JB Food on Foot Day Trip • Walk & Eat Guide of Downtown Johor Bahru (Food near CIQ & City Square)

✍ 2 May 2024. These eating places are just 10 minutes walk from the JB CIQ, so they are good for a day trip to get a taste of JB with little hassle as you can just get across from Singapore whenever you are free with little to no planning required. Just avoid eve of long weekends and long public holidays.

Of course, there are many ways to get to the Woodlands CIQ by public transport and across to the Johor Bahru CIQ. There are public bus 911, 950, 160, 170, etc., then there is the KTM train. Soon, in 2026, Singapore's MRT will end in Johor Bahru itself.

Note: Apply for MACS 2, if you are visiting Johor Bahru occasionally. Clearance is a breeze and importantly saves precious passport pages as no chop is required. 

As we normally arrive before 10am, I usually ask my kaki kaki to gather here at the ground level taxi stand at the POINT kiosk. If after 10am, City Square Mall is opened, so we can also gather inside. Outside the Old Town White Coffee shop at level 3 is a good spot. 

Kam Long Ah Zai curry fish head. On your walk to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, you will pass JB's most famous curry fish head, thanks to daily throngs of Singapore day trippers. Founded in 1983, Kam Long is one of JB's oldest curry fish head places. Coconut milk is relatively light, spices are well balanced and not overly spicy hot. Coupled with fresh fish heads and vegetables, it is easy to like and affordable, hence its popularity. 

Kam Loong curry fish head at Jalan Meldrum. You will feel an immediate sense of deva vu from the signages, restaurant name to the taste of the dish. This Jalan Meldrum outlet has richer coconut milk and more robust spice mix. Same fresh snapper head. Kam Long and Kam Loong were former partners at the Jalan Wong Ah Fook shop but Kam Loong went their own way to Jalan Meldrum in 2010.

Ya Wang or literally King of Ducks is now on a side street along Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Ya Wang was the creator of dangui marinated duck and has spawned a few roast duck chains owned by Ya Wang's disciples. Ya Wang is proud that they are the consultant for Singapore Dian Xiao Er restaurants. Ya Wang's duck come in dangui and ginseng flavours. The skin is not crisp but the meat is well infused with dangui or ginseng which made it unique and won the restaurant many fans.

Sekee Teochew kway teow noodles. Founded in the 1940s, one of the stalwarts of Teochew kway teow in Johor. Don't expect strong MSG boosted flavours from the pork soup but natural savoury sweetness extracted by patiently simmering over low charcoal flame like in the old days. Go for the full works of pork slices, kidney, liver, Muar oysters, etc. 

Jalan Trus, looking south (in the direction of Singapore - you can see the Woodlands CIQ and Woodlands flats in the background).

Hua Mui kopitiam. An old Hainanese coffee shop founded in 1946, still loved by its multi generational following of all communities. One of the first chicken chop places in Johor. They have a whole range of local delights and Hainanese Western. I like their French toast and Nanyang kopi. 

Ah Mah TeoChew Kuih is another contemporary kopitiam / cafe. The theme is grandma's traditional Teochew kueh, braised dishes, porridge, and then the usual coffee and local delights like fried kway teow. 

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, looking west. 

Kin Wah kopitiam. One of stalwarts of old downtown JB. Old school Nanyang kopi, soft boiled egg, toasts. Have several small tenant stalls serving nasi lemak, dry mee siam, kueh kueh, chwee kueh, etc. Still holding its own despite burgeoning competition all around. The most atmospheric kopitiam in this area, crowds, tight spaces, noisy, busy, hot, humid, and all the charming grittiness of old Malaya. 

Kin Wah coffee shop in 1971. It was known as Kim Wah then, and its tenant nasi padang stall was the main draw. 

Hiap Joo Bakery. No old downtown JB itinerary is complete without checking in at Hiap Joo, founded 1919. Of course, they are most famous for their banana cake baked with their century old wood fired oven. Their buns, butter cake and cake rusks are also popular with regulars.

