A trip abroad for supper

So glamorous! Yes, we made a trip from Singapore to Malaysia just to try out a Japanese dinner!

OK, not quite as extreme as it sounds. Johore Bahru (in Malaysia) is just over the causeway from Singapore. You can get there in about 20 minutes on a bus from central Singapore - but it does require emigration / immigration of course.

We went on a Sunday afternoon, had a little wander around the town, and then settled down to an excellent Japanese dinner. There are, apparently, a lot of Japanese businessmen posted to Johore Bahru - which is a shipping hub. And where there is a market, there will be restaurants.

I am not sure how much of JB we covered off in our afternoon, but it's not a large place, and not at all modern like Singapore, KL or even Seremban in Malaysia (think 'Basingstoke' UK)! To me, it had a different vibe from other Malaysian towns I've visited, which I quite enjoyed.  There are malls (of course); a thriving Little India part, where there were Hindu festivities; run-down backstreets with great old signage etc. And there was warm evening sun, spiky palms.. overall JB oddly reminded me more of a relaxed but unglamorous port in maybe Turkey or Spain! See what you think... (Blogger won't format pix but you can click for a slideshow view).

Anyway, back to the food. My (Singapore-posted) Japanese friends had booked a restaurant famous for home-cooked style Japanese nosh. So not sushi or the more obvious Japanese items, but many little bowls of deliciously prepared vegetables, meats, pickles.. with staples of chawanmushi, rice, miso soup.

Personal highlights:
Gobou - a yummy selection of tender chicken pieces, burdock, carrot? mushroom? in a tasty, light gravy
Okara - slightly dry/powdery ground-up soybean, here with other vegetable bits - altogether with a very delicious sweet, nutty flavour
Pickles - there were several pickle elements throughout the meal, but these starters (pictured above left) were particularly nice. I don't know what was pickled to make them (my friends suggested perhaps turnip?) but they were excellent!