5 places to eat in JB | ThumbsForFood

For many Singaporeans, travelling to Johor Bahru for cheaper car care services, cheaper groceries, cheaper goods in general has become a routine. For us, we enjoy going to JB not only because of the cheaper goods and services that are available, but also for the food!

So, in this post we will share with you 5 food places to eat in JB that are in close proximity to City Square and the Customs. Taxi fare to these places from City Square are no more than RM15. 

1. By Grace 

By Grace is a dessert bar that also offers private dining upon request and booking. By Grace offers a range of desserts from cakes to gelato. Decorated with simple homely accessories and furniture, By Grace is a good place to chill with friends over a pot of tea and some sweets. For first-timers at the shop, we would recommend the Dessert Platter (RM47) that consists of 4 of their classic desserts. The display of the platter would satisfy both your visual and taste palate. 

By Grace 

93, Jalan Kuning, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

Opening Hours: 5pm to 1am (Closed on Sundays)

Shopfront of By Grace

Interior of By Grace

Dessert Platter 

 2. Kim Chi & BBQ Restaurant 

We happened to chance upon this Korean Restaurant and was attracted by the aroma of meat and the bustling environment. We were definitely glad we tried it out! Kim Chi & BBQ is an authentic Korean Restaurant opened by Mr. Park Sang Jun. They serve a wide range of quality meat, stews as well as items such as Cold Noodle and Seafood Pancake. Prices of meat range from RM25-65 and stews from RM25-85. They also serve up rice wine and soju that are reasonably priced from RM20 onwards. The good service and quality food makes this place a must visit for Korean food lovers!

Kim Chi & BBQ Restaurant
No. 24 Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, 80400. Johor Bahru.
Please call for reservations on weekends and public holidays.
General Hotline: +60 7 333 1700/6700
Park Sang Jun (Boss): +60 17 724 4903

 

Quality Beef

Generous and Delicious Ban Chan (Side dishes)

3. Moonlight Cake House

For those living in JB and are familiar with the dessert scene there, Moonlight Cake House would not be unfamiliar. Moonlight Cake House serves up local and western food (from RM10 to RM20) in their shops along with their signature desserts and cakes. Their Mille Crepe Cake (about RM8 a slice) is a favorite among patrons. With this new outlet opening in closer proximity to City Square, it makes it much easier for you to get your cake fix!

Moonlight Cake House
160, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru, Johor
Opening Hours: 9am-2pm

Wide Variety of Cakes

4. Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre (大马小贩中心)

As per our introduction from our previous JB food places post recommended, Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre remains one of our top choices for food! Hiang Kee Seafood in there allows us to satisfy our seafood cravings at low prices. There are also other stalls such as Fried Oyster Omelette, Beggar Chicken and many more that appeal to those seeking for cheap and good food. Besides that, near Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre, there is also the popular Abalone Noodles and Luk-luk stalls nearby. 

Taman Sri Tebrau, near Taman Sentosa, Malaysia 

(Cab drivers would generally know the place)

luk-luk

Butter Crayfish from Hiang Kee

5. Kam Long Fish Head Curry 

Kam Long Fish Head Curry is a hot favorite amongst many Singaporeans. It is known for it's fresh fish head as well as sumptuous curry gravy. One could easily down a few bowls of rice with the flavorful and aromatic curry. 

Kam Long Fish Head Curry

Jalan Wong Ah Fook
80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Kam Long's Fish Head Curry

Share with us your favorite JB food haunts by leaving a comment on our post or contact us at thumbsforfood@gmail.com. Stay tune to our detailed reviews on the food places mentioned in this post too!

Love, 

Y

Johor Bahru: Ya Wang | ThumbsForFood

For all Chinese Roasted Duck lovers, I'm sure you'll be familiar with Dian Xiao Er in Singapore. So, today, we'll introduce you to the appointed advisor of Dian Xiao Er, that is Ya Wang (King of Ducks) that is situated in Johor Bahru. The location is really near City Square, thus, really quite convenient for you to walk there! It is really near to Kam Long Curry Fish Head as well. 

It is not difficult to spot Ya Wang as you could spot it from afar from the huge duck hanging at it's entrance. 

