Old JB Town Heritage Food Trail at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee 陈旭年街 in Johor Bahru

In this post, I am taking you on a walking heritage tour of the old hawkers of old town Johor Bahru, mainly along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and also the surrounding streets as well. For this heritage trail on foot we start at 10:00am and end at about 2:00pm.



Our first stop is Sang Heng 甡兴 just next to the OCBC branch at the east end of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. The Teochew kway teow soup uncle has been here since the 1950s.


Ah Seng also sells braised duck and pork at the stall.

Uncle Ah Seng is the oldest hawker on this street and one of the oldest in the whole of Malaysia. Ah Seng's loyal followers say his kway teow soup hasn't changed at all, all these years. "Old school" they say. Let's try Ah Seng's popular kway teow and mee pok but we'll save the coffee for our next stop.



After Sang Heng, we walk along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and at the junction with Jalan Trus turn to our right towards restoran Hua Mui along Jalan Trus. Like Sang Heng, Hua Mui opened for business in the 1950s.

We shall stop here for Hainanese coffee, soft boiled eggs and French toast. Unlike Sang Heng, Hua Mui has been considerably updated to the chagrin to some of its old timer fans. But, at least, this cup and saucer are still originals :)



After coffee, walk up slope along Jalan Trus. At the next junction (with Jalan Pasar), you will be at Kok Yow Yong herbal stall. Kok Yow Yong has been here for a hundred years, making it the oldest here in old JB town. The stall front has just been modernised. Lost most of it's old quaintness and original charm but thankfully, the herbal drink is still the same.



After herbal tea at Kok Yow Yong, we walk back down towards Hua Mui. Back at Hua Mui turn right along Jalan Dhoby and keep walking along the shops until you come to Salahuddin Bakery. No much changed at Salahuddin's since the bakery started business here in 1937. That old wood fired oven is still in use. We can still get those lamb filled Bengali curry puffs with flaky crusts - the same as those from my childhood.



After Salahuddin, we cross Jalan Dhoby to the restaurant diagonally across - Restoran IT Roo. IT Roo started business in 1961, and during its heydays was even named the Best Chicken Chop in Malaysia in 2003. Much has changed at IT Roo with only the old photographs in the shop to remind us of it's legacy. IT Roo's chunky chicken chops are still a crowd puller.



After IT Roo, walk down along Jalan Pahang. At the junction of Jalan Pahang and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, you will see the most photographed building in old town Johor Bahru - called the Red House for obvious reasons. Originally the home of a wealthy Indian family, the Red House is now the venue of cultural and art events.

At the Red House, walk along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee towards Jalan Trus. At the junction of Jalan Trus and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, you will see the popular Kin Wah kopitiam. Right across Kin Wah along Jalan Tan  Hiok Nee is Hiap Joo bakery - the final stop of our Heritage Walk.



Like Salahuddin bakery, Hiap Joo also uses a wood fire oven from 1919. The traditional hot favourites are Hiap Joo's coconut buns and banana cakes.



We will take away some straight out of the oven before making our way home. The new generation of owners are coming up with more contemporary pastries but I just stick to old time favourites :)

There you are - heritage walk and heritage food trail of old town Johor Bahru's Jalan Tan Hiok Nee "Culture Street" 文化街.

Plenty of food tasting and photo opportunities for foodies and photography buffs.

Summary of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee heritage food trail:

10:00am Teochew kway teow soup at Sang Heng
10:45am Coffee at Hua Mui
11:15am Herbal tea at Kok Yow Yong (drink and go)
11:45am Pastry shopping at Salahuddin bakery
12:15pm Chicken chop at IT Roo
  1:30pm Pastry shopping at Hiap Joo bakery. End of heritage tour.

In this post, I am taking you on a walking heritage tour of the old hawkers of old town Johor Bahru, mainly along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and also the surrounding streets as well. For this heritage trail on foot we start at 10:00am and end at about 2:00pm.



Our first stop is Sang Heng 甡兴 just next to the OCBC branch at the east end of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. The Teochew kway teow soup uncle has been here since the 1950s.


Ah Seng also sells braised duck and pork at the stall.

Uncle Ah Seng is the oldest hawker on this street and one of the oldest in the whole of Malaysia. Ah Seng's loyal followers say his kway teow soup hasn't changed at all, all these years. "Old school" they say. Let's try Ah Seng's popular kway teow and mee pok but we'll save the coffee for our next stop.



After Sang Heng, we walk along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and at the junction with Jalan Trus turn to our right towards restoran Hua Mui along Jalan Trus. Like Sang Heng, Hua Mui opened for business in the 1950s.

