Bak Kut Teh in Johor and Bak Kwa

Bak Kut Teh in Johor, think collagen not cholesterol :p

On our recent trip to Desaru and Johor (Waterfall, Go Kart, and Crocodile), our family Mummy and Daddy got a craving for Bak Kut Teh in Johor (肉骨茶).

There are many famous Bak Kut Teh in Johor, we pick two from Johor Kaki‘s recommendation. Just add white rice and yummy fritters (油条).


Name: Hwa Mei (华美肉骨茶 )
(10min walk from CIQ building. This spot is not easy to find if you drive, narrow road and lack of carpark space)
GPS – n01.46085 e103.76756
Rating : 4.25/5

Generally, Malaysia’s Bak Ku Teh are more herbal then pepperish. Our kids are more accustomed to pepperish broth, as they might not like the “Chinese medicine” smell of herbal broth.

We love the tender and succulent meat at Hwa Mei but the highlight must be the Pig Trotter! So juicy and soft it just melts in our mouth.
Johor streetfood

Surprisingly, kids finish every last drop of goodness at Hwa Mei. It must be the rain and cold weather, everyone order additional rice and of course more refill of the tasty broth.

Hwa Mei is now our No1 Bak Kut Teh restaurant in Johor!

We pop by Ah Soon on another day.

Name: Ah Soon (亚顺肉骨茶), near to Taman Sentosa The Store
GPS – n01.48872,e103.76746
Rating : 3/5

It gave us the impression that all Johor Bak Kut Teh stalls are popular, always crowded! In fact, most Bak Kut Teh stalls would be packed during lunch hours.

Side dish, Mei2 Cai4 (梅菜) and small chili, both are compulsory for Bak Ku Teh fans.

Stewed goodness, but we found the meat too tough. The standard is about similar to Soon Soon Heng (顺顺兴肉骨茶) opposite KSL.

We ordered a dry Bak Kut Teh chicken too as we noticed it is popular with diners . Definitely more flavourable than the souped version.

If you are still hungry, there is a 我來也 (Wo Lai Yeh bak kwa) opposite the STORE.
(GPS n01.49299 e103.76929).

The quality used to be good (maybe a decade ago), but it was too oily this round. We could not find “charred” crispy corners. We had to ovened it one more time before it taste nice. Do order the Char1 Siew1 Soh1 (叉燒酥) instead.

We still hope 我來也 standard has not dropped so much.

Tips for Johor Food Trail :
– get your Bak Kut Teh list from Johor Kaki
– follow our Food Trail in JB (Johor)
– remember Bak Kwa is contraband and cannot smuggle into Singapore ok 🙂

=== === ===
Do pop by our recent Desaru JB itinerary :
Kota Tinggi’s Waterfall
Mario Kart, Go Karting at Permas Jaya
Crocodile Farm (up to 170 years old!)
Best Bak Kut Teh in JB
Sungei Rengit Seafood

ps.. Follow our Instagram tag #SengkangBabiesJohor for more JB adventures

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport staycation

24 hours every day, 365 days every year, Changi Aiport never sleeps.
During our Crowne Plaza Changi Airport staycation (read Day 1 here), we could literally walk the Airport Terminals in our pyjamas but we are too conservative :p

As the world buzz around us, it feels serene for us to enjoy our slower weekend pace. Yup, as fun as relaxing (and delicious) as Boon Yee’s donuts 🙂

We started the day with a marvelous breakfast at Crowne Plaza’s Azur.

Family time, bonding over fresh juices, omelette and muffins.

Kids help themselves to multiple servings of Azur’s delicious Tim Sum.

As we explore Changi Airport Terminals (1,2 and 3), this airport is always buzzing. Fantastic connections, both domestic and international, bring everyone to Changi Airport, inbound, outbound and transit. MRT, Skytrain and Taxis mean Changi Airport is always accessible.



We landed at Canopy, an indoor playground at Terminal 1. Entertainment and lifestyle options are listed at this link, and Canopy playground is Free 🙂

After Canopy, we met up with our Disney friends back at T3. As it was the Christmas month, we had toy soldiers, Mickey and friends to raise the festive spirit. There was a giant bouncing castle to thrill the kids too!

Do pop by our Changi Airport Christmas review at this link.

Happiness is easy to achieve for our kids, just buy them a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Mummy and Daddy will be contented with just a cup of warm coffee 🙂

Boon Kang is happy spotting the airplanes land and takeoff. He was telling us that the Jumbo planes make more splashes (and mist) when they land on the wet runway.

For those who like shopping (not necessary Mummy), iShopChangi offers you shopping experience from your keyboard. It certainly helps that Changi Airport absorbs 7% GST too!
Shopping at Changi Airport

Did you know that Free Wifi is available at Changi Airport too? Social Media addicts Digital Influencers will be busy updating their Online persona.

Our Fun 3D2N staycation on Instagram.

One more thing about staycation at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, everything is self-contained within the “lifestyle hub”! Entertainment, food, shopping, our itinerary was never affected by the weather 🙂

Dinner at Paradise Inn. Simple cuisines to make our tummies happy.


Posing at Singapore’s Tourism office. Do take note this is not exactly a playground but the friendly staff allow us to pose with Ah Meng’s descendents and other famous Resorts World Sentosa attractions.

Kinetic Rain day or night, is always soothing. We end the evening with more slides at T3 🙂

Do pop by our Crowne Plaza Changi Airport itinerary here :
– Day 1 Checkin, swim and canape
– Day 2 Exploring Changi Airport (photos)
– Day 3 Transit area‘s attractions (photos)
2014 Disney Magic at Changi Airport

– Follow Changi Airport lifestyle through their Instagram @fansofchangi, Fanpage and Website.
– Crown Plaza Changi Airport enquiry here.
– More Changi Airport lifestyle options listed at this link

ps.. our trip is sponsored by Changi Airport Group