Clean toilets and good food at highway rest stops?

Just like Beetrice, I was down in JB at the awful Hyatt Regency Johor Bahru hotel on the weekend. I went down rather late on Friday evening, and forced a pit-stop at the rest stop at Pagoh for a toilet break and some food.

I was very surprised to see the state of the women’s toilet at the Pagoh rest area off the highway. IT WAS CLEAN!! And not only was it clean, it was dry and airy with a bright air-well filled with plants and even the toilet stalls were clean and dry. Unheard of (and hitherto unseen) in Malaysia.

clean toilets

Since I was already in my home state of Johor, I was quick to scarf down 2 of my favourite foods - Mee Rebus Jawa (RM2.50) and Nasi Lemak Bungkus (RM2.00). So sinfully delicious and so CHEAP!!

nasi lemak mee rebus

Nevermind that it was rest stop food, I enjoyed every single morsel. The nasi lemak at Pagoh rest stop is one of the best (and cheapest) I’ve tried, to be honest. I first tried it when I took the bus down to Singapore and they stopped for a bite. The sambal is spicy and tasty and it comes with a whole hard boiled egg wrapped up in traditional banana leaf and waxed brown paper into the traditional pyramid shape.

So the next time I head down South, I know where I’m stopping for my toilet and tea break!

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  6. 9 comments ↓

    #1 Tine on 02.19.08 at 2:23 pm

    Amen to clean public loos!! I’d rather go to the public loos along the highway than the kopitiam toilets. Check out the Sg Perak stopover. Very the canggih :p

    #2 beetrice on 02.19.08 at 2:47 pm

    Dang…should have stopped there instead of the Ayer Keroh rest stop - the toilet was literally FLOODED (what is it with wet toilets?!?!?!)

    The Bidor rest stop is VERY nice though…heehee…but why are we talking about toilets? :D

    #3 LB on 02.19.08 at 3:22 pm

    I concur! There’s nothing more uplifting and inspirational than a good, clean, open air, naturally lit, sanitized Toilet!!!

    #4 andie summerkiss on 02.19.08 at 5:54 pm

    I hope you didn’t see me just drool there over the photos (of the food, obviously - not the toilet)

    Don’t get me wrong, I love clean public restrooms. But I think I have been banned from blogging about toilets.

    The nasi lemak and mie jawa make me miss home so much now …

    #5 ParisB on 02.19.08 at 6:08 pm

    Tine: You’re back! :) Some rest stop toilets are really skanky though. But no no to kopitiam toilets!

    Beetrice: LOL I think too many people stop at Ayer Keroh and we talk about toilets because I don’t want to talk about elections hehe…

    LB: Yes yes! Uplifting clean toilets!

    Andie: *hands you a bib* Aren’t you at home? Or still on holidays?

    #6 rinnah on 02.19.08 at 9:15 pm

    Such a refreshing sight to see clean and dry toilets at rest stops in Malaysia! I hate standing in inches of water from goodness knows where to get my ‘business’ done…

    #7 ParisB on 02.20.08 at 10:43 am

    Rinnah: It is isn’t it? Makes it so much more comfortable to go to the loo

    #8 pablopabla on 02.20.08 at 12:24 pm

    When I go down south, I always stop by at Ayer Keroh R &R for half-boiled eggs and toast. Excellent! This stall at the old R&R area (not the overhead bridge) is manned by a chinese couple (end lot) and very popular with the long haul drivers.

    #9 Giddy Tigress on 02.21.08 at 5:04 pm

    The toilets at the Tapah rest area (I think) are also very airy and clean. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked it out not too long ago. I’ll take note of the Pagoh rest area too…oh, and of course the nasi lemak looks to die for!