Johor Roti Canai (Prata) Selection

Roti Canai (known as Prata in Singapore) is a popular comfort food in Malaysia and Singapore. Personally, I like my roti thick, made up of many folds, with the outer layers crisp and thin while the inner layers remain slightly softer and chewy. To me, good roti is fluffy with very little, if any trace of oil. I also like my roti canai to come with full bodied spicy curry. Some of my makan kakis like their roti to be thin and crispy throughout, almost like a large layered biscuit. My dad likes to drown his roti in curry, let it soak in the curry for a while, and then eat the spicy, soft, soggy bread. So, to each his own roti :)) Here are my favourites in Johor (there are plenty more that I have yet to explore).



Selera Selatan in Taman Johor Jaya, Rosmerah is one of those rare roti canai shops where the good roti is matched with great curries. Enche Loy the owner spreads his dough really wide, and I guess there must be 10 folds in his roti. Selera Selatan's roti is thick, with the outside crispy while the inside is chewy and still moist. Selera Selatan's curries are made with lots of ingredients and spices, so they are robust and full bodied. Selera Selatan also serves their roti with nasi lemak style sambal chili with anchovies.



Bukit Chagar roti canai is the favourite of many from Johor, and also Singapore as the stall is just a stone's throw from the JB CIQ. I like Bukit Chagar's roti too because it is thick with the outside crispy while the inside is tender. Bukit Chagar's roti canai would be perfect for me, if their curry is also robust and full bodied.



Mohd Salleh's roti canai in Taman Pelangi is the regular breakfast of many JBrians. Moistier and softer than the roti of Selera Selatan and Bukit Chagar, it is also one my of my favourites. Not overly crispy, Mohd Salleh's roti has a unique texture and pleasant mouth feel. The curry though is rather ordinary. It is best to be at Mohd Salleh at peak hours like during breakfast to get the roti straight off the frying pan.



Click on the picture above to view other popular roti canai shops in Johor.

Roti Canai (known as Prata in Singapore) is a popular comfort food in Malaysia and Singapore. Personally, I like my roti thick, made up of many folds, with the outer layers crisp and thin while the inner layers remain slightly softer and chewy. To me, good roti is fluffy with very little, if any trace of oil. I also like my roti canai to come with full bodied spicy curry. Some of my makan kakis like their roti to be thin and crispy throughout, almost like a large layered biscuit. My dad likes to drown his roti in curry, let it soak in the curry for a while, and then eat the spicy, soft, soggy bread. So, to each his own roti :)) Here are my favourites in Johor (there are plenty more that I have yet to explore).



Selera Selatan in Taman Johor Jaya, Rosmerah is one of those rare roti canai shops where the good roti is matched with great curries. Enche Loy the owner spreads his dough really wide, and I guess there must be 10 folds in his roti. Selera Selatan's roti is thick, with the outside crispy while the inside is chewy and still moist. Selera Selatan's curries are made with lots of ingredients and spices, so they are robust and full bodied. Selera Selatan also serves their roti with nasi lemak style sambal chili with anchovies.



Bukit Chagar roti canai is the favourite of many from Johor, and also Singapore as the stall is just a stone's throw from the JB CIQ. I like Bukit Chagar's roti too because it is thick with the outside crispy while the inside is tender. Bukit Chagar's roti canai would be perfect for me, if their curry is also robust and full bodied.



Mohd Salleh's roti canai in Taman Pelangi is the regular breakfast of many JBrians. Moistier and softer than the roti of Selera Selatan and Bukit Chagar, it is also one my of my favourites. Not overly crispy, Mohd Salleh's roti has a unique texture and pleasant mouth feel. The curry though is rather ordinary. It is best to be at Mohd Salleh at peak hours like during breakfast to get the roti straight off the frying pan.



Click on the picture above to view other popular roti canai shops in Johor.

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Restoran Selera Selatan in Rosmerah, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

 

This roti canai at Restoran Selera  Selatan in the Rosmerah area of Taman Johor Jaya was recommended by my friend Sally Wong on Johor Yummy Facebook group.
 
This is the most balanced roti canai stall that I have come across, so far. Frequently, roti canai stalls either have good roti or good curry. Seldom are both the roti and curry equally good. Some of my favourites have great roti but would have been perfect, if their curry was just as good.

 

 

Selera Selatan is one of the rare roti canai shops where the great roti is matched with an equally great curry.

The roti was crispy outside and inside it still retained a slight stretchy softness.

