Johor Bahru, a food haven for Malaysia street food, is a paradise for Singaporeans and locals alike. The short drive or train stop away makes it an ideal destination for a delicious and affordable food adventure. We’ve made multiple trips to JB since the borders opened after the pandemic, and after tasting many of its street food offerings, we’re excited to share our top 10 favorite spots.
Discovering Gim Cheng Dim Sum, a JB Local’s Favorite
@furfilise Old school #dimsum in #johor! Location is about a 5-10 minutes drive from #mountaustin ♬ Comedy, Hong Kong movies, chase, magic tricks(1182774) – BandenK
Gim Cheng Dim Sum is a must-visit for any dim sum enthusiast. This large kopitiam serves delicious and hearty dim sum pieces that are a notch above the rest. With three stations to get your food – steam counter, fried food station, and bao and porridge counter – everything is self-service, so you can pick and choose the dishes you want. Be sure to arrive early, as the items sell out fast!
Nasi Kandar Hijrah: A Tasty and Affordable Option
@johorfoodie Legendary Nasi Kandar Spot in JB!🍛😍 If you don’t know this legendary nasi kandar spot, you’re missing out❗🤩 Check out their other branch at: Nasi Kandar Kota Masai @Nasi Kandar Hijrah ♬ original sound – Johor Foodie
Nasi Kandar Hijrah, located in Taman Molek, is a clean and nicely decorated restaurant with plenty of seating. The variety of dishes to choose from is impressive, and it’s easy to order too much food, as many dishes are hard to resist. Even before selecting the dishes, a mixture of various curries is added to the rice, giving it a diverse flavor profile. The dishes we ordered were really delicious and well-cooked – the fried cow lung and crispy fried squid were standouts. We’ll definitely be back again.
Sup Tulang ZZ: A Rustic Kampong Ambience
@_faizalnasir SUP TULANG ZZ!!! Port Legend SUP TULANG GEAR BOX & Mee Rebus Tulang LEGEND 1975 yang masih wujud lagi sampai harini… Zaman 80an tengah naik Mee Rebus Tulang dia…Antara MAKANAN tarikan pelancong LUAR NEGERI JOHOR.. Orang luar datang JB mesti akan singgah sini. Korang orang Johor Bahru pernah makan sini tak? Mesti ingatkan…port ni memang full house selalu. Rasa SUP TULANG GEAR BOX dan Nasi Ayam Penyet dia pun paling memukau dan mesti repeat kalau kena. Dah ada 4 outlet ZZ ini LEGASI Zainal & Zarina. Memang tabikk!! Lebih 40 tahun perniagaan dibina! #hanyadijohor #portlegendjb #johorbahru #meerebustulang #suptulangzz ♬ original sound – Faizal Nasir
Sup Tulang ZZ has a rustic kampong ambience and laid-back charm. The must-ordered dishes here include the Soup Tulang and the Mee Rebus Gearbox. The Soup Tulang was extremely delicious and hearty, with large lamb shank bones that were a delight to devour. The Mee Rebus sauce was thick, gooey, and had a sweet, savory, spicy kick. Straws were provided to suck out the delicious bone marrow – a highly recommended breakfast in JB! ☕
Kam Long Curry Fish Head: A Signature Dish
@sgadventurousduo LIFE-CHANGING CURRY FISH HEAD!!💯💯💯 📍Kam Long Ah Zai Curry Fish Head 74, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Kam Long Curry Fish Head, located just a short walk from City Square Mall, is a popular spot that’s best avoided during peak hours. The curry gravy was really well-balanced, with just the right amount of coconut milk and spices. The meat of the red snapper was very fresh and smoothly textured, and the tau kee was the perfect accompaniment to the curry gravy. We ended up drinking the gravy by itself – it was that good!
San Low Seafood: A Hidden Gem
@foodierator San Low restaurant @ Johor Bahru! We waited >1h for the food so maybe dont go at peak hours, but food was pretty good! #sgtiktok #singaporean #jb #jbtrip #johor #johorbahru #johorbahrumalaysia🇲🇾 #malaysia #jbeats #jbtrip #jbtrip2022 #zichar #my ♬ Let’s Do It Again – Reggae Summer
San Low Seafood Restaurant, located in a residential estate, serves local Chinese seafood dishes, but the dish that made it into our top 10 is their signature San Low Fried Bee Hoon. It may look ordinary, but it packs a lot of flavor. The bee hoon has varying textures and savory, umami flavors that got us hooked. We could have just ordered the bee hoon and it would have been a worthwhile visit.