Ya Wang Entrance

As you approach Ya Wang, you will be able to see the various meat they have to offer. Apart from the famed duck, you will also be able to spot others like Shao Rou (Crispy Roasted Pork Belly) and Shao Ji (Roasted Chicken). The exterior of the shop easily reveals that the age of the shop. The good thing about the place is it is air-conditioned and thus, really good to escape the heat!

Shop Face

They have various choices of herbal duck such as Shi Quan Kao Ya (Ten Spices Herbal Roasted Duck) and Dang Gui Kao Ya (Chinese Angelica Root Roasted Duck). We tried both the flavors and our favorite is the Shi Quan Kao Ya. The gravy of the duck is really fragrant and taste really similar to the one at Dian Xiao Er. Price-wise, it's definitely more affordable.

Herbal Roasted Duck

Apart from their Roasted Duck, Ya Wang offers other food as well. Their other food is in the form of Tzi Char style. Price wise, it is quite affordable. They offer sets as well that includes soup, vegetable and other dishes to complement the duck. 

Their Seafood Tofu and Vegetable Claypot was served hot and what was good was that the ingredients were really generous! Apart from that, it is not very fascinating but a really good dish to go with plain rice. 

Seafood Tofu and Vegetable Claypot

Xiao Bai Cai is one of our favorite vegetable. The one here was tasty, fresh and succulent. If you like Xiao Bai Cai like us, do give it a try!

Xiao Bai Cai

Kang Kong in Malay Style (Ma Lai Feng Guang) is Kang Kong cooked with chili. It is nothing special but, definitely whets one's appetite due to it's flavor.

Kang Kong in Malay Style

As you can see from the picture below, we also ordered their Lotus Soup. The soup was of mediocre standard but we would order it again if we are craving for some.

All in all, Ya Wang serves as a cheaper alternative to tasty Herbal Roasted Duck. It is not your usual duck with extra crispy skin but it is a duck that brings out a fragrant taste after immersing in the various Herbal gravies. We will definitely be back if we are craving for some duck! 

Dishes we ordered

We will bring you more JB food haunts to expand your food checklist when you cross the causeway next time! So, do look out for our upcoming posts on it.

Check out Ya Wang's other branch at Taman Sentosa below!

Love, Y

Johor Bahru: Kam Long Fish Head Curry | ThumbsForFood

Hello, it has been long since I last shared about food in Johor Bahru! If you want to read more about food tips in Johor Bahru, click here! Today, we are going to bring to you this super delicious fish head curry that is near City Square/customs from Singapore.

We went there at around 2pm in the afternoon on a Saturday and I was surprised to see that there was still a long queue outside the shop. Well, when I asked for directions, the lady did say that I would be able to spot Kam Long Fish Head Curry from afar because there would be many people outside the shop. True that, there really was a long queue! 

How do we get here from City Square? It is really near; about 5 min walk only! Exit City Square from the exit near Macdonalds. When you are out (facing the road), turn left and walk straight. You will walk past a zebra crossing along the way. Sounds easy right? 

long queue!

Kam Long Restaurant is set in a coffee shop and it gives off an old-school feeling when you step into the shop. Be prepared to share a table with strangers if you are with smaller groups! I am personally alright with sharing tables as it actually speeds up the whole queuing process by a lot. Oh yes, I saw quite a few people carrying takeaways so I guess you can consider taking away if you do not want to queue for so long! If you are worrying about the freshness of the fish, don't worry! They actually put the fish separately in a packet of ice. Then the vegetables and taukee are also packed in a separate bag. So, I would think the quality of the takeaway would not be compromised!

After you get seated, the curry fish head will be served in a few minutes. I was staring at the people eating opposite me and looking at their bubbling curry and wishing that mine would come soon. Indeed, it came soon after and I was not disappointed! The curry was soooooo delicious! The unique point about this pot of curry fish head would be the taukee that they add on top. It went so well with the gravy! The fish is really fresh too which is really important for a good fish head curry. 

There are 3 sizes: small, medium, large. You can add extra vegetables/taukee if you want! But, it comes with vegetables and taukee on its own!

Small: $19 RM
Medium: $30 RM
Large: $38 RM

The price is a really good bargain for the amount of fish you get!

