Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture · History

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Salahuddin Wood Fired Bakery in Johor Bahru Old Town Since 1937 (5 Minutes Walk from City Square)


✍️1 May 2024. Salahuddin Bakery is a traditional Halal bake shop at Jalan Dhoby in downtown Johor Bahru.

Salahuddin Bakery, in its third generation now was founded in 1937 by Shariff Mohamed Mahku from New Delhi. 

This was Jalan Dhoby, once a street of laundries, hence its name. I am not sure of the date of this photo.

Salahuddin Bakery still uses a room size wood fired oven to bake their breads, pastries and cakes. Salahuddin's products are baked overnight, ready for sale when it opens its doors at 9am daily. 

During the heyday of such bakeries in Johor Bahru, there were some 10 bakers using such traditional giant wood fired ovens. 

Today, there are only two left, here at Salahuddin and at Hiap Joo

Salahuddin bakes some 20 types of tradition breads and pastries, some which are rarely seen elsewhere nowadays. 

Traditional flaky cream cone or cannoli. I don't know where else to get these childhood memories in Johor or Singapore. 

Traditional curry puffs. There are curried potato with chicken or lamb in the flaky, layered pockets. 

Salahuddin Bakery sells traditional loaves which they wrap in plastic bags. 

Do pay Salahuddin Bakery a visit when you are in downtown Johor Bahru and take a trip down memory lane. 




Beautiful work lovingly done by YouTubers on the old oven in action at Salahuddin Bakery. 

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Bakery name: Salahuddin Bakery


Address: 26, Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru


Tel: +6012 766 8380


Hours: 9am - 4pm (Fri 10:30am - 12:30pm)


Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HeMCrU6aPUb74V8DA




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Written by Tony Boey on 1 May 2024


Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

✍ 6 Jan 2012. I love Salahuddin Bakery's large triangular shaped Indian curry puffs (also known as Bengali curry puffs or karipap bai) that are loaded with fillings inside. Salahuddin's curry puffs remind me of my childhood when I used to buy them from Indian peddlers who sold them from wooden boxes strapped to the back of their bicycles.

Nowadays, it is difficult to buy these treats in Malaysia and Singapore, especially good tasting ones.

Fortunately, we in Johor are still able to get excellent Indian curry puffs from Salahuddin Bakery in old downtown JB.

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Indian curry puff with mutton and potato fillings
Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Indian curry puff with potato fillings
Salahuddin Bakery’s Indian curry puffs come in fillings of curried cut potatoes and onions with minced chicken or lamb. The shells of Salahuddin’s curry puffs are crispy and flaky. Bits of the layered flaky crusts fall off as you bite into the curry puff.

The bulbous insides are bulging with generous fillings. The shell and fillings taste spicy and are fleetingly pungent to the nose. It’s the kind of flavour and aroma that instantly transports me back to those carefree school days of the 1970s (when costed 10 cents - 15 cents each).

Each triangular Indian curry puff costs RM1.70 (in 2012); RM2 (in 2020).

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Besides buying freshly baked triangular Indian curry puffs, a trip to Salahuddin Bakery is an experience in itself.

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Salahuddin is one of the oldest bakeries in JB. They still use that old room-sized wood fired oven that they had been using since 1937. (The other traditional bakery is Hiap Joo which I cover in another post.)

Salahuddin-Bakery-Johor-Bahru-Old-Town-Near-City-Square
Salahuddin-Bakery-Johor-Bahru-Old-Town-Near-City-Square

Ah.... these flaky puff pastry cream cones take me back to my childhood.

Salahuddin-Bakery-Johor-Bahru-Old-Town-Near-City-Square
Salahuddin-Bakery-Johor-Bahru-Old-Town-Near-City-Square

Salahuddin makes a wide range of old styled cakes, breads, pastries, muffins and Indian puffs – all with that old wood fired oven.

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru
Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Not only are the confectioneries made in the old way. The manner the goods are displayed for sale is just like old times.

Salahuddin_Bakery_Johor_Bahru

Even the warm and gentle way Encik Salahuddin interacts with his customers is reminiscent of a time when people are less harried and makes time to chat and catch up with each other.

A trip to Salahuddin’s is an experience that I like to indulge myself in as often as I can.

Rating: 4-Stars out of 5

->> Salahuddin Bakery is one of the oldest bakeries in JB serving traditional breads, cakes and curry puffs like a living museum.

Restaurant name: Salahuddin Bakery
Address: 26 Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.456915, 103.763428
Hours:
 +60 7-227 3736 ☎ +60 12-766 8380

Halal



Dates visited: 6 Jan 2012, 11 Jan 2012, 20 Nov 2012, numerous more times

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11 comments:

  1. Is the bakery closed on Sundays?

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  2. i agree. i have seen various members of the family helping out at different times and all of them are very polite and helpful.
    good range of bakes.

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  3. I don't think Salahuddin's curry puff uses beef infilling. More likely it is mutton based on cultural differences.

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  4. Went there today, a nice place to visit

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  5. Maybe it was an off day, but the curry puffs (chicken and mutton) were cold and the filling lacked oomph. Will try to get fresh baked ones next time.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Maybe I can find out when the pastries normally come out from the oven. Will update this post.

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  6. I wish one day I can explore this place and eat yummy food here

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  7. They sell on line ? Tq.

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. Firewood oven was the default then, prior to the 1960s when wood fuel and charcoal was plenty.

    Today, with the scarcity of firewood, all kinds of wood are now used as fuel and I just hope no chemical laced waste wood are combusted in these food ovens.

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  10. Hi Tony, how do you like these plain bread compare to Singapore Sing Hon Loong Balestier? Sing Hon Loong is good but not for those who likes European type.

    ReplyDelete

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