客人来 Ke Ren Lai

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)

Address: Lot TM-030, Third Mezzanine Floor, The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Persiaran Southkey 1, Southkey, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia (Located within Mid Valley Southkey Mall)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/h2yDbX9NHZ3JT8YA9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

🍲 832 Cordyceps Nourishing Soup Set (Ala-Carte) = RM22.90
🍦 542 Mix Berry Lei Cha Yogurt = RM11.90
🥤 621 Kopi-O (Ice, No Sugar) = RM6.50

Service Charge 10% = RM4.13
Service Tax 6% = RM2.48

Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt 
(Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)

Hidden in a Corner of the Mall, I was quite surprised to see this Place actually Crowded and Almost Full House even on a Off-Lunch Hour at 2.30pm Afternoon on a Thursday! 😳 The Name of this Place is quite Adorable. Based off the Name, I'm guessing this is a Hakka-Cuisine Eatery, but of course it can also be interpreted as an Informal Greeting of "The Guest is Here". 😅

Its quite a Large Place that is Renovated in a Noticeable Higher Class Style and has what I would describe as a Mini 酒楼 Type of Vibe. 👍 Having said that though, dunno is it Air-Con Spoil or what, throughout the Entire Time I was there, the Place felt Rather Warm. 🥵 The Staffs are are Mostly Local Malaysian Chinese 🇲🇾 and their Behaviour noticeably feels like they are Specifically Trained in Customer Service. 👍

This was especially so, when I was approached in a Very Courteous and Polite Manner when they asked if I could give up my Current Seating at a Larger Table for a Group of 5 Diners to sit together instead. 🪑 I'm impressed with the Courteous and Polite way they went about this Request and of course being I'm a Solo Diner, I'm also not Unreasonable and let go of my Initial Seat. 👍

Although a Hakka Cuisine Restoran, I didn't feel like eating the Iconic Hakka 擂茶 that day. 🌿 It took 9 Mins for the Herbal Soup, and 13 Mins for both the Yogurt and Kopi. Total it took 13 Mins for Everything to be Served Up. Quite Decent Timing considering the Elevated Crowd Level that time. 👍

🥤 621 Kopi-O (Ice, No Sugar) = RM6.50

I'm surprised this was served in a Typical Standard Plastic Cup considering their Yogurt is served in a Glass Cup. 🥤 This made it look a Tad Cheaper in Presentation.

That said, I thought it tasted Decent with a Classic Traditional Old Kopitiam sort of Taste with a Strong Caffeine that will wake you up nicely. Decent Cup of Coffee. 👍




🍦 542 Mix Berry Lei Cha Yogurt = RM11.90

Hahaha I said I didn't want to eat 擂茶 here, but I was still intrigued to order this. 🌿😅 Served in a Glass Cup, this looks Instagrammably Beautifully Presented. It consists of Frozen Blueberries, 🫐 Raspberries, 🍒 Strawberries 🍓 and Pieces of some Good Quality Tasting Crushed Roasted Nuts. 🥜 No Idea what sort of Nuts is used though.

The Star of the Show is the Yogurt itself. 🍦 Light Green with bits of Specks within and upon tasting it, I was immediately impressed. 👍 This is a Not Overly Sweet not Sourish Yogurt and yes there is a Prominent Taste of Familiar Classic 擂茶 that forms a Core Main Taste Profile and Aftertaste. 🌿 Having said that, this Lei Cha Flavour isn't Overly Herbaceous or Grassy. In fact, I thought the 擂茶-Ness felt Refreshing. 🌿😋

As you eat this, you will FEEL the Leicha wants to Dominate this Dish, but it stops short and never does. 🌿🤔 This Results in a Refreshingly Naturally Grassy Flavour (in a Good Way) and actually Enhances the Sweetish Slightly Sourish Yogurt. 🍦😋

The Frozen Berries and Crushed Nuts infuse an Additional Fruity Sourness and Crunch Texture that further diverts your attention from this Leicha-ness. 🌿🤔 I thought this was Very Cleverly Executed from how they manipulate your Taste like this. 👍 Whoever designed this Dessert sure knew what they were doing.

🍲 832 Cordyceps Nourishing Soup Set (Ala-Carte) = RM22.90

Ordered this because I noticed they have quite a Decent Selection of Soups in the Menu. Served Hot in a Claypot with a Bowl, I liked that even the Bowl itself felt Warm to the Touch. Impressive. 👍 The Dish itself has a Decent Fragrant Herbly Aroma which I'm guessing is the Cordyceps. 🌿🤔 As I dissected the Soup, I was immediately impressed with how much Herbs were given as you can see.

