If you have been to Johor Bahru, you might have heard through some grapevine (be it the taxi uncle, Johor friends or even Singaporean ones), that Ya Wang is one of the restaurants to go for Herbal Roasted Duck.
To attest to that, if you have sat down there, you’ll also know the team at Ya Wang are ever ready to let you know (on their shirts) that they are the consultants for Singapore’s Dian Xiao Er.
That confidence is justified, with a full house almost every day.
This place may lack the ambience of the elegant Chinese restaurant, but you would not be disappointed if what you are looking for is a no-frills, traditional, roast meat experience.
Ya Wang is a family restaurant which has been around for 30 years.
Located in a corner of Jalan Segget, you should probably know of this area if you are a fan of another Johor favourite – Hiap Joo Bakery’s Banana Cake.
Being a convenient 10 minutes walk from JB’s City Square Mall, this area is also full of cafes which have popped up perhaps catering to the Singaporeans and locals.
Their menu consists of their Roast Ducks in different sauces and preparation.
These include Angelica Herb (RM44 for Half, RM86 for Whole), Wild Ginseng (RM45 for Half, RM88 for Whole), Ten Wonder Herbs (RM45 for Half, RM88 for Whole), Pipa (RM39 for Half, RM75 for Whole) and Braised (RM39 for Half, RM75 for Whole).
Smaller portions are also available at affordable prices.
Other Roast meat specialties are Roast Chicken (RM22 for Half, RM42 for Whole), Roasted Pork (RM90/kg) and Char Siu (RM85/kg).
They also offer traditional zi char dishes.
I tried the Roast Duck with Angelica Herb (Quarter Portion at RM15).
The sauce was both peppery and sweet, but not overly. The Dang Gui (Angelica Herb) helped add that earthiness to the herbal sauce that the duck was placed in, making it more aromatic.
The Duck itself was juicy, with the skin being one of the stars in this dish. It was well-roasted and mildly crispy, from a charcoal method of roasting.
Without the sauce, the duck might be a bit dry, but in this dish, the sauce accompanied it well.
My only gripe is that the quality is not very consistent, sometimes being a bit tough, but it could be depending on when you come, and the time they cooked the meat.
All in all, I would come back to have their duck because of its nostalgic flavour and mostly good texture.
I tried the Shao Rou & Char Siew Combination (RM22). The Shao Rou wasn’t too salty, and the pieces had lingering five spice flavours within them.
My dining partner said that it wasn’t too fatty, was more lean and had that crispy skin we so love.
The Char Siew was one that I really enjoyed – juicy, with charred bits that gave a textural difference to the tenderness.
Noodles (RM2.50) were bouncy and glistening with a black sauce recipe so simple, but so appetising.
It wasn’t bitter as some noodles are. My dining partners and I have visited Ya Wang many times, and they have developed a habit of ordering noodles each time – when I tried it I understood why.
I ordered the dumpling soup (RM2/dumpling), and found the dumpling to be generously filled, containing prawn, minced meat, water chestnut and carrot.
It was the refreshing crunch of the water chestnut bits that made it better.
Next up, we had the Beancurd with Salted Vegetables Soup (RM10 for Small, RM18 for Big). When I first ordered this soup, my dining partners and I just wanted a soup to go with our meal.
It was refreshing, being acidic, not very salty, but comforting.
It contained so many ingredients like prawns, squid, tofu, corn as well, making it really value for money.
A big portion could easily be shared between 4 people and a small portion for 2 people.
If you are a fan of string beans and garlic, you would probably enjoy the traditional String Beans Cooked with Minced Garlic (RM18 for Small, RM26 for Medium, RM36 for Big).
Though on the pricier side, this dish was a zi char dish that was crunchy, not too oily and tossed with fragrant cooked minced garlic.
I’m not sure what makes me come back for Ya Wang each time – the friendly service that makes you feel at home outside of home, no-frills good food, affordability for this quality.
Or the cute shirts.
Restoran Ya Wang JOHOR BAHRU
28 Jalan Segget, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia (within walking distance of City Square Mall)
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Thurs – Tues), Closed Wed
Google Maps – Restoran Ya Wang JOHOR BAHRU
* Written by Laura Wong @llua. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
