As a fellow JB-ite, Ikar Connoisseur Fish Noodle has all the time been my go-to place for fish soup. They’ve remained dedicated to authenticity above all else since their institution in 2003. Through the years, they’ve additionally expanded their menu to incorporate an array of soup flavours. I used to be lastly again there once more to have their fish soup after a very long time, and so I used to be actually excited.
Ikar Noodle Fish Connoisseur has a couple of shops in JB. The one I went to is positioned at Eco Palladium. It’s a quaint shophouse impressed by British structure. The restaurant shouldn’t be troublesome to seek out— you may simply spot it from the primary street.
As I visited throughout a non-peak hour, the institution wasn’t overly crowded. With out losing any time, I went straight to my seat and browsed by the menu. I used to be spoiled for selection as there have been as much as 15 sorts of soup flavours accessible.
The waitress advised us that their signature flavours had been Creamy Cheese Soup, Conventional Soup, Creamy Pumpkin Soup and Savoury Tomato Soup. You possibly can customise your soup by selecting from numerous sorts of protein (quite a lot of fish and pork) and carbs (bee hoon, rice, vermicelli, buckwheat vermicelli, black rice vermicelli). You possibly can even select to have your carbs dry-tossed.
What I attempted at Ikar Connoisseur Fish Noodle
Regardless that it’s a fish-focused institution, I opted for Creamy Cheese Soup with Pork Stomach Slices and Vermicelli (RM16.50). The peerlessly-infused broth got here with a couple of slices of pork stomach, carrots and tomatoes, topped with some spring onions.
I used to be amazed after the primary mouthful of broth. The soup was wealthy and creamy, but not too jelak. There was a little bit of sourness from the tomatoes which flawlessly balanced out the creaminess of the soup — it can have you ever hold craving for an additional sip.
One would possibly anticipate cheese-flavoured meals to be very creamy, however this soup leaned in direction of a lighter style profile, and also you wouldn’ really feel satiated even should you end the entire bowl. I’ve since modified my opinion on cheese soup.
The pork stomach was unexpectedly good. It was skillfully cooked, retaining a little bit of tenderness. The meat was flavourful and excellently infused with the perfume of the soup.
For one thing extra traditional, get the Conventional Soup. I paired it with Fried Dory Fillet (RM12.50) and a bowl of white rice. The wealthy broth enveloped the salted greens, tomatoes and tofu. The fried fish was served on a separate facet plate.
The broth was milky and seamlessly built-in with the fish and rooster bones. The soup usually accommodates milk and wine, however you may choose to exclude any of those primarily based by yourself choice. I ordered one with out wine. After having a couple of sips, I realised it had a nuanced candy and bitter aftertaste.
I lastly unravelled the thriller as I used to be virtually ending my meal— there was bitter plum within the soup. The broth additionally had a touch of saltiness from the salted greens. All the tastes weren’t overpowering, putting an excellent steadiness between one another.
The fried fish boasted a pleasant crunch on the surface, complemented by a young inside. I’m undecided if the fish was seasoned, however I observed it had an alkaline style. I felt it tasted higher when paired with the cheese soup.
Closing ideas
General, I really feel this can be a good place for a hearty bowl of fish soup, and likewise for a reimagined traditional dish. I personally favor the Creamy Cheese Soup over the Conventional Soup because it stunned me with its mild style profile and refined creaminess. In distinction, the latter appeared fairly atypical.
When you’re hanging round Johor Bahru and are searching for some hearty meals, I like to recommend you to drop by Ikar Connoisseur Fish Noodle. Attempt the Creamy Cheese Soup and inform me what you suppose!