 

Selera Selatan serves a fragrant curry made with lots of vegetables and spices. I have not seen another stall putting so much ingredients in their curry.

The sambal was tasty too with robust anchovy flavour which I liked.

Enche Loy had been making roti canai for over 20 years. Selera Selatan has many regulars of all communities. Many regulars were more like friends of Enche Loy.

 

 
The two of us had 3 pieces of kosong which I feel is the best way to taste test a roti :) This was excellent as the charred marks on the skin and the soft insides attest. There was also very little oil on or in the roti.

Look how big Enche Loy spreaded that dough. You can imagine how crispy and fluffy that roti will be when the dough is folded and fried.

 

We added this "plaster" which was roti kosong topped with a fried egg.

This was nice too - the egg yolk and white gave the roti a nice eggy note. But, I wish they had given this tasty version of roti canai a more attractive name. I just can't associate the word "plaster" with delicious food :)

This is the roti with egg and bawang (chopped onions) which is a popular choice at Selera Selatan besides the kosong.

Selera Selatan opens at 7:00am and closes at 3:00pm but the roti canai is usually sold out by 10:30am, and sometimes as early as 9:00am. The rest of the day, Selera Selatan sells nasi campur.

Restaurant name: Restoran Selera Selatan
Address: Jalan Rosmerah 2/13 (opposite Ang's Laksa), Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/aAN31
GPS: 1.534345,103.795089
Hours: 7:00am to sold out (usually about 10:30am but sometimes by 9:00am). Closed on Sunday.
Halal

Date visited: 21 Nov 2012

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This roti canai at Restoran Selera  Selatan in the Rosmerah area of Taman Johor Jaya was recommended by my friend Sally Wong on Johor Yummy Facebook group.
 
This is the most balanced roti canai stall that I have come across, so far. Frequently, roti canai stalls either have good roti or good curry. Seldom are both the roti and curry equally good. Some of my favourites have great roti but would have been perfect, if their curry was just as good.

 

 

Selera Selatan is one of the rare roti canai shops where the great roti is matched with an equally great curry.

The roti was crispy outside and inside it still retained a slight stretchy softness.

 

Selera Selatan serves a fragrant curry made with lots of vegetables and spices. I have not seen another stall putting so much ingredients in their curry.

The sambal was tasty too with robust anchovy flavour which I liked.

Enche Loy had been making roti canai for over 20 years. Selera Selatan has many regulars of all communities. Many regulars were more like friends of Enche Loy.

 

 
The two of us had 3 pieces of kosong which I feel is the best way to taste test a roti :) This was excellent as the charred marks on the skin and the soft insides attest. There was also very little oil on or in the roti.

Look how big Enche Loy spreaded that dough. You can imagine how crispy and fluffy that roti will be when the dough is folded and fried.

 

We added this "plaster" which was roti kosong topped with a fried egg.

This was nice too - the egg yolk and white gave the roti a nice eggy note. But, I wish they had given this tasty version of roti canai a more attractive name. I just can't associate the word "plaster" with delicious food :)

This is the roti with egg and bawang (chopped onions) which is a popular choice at Selera Selatan besides the kosong.

Selera Selatan opens at 7:00am and closes at 3:00pm but the roti canai is usually sold out by 10:30am, and sometimes as early as 9:00am. The rest of the day, Selera Selatan sells nasi campur.

Restaurant name: Restoran Selera Selatan
Address: Jalan Rosmerah 2/13 (opposite Ang's Laksa), Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/aAN31
GPS: 1.534345,103.795089
Hours: 7:00am to sold out (usually about 10:30am but sometimes by 9:00am). Closed on Sunday.
Halal

Date visited: 21 Nov 2012

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Breakfast at Roti Canai (Prata) Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Several of my friends are life long, firm supporters of Bukit Chagar roti canai (prata) which had been in business for over twenty four years.

 

Once you tried Bukit Chagar roti canai, it is easy to understand why it is so popular all these long years.

 

Bukit Chagar roti canai is thick, crispy outside, softer inside, and not-too-oily.

Bukit Chagar roti canai goes very well with their dhal which is mild and not too spicy. For those who like it hot, you can add a dab of sambal chili for that extra oomph... which is the way I like it.

Making roti canai is a common sight in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been watching roti canai men at work since my childhood, yet I am still fascinated by the twirling and flipping.

Let's see what makes Bukit Chagar roti canai so special.

To start with, the dough is individually handmade right there at the stall, not mass produced in a central kitchen somewhere else.

The dough is flipped and stretched to a thin film, one by one.