We shall stop here for Hainanese coffee, soft boiled eggs and French toast. Unlike Sang Heng, Hua Mui has been considerably updated to the chagrin to some of its old timer fans. But, at least, this cup and saucer are still originals :)



After coffee, walk up slope along Jalan Trus. At the next junction (with Jalan Pasar), you will be at Kok Yow Yong herbal stall. Kok Yow Yong has been here for a hundred years, making it the oldest here in old JB town. The stall front has just been modernised. Lost most of it's old quaintness and original charm but thankfully, the herbal drink is still the same.



After herbal tea at Kok Yow Yong, we walk back down towards Hua Mui. Back at Hua Mui turn right along Jalan Dhoby and keep walking along the shops until you come to Salahuddin Bakery. No much changed at Salahuddin's since the bakery started business here in 1937. That old wood fired oven is still in use. We can still get those lamb filled Bengali curry puffs with flaky crusts - the same as those from my childhood.



After Salahuddin, we cross Jalan Dhoby to the restaurant diagonally across - Restoran IT Roo. IT Roo started business in 1961, and during its heydays was even named the Best Chicken Chop in Malaysia in 2003. Much has changed at IT Roo with only the old photographs in the shop to remind us of it's legacy. IT Roo's chunky chicken chops are still a crowd puller.



After IT Roo, walk down along Jalan Pahang. At the junction of Jalan Pahang and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, you will see the most photographed building in old town Johor Bahru - called the Red House for obvious reasons. Originally the home of a wealthy Indian family, the Red House is now the venue of cultural and art events.

At the Red House, walk along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee towards Jalan Trus. At the junction of Jalan Trus and Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, you will see the popular Kin Wah kopitiam. Right across Kin Wah along Jalan Tan  Hiok Nee is Hiap Joo bakery - the final stop of our Heritage Walk.



Like Salahuddin bakery, Hiap Joo also uses a wood fire oven from 1919. The traditional hot favourites are Hiap Joo's coconut buns and banana cakes.



We will take away some straight out of the oven before making our way home. The new generation of owners are coming up with more contemporary pastries but I just stick to old time favourites :)

There you are - heritage walk and heritage food trail of old town Johor Bahru's Jalan Tan Hiok Nee "Culture Street" 文化街.

Plenty of food tasting and photo opportunities for foodies and photography buffs.

Summary of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee heritage food trail:

10:00am Teochew kway teow soup at Sang Heng
10:45am Coffee at Hua Mui
11:15am Herbal tea at Kok Yow Yong (drink and go)
11:45am Pastry shopping at Salahuddin bakery
12:15pm Chicken chop at IT Roo
  1:30pm Pastry shopping at Hiap Joo bakery. End of heritage tour.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

JB Food on Foot Day Trip - Walking Food Tour of Jalan Lumba Kuda Area (Food near CIQ and City Square), Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Besides JB Old Town, another foodie day trip option is the area near Jalan Lumba Kuda which has a cluster of good food shops that are also within 10 minutes of walking from the JB Immigration building. However, unlike the JB Old Town where there are quaint old style streets, the Jalan Lumba Kuda area is just rows of shop houses.

The heydays of the Jalan Lumba Kuda area were over since the demolition of the old Johor Bahru checkpoint, but these food shops are still doing a thriving business as their loyal fans - old and new - keep coming back to them. There is nothing much to see here – the only attraction here is the good food. The walk too, under the flyovers is not very scenic – but these are no deterrent for hard core foodies J

How to walk there?

Eating places near CIQ and City Square

After you clear Malaysian immigration, take the escalator down to the lowest level where the JB Sentral (bus station) is. Step out of the building, turn to your right and walk along Jalan Jim Quee in the direction of Singapore. You will walk pass the bus interchange. You will also find yourself under the flyovers.


After about 5 minutes walking, you will see on your left, a cluster of low rise shop houses. That is where the 8 popular food stalls are.

BREAKFAST

If you take a walk down sleepy Jalan Lumba Kuda, you will find a long, laid back row of shop houses that had seen better days – now occupied by car workshops, provision shops, small shoplot hotels, and a few quiet eating places. My favourite along this stretch is Heng Kee coffee shop which houses Hup Kee wanton mee and Ah Song Hakka mee.

Wanton mee fans may want to give Hup Kee a try for breakfast. This small wanton mee stall is popular among customers here but seems to be relatively unknown outside the neighbourhood. Delicate sesame flavoured sauce on al dente QQ noodles - simple and nice. The wantons are tiny, smooth, tender and tasty morsels handmade in the old way.

Ah Song Hakka mee is the other stall drawing the breakfast crowd to Heng Kee coffee shop. Toss and stir the sauce and the fried minced pork with the crunchy noodles for a nice bowl of tasty Hakka mee. The hand made fresh fish balls here are bouncy and loaded with fresh fish flavours. You can also choose various equally delicious hand made yong tau foo pieces to go with your noodles.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Another hot spot is Shang Ji coffee shop which opens for breakfast and lunch. There are 3 stalls here which I like.

Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles stall may look ordinary, just like any other but wait – the owner MR Tan Ah Teng is an accomplished chef with many achievements in his more than 40 years in the food business. New fans and old are finding their way back to this food enclave for Tin & Tin’s tender, tasty chunks of beef in delicious soup and smooth kway teow wrapped in flavourful beefy sauce.

Shang Ji braised duck noodles stall is just next to Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles. The well balanced flavours of the braising sauce here turns ordinary yellow noodles into a smooth, rich and delicious treat. The noodle is so good that it almost turned the equally excellent tender, rich and naturally sweet braised duck meat into a sideshow J

Tan Kee Cathay laksa is yet another ordinary looking stall that is big on taste. Tan Kee’s spicy curry is loaded with tofu, fried tofu skin, and fish ball. The tender tofu is fresh and soaks up the flavourful and not too spicy curry to create a wonderfully tasty treat. Johor Cathay laksa differs from Singapore laksa in that Cathay laksa relies more on spices and less on coconut milk for its flavours.

A couple of shop units away is Jadi Baru Botak coffee shop which is famous for its asam fish head. Their signature asam curry fish head pulls in large crowds during lunch. Jadi Baru Botak’s fresh fish head is cooked in spicy, tangy asam gravy and is served in a clay pot that is bubbling, bursting steam bubbles – an agitating sight that excites the appetite J

Next door to Jadi Baru Botak is the renowned Hwa Mei bak kut teh. Hwa Mei is one of the oldest bak kut teh shops in JB. The bak kut teh at Hwa Mei is still prepared using the decades old methods and blend of herbs. Not too salty, nor too oily, Hwa Mei’s bak kut teh is literary like savouring naturally sweet tender ribs in hot fragrant and tasty tea.

The first shop you see when you walk into the Lambu Kuda enclave from Jalan Jim Quee is Nasi Padang Ina or Restoran Causeway. Ina is the favourite lunch joint for many office and government workers in the area. Always jam packed during lunch, Ina serves one of the best nasi padang in town - plenty of tasty choices. The nasi padang here is authentic because the boss who has been running this shop for the past 20 years with his wife and daughters is from Padang.

 

Ah Yong's Hainanese beef kway teow noodles 永美茶餐厅 - 家乡牛腩面 is the newest stall in this area and already building a strong following. Ah Yong from Malacca had been selling beef noodles for over 10 years before coming to JB. Even the Singapore taxi uncles plying the Singapore-JB route have found this place - that speaks volumes about the taste of Ah Yong's beef kway teow :) 

DINNER

In the evening, there is none of the buzz seen during lunch time. Only Nasi Padang Ina/ Restoran Causeway is opened for dinner here, serving ayam penyet and asam pedas – which is a good combination for dinner. Restoran Causeway’s ayam penyet set comes with a freshly deep fried whole chicken leg and white rice. Restoran Causeway’s excellent sambal chili sets the ayam penyet here apart from the ordinary. The asam pedas comes with a choice of various fresh fish – the soupy gravy is roughly balanced between sour and spicy hot. 

Another day trip option is a walking food tour of JB that you may like to try is the JB old downtown area.

Wish you happy eating.

As always, to enjoy a safe trip, apply the usual safety precautions e.g. watch out for fast traffic when crossing the roads and move away from “scratch and win” scammers.

Besides JB Old Town, another foodie day trip option is the area near Jalan Lumba Kuda which has a cluster of good food shops that are also within 10 minutes of walking from the JB Immigration building. However, unlike the JB Old Town where there are quaint old style streets, the Jalan Lumba Kuda area is just rows of shop houses.

The heydays of the Jalan Lumba Kuda area were over since the demolition of the old Johor Bahru checkpoint, but these food shops are still doing a thriving business as their loyal fans - old and new - keep coming back to them. There is nothing much to see here – the only attraction here is the good food. The walk too, under the flyovers is not very scenic – but these are no deterrent for hard core foodies J

How to walk there?

Eating places near CIQ and City Square

After you clear Malaysian immigration, take the escalator down to the lowest level where the JB Sentral (bus station) is. Step out of the building, turn to your right and walk along Jalan Jim Quee in the direction of Singapore. You will walk pass the bus interchange. You will also find yourself under the flyovers.


After about 5 minutes walking, you will see on your left, a cluster of low rise shop houses. That is where the 8 popular food stalls are.

