Famous JB Curry Fish Head @ Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Downtown Johor Bahru near City Square

This is a gem just across the Causeway in JB.

How to get there 👟👟👟? If you take a bus, just exit City Square after clearing immigration. When you are on the main road (i.e. Jalan Wong Ah Fook), turn to your left and walk in the direction of Singapore (head south). At the first traffic light, make your way across and keep walking straight ahead along a row of old shop houses (on your left). From the traffic light, you will arrive at the famed Kam Long curry fish head 金龙咖喱鱼头 in about 10 minutes of leisurely walking. 

Kam Long Restaurant 金龙 has thrived and became famous with only one item on its menu for over 25 35 years - their popular curry fish head 咖喱鱼头.



Kam Long is always full and there is always a queue of people outside, waiting for seats or waiting to take away. Actually, your nose will catch the wafts of fragrant curry as you near the shop. Follow your nose and you won’t miss it.

This place is a little harder to locate if you drive as their sign board is set inside and is overshadowed by the big yellow sign of the Johor Bahru Market Stall Holders’ Association – so look out for the Association’s yellow sign and shophouse instead.

Kam Long is a typical old style Chinese coffee shop (kopitiam in Hokkien). Décor is nonexistent. The floors are laid with mosaic and walls are covered with plain yellow coloured tiles and whitewashed. Bare bones Naked fluorescent tubes on the ceiling lit the windowless interior. No air con. Rickety multiple wall and ceiling fans whirl nosily over our heads providing ventilation. Wires dangle between appliances and yellow stained chunky old style switches. Flimsy, pasar malam (night market) plastic stools. Minimalist service. You either love it or hate it.

Like all good kopitiams, the clients looked pass all these and focus only on the food. In Kam Long, it is their signature curry fish head. 

Cooking of the fish head and all the accompanying fresh vegetables starts only after an order is made. This ensures that the curry fish head is fresh and also a longer waiting time before the food is served. So be prepared to wait, especially during peak hours.

Only fresh red snapper fish heads are used - look at that clear fish eye peeping out from under the plastic sheet. The fish heads are cooked with curry, coconut milk, okra or lady’s fingers, cabbage, long beans, fried tofu skin 腐皮 and tau kee (soy bean sticks). The concoction is cooked and served in a clay pot.

When the fish head curry arrived at the table, the curry was still popping hot steam bubbles. Typical of Chinese style curries in Johor, it was a little sweet savoury, spicy but not stinging spicy hot. The aroma and fragrance came from grainy ground spices and the curry was not saturated with coconut milk. So it was easy to slurp up the curry without getting the jelak (bloated) feeling.   

The flesh of the fish is tender firm and has that delicate sweet taste that only comes from the freshest fish. The fluffy white rice goes perfectly with the curry. The whole meal for one person – curry fish head plus a plate of boiled rice come to RM16.00 (2011 price).

Click on the picture below to read what another blogger says about Kam Long's curry fish head.

I will be back for sure 😄

I have been back to Kam Long numerous times since this post, sometimes bringing friends and other times alone when I happened to be downtown and wanted something nice and convenient. Business has been growing by leaps and bounds but I am glad that standards have been maintained consistently. Price adjustments have also been very small, if any. I updated the post in 2015 👈 click

Other popular curry fish head stalls in Johor:

Mui Seng @ Taman Melodies 👈 click

Century Curry Fish Head @ Cedar Point 👈 click

Jaybee Garden @ Taman Ungku Tun Aminah 👈 click

Botak Asam Pedas @ Jalan Lumba Kuda 👈 click

Mak Limah @ Batu Pahat 👈 click

Restaurant name: Kam Long Restaurant 金龙咖喱鱼头

Address: Jalan Wong Ah Fook

GPS: 1.459763, 103.764549

Tel: +60 16752 8382

Hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Non Halal - No Pork, No Lard

Written by Tony Boey: 27 Dec 2011 | Reviewed: 4 Apr 2022

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