 

Flipping and twirling the dough traps air and they look like those cute balloon sculptures at children's parties or like large blown up bubble gum.

 

 

The fancy "balloons" are left to sit for a few minutes on the slab.

 

 

 

 

After a few minutes, the air leaks out of the "balloons". The deflated "balloons" are then flattened again and laid on the sizzling hot plate to fry until crisp and golden brown outside.

When done, the chef crush the stack of roti canai with a couple of sharp claps of the hot bread between his hands.

 

 

Bukit Chagar roti prata, local, humble, cosy, relaxed, convivial, unpretentious, inexpensive, delicious - so many reasons that make breakfast at Bukit Chagar roti canai very, very hard to beat.

 

Restaurant name: Roti Canai Bukit Chagar
Address: Junction of Jalan Bukit Chagar and Jalan Ungku Aziz (next to Pine View Apartments and PDRM Apartments)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/grZRK
GPS:1.467941,103.766743
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00am (breakfast only, roti canai often sold out by 10:00am)
Halal

Date visited: 3 Sep 2012

Several of my friends are life long, firm supporters of Bukit Chagar roti canai (prata) which had been in business for over twenty four years.

 

Once you tried Bukit Chagar roti canai, it is easy to understand why it is so popular all these long years.

 

Bukit Chagar roti canai is thick, crispy outside, softer inside, and not-too-oily.

Bukit Chagar roti canai goes very well with their dhal which is mild and not too spicy. For those who like it hot, you can add a dab of sambal chili for that extra oomph... which is the way I like it.

Making roti canai is a common sight in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been watching roti canai men at work since my childhood, yet I am still fascinated by the twirling and flipping.

Let's see what makes Bukit Chagar roti canai so special.

To start with, the dough is individually handmade right there at the stall, not mass produced in a central kitchen somewhere else.

The dough is flipped and stretched to a thin film, one by one.

 

Flipping and twirling the dough traps air and they look like those cute balloon sculptures at children's parties or like large blown up bubble gum.

 

 

The fancy "balloons" are left to sit for a few minutes on the slab.

 

 

 

 

After a few minutes, the air leaks out of the "balloons". The deflated "balloons" are then flattened again and laid on the sizzling hot plate to fry until crisp and golden brown outside.

When done, the chef crush the stack of roti canai with a couple of sharp claps of the hot bread between his hands.

 

 

Bukit Chagar roti prata, local, humble, cosy, relaxed, convivial, unpretentious, inexpensive, delicious - so many reasons that make breakfast at Bukit Chagar roti canai very, very hard to beat.

 

Restaurant name: Roti Canai Bukit Chagar
Address: Junction of Jalan Bukit Chagar and Jalan Ungku Aziz (next to Pine View Apartments and PDRM Apartments)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/grZRK
GPS:1.467941,103.766743
Hours: 6:00am to 11:00am (breakfast only, roti canai often sold out by 10:00am)
Halal

Date visited: 3 Sep 2012

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Roti Prata (Canai) @ Restoran Furong 芙蓉华人煎饼 in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Chinese roti prata (canai) stalls are rare in Johor. Restoran Furong 芙蓉华人煎饼 is the third Chinese roti prata shop that I have come across, so far.

The popular Furong Chinese roti prata shop 芙蓉华人煎饼 is run by a mother and daughter team for the past 16 years.

Notice how little oil there was on the pan?

Business was brisk even at 10:30am on a Wednesday when I was at Restoran Furong. The young lady boss was flipping and frying roti after roti, non stop. I watched amazed as she flipped the dozens of roti with quiet efficiency in an effortless style and elegant poise.

I tried a plain roti (kosong) and another with cut onion (bawang) stuffing.

The plain roti made with wheat flour and vegetable oil was thin and light, and there was hardly any grease, even on the plate. The roti was flaky and crispy, yet it was slightly moist and soft inside the folds. The roti was light tasting and it was gently sweet from the wheat flour.

The roti bawang was also crispy outside and was moist and soft inside with juicy sweet chopped fresh onions.

Furong serves three kinds of gravies for their prata. All are made from curry spices and vegetables, with no meat used. The curry potato sauce was the mildest - it tastes of potato sweetness and was not spicy. The spicy curry has a slight sting and was spicy hot - I like my gravy spicy hot.

The sambal chili was also nice. The sambal was sweet, salty and spicy hot. All the three sauces went very well with my roti.

Restoran Furong is an excellent place to have a Chinese roti prata.