BREAKFAST

If you take a walk down sleepy Jalan Lumba Kuda, you will find a long, laid back row of shop houses that had seen better days – now occupied by car workshops, provision shops, small shoplot hotels, and a few quiet eating places. My favourite along this stretch is Heng Kee coffee shop which houses Hup Kee wanton mee and Ah Song Hakka mee.

Wanton mee fans may want to give Hup Kee a try for breakfast. This small wanton mee stall is popular among customers here but seems to be relatively unknown outside the neighbourhood. Delicate sesame flavoured sauce on al dente QQ noodles - simple and nice. The wantons are tiny, smooth, tender and tasty morsels handmade in the old way.

Ah Song Hakka mee is the other stall drawing the breakfast crowd to Heng Kee coffee shop. Toss and stir the sauce and the fried minced pork with the crunchy noodles for a nice bowl of tasty Hakka mee. The hand made fresh fish balls here are bouncy and loaded with fresh fish flavours. You can also choose various equally delicious hand made yong tau foo pieces to go with your noodles.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Another hot spot is Shang Ji coffee shop which opens for breakfast and lunch. There are 3 stalls here which I like.

Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles stall may look ordinary, just like any other but wait – the owner MR Tan Ah Teng is an accomplished chef with many achievements in his more than 40 years in the food business. New fans and old are finding their way back to this food enclave for Tin & Tin’s tender, tasty chunks of beef in delicious soup and smooth kway teow wrapped in flavourful beefy sauce.

Shang Ji braised duck noodles stall is just next to Tin & Tin Cathay beef noodles. The well balanced flavours of the braising sauce here turns ordinary yellow noodles into a smooth, rich and delicious treat. The noodle is so good that it almost turned the equally excellent tender, rich and naturally sweet braised duck meat into a sideshow J

Tan Kee Cathay laksa is yet another ordinary looking stall that is big on taste. Tan Kee’s spicy curry is loaded with tofu, fried tofu skin, and fish ball. The tender tofu is fresh and soaks up the flavourful and not too spicy curry to create a wonderfully tasty treat. Johor Cathay laksa differs from Singapore laksa in that Cathay laksa relies more on spices and less on coconut milk for its flavours.

A couple of shop units away is Jadi Baru Botak coffee shop which is famous for its asam fish head. Their signature asam curry fish head pulls in large crowds during lunch. Jadi Baru Botak’s fresh fish head is cooked in spicy, tangy asam gravy and is served in a clay pot that is bubbling, bursting steam bubbles – an agitating sight that excites the appetite J

Next door to Jadi Baru Botak is the renowned Hwa Mei bak kut teh. Hwa Mei is one of the oldest bak kut teh shops in JB. The bak kut teh at Hwa Mei is still prepared using the decades old methods and blend of herbs. Not too salty, nor too oily, Hwa Mei’s bak kut teh is literary like savouring naturally sweet tender ribs in hot fragrant and tasty tea.

The first shop you see when you walk into the Lambu Kuda enclave from Jalan Jim Quee is Nasi Padang Ina or Restoran Causeway. Ina is the favourite lunch joint for many office and government workers in the area. Always jam packed during lunch, Ina serves one of the best nasi padang in town - plenty of tasty choices. The nasi padang here is authentic because the boss who has been running this shop for the past 20 years with his wife and daughters is from Padang.

 

Ah Yong's Hainanese beef kway teow noodles 永美茶餐厅 - 家乡牛腩面 is the newest stall in this area and already building a strong following. Ah Yong from Malacca had been selling beef noodles for over 10 years before coming to JB. Even the Singapore taxi uncles plying the Singapore-JB route have found this place - that speaks volumes about the taste of Ah Yong's beef kway teow :) 

DINNER

In the evening, there is none of the buzz seen during lunch time. Only Nasi Padang Ina/ Restoran Causeway is opened for dinner here, serving ayam penyet and asam pedas – which is a good combination for dinner. Restoran Causeway’s ayam penyet set comes with a freshly deep fried whole chicken leg and white rice. Restoran Causeway’s excellent sambal chili sets the ayam penyet here apart from the ordinary. The asam pedas comes with a choice of various fresh fish – the soupy gravy is roughly balanced between sour and spicy hot. 

Another day trip option is a walking food tour of JB that you may like to try is the JB old downtown area.

Wish you happy eating.

As always, to enjoy a safe trip, apply the usual safety precautions e.g. watch out for fast traffic when crossing the roads and move away from “scratch and win” scammers.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

JB Food on Foot Day Trip - Walking Food Tour of Downtown Johor Bahru (Food near CIQ and City Square)

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.

Kin Wah 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.

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.

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 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.

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”.

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 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".

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.

Salahuddin 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.

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.

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

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.

Kin Wah 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.

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.

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 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.

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”.

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 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".

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.

Salahuddin 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.

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.

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

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