Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 1/3, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Masai, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8r7pyXkUxNHqYRSz9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
WARNING: This Review contains Photos of (Cute) Exotic Animals like 飞鼠 Flying Squirrel and 果子狸 Civet Cat being consumed. If you are the Squeamish type, DO NOT view this post. 🙅♂️ If you are Uncomfortable at any Point about this Food Review, just Stop Reading and Walk Away. 🚶 Do not come Screaming, Shouting, Condemning or Protesting in the Comments Section. Thank You.
🥤 Chinese Tea (Cold) = RM0.80
🐢 R12 Herbal Turtle Soup = RM46.00
🐗 F05 Ginger Wild Boar Meat (Small) = RM26.00
🐿️ 飞鼠 Flying Squirrel = RM120.00
🐆 果子狸 Civet Cat = RM68.00
No Service Charges
Final Total Cost = RM280.80 (S$90.40)
(Hahaha, I like how the Receipt just says: "Meat, Meat, Meat, Meat")
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
I really must credit Johorkaki who introduced this place that I got to know from his 2024 Blog Entry. 📝 As this is a Tze Char Place, he was there to eat their Normal Tze Char Dishes... but this particular line he wrote intrigued me: 🤔
"Honbin is also famous for their frog, wild boar, terrapin, deer, etc dishes."
To be fair, I've eaten all these before, but something tells me that this place is so much more. Relying on merely just a Hunch, I thought I'd give this place a try. I would soon find out what a Deep Rabbit Hole this visit was! 😳 Not only do they sell the above Standard Stuffs, they got even more Exotic Animals! (Subject to Availability of course)
The Actual Location is a Large Non-Airconditioned Tze Char Restoran. From the Looks of it, it seems to have been around from Many Years. Really Popular too among possibly the Locals too. Reservations are recommended if you want to come during Peak Hours.
☎ +6012 690 2141 ☎ 019 754 7930 ☎ 07 388 0607
That said, it is possible to Walk-In though, 4.00pm on a Sunday is fine.
5.30pm is the Timing where the Crowds started to stream in. 🤔
Run by what looks like a Family Business, most of the Support Staffs were Myanmar Folks who were Polite and Reserved. The Young Malaysian Chinese Lady who took my order was Very Friendly, Chirpy and Very Patient in explaining what they have especially when it comes to Exotic Dishes. She is very knowledgeable of what they sell and I even learnt from her that 果子狸 is called Civet Cat.
No Kidding. In addition to the ones I ordered, they got Alligator, Mountain Goat, etc. It really depends on what is available that day if you visit. Feel Free to ask. Of course, just like ordering Regular Tze Char Dishes, remember to check and re-check and confirm Final Price before Committing to avoid any Misunderstandings.
I requested to check if they can serve up all the Dishes together and while she advised she will try, they were not able to do so. No issues with that of course.
Anyway it took 2 Mins for the Chinese Tea, 24 Mins for both the Turtle Soup and Wild Boar, 27 Mins for the Flying Squirrel and 29 Mins for the Civet Cat. Everything was served up within 29 Mins. Long Wait yes, but still quite Impressive timing for what it is.
Hygiene Observation
I know it seems quite Superfluous to discuss about this given that I'm already eating Exotic Dishes but I thought I'd still like to highlight it here. As I observed, I noticed the Staffs using their Bare Hands to touch the Eating Utensils when stocking them up.
I let it slide however since I'm already eating Exotic Meats. If however, you are the type that is Very Specifically Concerned about Hygiene, you should probably reconsider if this is a Restoran you are willing to visit. This Eatery is really more suitable for a Cincai Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow sort of Folks. Just putting it out there.
Care and Concern for Customer
Despite the Hygiene issue I observed, I appreciate the Customer Service of the Staffs. Because I was taking my time eating alone, there were alot of Flies flying around no doubt attracted to the Food.
Without me requesting or seeking any assistance, the Staffs AUTOMATICALLY put one of those Automated Fly Swatter Device next to me to help me shoo away any Flies while I was eating. This action they did was really nice and is partly a reason why I have no issues giving this place my Top Score.
Alright with all that out of the way, lets start the Review of the Dishes!
🥤 Chinese Tea (Cold) = RM0.80
I ordered this because I think its the Only Zero Sugar Beverage they have.
Most of their Drinks are Standard Processed Sugary Stuffs.
Basically Teh-O-Kosong, this Chinese Tea tasted Very Diluted without much if any Tea Taste.
More like a Coloured Iced Plain Water or anything. Order this only if you really need to I guess.
🐢 R12 Herbal Turtle Soup = RM46.00
I ordered this because its considered as a Main Signature. Classic Herbal Turtle Soup, there is only 1 Size Available. Singapore also have Turtle Soups for Sale although it is getting Much Rarer nowadays.
Dissecting the Dish, it comes with:
Approximately 18 Cuts of Turtle Parts
2 Small Longans
Ginseng Roots
If we take 1 Small Bowl they provided as 10 Tablespoons of Soup, there are about 2 Small Bowls worth of Soup for the Price.