Restaurant name: Restoran Furong 芙蓉华人煎饼
Address: 17, Jalan Seroja 49, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/fD4aY
GPS: 1.535209,103.801389
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm
No Pork, No Lard

Date visited: 15 Aug 2012

Chinese roti prata (canai) stalls are rare in Johor. Restoran Furong 芙蓉华人煎饼 is the third Chinese roti prata shop that I have come across, so far.

The popular Furong Chinese roti prata shop 芙蓉华人煎饼 is run by a mother and daughter team for the past 16 years.

Notice how little oil there was on the pan?

Business was brisk even at 10:30am on a Wednesday when I was at Restoran Furong. The young lady boss was flipping and frying roti after roti, non stop. I watched amazed as she flipped the dozens of roti with quiet efficiency in an effortless style and elegant poise.

I tried a plain roti (kosong) and another with cut onion (bawang) stuffing.

The plain roti made with wheat flour and vegetable oil was thin and light, and there was hardly any grease, even on the plate. The roti was flaky and crispy, yet it was slightly moist and soft inside the folds. The roti was light tasting and it was gently sweet from the wheat flour.

The roti bawang was also crispy outside and was moist and soft inside with juicy sweet chopped fresh onions.

Furong serves three kinds of gravies for their prata. All are made from curry spices and vegetables, with no meat used. The curry potato sauce was the mildest - it tastes of potato sweetness and was not spicy. The spicy curry has a slight sting and was spicy hot - I like my gravy spicy hot.

The sambal chili was also nice. The sambal was sweet, salty and spicy hot. All the three sauces went very well with my roti.

Restoran Furong is an excellent place to have a Chinese roti prata.

Restaurant name: Restoran Furong 芙蓉华人煎饼
Address: 17, Jalan Seroja 49, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/fD4aY
GPS: 1.535209,103.801389
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm
No Pork, No Lard

Date visited: 15 Aug 2012

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Roti Prata (Roti Canai) @ Shyang 详 Kopitiam in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru

Shyang 详 kopitiam in Taman Johor Jaya is one of the rare Chinese run roti prata shops in Johor Bahru. The other one that I have tried is in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA).

The main difference between Chinese and non Chinese roti prata is in the oil used. Chinese stalls use vegetable oil while Indian roti prata stalls use ghee.

Shyang kopitiam is named after the young owner who had worked 10 years at his dad's stall and had been running the current shop for a year now.

Business has been good especially during breakfast.

I had a plain roti or kosong. Shyang kopitiam also offers roti with stuffing like egg, ham, cheese, banana, sardine and onion.

At Shyang, the roti was crispy yet soft and it was not too greasy. The delicately sweet roti was especially delicious when dipped in the chicken curry that was gently spicy and sweet.

Shyang said that to get the desired taste and texture in his roti, he uses imported wheat flour which costs more than local flour.

Besides roti prata, Shyang kopitiam also sells mee siam and nasi lemak for breakfast.

For lunch, Shyang does wok fried dishes.

Shyang kopitiam opens for business at 6:30am and the chicken curry usually runs out by noon - so be there early :)

Restaurant name: Shyang 详 Kopitiam
Address: Jalan Bakawali 50, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/tnzJx
GPS: 1.541536,103.794220
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm (chicken curry for the roti prata usually runs out around noon)
Non Halal

Date visited: 14 Aug 2012

Shyang 详 kopitiam in Taman Johor Jaya is one of the rare Chinese run roti prata shops in Johor Bahru. The other one that I have tried is in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA).

The main difference between Chinese and non Chinese roti prata is in the oil used. Chinese stalls use vegetable oil while Indian roti prata stalls use ghee.

Shyang kopitiam is named after the young owner who had worked 10 years at his dad's stall and had been running the current shop for a year now.

Business has been good especially during breakfast.

I had a plain roti or kosong. Shyang kopitiam also offers roti with stuffing like egg, ham, cheese, banana, sardine and onion.

At Shyang, the roti was crispy yet soft and it was not too greasy. The delicately sweet roti was especially delicious when dipped in the chicken curry that was gently spicy and sweet.

Shyang said that to get the desired taste and texture in his roti, he uses imported wheat flour which costs more than local flour.

Besides roti prata, Shyang kopitiam also sells mee siam and nasi lemak for breakfast.

For lunch, Shyang does wok fried dishes.

