest Top Score. 👍
Yet in that Review, I also mentioned that this Branch in Johor Bahru Taman Sentosa was a Complete Joke in Comparison. 🙄 Do Read on to Find Out Why.
Because this Place is so Popular, and knowing that they start Operation at 8.00am, I reached there at 7.45am specifically to observe the Situation. 🤔 No Kidding, even on a Friday Morning 7.45am 🌞 after they just opened their Doors and haven't even officially started Operations, there were already Several Customers who have already walked in and took their Seats! 😳 By 8.18am, I already counted at least 7 Tables of Customers as you can see in the Photo! 😳
Of course most of the Customers were Singaporeans. 🇸🇬 Our Singaporean Accent is Unmistakable. 😅 Imagine that. if there are already 7 Tables of Customers at 8.18am on a Weekday Morning, I cannot even begin to imagine the Crowd Situation during Prime Time Weekends! 😳 No Joke, Singaporeans really LOVE this HKL.
Interior of the Place.
Compared to their Main HQ at KL Taman Cheras, this was a Much Bigger Place, at least 2 Times as Large. 🤔 Noticeably Nicer Renovations too I might add. With not only Dining Areas but even a Mini Shopping Retail Section too. 🛍️ There is Air-Con installed but they weren't turned on when I was there. Abit Warm and Stuffy actually. 🥵
There is also a Noticeable Fishy Aroma although that was because I was seated nearer to the Entrance where they displayed their Seafood. 🐟🤔 So if you're here, I would recommend to sit somewhere else to avoid this Fishy Aroma. 🐟
The Staff's Behaviour and Morale in this JB Taman Sentosa as compared to KL Taman Cheras
At 8.00am on the Dot, there will be a Staff roving around carrying an Ipad to take your order. I like that they are Punctual on this with No Dilly Dally. 👍 It does take awhile though with only 1 Staff roving around slowly taking orders from Every Table. 🤔 I appreciate the Personal Service like this, but a QR Code Online Menu Ordering would have been More Efficient in this case. 🤔
Not counting the time that I waited for the Staff to take my Order, it still took 20 Mins for the Dish to serve up after I ordered. 🤔 This is quite a Long Wait tbh, given that the Place wasn't even Full House with only about 7 Tables at 8.18am on a Friday Morning. 🤔 So expect an Even Longer Wait time if you were to come here during the Prime Meal Hours during Weekends! 😳 Such a Stark Difference compared to the Mere 4 Mins I waited during a Full House Monday Lunch Hour at their KL Taman Cheras. 🤔
Quality of the Belacan Condiment
Pretty Much the Same Quality as the one they offer in their KL Taman Cheras although this one tasted Cold, meaning they have just taken it out from the Refrigerator. ❄️🤔 I have no issues with it but like I mentioned in the Past Review, I would not recommend to dip this because the Whole Purpose of coming to HKL is to taste the Freshness of the Seafood and this Belacan Chilli I feel is too strong which will cover up the Taste. 🌶️🤔
Then again, considering the Freshness of the Seafood I tasted, perhaps dipping this Belacan is a Good Idea after all as you read on. 😅
Comparison of the Amount of Ingredients given between KL Taman Cheras and this JB Taman Sentosa Branch
Of course I closely Dissected Every Piece of Ingredients given to check.
Let us do a Comparison of Ingredients given for Both Places. 🤔
Amount of Ingredients given for KL Taman Cheras
🦀 Half a Flower Crab
🦐 2 Large Prawns (With Head Attached)
🦑 12 Cut Pieces of Sotong
🦪 9 Pieces of Lala (Regular Size)
🐟 3 Pieces of Fish
🍜 Noodles
🥬 Lettuce
🥬 Seaweed
Amount of Ingredients given for JB Taman Sentosa Branch
🦀 Quarter of a Flower Crab
🦐 1 Large Prawn (Headless)
🦑 6 Cut Pieces of Sotong
🦪 6 Pieces of Lala (Large Size)
🐟 3 Pieces of Fish
🍚 Rice
🥬 Lettuce
🥬 Seaweed
Notice the Huge Difference in the Amount of Ingredients? 🤔 For the Same Price of RM28.90 for the Exact Same Dish, YOU ARE GETTING LESSER INGREDIENTS compared to their KL Taman Cheras! 😳 WHAT!?!? 💸😳 This is Already Unacceptable and reeks of Scrimping and 偷工减料, 👎 but thats not even the Worst Thing as you will read on. 🙄
The Presentation itself already don't look as Impressive. 🤔 Even the Cuts feels Smaller and Much More Stingy in this Taman Sentosa as compared to their KL Taman Cheras. 👎 Porridge was something I switched out with Mixian Noodles. 🍚 And its also not a True Porridge, because this is just a Bowl of Rice dumped into the Soup. 🍚🍲 Not alot of Rice I might add, about roughly a Small Bowl worth. Nothing Special about this, doesn't feel filling actually. 🤔
