Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)
Address: NO 24, Nongchik Riverside, Jalan Kolam Ayer, 80200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bbq1AdPmgUyyk8Bv9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
Spaghetti Salted Egg Prawn (Sweet) = RM39.90
Service Charge 10% = RM3.99
Tax = RM2.39
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
This Eatery went Viral when featured by a Famous Malaysian Foodie Tiktoker Jason Chen. You know that Young Lad that does that Funny Little Dance with his Hands and Legs on TikTok with a Catchphrase "Something Something Puiii"? Yea that Lad.
This is his TikTok Video of this Eatery: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS5qSVhJh/
The Actual Place is a Very Large 2-Level Restoran located among a Row of Shophouses taking up 2 Huge Shophouse Lots. Good Business indeed. Even before their Official Opening Time of 12.00noon on a Saturday, there is already a Long Queue of Customers outside as I've observed. Impressive indeed.
I opted to visit this on a Off-Lunch Hour instead at 2.30pm on the Saturday and it was still Crowded with Customers although Not as Full House. This is an Optimal Time to visit to avoid any Queues.
Note: Before you are even allowed into the Restoran, do note that you will need to Park your Shoes outside. No Footwear is allowed within.
I have no issues with this No Footwear Rule, but do note that this will be Troublesome if you were to need to use their Restrooms as the Floor is Wet. They do provide some Rubber Slippers which unfortunately are also Wet themselves. So yea... you do need to take note of this Inconvenience especially if you wear Socks too.
Interior of the Eatery
Really Huge Place and Very Crowded and Popular, it was done up Very Nicely with a Greenery soft of Theme. There is also a Noticeable Malay-Styled Thick Musky Flowery Perfume Aroma ้ฉฌๆฅ่ฑ้ฆ wafting in the Air. Nicely Air-Conditioned but also Not Very Cold that day. I liked the Free Bottle of Plain Water available on every table.
The Staffs were Generally Polite and Friendly although some Basic Malay is required to be able to Converse here. Ordering of Food is thru QR Code and they have a HUGE Extensive Menu as you can check out from my Above Menu Link.
You do need to enter a Mobile Phone Number to get an OTP Code to order but luckily their System allows SG Mobile Number (Not sure about other Nationalities though). Once your order is made, you need to Pay first before your Order is Made. It took about 9 Mins for my Dish to be served up, which was Not a Bad Timing given the Crowd Level on a Saturday.
Spaghetti Salted Egg Prawn (Sweet) = RM39.90
Ordered this Dish as it is the Exact Same Dish that Jason Chen gave a Very High 9.8 Score for in his Viral TikTok Video. The Dish as you can see is served on a Huge Plate. There is at first a Noticeable Delicious Aroma of what smells like Indian Fish Head Curry. Visually Striking with a Red Orangey Colour, the Visual Presentation was Decent.
Quality of the Gravy
When I leaned in to take a Second Whiff, I then noticed the Aroma of Salted Egg. Upon my First Taste of this, I was immediately hit by a Very Intense Combination of Saltiness with a Side Sweetness that is also Not Overly Sweet.
The Gravy itself has a Very Thick and Pureed Gao Gao Texture and I could also find Hints of Salted Egg Flavour as it swam in my mouth. Not Very Strong Salted Egg Flavour, but its there. There is also a Spiciness that crept in Slowly but never Bites and Maintains a Gentle Heat. Very Impressive Rich and Complex Gravy indeed.
Quality of the Spaghetti
Jason describes this Spaghetti Quality as "Super Al-Dente" and he's mostly right.
I'll further describe it like such: There is an Initial Soft Bite, but the Main Body of the Noodle Strand is Bouncy. Not Super Al-Dente for me, but a Nicely Boiled Spaghetti Quality nevertheless. I doubt they make the Spaghetti In-house however as it is most likely from some Package.
Quality of the Prawns
This is of course the Main Protein of the Dish and is a Big Factor in deciding why this Dish is Priced as it is.