Shyang kopitiam opens for business at 6:30am and the chicken curry usually runs out by noon - so be there early :)

Restaurant name: Shyang 详 Kopitiam
Address: Jalan Bakawali 50, Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/tnzJx
GPS: 1.541536,103.794220
Hours: 6:30am to 4:00pm (chicken curry for the roti prata usually runs out around noon)
Non Halal

Date visited: 14 Aug 2012

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Roti Prata (Roti Canai) @ Restoran Md. Salleh in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

Restoran Md. Salleh, now located in this unpretentious looking shop in Taman Pelangi, has been around for over 20 years. It sells nasi campur and mee goreng but is best known for its roti prata (also known as roti canai). To the many fans of Md. Salleh's, this is the best roti prata / roti canai in Johor Bahru.

It is Md. Salleh's famous roti prata that packs in the crowd at its daily golden hour which is breakfast time.

Md. Salleh's prata is not oily. You will not see an oil sheen on the surface of the prata or even oil traces on your plate after you finish. Yet, the prata is tender, moist and crispy

When you bite into Md. Salleh's prata it has a subtle crispiness, not a biscuit crisp. You can hear very fine cracking sounds in your ear bones. It sounds like the gentle folding of over starched clothes rather than the crushing of dry biscuits. (Those who were in the army in the days of starched uniform, know what I mean?) I am not sure how best to describe it but it is delightful to chew and hear.

Inside the prata, it is just the right balance of firmness and softness. Its texture is fluffy but not biscuit-like flaky. There is also hardly any trace of oil inside here.

Each dough is individually hand made at the shop, right there at the front. After vigorous tossing, flipping and stretching, it is folded up and set aside to let it breathe. 

When an order is made, the folded dough is flatten out, add ingredients like eggs and chopped unions, and then pan fried. I like my roti prata kosong i.e. plain with nothing added.

The fresh, crispy prata is crushed by clapping it sharply between the palms before serving with a small dish of dahl.

The dahl made with chickpeas is thick and not too spicy.  I would prefer my dahl to be hotter and have more kick.

Shop opens at 7:00am till 3:00pm. But the best time is to join the breakfast crowd and get the fresh roti prata straight off the frying pan.

Definitely one of my favourite pratas.

Restaurant name: Restoran Md. Salleh
Address: Jalan Pingai (Opposite Pelangi Leisure Mall)

Map: http://g.co/maps/s67y3

GPS: 1.482377,103.773111

Hours:  7:00am to 3:00pm (closed on alternate Weds or Thurs)

Halal

Date visited: 1 Mar 2012, 29 Mar 2012

Restoran Md. Salleh, now located in this unpretentious looking shop in Taman Pelangi, has been around for over 20 years. It sells nasi campur and mee goreng but is best known for its roti prata (also known as roti canai). To the many fans of Md. Salleh's, this is the best roti prata / roti canai in Johor Bahru.

It is Md. Salleh's famous roti prata that packs in the crowd at its daily golden hour which is breakfast time.

Md. Salleh's prata is not oily. You will not see an oil sheen on the surface of the prata or even oil traces on your plate after you finish. Yet, the prata is tender, moist and crispy

When you bite into Md. Salleh's prata it has a subtle crispiness, not a biscuit crisp. You can hear very fine cracking sounds in your ear bones. It sounds like the gentle folding of over starched clothes rather than the crushing of dry biscuits. (Those who were in the army in the days of starched uniform, know what I mean?) I am not sure how best to describe it but it is delightful to chew and hear.

Inside the prata, it is just the right balance of firmness and softness. Its texture is fluffy but not biscuit-like flaky. There is also hardly any trace of oil inside here.

Each dough is individually hand made at the shop, right there at the front. After vigorous tossing, flipping and stretching, it is folded up and set aside to let it breathe. 

When an order is made, the folded dough is flatten out, add ingredients like eggs and chopped unions, and then pan fried. I like my roti prata kosong i.e. plain with nothing added.

The fresh, crispy prata is crushed by clapping it sharply between the palms before serving with a small dish of dahl.

The dahl made with chickpeas is thick and not too spicy.  I would prefer my dahl to be hotter and have more kick.

Shop opens at 7:00am till 3:00pm. But the best time is to join the breakfast crowd and get the fresh roti prata straight off the frying pan.

Definitely one of my favourite pratas.

Restaurant name: Restoran Md. Salleh
Address: Jalan Pingai (Opposite Pelangi Leisure Mall)

Map: http://g.co/maps/s67y3

GPS: 1.482377,103.773111

Hours:  7:00am to 3:00pm (closed on alternate Weds or Thurs)

Halal

Date visited: 1 Mar 2012, 29 Mar 2012

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