Growing up, one of my favourite things to eat is chwee kueh – steamed rice cakes served with flavoured radish and sambal. They are made from rice flour, not glutinous rice like the more popular Korean rice cakes. We’d usually eat them for breakfast and sometimes as a treat, for tea.
I don’t remember where you can get chwee kueh in Batu Pahat. I think most of our supply was homemade by various relatives; I’d have to call my Mom to confirm that but I don’t feel like real life interaction at the moment #lifeOfAnIntrovert
There are chwee kueh and there are chwee kueh. The good ones are steamed to perfection; silky smooth, soft yet firm enough to hold their shape. Take a spoon to it and it cuts like soft tofu. Each spoonful of chwee kueh is accompanied with a small scoop of dried salted turnip (chai poh) and fragrant Chinese sambal.
It’s warm, soft, sweet, salty, spicy and comforting all at the same time.
The bad ones? Bleurgh! Hard. Tough. Inedible. Translated: something went wrong with the delicate batter, or the steaming process did not see enough kung-fu. Keep trying till you get it right, k?
From what I know, chwee kueh is a Johor and Singapore thing. You can hardly get chwee kueh in Kuala Lumpur and up North; even if you do, they are not likely to be very nice. Of course I welcome a difference of opinions; please point me to good chwee kueh in Klang Valley!
Some time ago, my friends and I were in Johor Bahru for Legoland. During our trip, we stumbled upon a Chinese coffee shop where I found the BEST chwee kueh in Johor Bahru! You would not believe how many chwee kueh I managed to stuff into my stomach. I would have ordered more but they ran out.
Late last year, I packed my bags and went back to Batu Pahat to spend a week++ with my folks. The last time I was in my hometown for more than a week, I was 19. For me, it was a reconnecting trip of sorts; together with my parents, we revisited as many of my favourite places as we could.
I told them, “We’re going to Johor Bahru to eat the best chwee kueh!”
Dad was as cool as a cucumber. That’s how he is really, not easily rattled by strange, spontaneous things that his daughter is prone to executing. Or perhaps he is too used to my unorthodox ways.
He said, “If you want to go, I’ll accompany you lor..”
Mom was a bit more… reactive, as she usually is. I feel that it’s her way of showing appreciation, which is lovely. Later she posted an update on her Facebook, laughing that while rich people fly to Hong Kong and back for dimsum, we drove from Batu Pahat to Johor Bahru specially for breakfast, insinuating that we were part of an elite group. Sort of. More like the very bottom part of the group; the underlying burnt, crusty bits of claypot chicken rice.
You’ve come to this page to read about the best chwee kueh in Johor Bahru. Yet somehow you got stuck in my life story. That happens a lot; you will find it a common, unifying theme on this site.
So yes, I called ahead to make sure that the chwee kueh stall would be open on the day of our little road trip. Of course preparation is everything; I would hate it if we drove 1.5 hours to find them closed!
The owner, Mr Lee answered the phone. Yes they would be open. Yes they would keep some chwee kueh for me. Yes they would impart the secrets to making the best chwee kueh in the world. Hahahah no, just kidding…
Restoran Multi Mart is a Chinese corner coffeeshop in Taman Abad (Century Garden) near KSL City, an old neighbourhood that houses famous spots selling delicious local food. Just type in the restaurant name on Waze; it is fairly correct and will take you to the exact location.
Turns out, this coffeeshop is also well-known for a stall selling pork porridge, and another selling kuey tiao kia. But for me, the chwee kueh sealed the deal.
A husband and wife team operates the stall, aided by their daughter. They start making the chwee kueh at midnight, then sell them at Restoran Multi Mart from 7am onwards. I paid RM0.50 for one piece of chwee kueh; the price could have gone up a little since then but that is to be expected.
Individually steamed rice cakes
Mine, all mine!
The chwee kueh is served with chilli sauce and homemade radish sauce. The radish mix is unique as dark soy sauce is added to it. This results in a rich, sweet and savoury topping that brings so much flavour to the steamed rice cakes.
Ah the chwee kueh… art pieces in their own right. Making decent chwee kueh is already an accomplished feat. Yet this woman has managed to up all chwee kueh-making levels to produce soft, wobbly steamed rice cakes that have a bite to them, then almost melts in your mouth.
If you have eaten the famous Tiong Bahru chwee kueh in Singapore, well I have too. Let me tell you that this one is on a different plane all together.
I have to admit that the Tiong Bahru stall has better sambal, whereas Mr Lee gives you regular chilli sauce. For me it does not make a lot of difference, but maybe true sambal-worshippers may think differently.
Besides chwee kueh, Mr Lee and his wife sells Muar otak-otak (grilled to order), and nasi lemak and mee siam wrapped in banana leaves. The latter two are taken from other vendors, may or may not be available depending on the individual vendors.
If you get the chance, do try some of the mee siam. It is fried with prawn paste, and is one of the best packet mee siams I have had. These also run out very fast so if you’re a late riser, too bad!
Mr Lee’s chwee kueh, otak-otak, mee siam and nasi lemak
Restoran Multi Mart
Tel: +60 16-756 8332
Opens from 7+am onwards. Definitely sells out before noon. Closed whenever they have to, so be sure to give them a call if you’re specially making a trip to eat their food.
We tried other food available at Restoran Multi Mart:
The rather famous Hainanese pork porridge. The egg add-on is a raw egg cracked into your hot porridge, where you swirl it together and the heat will cook it.
Fried noodles. I remember this as rather good.
Restoran Multi Mart
Jalan Harimau, Taman Abad,
80250 Johor Bahru, Johor.
Opens from 6am to 4pm.
p/s: Want to try making your own Chinese steamed rice cakes? Kitchen Tigress tells you how *click*