Dona Bakehouse. Right next door to Hiap Joo. I haven't tried this myself. According to Google reviews, most people like their fresh baked pastries and breads while mains and beverages (coffee, etc) have mixed reviews. 

Xiao Fu sells traditional Chinese bakes. I haven't got anything from them yet but saw that the shop is often filled with customers.

Japanese troops patrolling Jalan Tan Hiok Nee in 1941. Next stop Singapore. 

Roast and Coffee or R & C for short. Johor Bahru has many brands of traditional coffee places with air conditioning. They serve good Nanyang style coffee and toasts, plus an extensive menu of local delights as well as Western staples with local twists. R & C is one of the local preferred brands (they have several outlets including this at Tan Hiok Nee). 

Kopiloco, R & C's competitor just next door 😂 Same concept of Nanyang kopi, local delights, local Western, and innovative dishes. Both have loyal following. 

Xuu Yau wanton noodles. They serve crunchy springy egg noodles in white (lard), red (with chili) and black (dark soy sauce) versions. Their springy and flavoursome handmade fish balls are very good too. One of the best wanton noodles within walking distance from JB CIQ. 

Marrybrown, the iconic Red House of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is now an outlet of the Johor Bahru homegrown global fried chicken brand. (My review is on the Toppen outlet.)

Busker was belting out some soulful Mandarin Chinese ballads that stopped me in my tracks 👏👏👏

Triple K Beef Noodle. This place tucked away in the quieter western side of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee serves Nanyang coffee, eggs and toasts as well as beef noodle and mutton noodle soup.

Amphawa Boat Noodle. I have not tried their Tan Hiok Nee outlet before, but did had a good time at their Sutera branch. 

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, looking east. 

If you are coming in for a day trip, I won't advice self driving because parking is hard to get and parking enforcement is rigorous. 

Jalan Dhoby, looking west. 

Tiong Guan Nyonya kopitiam. Similar in concept with the coffee shops in this area but with a Nyonya twist. They have a good range of Nyonya kueh to go with your Nanyang kopi.

The Straits Times, 2 Mar 1937.

The intersection of Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Trus where a car driven by Sultan Ibrahim was involved in a minor collision with a lorry in Mar 1937.

Qin Garden kopitiam. This is a spinoff from Kin Wah. I park myself here often as it is cooler and less crowded here. The coffee is nice. They have toast, mee siam, mee rebus, lontong, etc. The original nasi padang from Kin Wah is with Qin Garden now. 

The Replacement. I haven't tried this. The Replacement serves espresso coffee, and creative salads as well as savouries like pasta, sandwiches, burgers, cakes and pastries.

Jalan Dhoby was named after the many Indian laundries along this street. Dhoby means laundry or laundryman in Hindi.

Flowers in the Window. Cafes are like flowers, so not many have longivity unless they are exceptional. Appealing atmospherics, nice decor, comfortable furnishings, delicious food and drinks, good service, all within expected price range. Flowers in the Window is still here, so it speaks for itself.

Palates & Bagels. I haven't tried this place which serves espresso coffee, mocktails, savoury local delights as well as pastries and especially bagel sandwiches. Cafe features photogenic retro artsy decor.

Pacific Kopi, the newest (opened Oct 2013) nostalgic Nanyang style coffee shop to join the party at Old Downtown JB. 

Salahuddin Bakery. The other traditional bakery with the room size wood fired oven. Founded in 1937 and run by a Muslim family. Serves a wide range of traditional baked and fried breads and pastries including old school loaves. 

IT Roo Cafe reputedly serves the best chicken chop in (JB) town. Well, it was awarded the "Best Chicken Chop in Malaysia Award" by The Star newspaper in 2003, nearly 20 years ago. It's an old school chicken chop made with meaty thigh with skin, thick crunchy batter and buttery brown sauce plus fried potato wedges.

IT Roo in the 1950s.

Jalan Dhoby looking east. 