There are 5 of them in Total and they were Big and Fat. Really Big and Fat.
They are also Shell-On Prawns which if you are a Long-Time Reader of this Blog you will know I am Wary about. Because I will always check if they actually Processed it Cleanly to remove the Intestinal Tract. Jason never checked this in his Review so I'm here to investigate.
What they did to this Prawn impressed me Culinarily. The Shell is Left On, but they also Made a Deep Top Cut all the Way Across the Prawn as you can see. This is obviously made to ensure the Intestinal Tract is cleaned out, but this Cut is also done specifically so that it allows the Customer to peel the Prawn more Easily using Cutlery instead of Hands.
From a Culinary Perspective, I am really impressed by this Technique they used that I've not seen done in other Restorans. Not even Tze Char Seafood Restorans would bother to make a Cut like this.
Having said that, out of the 5 Prawns served, unfortunately I found 1 that despite this Cut done on the Shell wasn't Cleanly Processed as you can see the Long Thick Ugly Black Intestinal Tract that was not Cleaned Off Properly. Quite a Thick Fat Chonker too. Ouch. ๐ค
Hahaha I guess this one slipped their QC huh? ๐ Still, 1 out of 5 is not a Bad Effort. As for the Prawn itself, the Meat was Firm and Bouncy, tasted Fresh and Not Nua Nua. This was a Fresh Prawn, not some Frozen Re-Thawed Product.
How does the Dish taste?
With Every Component combined, Culinarily I thought this was a Very Competently Made Seafood Spaghetti with a Complex Gravy and Fresh Prawns. The Dish tasted Rich with a Delicious Mix of Creaminess and Sweetness that indeed was Delicious ... for the Initial First Few Bites.
As the Meal went on, the Mix of Richness and Creaminess / Sweetness slowly accumulated and intensified for me. Jason described it as "You can MAYBE get Jelak", but for me it was "Very Jelak" and I ultimately jelaked until I actually couldn't finish the Meal.
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At the Price of RM39.90 (S$13.00), this wasn't Cheap, but I still felt this was an Affordable Price to pay for this Plate of Seafood Spaghetti because of the 5 Big Prawns. Culinarily-Wise, I am impressed with the Amount of Effort made to the Gravy because this is not some Simple Low-Effort Job. There is really a Decent Amount of Effort and Thought Process that has gone into this.
The End Result is a Very Thick, Rich and Creamy Gao Gao Gravy that is Delightfully Culinarily Complex. The Amount of Hard Work here speaks for itself.
I am also Impressed at the Quality and Freshness of the Prawns. Certainly not some Re-Thawed Frozen Product. Again, I am also Impressed Culinarily with the Skilled Cuts on it that Not Only Ensured that the Prawn's Intestinal Tract is cleaned, but also provides a Double Duty for Customers to Easily be able to Remove the Shell.
This Level of Effort is Very Commendable because Not Even some Higher End Atas Seafood Restoran bother to cut the Prawn Shell to this Level.
Thats said however, a Couple of Issues start revealing themselves when you actually dive deeper and scrutinize everything more closely.
Despite the Amazing Cuts to the Prawn Shell, I still found 1 Prawn out of the 5 that wasn't cleaned off properly with a Huge Fat Ugly Thick Intestinal Tract intact. Culinary Effort is there, but QC could be improved.
The Dish itself while having a Uniquely Complex Gravy ultimately was Too Jelak for me the more I ate it. Again this is Subjective because Jason felt "You can MAYBE get Jelak" while I personally felt it got Too Jelak for me. Truly goes to tell that Everyone really do have Different Tastes when it comes to Food.
Ultimately, this is not a 9.8 Score for me, although I totally understand why Jason would score it that way. I am impressed with the Amount of Culinary Effort at least from what I have personally experienced. If you are ok with the Issues and Quirks that I have mentioned in the Main Review, is OK with the Prices on their Menu, I can still recommend to give this place a Try. Do remember to come at an Off-Peak Hour in order to avoid a Long Queue.
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