Restoran Kah Kah Loke @ Johor Bahru – You Will Fall In Love with Bitter Gourd After This

JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA – We cook bitter gourd soup quite often. I am sure this is the same for many Chinese homes. I don’t hate it but I wouldn’t crave for it. But when Hazel brought me to Restoran Kah Kah Loke (佳佳乐苦瓜汤) to eat their bitter gourd specialties, that changes my whole perspective of bitter gourd.

Restoran Kah Kah Loke has been around for closed to 20 years in Johor Bahru. They now have 9 outlets all over Johor, including Johor Jaya, Tun Aminah, Taman Sutera etc. We arrived at Taman Sutera outlet for an early dinner. Having completed so many meals prior to this, I was really full to the brim and almost wanted to give this a miss. But I am so glad that I didn’t, if not I would be missing out on good staff.

One of the signatures at Restoran Kah Kah Loke is their Bitter Gourd Soup (RM7/10/13/16/20). We all know that bitter gourd soup has got cooling properties and good for detoxification. You can choose if you want the innards to be in the soup or just have plain sliced pork. We went for the latter and what arrived was simply a comforting bowl of soup filled with generous bitter gourd slices. It is very homely with a mild bitterness from bitter gourd. They have a crunch and the lean pork is well marinated. You can refill the soup if you want.

To pair with the soup, we ordered other dishes such as Beancurd with Minced Meat (RM7/12). Like Mapo Tofu, the soft beancurd is drenched with minced pork that is stir fried with soy sauce. This is best eaten with rice.

What impressed me is the Bittergourd with Egg (RM5/9/11). The lard oil that is used to stir fry the eggs with crunchy bitter gourd gave it that umami flavours and fragrance that we love. And of course it changed my friends’ perception of bitter gourd.

We also ordered a plate of Salted Egg Yolk with Wings (RM12) where the rich salted egg sauce is served with crispy chicken wings. #anytingalsosaltedegg but well, it is not bad lah.

The most memorable dish was Deep fried Pork (RM4 per piece). The pork loin was very well marinated with red fermented beancurd and deep fry to golden brown colour. Each piece is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This is the killer for our dinner!

Our total bill came up to RM53 including drinks and white rice. I am happy with my meal at Restoran Kah Kah Loke at Sutera outlet. I am not sure if other outlets serve up equally good soups and dishes. Service is quick, so expect your food to be ready within 10 minutes or so. It is no wonder business is very brisk and the restaurant is always flooded with customers during meal time.