Food

8 Johor Bahru Food Spots Worth Crossing the Causeway For

From a century-old wood-fired bakery to a Hong Kong street-snack shop with six straight years of Michelin recognition, these eight Johor Bahru institutions are why locals and Singaporean day-trippers keep crossing the Causeway for a meal — with addresses and opening days for each.

Jamie Tan23 July 20266 min read

Johor Bahru's food scene has always run on two currents: century-old Chinese kopitiams clustered around the Tan Hiok Nee heritage core, and Malay cooking that never needed a tourist brochure to draw a crowd. All eight spots below are currently-trading, independently verified originals — not new openings riding on the JB food-tourism wave.

The heritage core: Tan Hiok Nee to Jalan Wong Ah Fook

Four of these institutions sit within a short walk of each other in downtown JB. Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory has been baking in a charcoal oven since 1919, and its banana cake — added to the menu in the early 2000s — now draws a daily queue. A few streets over, Restoran Hua Mui has served its signature Hainanese fried chicken chop since 1946. Kam Long Ah Zai Curry Fish Head, on Jalan Wong Ah Fook, traces its curry fish head recipe back to 1983, while Restoran Ya Wang on Jalan Segget pioneered JB's herbal roasted duck more than 30 years ago and now consults for Singapore's Dian Xiao Er chain.

Beyond downtown

Restoran Kacang Pool Haji in Taman Dato Onn, Larkin, serves Johor's own kacang pool — stewed kidney beans in a tomato-based sauce, a dish adapted generations ago from the Middle Eastern ful medames. Shun Fa (Soon Huat) Bak Kut Teh's original Taman Sentosa shop has been simmering claypot pork rib soup since 1975, since expanding to more than 20 branches. Kwan Kee Store JB, opposite KSL in Taman Abad, is the local branch of a Hong Kong street-snack shop whose parent store held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for six consecutive years. And near Plaza Pelangi, the family behind Otak Shiduoli has been grilling otak-otak by hand for more than 30 years — good enough that some say it beats Muar's own.

Before you go

Several of these keep specific rest days — Kam Long Ah Zai is closed Mondays, Ya Wang is closed Wednesdays, Otak Shiduoli is closed Tuesdays, and Hiap Joo doesn't open on Sundays. Kwan Kee sells until stock runs out, sometimes well before closing time. No prices in this article are confirmed from a first-party source, so check menus on arrival, and note that Kam Long Ah Zai is not halal-certified — Restoran Kacang Pool Haji is the clearer halal-friendly option on this list.

Johor Bahru food institutions — at a glance

Name	Known For	Area	Since / Recognition
Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory	Wood-fired banana cake	Jalan Tan Hiok Nee	Since 1919
Restoran Hua Mui	Hainanese chicken chop	Jalan Trus	Since 1946
Kam Long Ah Zai Curry Fish Head	Curry fish head	Jalan Wong Ah Fook	Since 1983
Restoran Ya Wang	Herbal roasted duck	Jalan Segget	30+ years trading
Restoran Kacang Pool Haji	Kacang pool (Johor original)	Taman Dato Onn, Larkin	Long-running institution
Shun Fa (Soon Huat) Bak Kut Teh	Claypot bak kut teh	Taman Sentosa	Since 1975
Kwan Kee Store JB	Michelin-listed HK street snacks	Taman Abad (opp. KSL)	HK parent: Bib Gourmand 2016-2021
Otak Shiduoli	Grilled otak-otak	Taman Maju Jaya	30+ years trading

Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory — Jalan Tan Hiok Nee

A wood-fired bakery dating to 1919, one of the few in Malaysia still using a charcoal oven. Its banana cake — made with real berangan bananas and no artificial additives — turned a century-old bread shop into a queue-daily destination after it was added to the menu in the early 2000s. Also sells coconut, red bean, peanut, kaya and otak-otak buns. Address: 13 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, 80000 Johor Bahru. Open Monday–Saturday, 7:30am–4:30pm; closed Sundays.

Restoran Hua Mui — Jalan Trus

An old-school Hainanese kopitiam operating since 1946, one of JB's oldest. Known for its Hainanese fried chicken chop — crispy fried chicken over a savoury gravy with peas and potato wedges — alongside kaya toast and other Hainanese-Western fusion dishes. Address: 131 Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Bahru. Open daily, 8:30am–5:30pm.

