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Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Johor Jaya, JB. Update 2019

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

佳佳乐苦瓜汤 Restoran Kah Kah Loke's bitter gourd soup was one of the first posts in Johor Kaki blog. It felt great to be back after 7 years to the day.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

The Kah Kah Loke flagship is located in a relatively quiet section of Taman Johor Jaya (at the intersection of Jalan Bakawali 39 and 41).

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Despite its relatively isolated location, Kah Kah Loke Johor Jaya is popular with locals. Founded nearly 30 years ago (in 1991), Kah Kah Loke has grown to 10 locations all over Johor Bahru and even outlets in Malacca and Singapore.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

During the last 7 years, I've tried many bitter gourd soups from Kulai, Senai to Johor Bahru. After all the tasting and trying, I've to admit that Kah Kah Loke, my first bitter gourd soup, still has the taste profile which I love the most.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

The fresh bitter gourd was sliced cellophane thin - I could see through it. The bitter gourd slices were soft to the bite. It tasted sweet with only subtle hints of gentle bitterness (in a pleasant way).

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

The slightly cloudy soup tasted savoury sweet from large pork socket bones (used to make the soup), lean pork slices, liver and intestines with a subtle underlying sweet bitter gourd taste. Kah Kah Loke has the most flavoursome of bitter gourd soup that I have tasted.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

We also liked this simple bean sprouts stir fried with salted fish, carrot and chives.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

We like it that the bean sprout heads and tails were painstakingly pinched off. All we tasted was the crunchy bean sprouts' clean tasting juicy sweetness complemented by mildly savoury salted fish.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Kah Kah Loke's Hakka fried pork had nice crispness outside and tender juiciness inside. The savoury fermented beancurd 南乳 marination was relatively mild - I wish it was more robust.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Recommended for you 👍 Bitter gourd soup is one of the signature Johor dishes visitors should try. One of the best places for bitter gourd soup in JB is Kah Kah Loke.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Restaurant nameKah Kah Loke 佳佳乐苦瓜湯
Address62, Jalan Bakawali 39, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
GPS1°32'40.8"N 103°47'43.4"E  🌐 1.544655, 103.795393
Tel: 07-353 5196
Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm (Monday off)

Non Halal




Date visited: 11 Jan 2019


Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Bitter gourd soup is a simple dish commonly made in Chinese homes. At Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, the humble bitter gourd soup is elevated to the status of a signature dish. Judging by the capacity crowd at lunch time, Kah Kah Loke’s simple bitter gourd soup indeed has a strong following. 

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Despite its leading attraction status at Kah Kah Loke, the bitter gourd soup served here remains almost identical to the homemade version we find at home. There is none of that over commercialised, fanciful or fake pretentiousness to jazz up its homely image. It is just plain old homemade soup - and that could be why throngs are drawn to it daily.

Bitter Gourd Soup @ Kah Kah Loke Restaurant in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

The soup is naturally sweet and the main ingredients are thinly sliced bitter gourd, lean pork, and pork liver – that’s all, just like the way it is done at home. The soup looked cloudy with boiled liver and meat juices suspended in the broth.

The bitter gourd slices are soft yet crunchy and naturally sweet with only a slight hint of bitterness. The pork slices are tender and sweet. The liver here is well cooked and firm. Some people might prefer liver that is less well cooked which is more tender.

A bowl of bitter gourd soup for two persons costs RM9.

I will be back to bond with friends by sharing the warmth of the bitter gourd soup’s homely goodness.


Restaurant name: Kah Kah Loke Restaurant
Address: 62 Jalan Bakawali 39, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://g.co/maps/rwk4f
GPS: 1.545709, 103.794643
Hours: Daily (Closed on Mondays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 5 Jan 2012


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3 comments:

  1. I tried the food at Permas Jaya branch. Tried the bitter gourd soup and I have tasted better ones. Do not understand why people like it. It is nothing out of extraordinary. Guess it is a personal taste. Those I have tasted have more richness with other meat and seafood cooked in it. Tried the fish with ginger and sauce and it is not fresh. The potato leaves are lathered with too much lard and oil, and it is overwhelming. The crispy pork is ok but I will not put it as heavenly. Even a normal economical rice stall can produce this standard. The tofu with minced meat is ok except it is too oily. Overall, the use of oil is excessive in most dishes. I took a peak at the kitchen and it is mostly employed young non-chinese foreign workers and not the experienced chefs cooking it. Overall, it is a disappointment and I will not step back in again.

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  2. you should try 大众苦瓜汤 at johor jaya dedap it is much more better than this one

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OK. Thank you for your recommendation :-D Shall visit this as soon as possible.

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