One Dollar Meal @ Uncle Jacks Fried Chicken

When you are hungry, you need a quick cheap meal and where do you go? This is probably one of the toughest questions as there is very little on offer in terms of a cheap meal in Malaysia these days. The average price for a meal is between US1.50 to US$2.00 in a town like Johor Bahru and we are not talking about cafe or diner fare. A McDonald's meal will cost you up to US$3 but there are promotional items for about US$1.50, which hardly counts as a meal.

So when I stumbled upon Uncle Jack's Fried Chicken, my first reaction is that....WTF? How the hell do they make money?

This outlet was located in the Giant Supermarket in Kluang, Johor. Away from the town center, it was hardly any walk in traffic but you find plenty of kids eating there during lunch. And why is this so? Allow me to elaborate.

If you are a 10 year old, you won't have much lunch money and when you stay back for ECA, lunch is on your own. This means parents will have to budget a lunch fare.

Fast food is as good as junk food. That said you can't have too many choices. But with Uncle Jack's, you can have a meal for about US$1.00.

The meal is made up of a small cup of chicken soup, a side of Hainan style chicken rice, a piece of fried chicken (which is of average size) and a soft drink of your choice (like Cola). All this cost RM3.50 in local currency, which is just a tad more than US$1.00. If you are a school kid, a free cone of ice cream is thrown in for good measure. Wow.

Now the soup isn't great. Made from chicken stock, it is tasty and comforting. I won't go into detail about MSG poisoning but this gets pretty close if you drunk a gallon of this stuff. The rice was above average, no doubt cooked with the chicken soup. The quality of the rice was poor, it was Malaysian rice and is considerably soft. Good for kids and old folks I suppose. The chicken piece lacked flavoring, as the flavor is on the coating and the chicken itself taste flat.

I would have been very critical for the taste if not for the price of the whole meal. You can't fault the meal as it does what it does best, to fill your belly. What more do you want?

Fried Chicken with Rice @ Uncle Jacks Fried Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken Set @ Sakae Sushi Malaysia

Forgive me, but I have never been very impressed by these so called fusion sushi joints like Sushi King or Sakae Sushi. These are not Japanese Izakayas but rather commercial restaurants started by restauranteurs to make money.

Commercial value is what dictates its success and I must say that they are borderline with Sushi King in Malaysia in terms of quality. The outlet in question is located in City Square Johor Bahru, the Sakae Sushi chain was a huge hit in Singapore and started expanding to Malaysia.

The lunch set on offer is something else. It seems like good value for money. The set which came with soup is priced at about US$4.00 and looked very good on paper, until it was served then you started to wonder if there was any false advertising involved. Platted on the advertising billboard, it seems quite generous in size and portion.

Then when the lunch set did come, your expectation is punched like a floating ballon. The portion seemed smaller as it was arranged on a narrow plate and for some reason, the salad and side of corn was there as a side show rather than in a eatable portion.

The taste was less than satisfying. The Chicken was deep fried before being drenched in Teriyaki sauce. It wasn't even grilled! This means any short order cook would be able to whip this up in minutes. It was tasty, I won't argue with that but it wasn't authentic.

Then came the soup. Which is Miso soup without the dashi. This is an expensive ingredient in Japanese cooking, dashi is made with seeweed and bonito flakes. I suppose you could try to buy the cheapest Miso paste on the market and make this with minimum fuss but it does not taste the same as the authentic Miso soup.

The rice, which is the short grain version or arborio rice wasn't cook to perfection. Somehow, I felt that they may have mixed the rice or bought a lesser quality rice to serve as a meal.

Fortunately, there were other items on offer that I had access to, the Fruitti Sushi was pleasant but I felt that the flavors were mixed up. Having salmon and fruit pieces with your sushi roll just doesn't cut it for me. The tiny slices of straberry was at best, sour, while the Avacado slices was hardly noticeable.


I am disappointed. I may not have expected much in the first place but then Sakae Sushi has built quite a reputation for itself in Singapore. It was probably my mistake for expecting it to be authentic. The food is edible. I won't fault it there but the quality is pedestrian. That said, if you are looking for a true Japanese experience, I won't be using this as a benchmark.

Terayaki Chicken Set @ Sakae Sushi Malaysia

Vietnamese Temale @ Saigon Cafe

I am not a big fan of sticky rice. It is starchy and heavy for a meal on its own and I must admit that I don't mind having Chinese Temale when the season comes. The Vietnamese Temale is very similar. Stuffed with lightly fried glutinous rice with a sprinkling of vegetables and meat wrapped in banana leaf and cooked till soft.

Ten years ago, Vietnamese cuisine was a rarity in Malaysia but today, thanks to the more liberal visa system, Malaysia is home to many Vietnamese who come to work and play here. That said, I have fond memories of Vietnam during my time as a journalist in Hanoi. Saigon is more exciting as a food center but that's not to say that North Vietnamese cuisine is of a lesser quality.