Kam Long Ah Zai Curry Fish Head — Jalan Wong Ah Fook

A curry fish head specialist tracing back to 1983 as Kim Loong, which split into two shops in 2010. The signature dish is a whole fish head or fish meat simmered in a rich curry with cabbage and long beans, and it consistently draws queues along Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Not halal-certified. Address: 74 Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 80000 Johor Bahru. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 8am–4pm; closed Mondays.

Restoran Ya Wang — Jalan Segget

The shop that pioneered herbal roasted duck in JB more than 30 years ago, and which now serves as a consultant to Singapore's Dian Xiao Er chain. Ducks are roasted with a choice of Angelica herb, wild ginseng or a proprietary ten-herb blend; also does char siew, roast pork and suckling pig. Address: 44 Jalan Segget, 80000 Johor Bahru. Open daily except Wednesday, 8am–6pm.

Restoran Kacang Pool Haji — Taman Dato Onn, Larkin

A Malay-owned specialist in kacang pool, a Johor original adapted generations ago from the Middle Eastern ful medames — simmered kidney beans in a tomato-based sauce, topped with a fried egg and served with bread or rice. Also does lontong basah and lontong kering. A long-running breakfast-through-supper institution. Address: 12 Jalan Dato Jaafar, Taman Dato Onn, 80350 Johor Bahru (Larkin). Open daily, 7am–midnight.

Shun Fa (Soon Huat) Bak Kut Teh — Taman Sentosa

The original Taman Sentosa shop of a bak kut teh chain that has since grown to more than 20 branches, opened by a husband-and-wife team in 1975. Serves claypot-style pork rib soup along with other claypot dishes; expect a wait during peak hours. Address: 11 Jalan Sutera 1, Taman Sentosa, 80150 Johor Bahru. Open daily, 8:30am–8pm (until 6pm on Mondays).

Kwan Kee Store JB — Taman Abad

The Johor Bahru branch of a Hong Kong street-snack shop whose parent store held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for six consecutive years (2016–2021). Pastries are made fresh with freshly milled rice rather than ready-made glutinous flour, including sticky rice rolls, durian pastries, wife cakes and phoenix egg rolls. Sold first-come, first-served until stock runs out. Address: Ground Floor, Shop 7, Menara Malpakat, Holiday Villa, 260 Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Abad, 80400 Johor Bahru (opposite KSL). Open daily from 11am until sold out.

Otak Shiduoli — Taman Maju Jaya

A family-run otak-otak stall near Plaza Pelangi that some say rivals Muar itself, still grilled by the matriarch who founded it with her husband more than 30 years ago. Also serves nasi lemak, mee siam, fried fish cake and other breakfast items. Address: 16 Jalan Maju, Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru. Open Wednesday–Monday, 6:30am–12pm; closed Tuesdays.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Johor Bahru's most famous food?

There's no single answer, but Hiap Joo Bakery's wood-fired banana cake, Kam Long Ah Zai's curry fish head and Restoran Hua Mui's Hainanese chicken chop are among the dishes most consistently cited by Singaporean and Malaysian food writers as reasons to visit JB specifically.

Do Singaporeans really cross the Causeway just for these?

Yes — several of these spots, including Hiap Joo Bakery and Kam Long Ah Zai, are regularly cited in Singapore food media as day-trip destinations, and ringgit pricing on the Malaysian side is a recurring draw, though exact savings vary by exchange rate and dish.

Do any of these places take reservations?

No — all eight are walk-in kopitiams, hawker stalls or takeaway counters. Peak-hour queues are normal at Hiap Joo, Kam Long Ah Zai and Shun Fa Bak Kut Teh, and Kwan Kee Store sells out some days before its unofficial closing time, so arriving earlier in the day helps.

Are any of these spots halal-friendly?

Restoran Kacang Pool Haji, a Malay-owned specialist, is the clearest halal-friendly choice on this list. The rest are Chinese-run kopitiams and hawker stalls — Kam Long Ah Zai Curry Fish Head, for one, is explicitly not halal-certified — so Muslim visitors should check status individually before visiting.

#johor bahru food#jb food#malaysian food#jb hawker food#causeway food trip

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