Wednesday, 7 June 2017

Travel | JB: Restoran Ya Wang 鸭皇药材烧腊大王, Jalan Dhoby and more

It was an impromptu decision to enter JB today. We were supposed to meet our ID, but I woke up to a message from him saying that he had to postpone the appointment to another day. With nothing else planned, we then decided to spend our day across the borders.

Restoran Ya Wang near City Square, whose chef served as consultant to Dian Xiao Er Singapore, has always been on my to-eat list, but we have somehow never dined there despite our countless JB trips. The timing was always wrong. The chance finally came today, and so I jumped at opportunity to have lunch there since we don't usually enter JB that early.

The restaurant is located near another popular eatery, Kam Long Curry Fish Head. From the Curry Fish Head stall, cross the road, and walk along a canal until you see Tokio Marine at a corner. Turn into the street and you will see Restoran Ya Wang just a few shops away.
The bright yellow sign was quite easy to spot from far.


Their signature herbal duck, with a surprisingly light flavour. The gravy was much more full-flavoured. The meat was not gamey, which was good, and the skin was fairly thin. Overall, I would say that it was one of the better-tasting ducks I have had, but I still prefer Dian Xiao Er's version which offers a more distinct herb flavour.
Our set for 2 pax, which cost RM 51. The rest of the dishes, in our opinion, were a tad too salty. 

Business was brisk, but the service was impeccable. While waiting for our food to arrive, the middle-aged waitress who wore her hair in a ponytail told us reassuringly that our food would be served to us soon (and we didn't even chase them for it!). She also made us feel right at home when she checked with us several times throughout our meal to see if the food was okay.

The sun hung brightly in the sky as we left the place. We headed thereafter to Jalan Dhoby and explored the area for a bit before settling down in one of the many cafes in a bid to hide from the merciless heat.

I love the packaging of my drink; it reminds me of traditional Chinese ointment bottles.

Some of the sights that caught my attention:
 A really old school bakery. Check out the furnace at the back!

Tread carefully :p

The rest of the day was spent at City Square, where we caught a movie before heading home.

If you are looking to explore beyond the checkpoint area, I recommend that you spend a day or two at Taman Mount Austin, which houses plenty of restaurants and entertainment options, including an adventure park! Have fun!

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