Quality of the Soup
Not Bad Tasting tbh. This had a Savoury Herbal Taste of what tastes like a Mix of Fish soup and Ginseng with a Gingery Presence.
Not at all Wierd Tasting. Its Saltish Sweetish and has a Very Decent Quality Savoury Herbal Soup Profile that I reckon most people will probably have no issues with.
Quality of the Turtle Cuts
As I looked through them, they come in either Fatty or Meaty Cuts.
Quite Big Sizes, these are Cut Much Larger than any Herbal Turtle Soup I've drank in Singapore.
The Meaty Cuts tasted like a Mix of Fish and Pork? They tasted Very Clean. Almost as Meaty Firm as a Lean Pork but also a Unique Tenderness like a Fish. Really Clean Tasting, No Fishy, No Wierd Taste. This is Nice.
The Fatty Jelly Cuts were Smooth and Delightfully Melt in Mouth Quality. Visually I thought they looked almost like Classic Sea Cucumber. Also Clean Tasting with a Nice Collageny Texture, I'm pretty sure the Collagen in these were Gao Gao. Also Very Nice.
🐗 F05 Ginger Wild Boar Meat (Small) = RM26.00
Not my First Time eating Wild Boar in JB, I've had them at 發嫂咖喱山豬肉 Fa Shao Wild Boar in TUTA which you can read up if you're interested. I thought it was Decently Presented in a Smaller Bowl.
Dissecting the Dish, it comes with:
Over 20 cuts of Wild Boar Meat cuts
Onion and Ginger Slices
This Dish is basically 薑蔥山豬. Very Classic Braised Aroma from this. I liked that they served this on a Hidden Banana Leaf at the Bottom to incorporate 香氣 even though its not visually visible to the Customer. This was a Nice Culinary Attention to Detail.
The Wild Boar Meats were Marinated Deeply and the Texture had a Fall Apart Quality in your Mouth. Visually looks Very Firm and Lean, but breaks apart so easily in the Mouth. Together with the Classic Gingery Slightly Sweetish Gravy Zhup, I thought this was Decent.
That said, being someone who prefer to taste the Original Flavour of the Meat 原汁原味, I thought the Gravy simply covered the Meat too much. No Fault of theirs, this is Very Classic Tze Char Gravy Gravy way to process a Meat.
Alright brace yourself, now we are going to Delve into the 2 Most Exotic and Controversial Meats.
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| Flying Squirrel Image Credit |
🐿️ 飞鼠 Flying Squirrel = RM120.00
My Eyes really lighted up when the Young Lady informed they have this Dish so of course I jumped at the Chance to try!
I'm sure everyone here has seen Photos or Videos of what a Flying Squirrel looks like. The Animal looks so Small and Adorably Cute in them, but the Dish I got looked Huge!
The Young Lady advised that they used the Whole Animal in this Dish which is why it cost so much. Hahaha didn't know Flying Squirrel is such a Big Animal in Real Life. Basically lum in a Thick Sticky Gravy, the Whole Animal is cut into 3 Different Cuts from what I could see:
6 Stick Bone Cuts
10 Rib Cuts
16 Misc Cube Cuts
Quality of the Gravy
Quality of the Stick Bone Cuts
No idea what else to call these tbh. I suppose these are the Long Thin "Arms" of the Squirrel where its Distinctive "Flaps" are located? Despite covered in Gravy, I could thankfully still taste the Meat.
Because its Long and Boney, eating these feel like I'm eating Braised Duck Wings if it makes any sense. Using a Duck as a Comparison is quite apt because just like Duck, Flying Squirrel is apparently a Red Meat. The Meat even looks like Duck.
That said, the Taste of the Meat actually taste more like Lean Pork surprisingly. Tender Firmish, there was No Gaminess. Flying Squirrel really tasted like a Lean Pork that visually looks like a Duck. Really Interesting.
Quality of the Rib Cuts
I call these Rib Cuts because of the Little Boney Ribs it has. Lesser Meat on these, more like a Soft Meat Tissue, these were also Clean Tasting with No Gaminess.
Quality of the Misc Cube Cuts
Now THESE are probably the Actual Meat on the Animal itself. Quite Random, some were Boney while others were Meaty. Compared to the earlier 2 Cuts, THIS one noticeably tasted Gamey. Its not Gamey until Awful to eat, but you definitely can tell you're eating a Wild Game and not a Standard Livestock Farm Animal anymore.
Try to imagine a Lean Firm Meaty Pork Flavour that looks like Duck with a Touch of Wild Gaminess and you will be close to imagining how this taste like.
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| Civet Cat Image Credit |
🐆 果子狸 Civet Cat = RM68.00
The Young Lady originally introduced this Animal as 果狸. Understandably she doesn't know the English Name for it. After some Googling, I found its actually called 果子狸 Civet Cat and my Blood immediately Froze.
Now I'm no Medical Expert but isn't this the Animal that caused the SARS Epidemic back in 2003? 💉🤔 Ohhhh boy!!! Fwah when I found out what this Animal really was, my Heart was Racing whether I should or should not eat it.
