Singaporean love travelling to Malaysia for their short weekend breaks but the massive traffic jams at the causeway are always one of the biggest deterrents to their travel plans. For those brave enough to proceed, they are always planning to start their road trip up North really early in the morning, most often as early as 6am. For most of these travellers, one of the most common activity is to get their breakfast fix in Malaysia and dim sum is usually a very popular choice.
Our driver suggested this venue as it is extremely popular with locals, as well as tourists and they, are suppose to have one of the best-steamed buns around. The restaurant is nestled amongst a row of shophouses with many other eateries and shops but you can immediately spot huge hungry crowds looking for tables
The yun lai bao dian takes up 1 stall within the corner coffee shop itself and within the coffee shop, there are also a few other stores selling noodles, bak kut teh, nasi lemak and beverages.
You can find the dim sum available in their menu which is a bunch of pictorial flyers bound into a clear folder. You can also see the bak kut teh menu within the same folder while some of the other stalls, you have to physically order from the stall itself.
First up was the huge chicken steamed bun which is almost as big as the plate. The bun itself is very soft and the flour is very fine so you don’t get a rough dough. The chunky chicken meat is flavourful and very tender and you also get a huge serving. Some buns have loads of dough and minimal meat filling but this bun was definitely generous in terms of their meat filling.
The next popular bun is the red bean paste bun which is also larger than the normal red bean buns we get at other places. This version is also flatter so you get a flat circle instead of a 3D rounded bun. I was doubtful of how this simple looking bun can be so popular but when I had my first bite, I was sold. The dough of the bun was soft and fluffy just like the chicken version but the main star was the red bean paste filling. The filling was so smooth and creamy that you can hardly taste any grains in it. It was also not overly sweet and hit the right spots to satisfy that sweet tooth. This was so good that I ordered more to eat on the journey.
The other items are all quite mediocre as with most of the dim sum found in coffee shops in Malaysia. Expect chunky meat with strong flavours which are considered rough in texture. The price tag is also very affordable so there are no complaints if it is just to fill a hungry stomach
I ordered the wonton noodles as well which is pretty decent as the noodles are quite bouncy and chewy. The char siew is quite general but the seasoning was quite nice as they used dark soy sauce as the main seasoning instead of ketchup in the Singapore version.
For those who prefer a lighter breakfast option can order the soup noodles which is very light in flavours. Personally, I found it quite bland.
Overall, Kulai Yun Lai Bao Dian is a pretty general coffee shop which offers many different dishes with the many stalls for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Personally, I am not exactly wowed by the dishes except for the 2 steamed buns that I will make a special trip to eat there. However, if I am around the area, I would not mind dropping by to grab a couple of red bean paste buns.
Address: NO.21 Jalan Prima Niaga 2 Taman GP Prima, Jalan Tanjung Kupang, 81550 Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia
Operating hours: 6.30 am to 8 pm
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