Restoran Hua
Mui is an iconic landmark in Johor Bahru, Malaysia; it has been in operation
since 1946, when the Chiang family first opened it at this same street corner
in the old heritage section. On weekends, Hua Mui becomes crowded, as people
even come over from Singapore to have breakfast or lunch here - it’s a nice
reminder of a simpler time. Unique characteristics are: the Deco-style grillwork
on the second floor dining room windows, and the old-fashioned hand-operated ‘dumb
waiter’ that still hauls the dishes from the ground floor kitchen to the second
floor dining area.
Nearby is the Red House probably Johor’s best renovated mansion; it’s over 100 years old, and located in the Johor Heritage section. In recent years, it has periodically been used for special cultural events and a few art exhibitions, but in June, a local kopitiam (coffeeshop) opened in its’ premises. In my sketch, I purposely left the customers as black & white line drawings, as they seemed a good contrast to the over-abundance of red color on the Red House.
Bakchang is a local dumpling in sticky rice, with added items like salted pork, egg, mushrooms, prawn, fish, etc, and wrapped in a leaf. This motor cart sits in front of the Kafe Red House several times a week, before making its rounds to other Johor eating areas.