Tampoi Satay: A Delicious and Guilt-Free Option
@cikainsladurrarnew PORT MAKAN PAGI VIBES ALA ALA MUAR GENG!📍 No 44, Jalan Langsat, Kampung Pasir, Tampoi, JB | Operation kedai 7 AM – 5 PM | Operation untuk English Breakfast 7 AM – 1 PM sahaja #fyp #cikainscatering #doavendorvibes #cikainsreview #villacikains #satayclubkgpasir ♬ Mozart Minuet with violin(815356) – 松本一策
Tampoi Satay, located at Cedar Point food court near KSL Shopping Center, claims to have the best pork satay, but we didn’t try that as we usually prefer beef and mutton satay. The beef and mutton satay were very well-marinated and grilled to perfection, and were less fatty than the satay we get in Singapore, making them a guilt-free option. The satay was served with chunky peanut sauce that was lighter in flavor, ensuring that the peanut sauce didn’t overpower the satay flavor.
Ho Seng Kee: A Noodle Haven
@wicksandspices Decent old school wantan mee at Ho Seng Kee in JB City Square! ❤️ @Shan #jb #citysquare #hosengkee #wantanmee #云吞面 #fyp #malaysia #malaysianfood #foryou #food #foodtiktok #sgfypツ #sgfyp ♬ Lil Boo Thang – Paul Russell
Ho Seng Kee, located in JB City Square Mall, offers noodles with soup or dry with a few sauce options. The Mala spicy and black and spicy sauces are our favorites. While the sauces and wontons are good, the texture of the noodles is the main attraction. The noodles are made daily without any coloring or preservatives and have just the right amount of firmness that we enjoy.
Tip Top Ikan Bakar: Fresh Seafood and Delicious Sauces
@diyanahdamian #MakanAngin di Johor. Gerai Tip Top BBQ Ikan Bakar JB. Overall okayy but love the ikan siakap. Simple but delicious 😍 #JB #holiday #makanmakan ♬ abcdefu – GAYLE
Tip Top Ikan Bakar, located in a hawker center, is a popular spot that’s easy to spot due to the crowd right in front of the stall. They sell various seafood cooked in various ways, and we decided on the salted egg yolk option for the fried squid and prawns we ordered. The salted egg yolk sauce was really tasty and thick, elevating the flavor of the seafood. The prawns were large and succulent, and the fried squid was nice and crispy.
Oriental Kopi: The Best Egg Tarts in JB
@bigjohnjiak ORIENTIAL KOPI This coffee chain restaurant in Mid Valley Southkey JB has the longest queue no matter what time you are there and they serve the thickest egg tarts you can find in Malaysia. 📍No 1, LG-054, The Mall, Mid Valley, Persiaran Southkey 1, Southkey, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Opearting hrs: 9am to 10pm #sgfoodie #coffee #eggtart #polobun #laksa #kopi #johorfood #wheretoeat #foodreview #hojiakbo #midvalley #tiktoksg #viral #makeitviral #fyp #bigjohnjiak ♬ original sound – John Yap
Oriental Kopi truly serves the thickest egg tarts in JB, and in our opinion, also the best egg tart in JB. The egg tarts have been consistent across the different outlets we’ve visited. The pastry is light and flaky, while the egg custard is like fluffy sweetened egg. Although thick, due to the lightness of the custard, it’s easy to eat more than one in a single sitting.
Kacang Pool Haji: A Delicious and Addictive Breakfast Dish
@jhazmr Kacang Pool Haji di Johor. #kacangpoolhaji #kacangpool #foodhunt #foodtiktok #fyp #foodlover #tiktokfood #foodie ♬ DJ Senyumanmu Membuatku Tersenyum Malu – Yudha Paramata
Kacang Pool Haji was our first time trying kachang pool, and we heard that it’s the place to go. The kacang pool had a nice balance of flavors with the curry spices, fava beans, and minced meat. They also add diced onions and green chili for some spiciness, plus a fried egg to top it off. They then served the kacang pool with margarine toast. We recommend breaking up the toasted bread that they serve with the kacang pool and mixing the pieces in the thick gravy. This will ensure each bite is full of the wonderful kacang pool flavor.
Akaka Cendol: A Must-Try Dessert
@umakemehungry 🇲🇾 A stop over for Chendol at Toppen Shopping Centre #sgfoodie #umakemehungry #tiktoksg #sgfood #foodtok #singapore #foryou #foodislove #foodblogger #foodie #thefoodieinitiative #吃货 #新加坡 #TimeOutSg #youtubesg #fypシ #sgfoodhunt ♬ Tâm Lặng Như Nước – Bé Mèow Xinh 10
Akaka Cendol, located in Toppan Mall, serves one of the best chendols we’ve had in Singapore or JB. This is comparable to the famous power chendol from Jing Jing dessert at ABC Food Center in Singapore, as both the gula malacca syrups are cooked for many hours, making them thick, rich, and having a wonderful shine.
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