I came by to Saigon Cafe to remember the forgotten taste of Vietnam and was mildly surprised by the cuisine on offer. They have made it more palatable by incorporating Malaysian Kopi Tiam cuisine into their menu but there are some originals.

The Vietnamese Temale is one of them. It cost a shade more than US$1.30 and is a tasty snack for any time of day. The flavor is pleasing without being overpowering. There is a hint of meat and dried prawns and is very soft, probably due to it being steamed when ordered. What I like about it is that it is very different from the ways that is prepared in Malaysia and Thailand. In Thailand, we often eat sticky rice as a dessert, which is similar to Nyonya cuisine. Malays use this as both a main meal in the form of Lemang, and in desserts. The Vietnamese Temale is much lighter than the Chinese Temale and comes as a rolled rice stick. It is not stuffed full of goodies but therein lies the difference.

I can't say much about the coffee. It is a Vietnamese blend, Robusta beans friend with Soya beans and Sweet Corn. The coffee is thick, but there is less beans in a spoonful. It came in a traditional Vietnamese coffee press, which is similar to the French Press except that it uses a drip down method. I wasn't won over by the taste which had more of a sweet corn after taste. There was very little acidity so when paired with condensed milk, it felt smooth on the palate.

What I like is that it is Kopi Tiam fare, meaning a meal should not cost you too much. Yes, I would go back to try the other items on the menu and for that I think that makes it my seal of approval.

Vietnamese Temale @ Saigon Cafe

Value for Money Mee Siam at Kluang Rail Cafe

 

Mee Siam, its origins are vague even though the Thais have not credited themselves with the invention as they have a similar dish named Mee Kati. So let's not go into any nationalistic belief to claim this dish in the way that some others have done in the past. 

This is essentially a rice vermicelli noodle dish. but to be fair, I think the rice noodle thickness is closer to angel hair pasta than vermicelli. Eaten as a snack or a breakfast meal, it is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of milk tea or coffee. 

Found throughout Malaysia and Singapore, the one featured here is of course more Malaysian in design. In Singapore, Mee Siam comes with a soupy base whereas its Malaysian counterpart is dry fried.

Since its inception in 1938, Kluang's very own Railway Coffee Station has made quite a name for itself. It serves up very simple fair and it wasn't until they started to branch out as a full fledge cafe and hotel that its dishes started to make its mark. They have franchised their outlets all over Malaysia and can even be found in Johor Bahru.

Mee Siam at the Railway Coffee Cafe is priced at US$1. Comes with a serving of cucumbers, half a boiled egg and a splash of "sambal" made with chilli and prawn paste. An optional wedge of lime is thrown in for good measure for those who prefer a hint of sourness with their noodle.

The complicated part of this dish is the rice noodles. it has be done just right before frying. Done wrongly, it breaks up into a mess. The frying sauce coats the rice noodles infusing the flavors into them.

This particular dish at Kluang Rail Coffee Cafe is one that is well done and should not be missed. I must stress on the value for money part as everything seems to have increased in price lately and getting a dish for a buck is indeed a rarity.

Mee Siam @ Kluang Rail Coffee Cafe

Three Cup Chicken @ Zen Taiwanese Restaurant

Zen. The word conjures up images of Japanese monks sitting by a willow three meditating and hopefully find Nirvana in the process. In a forgotten time, it could even mean all manner of enlightenment but here at the Zen Restaurant, the Zen is put into practice by way of styling your food. I ordered the Three Cup Chicken. I have no idea what it is or whether it would fill three small cups with meat. My order arrives and is laid out in a Zen like manner. The dessert is made up of a glutinous rice ball with sesame seeds infused with a red bean filling. The Japanese cucumber too is infused with sesame oil, and for a bonus, there is a morsel of pork sausage.

The soup is made with vegetables and Chinese Wolfberry or Goji as you may know it, with a meatball obviously inspired in Taiwan which has a soft meat filling.

While the main dish isn't something to brag about, it is nevertheless a pleasant surprise. Fried with
sweet basil, dried chilies, rice wine and bean paste this Cup Chicken dish taste like home cooking.

The Chicken is soft, well flavored, without being too sweet or salty. The taste is delicate and the hint of basil provides for this. Not my preferred taste as I like strong and contrasty flavors in my food. The soup however was excellent. Light and tasty, you can skip the drinks and use this to wash down your meal. 

The whole meal cost roughly usd$7 bucks, which is quite a ransom to pay if you are only here to fill your belly but the restaurant itself is nicely decorated with an ambience to calm you before a meal. There are plenty else to order but I wasn't here for that. 

To be fair, I am not blown away by the chicken, the delicate taste isn't my thing but I would understand if you liked it. For me, a place like this can be a good dining choice though it's a little on the high side for a casual meal.  

Three Cup Chicken @ Zen Restaurant, Jusco Tebrau. Johor