The Best Places to Eat in Johor Bahru (JB)
Johor Bahru (JB) is a food lover's paradise. This guide highlights some of the best places to eat, spanning various cuisines and dining experiences across different areas of JB and beyond.
Taman Melodies: A Cafe Hopper's Dream
Taman Melodies is a street known for its concentration of cafes, making it easy to hop from one to another.
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Kajj: A Japanese-inspired cafe with an industrial theme.
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Known for their matcha latte and ojasuk, hand-whisked for quality.
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Offers delicious and well-balanced main courses and desserts. The cheesecake with salt crystals on matcha mousse is a must-try. Be prepared to queue.
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Hiutsu Coffee Roastery: A hidden gem located beside a mechanic shop.
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Simple interior, but top-notch coffee.
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They roast their own beans to ensure quality. The dirty latte is highly recommended, especially for those who enjoy nutty notes.
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Pallets and Bagels: The place for bagels with unique flavors.
- Offers a variety of bagels, from parmesan cheese and black truffle to pickled chili, salted sakura, and machan chicken floss.
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Melodies of Thai: A Thai-themed cafe that feels like Phuket.
- A cooling spot to escape the JB heat. The egg, cheese, and truffle bagel is a highlight.
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Plus Coffee: A quaint little cafe known for its pistachio-based menu.
- Offers pistachio latte and pistachio cheesecake with actual nuts. A perfect spot for pistachio lovers.
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Pine Chicken Rice: Sells a unique combination of baanti, nasi lemak, and claypot chicken.
- Nasi lemak is decent, but comparisons to KL versions are inevitable. Chicken rice is standard.
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Dai Lok Lok: A must-try for supper. Open from 5 PM to 3 AM.
- Flagship burger and Ramly burger are thick and satisfying. The satay is also incredible.
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Nim's Pastry Cafe: A beautifully designed cafe with a European charm.
- Perfect for Instagram photos. Ambience is the highlight.
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Restaurant Teck Sing: Technically outside Taman Melodies but close by.
- Famous for their paper-wrapped herbal chicken, which is very tender. Also offers a tuha menu for large groups.
KSL Mall Area: Convenience and Hidden Gems
This area centers around KSL Mall, offering a mix of cafes and dining experiences.
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Space Cafe: A modern Scandinavian-style cafe with natural light.
- Offers a modest range of pastries to pair with coffee. A good spot to rest after shopping at KSL.
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Caillouin: Brings Balinese food to JB in a beautiful glasshouse.
- Offers sets with nasi jumbo and pork ribs. The pork ribs are tender and melt in your mouth. Transforms into a bar with a live band at night.
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KSL Night Market: Pops up outside KSL Mall when the sun goes down (Monday nights only).
- Offers a variety of street food. Look out for the seller with a particular sign for a certain dish, and the couple selling onigiri. It can get crowded.
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Ping Ming Dim Sum: Popular dim sum spot (unvisited due to long queues).
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Lagi City (Bonus Spot): A well-known tuna place outside KSL range.
- Famous for their tao fish and curry fish. Offers other side dishes. A temporary location as they're upgrading Taman Serena Center. Best to visit with larger groups to try more dishes.
Taman Pelangi: Unexpected Culinary Delights
The main street might be deceiving, but a turn reveals a cluster of amazing food options.
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KCJ Coffee (Previously Outstanding Coffee): Reopened with a Korean vibe.
- Sandos are made fresh to order. Coffee has strong nutty notes.
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Times It Shuang: Offers different kinds of wantan mee.
- Serves both black and white wantan mee. A simple yet great breakfast option.
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Legendary Tau Fu Fah: A roadside stall with long queues.
- Specializes in binkut (tofu pudding) with a special pandan flavor. Offers toppings like bubble tea.
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Parker Lok Lok: Offers a variety of lok lok options.
- Located opposite the Shell petrol station. Look out for Singaporean license plates.
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JWC Bros and Co.: An office-themed cafe that transforms into a cocktail bar at night.
- Offers a dark roast Infernal Drip coffee.
Beyond the City: Worth the Extra Drive
If you have time, these spots outside of central JB are highly recommended.
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Our Eating House: A must-try for generations, known for their quok.
- Generous portions of pork slices, minced meat, and liver paired with flavorful seaweed soup with abalone slices.
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Shiki Eating House (M Austin): Serves authentic Sarawakian food. Location may change.
- The laksa and dry wantan are irresistible. The wantan mix with scallion oil is fragrant.
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Hokki Cake Bakery (M Austin): Offers soft and fluffy sponge cakes.
- Offers a combination of flavors. The pandan cake is fragrant.
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Hua Mui Restaurant (M Austin): An outlet of the famous Hainanese chicken chop restaurant.
- The batter is well-fried and crispy. The brown sauce is reminiscent of Jollibee's fried chicken dip.
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Skudai: Tree in One Cake: Mix of sweet potato, yam, and yanka. Pisang Goring is recommended.
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Bali Pandak Rice (Skudai): Duck rice with outstanding herbal soup.
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S Club Cafe: A unique experience dining with alpacas.
- Two well-cared-for alpacas, Coco and Melon. Each food or drink order comes with a bucket of food to feed the alpacas.
JB is a food haven, and this guide only scratches the surface. There are many more good options to discover.
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