Seafood Dinner at Restoran YX

Menu Cover at Restoran YX

My mum and I have been craving for chili crabs in weeks! Our favourite local cook who made this dish well has retired for quite a few years now. Every now and then, we will venture to new outlets in hope of capturing the fond taste we had of this dish. Many has failed thus far.

Newly Opened! Even the signboard is not up yet!

Sis chatting with her BFF's aunt.

Tonight, we went to a newly opened seafood restaurant, by an aunt of my sis' BFF. This area is pretty famous for seafood in Johor Bahru these passed years. Especially our foodie neighbours from across the causeway!

Sis and Mum

My sis brought us here after testing with her friends. Mum and I were not disappointed by her recommendation! The dish we've been looking forward to was good! Added bonus when the other dishes tastes just as well.

50% Sheltered, 50% Moonshined

I like how this area has polished up a whole lot when they starting to priced their dishes higher. You get proper built and much needed surrounding clean-up. I've only been here four times. Initial two times were when there are only one restaurant operating there. My third visit, a second restaurant was built and prices doubled without environment upgrade. Now, FOUR! This area has definitely became a staple for seafood diners in Johor Bahru.

Tables are lay out in good distance. Breezy and cooling despite the hot spells we've been going through. The plank walks are proper, too! Unless you are clad with a chopsticks as heels and walking with your nostrils as your eyes, ladies, chances of getting your heels stuck between those planks are slim!

FOOD

The salted egg yolks used for this dish (crabs) was so generous! It has the saltiness from yolks and NOT from some cheap tasting salt. Many outlets do that with this dish. Which is why I often mistook them for salt baked crabs instead. Salted egg yolks ain't cheap. That's why.

Salted Egg Yolks (Left) and Chilli Crab (Right)

The highlight of tonight's dinner, chilli crab! Loved the sauce. The amount of sweetness it added actually enhanced the secret spices and herbs concoction! The chilli part came in an undertone of hotness, kicking in after your tastebud was smothered with the alluring sweetness and curious hint of acidity bits. This way, eater will not be sent flying off by the sting of chilli or worse, numbing your whole tongue and calling it a night after first bite. By the way, lotus bud was added for that refreshingly fragrant floral touch!

Tua Tao and Greens

Every dishes we have ordered comes with well-blended (Chinese-style) spices. Despite the slightly high strength in taste for each dish, our taste buds weren't overkill or confused by going from one dish to another, and back again. Chinese cuisine usual style. We didn't order any boiled rice. Sing Chou vermicelli was our carbohydrate companion dish tonight.

Kam Hiong Tua Tao

I've wanted a lala dish. Mum insisted we have tua tao instead. So, we ordered this dish in kam hiong style. Stir fry with curry leaves and spice paste. I dont like it! The seasoning is good but the clams were over-fried!

For our greens, we've ordered Si Da Tien Wang, 4 Types of Bean fried with belacan paste; lady fingers, petai, brinjal and long bean. I love their mother paste for spicy hot dish. In this case, the well concocted belacan!

Serving our Salt Baked Fish

Next come a dish which took quite a while to served. Salt baked fish with a very fancy Chinese dish name. Literal translation from Mandarin to English - Flying Fox from Snow Capped Mountain. Go figure. Teehee.

Below is a short video clip of how this salt baked fish was served.

I don't like this dish at all. I've forgotten the name of this fish. But me ma and sis kept calling it Africa Fish. Fresh water fish. The way it was cooked or this carelessly chosen produce was not handled well. It still has very strong muddy taste I loathe.

Roundup of Food Ordered:

• Chilli Crab
• Salted Egg Yolk Crab
• Sin Chow(u) Vermicelli
• Salt Baked Fish
• 4 Type of Beans stir fried with belacan
• Tua Tao (Clam) Kam Hiong
• Deep Fried Mantou x 4

The damage, MYR208.10 for three pax.

Restoran YX
Address given by owner:
23 Jalan Teluk Jawa, Taman Megah Ria (please refer to GPS coordinates for more accurate search)

Address from Google Maps
Jalan Dedaru 11, Taman Megah Ria, 81750 Masai, Johor
http://m.google.com/u/m/xYn2o7
GPS Coordinates: 1.477230, 103.844840