Kok Yaw Yong herbal tea. A hole in the wall shop serving light refreshing herbal and chrysanthemum tea. But, if you feel under the weather or need an energy boost, ask the boss for their special signature concoction. Bitter and barely palatable, and they will give you a cup of chrysanthemum tea to wash it down. You will feel better right away 😂

Orh Luak stall at Meldrum Walk. Fat juicy oysters in a luscious web of scrambled eggs and lard. Needs WhatsApp +60 11-5683 6837 booking for a chance to taste it 😅

Sadly, there is nothing more I like to recommend at Meldrum Walk as this eating spot is a pale shadow of its heyday. After the hard hit by COVID-19, almost all the original stalls have closed, moved or changed hands. 

Hock Chiang Hing, JB's oldest bao and dim sum shop. Very old school, so you will not have those dainty bites of haute dim sum but filling, satisfying, greasy, meaty, doughy comforting staples.

Nasi Padang Sukaramai. Not in the Tan Hiok Nee / Jalan Dhoby / Jalan Trus area but a popular Indonesian run nasi padang which is popular with locals. Located opposite and across the road from the Maybank branch in City Square Mall.

Warong Pokok Cherry is opposite Persada convention centre. They serve traditional Malay dishes Kelantan style. Also have nasi campur and lots of sides. A place where local workers come for an affordable work day lunch.

Toddy or coconut wine. Probably the only toddy shop in JB and luckily within walking distance from JB CIQ. Made from fermented coconut flower bud sap. Tastes sourish sweet about 5% alcohol.

There are lots more things to discover in Old Downtown JB, so I will update this guide regularly. If I didn't mention your favourite, please let me know. I will go pay it a visit.

Construction progress of the MRT - RTS as at May 2024.

Many exciting things are coming to JB, including the MRT and RTS in 2026. Everyone is very excited and looking forward to new places to explore and enjoy in Johor Bahru.

Read more 👉

#ShotwithHONOR, #HONORMagic6Pro, #HONORSingapore, JB Food on Foot, JB Walking Tours, JB Old Town, 

Written by Tony Boey on 2 May 2024

This video was made in 2014 (ten years ago). A lot has changed during this time.

✍ 17 Jun 2012. This long post is dedicated to readers who take day trips using public buses from Singapore to JB and wish to explore JB food on foot.

Many Singaporean day trippers spend their day shopping and dining inside City Square Shopping Centre which is directly connected to the Malaysian Immigration building. If you like to explore JB food beyond City Square, here is my list of interesting places for food and drinks within 10 minutes walking distance from City Square that you might want to try out.

Eating places near CIQ and City Square

Use this sketch to help you navigate. The numbers 1 to 12 refer to the mentioned food places. Note that the sketch is not drawn to scale and is meant only as a guide.

After clearing immigration, walk through City Square, and head for Jalan Wong Ah Fook which is the busy main street in JB downtown.

When on Jalan Wong Ah Fook, walk in the direction of Singapore and look out for this Hindu temple across the road from City Square. You can use this Hindu temple as the point of reference.

BREAKFAST

If you want to have a nice kaya toast and coffee breakfast, I suggest you try Kin Wah or Hua Mui kopitiams. Both are popular Hainanese kopitiams that have been around for decades.

Kin Wah kopitiam is usually packed like this every morning. It is well known for its kampung half boiled eggs and, of course, its robust traditional Hainanese coffee. It also has popular crowd pullers like toast bread and buns, nasi lemak, mee siam and mee rebus.

Hua Mui is an institution here in old JB but the premises and menu have been modernised. Sipping Hainanese coffee and having toast bread is a ritual for many of Hua Mui’s regular customers.

^ click for details

LUNCH

For lunch, you can try out Kin Wah’s famous nasi padang. Kin Wah is always jam packed with office workers during lunch who find their fresh home cooked nasi padang dishes irresistible. I especially like their flavourful beef rendang and refreshing fried bean sprouts. (Update: This nasi padang stall has moved to Qin Garden kopitiam, a few doors from Kin Wah. Qin Garden is located between Hua Mui and Kin Wah.)

If you want to try traditional Teochew kway teow, then walk over to Ah Hua kway teow. Ah Hua is one of the oldest kway teow soup shops in JB. Ah Hua even still uses charcoal to boil its pork bone soup – something that I have not seen anywhere else anymore. Spend RM16 and you will get a bowl chock full of luxuries like canned abalone, fresh oysters, liver, kidney and more.