Am I so Sway to be the Next Patient Zero if I somehow caused SARS 2.0? Being the Complete Psychopath and YOLO, I decided to go ahead. The Dish as expected is another Tze Char styled Heavily Drenched with Thick Gravy.
I closely dissected the Dish, which consists of:
Wood Fungus Mushrooms
Quality of the Gravy
Compared to the Gravy used in Flying Squirrel, I thought this had a More Mushroomy Flavour. I doubt they re-did a Brand New Gravy though, its probably the same Oyster Sauce Based with a Slightly Different Variation. Acceptable for what it is.
Quality of the Civet Cat Meat
Compared to Flying Squirrel, I thought this was Much Less Gamier and Amusingly, this also tasted like Pork.
Hahaha What the Heck? Why does this also taste like Pork? Hahaha
Clean Tasting with a Tender Texture, I thought the Skin was abit Rubbery but was still ok. Some Cuts were obviously Tail Cuts which were a Tad Slightly More Firmish. Civet Cat basically Looks like Pork that taste like Pork that actually isn't Pork.
For such a Controversial Animal that caused so much Havoc in the Medical World, I didn't know what I should expect. Maybe I thought it would be Super Gamey or something? Hahaha.
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
Before we proceed, I will need to set the Expectations that because all these are Exotic Dishes, naturally it is expected that they are NOT going to be Very Cheap and Affordable. I also want to stress that this Place is first and foremost a Tze Char Restoran so you can of course order their Normal Priced Foods instead of what I've done.
At the Price of RM0.80 (S$0.30) for their Chinese Tea is not worth it even though its not Expensive because this is Very Diluted and there are hardly any Tea Taste. This is really more a Coloured Plain Water than anything.
It is however the Only Zero Sugar Beverage they sell here, and unless you really cannot drink anything else, please skip this.
At the Price of RM46.00 (S$15.00) for this Herbal Turtle Soup is actually Affordable for what it is. Amount of Meat given is Acceptable and they all tasted Very Clean and Savoury. I especially love the Fatty Gelatanous Parts which Melted in my Mouth.
Soup was also Very Decent Tasting and I can totally understand why this is considered a Main Signature. If you can get over the fact that this is a Turtle Soup, I can recommend this one.
At the Price of RM26.00 (S$8.50) for this Small Plate of Wild Boar is also Affordable because the Amount of Meat they offered even for their Small is alot.
The Dish basically tasted like a 薑蔥山豬 with a Very Familiar Braised Gingery Gravy. I have no issues with this Dish other than the fact that I thought the Gravy basically forms the Core Taste of the Dish and you will not be able to taste any Original Flavour of the Meat. No Fault of theirs, this is just a Classic Tze Char Style.
At the Price of RM120.00 (S$38.00) for the Flying Squirrel is the Most Expensive Dish of the Bunch but it is also the one that I enjoyed Culinarily. The Dish itself is Huge and really meant to be shared.
Despite the Copious Amount of Thick Gravy lum all.over it, I am very thankful to actually taste the Original Taste of the Meat. As I described in the Main Review, this is a Meat that looks like Duck, but taste like Pork with a Slight Gaminess. Its not Too Gamey, but you will for sure not mistake this Meat for a Standard Farm Livestock. As someone who look forward to Exotic Meats during my Travels, I appreciate the chance to get to try this.
At the Price of RM68.00 (S$22.00) for the Civet Cat is not that Expensive, but its really a Leap of Faith to give this a try because this is Literally the Animal that caused the SARS Epidemic back in 2003.
I'll be honest, for an Animal that caused such an Upheaval in the Medical World, I'm ... a tad disappointed that it tasted ... just like Pork. Hahaha actually I also don't know what I was expecting tbh.
At the Final Total Cost of RM280.80 (S$90.40) for Everything, this is Not a Cheap Meal obviously.
Is it worth the Money? For me, paying Sub-S$100 to be able to eat things that I can NEVER EVER hope to ever eat in Singapore is worth it. Are they even Legal to Eat? I'll be honest, I'm not sure. Johorkaki did mention that "Honbin has the proper license to serve certain wild game like terrapins, wild boar and squirrels."
If you are interested to visit, do note they ONLY ACCEPT CASH. 💵 No Debit/Credit Cards. Being Exotic Dishes, it also goes without saying that the Prices are not Cheap. Exotic Meats are also of course subject to Availability.
For now, I am very happy to report that THIS is the First Place I've discovered in JB that actually serves Exotic Meats like this. Although he did not eat their Exotic Dishes, I would still like to thank Johorkaki actually for highlighting this Restoran in the First Place.
If you are someone who is looking for Exotic Dishes, is OK with the Hygiene Issues I mentioned, is OK with the Prices I mentioned, I definitely can recommend to give this place a try. It was certainly a Privilege to be able to taste some Truly Exotic Stuffs that we can NEVER EVER hope to ever try in Singapore.
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