🍗 1 Skin-Off Chicken Drummy and Plenty of Herbs. 🌿 There's Cordyceps, Ginseng, Red dates for sure, and a Whole Bunch of Others that I dunno the name of. 藥材給的不零售 Not Stingy at all. 👍 Heck its so Not Stingy, the Amount of Herbs almost fill up the Whole Small Plate as you can see. 🍽️

🍲 Quality of the Soup Broth

Again I was Immediately Impressed when I drank this Broth. 🍲👍 It had a Distinct Prominent Herbly type of Sweetness. and Not at all Oily. 🍯🤔 The Taste of Ginseng stands out the Most, followed by Goji Berries 🍒 and Longans which was probably the Main Reason for the Sweetness I tasted.

This is not a Lazy Low Effort Soup and it is Gao Gao Herbal. 🍲🌿 Having said that, this leans more on the Sweeter Type of Herbal, Not Savoury Type but still tastes like something that will actually be Beneficial for you. Nice. 👍


🍗 Quality of the Chicken Drummy

Because they Smartly Took off the Skin, this was the reason why the Soup wasn't Oily. 🍲 From the Darkened Look of the Meat, you can already tell that it has been Soaked for Awhile and Infused Long in the Herbal Soup. 🍲👍

Indeed, while the Meat isn't those Super Soft Fall off the Bone Tender type, 🍖🤔 the Taste of the Meat is Fully Infused with the Herbly Sweetness so much that you don't even taste the Original Chicken Meat anymore. 🐔🤔 If only this Meat was the Super Soft and Tender type, I would have scored this Higher.


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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At the Price of RM6.50 (S$2.00) for this Kopi-O-Kosong, its not Super Cheap but still Acceptable for a Mall Eatery. Not Dilluted, this was a Decent Robust Enough Kopi. 👍

I just wish they served this in a Glass though given how Higher End this Eatery feels. Serving this in a Plastic Cup like this felt abit Cheap. 🥤🤔

At the Price of RM11.90 (S$3.70) for this Leicha Yogurt 🌿🍦 also isn't Super Cheap and the Amount of Yogurt doesn't look alot at 1st Glance.

Having said that I thought it felt Premium served in a Actual Glass Cup. 👍 What I am more impressed with is how Well Executed this was done. 👍

They manage to somehow make something as Overly Herbaceous and Grassy 擂茶 and actually use it as a Positive and made it pair Beautifully with a Yogurt. 🌿🍦 And I liked it that they did not do it conservatively by using a Little Bit of Leicha on the Safe Side but actually used Just Enough of it to have a More Prominent Taste but still able to Reign it in and not allow it to Over-Dominate the Dish. 👍

Add to it, the Extra Elements like the Frozen Berries 🫐 and Crushed Nuts to further distract your senses away from the Leicha was a Master Move Culinarily. Personally I felt this worked for me. The End Result is a Refreshingly Grassy Natural Yogurt. 🌿🍦 Never have I thought I would use the world "Grassy" in a Positive Manner like this. 🌿😅 Whoever designed this Dish has a Strong Understanding of Leicha and absolutely knew what they were doing. 🌿 Impressive.

At the Price of RM22.90 (S$7.10) for this Herbal Soup 🍲 again isn't Cheap but I am impressed with the Generous Amount of Herbs given here. 药材真的给的有够大方. 🌿

Although not Super Gao Gao Medicinal, this Herbal Soup still tasted Decently Herbal and didn't taste like a Simple Low Effort Job. 👍

I am also particularly impressed with the Customer Service Level of the Staffs here. 👍 They feel to me like they have been specifically trained for it, or this Restoran itself has a Decent Service Standard Quality that is expected of them. 👍 No wonder this place was so Packed with Customers even on a Off-Lunch Hour even on a Thursday Afternoon. This was surprisingly one of the Busier Restorans in this Mall even when its located at a Relatively Obscure Location. 🤔

The Only Issue I have with this place is I wish they served their Coffee in a Glass Cup 🥤 and perhaps look into the Air-Conditioning of the Place. ❄️🤔 It really felt rather Warm when I was there even though I was in a Mall. From the Well-Designed and Not-Stingy Dishes to the Noticeably Trained Customer Service Level of the Staffs, I have no issues giving this Place my Highest Top Score. 👍 Highly Recommended.