🍲 Quality of the Soup Broth
Unlike the Soup Broth in KL Taman Cheras where I distinctly tasted a Mix of 🦀 Crab, 🦐 Prawn and 🦪 Lala in a Sweet Seafoody Mix, the one here in Taman Sentosa feels Very One Note. 🤔 Don't get me wrong, the Broth here is also Sweetish Savoury, but it feels Much More Focused on the Prawn Flavour and Nothing Else. 🦐🤔
While I tasted Little to No MSG in their KL Taman Cheras Broth, the MSG here was Noticeably Significant. 🤔 Noticeably Low Effort in Comparison. 👎 Heck the Soup here tasted No Different from a Regular SG Kopitiam 海鲜汤. Ughhh. 🙄 Oh don't go yet, because there are Even more Sins committed! Much, Much More! 🙄 Please read on. 🤦♂️
🦀 Quality of the Crab
Only Quarter of a Flower Crab is given compared to Half a Crab in KL Taman Cheras. 🦀🙄 Not only is there No Crab Sweetness, this doesn't even taste fresh! 🤢 It even has abit of what I call "臭蟹" type of Chao Sng Bee. 🤢 Its so Bad Tasting that I didn't even bother to finish this and just threw it aside. Ugghhhh!! 🤮
🐟 Quality of the Fish Pieces
Looks like 2 Different Sort of Fishes provided, one Yellow Skin, one Red Skin unlike the Only Red Skin type offered in their KL Taman Cheras. 🐟🤔 Luckily this Fish was Clean Tasting with No Fishiness 😅 but I also can't say this was Super Fresh. 🤔 Bite Texture was Firm, Slightly Bouncy but also Flakey. So while its Decent, its Nowhere as Firm and Bouncy Fresh as their KL Taman Cheras. 🤔 It cannot even compare to the Fish Quality I had from Ho Chuai Yong Fish Soup at Larkin. At Best, this is only like SG Kopitiam Level only. Nothing Special. 🐟👎
🦪 Quality of the Lala Shellfish
6 Pieces instead of 9, although to be fair, the Ones here are a Different Bigger Version compared to their Regular Sized One in KL Taman Cheras. 🦪🤔 Shellfish Meat is Bigger, Not Slimy, but other than that, there is also Nothing Particularly Special for this one. Its just a Different Type of Lala. 🤔
🦑 Quality of the Sotong Pieces
6 Pieces here compared to 12 Pieces in Taman Cheras. Although tasted Firmish, it was Not Nearly as Bouncy. 🦑🤔 This Sotong is Fresh but Not as Super Fresh in Comparison. This is at most Standard SG Kopitiam Level only. 🤔
🦐 Quality of the Prawn
This has got to be the WORST one yet. 🙄
Only 1 Prawn compared to the 2 Prawns given in KL Taman Cheras. 🙄 In my Past Review, I emphasized on how much Work they took to Cleanly Trim the Barbs and Feelers off the Prawn Head resulting in a Very Nice Prawn with Head still attached. 🦐✂️
What did they do for the Prawn in this JB Branch? They jitao just 一刀下来 BEHEADED the Prawn become a 无头虾 LOL!! 🔪😅 OMG they really did not bother to make any effort and just simply took the easy way out to chop the Prawn Head off. 🔪🦐 Aiyoh what the Heck! Haizz at least the Prawn was Acceptable Tasting although I can't say its Really Very Fresh lah. 😅
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
Not only do you get LESSER INGREDIENTS for the Same Price, the Quality is MUCH LOWER. 👎 Some of them are So Bad such as their Chao Seng Bee Crab that its even WORSE than Basic SG Kopitiam Level of 海鲜汤. 🦀🤮
There has been Alot of Complaints about this JB Taman Sentosa Branch in Multiple FB Food Groups and I always thought it was just Singaporeans throwing our Usual Hissy Fit. 🗣️😅 The Reality is Truly Shocking at how Poor Quality this was. 😳 Even if you ignore everything else, just take a look at the Stark Difference in the Soup Broth Colour in the Comparison Photo! 🤦♂️
Low Quality Taste aside, the Obvious Reduction of Ingredients given for the Same Price for this JB Taman Sentosa Branch as compared to their KL Taman Cheras HQ is Unacceptable. 👎 Even Local JB Grab Drivers I spoken with all think this is the case. 😅 为了赚新加坡人的钱偷工减料到这个程度. Oh Dear Goodness... 👎
This Place is a Complete Embarrassment to the HKL Brand. 😅 Even I'm embarrassed for them at producing such Poor Quality compared to their Original KL Taman Cheras! 🤦♂️ And I can't imagine them even opening a Branch in Singapore! Oh Gawd...🤦♂️ I've actually thought of giving them a Below Average Score because their Customer Service was at least Basic Acceptable Bare Minimum. 🤔
But after I re-checked and realized just how Obviously Stingy and 偷工减料 it was, 🤦♂️ I decided to give them my Lowest Score for it. 真的看不下去. 🤦♂️ Unless you Really Hate Money, Please DO NOT Waste your Time to come here. 🙅♂️ Ugghhh. This JB Branch was Truly an Absolute Complete JOKE compared to their KL Taman Cheras 总行. 👎
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