Nearby is another traditional Teochew kway teow shop – Sang Heng run by an elderly gentleman just beside the OCBC bank. Waiting time here is long here due to the number of customers but it has a certain rustic charm that keeps drawing people back, including many from Singapore. (Closed)

If you want to have a vegetarian meal, then Annalakshmi is the place for you. Delicious traditional Indian vegetarian meals lovingly cooked by volunteers, many of whom are mothers who are experienced in home cooking. Uniquely, there is no fixed price for your meal at Annalakshmi. Annalakshmi operates on the principle of “eat to your heart’s content, pay as your heart feels”. (Closed)

If you want to have a hearty Western meal, you can go back to Hua Mui for their Hainanese style Western food. Their classic chicken chop is especially popular. They also have local staples like mee goreng and fried hor fun.

Alternatively, you can try IT Roo Café – another traditional Hainanese café. IT Roo is renowned for its chunky fried chicken chop and fresh mushroom sauce – I love it.

For the information of Muslim readers, both Hua Mui and IT Roo are certified Halal.

If you like duck, there is Ya Wang, an old established herbal roast duck shop. Ya Wang is the appointed Adviser to Singapore’s Dian Xiao Er roast duck franchise. I like my roast duck to be crispier but there many people who love Ya Wang’s softer herbal style.

Along the main street, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, there is Kam Long fish head curry. The secret of Kam Long’s success? It makes its popular curry fish head with the freshest fish and vegetables – that’s it. Try it. Many people rave about Kam Long’s curry fish head as the lunch time crowd testifies.

When you feel the afternoon heat, pop by the 100 year old Kok Yow Yong herbal tea shop for a quick thirst quencher. If you need an extra energy boost or to fight off a cold, you can even ask for a "special".

^ click for details

RECOMMENDED TAKE AWAYS

Before you return home, remember to drop by the two traditional bakeries in JB downtown. Hiap Joo and Salahuddin make a wide range of traditional cakes and pastries. Both Hiap Joo and Salahuddin bakeries still use their decades old wood fired ovens! Dropping in to watch them use these ancient ovens is an education in itself.

I especially love Hiap Joo’s fluffy, soft and moist banana cakes made only with fresh natural ingredients.

From something old, to something contemporary just next door. I like to pick up mille crepe cakes from Maco Vintage cafe. The mille crepe cakes come in many innovative styles but all are fresh and delicious. (Closed)

Salahuddin bakery makes those giant sized Bengali curry puffs that bring back memories of my school days in 1970s Singapore.

DINNER

If you stay for dinner, check out Meldrum Walk. This is a row of back lane push cart stalls that slowly come to life starting from around 5:30pm before coming to full bloom at around 7:00pm.

There is a bewildering range of choices to suit every palate. I have yet to try most of the stalls but these I liked.

The BBQ chicken is outstanding. It is very basic, just a simple marinade and the sweetness of the fresh BBQ chicken’s own juices!

There are several kambing soup stalls. This kambing soup I've tried is hefty and loaded with chunky pieces of lamb. 

The tender and tasty oh chien is thick with eggs and huge fresh oysters.

There is a Tandoori chicken stall that cooks the chicken and naan with a traditional tandoor oven. (Update: This stall is closed.)

There are many BBQ seafood stalls in Meldrum Walk both in the Halal and non Halal sections. I’ve tried Kak Long’s stingray and catfish, and I liked it.

There you have it. If you want to try some things new or experiences not available in Singapore, these are all within a short leisurely walk away from City Square.

Another walking food tour of JB that you may like to try is around the Jalan Lumba Kuda area - click on the picture for the full article.

Just a word of caution. JB is generally a safe place but please do be alert and take the usual precautions to have an enjoyable outing e.g. move away when approached by “Scratch and Win” scammers.

Click on photo to view video

Wish you happy eating and a safe and fun day trip in JB.

I actually have another walking guide to Old Downtown JB, if you are interested to see how Old JB has slowly changed recently 👈 click

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