And of course, how can a pot of good fish head curry be without its best companion; the rice? Don't be amazed by how many plates of rice you can devour with the curry!

Yes, I would definitely be back for more curry fish head! Luckily, Kam Long is located near City Square (Johor Bahru) which makes it all the more convenient for Singaporeans like me who love to cross the customs to hunt for new and delicious food!

Kam Long Fish Head Curry
Jalan Wong Ah Fook
80000 Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I will be making another compilation of food places that you can go in Johor Bahru soon! So, check back at ThumbsForFood for more updates!

Please feel free to email us at thumbsforfood@gmail.com if you have any enquiries! [:

Cheers,
Z

ThumbsForFood| Food tips in Johor Bahru: Where do we get our food?

Hello to all our readers! We have decided to share some of our travel journeys and tips with you guys [: To start off, I shall bring you in to food in Johor Bahru (JB). I love going JB because the food there is always so affordable (compared to those in Singapore). I can spend the whole day eating and yet not feel the pain in my pockets. For people who are worried about the safety in JB, I would not say its 100% safe there but you can always choose to stay within City Square. Well, City Square is the shopping centre that is linked to the customs so I can safely say that it is pretty safe to stay there as you would not have to board any taxis or walk on the streets. There are pretty good choices within City Square! 

I will be sharing with you what I ate in a day's trip in JB. I spent a lot of time on this post so have fun reading it :D 

Food Choice #1: Nando's Chicken

Well, it is located at the basement of City Square and I always have it for lunch when I go in to JB. I know I know, we have Nando's here in Singapore too. But, its soooooo much more affordable there. Nando's is famous for their periperi chicken. Finger-smacking awesome! 

Pita Bread with Hummus. I love pita bread! The smell, the texture and it goes soooo well with the hummus paste. Try it, but not everyone likes hummus! 

 Peri-peri wings. Well, I thought it was going to be different from the chicken but it turned out to be the same. The only difference being that these are wings.

Peri-peri chicken platter( for 2-3) Well, this is their famous chicken. We always get the Mild Hot flavour as it is pretty much the same except for the sauce that they put on the chicken. For those of you who prefer extra spicy chicken, you can always find the Extra Hot sauce on the table! I love the thighs. It is so delicious with the flame-grilled after taste!

On the average, we will spend RM 30 per pax on Nando's for lunch. Pretty awesome price right? [: 

Food Choice #2: Hui Lau Shan

Yes! I was really happy beyond words when I first saw this in JB. They recently opened their first outlet in JB. I will visit this place almost everyday when I was in Hongkong. I love their mango desserts! Look look look! You will see a queue so don't worry about not being able to spot the shop. 

I love their drinks as well. If you are only getting the drinks, there is a counter specially for that! 

I don't have the exact names of the dessert we had there but they don't have many selections so try them for yourself! We had the coconut with hashima dessert as well and it was quite nice! 

Food Choice #3: Blackball Dessert

KSL is the other popular shopping centre that a lot of Singaporeans go to. Its a short cab ride away (around RM8) or there is a bus you can take from customs to KSL! There are many nail and hair salons at KSL. Other than that, I would say City Square is better as there are many food options now that renovations are done!

Yes, blackball dessert. Its like half-price in JB and additional toppings are only at RM1.50 each. Really a good deal there!

Food Choice #4: Seafood at Taman Sri Tebrau Hawker Centre

Okay, this is quite near KSL and you can walk there. But for first-timers, taking the cab would be a better choice! Yes, the signs tell you that this place has lots of seafood! 

It is pretty much like a hawker centre in Singapore. Maybe not as new and clean but yes, you get the idea! 

Hiang Kee Seafood. Well, this is the first seafood stall which you will see when you walk into the hawker. During weekends, it will be really packed so it is pretty hard to miss this. There are many seafood stalls in the hawker and I have tried around 3 stalls so far. This is one of the best I would say! 

Gong Gong. I love these gorgeous shells. Nothing really special there!

Sweet Potato Leaves in Sambal. I didn't think this was good when I tried because the stalks are not well-handled and it just taste weird when you bite on them.

Butter Crayfish. This is the bomb! Really worth it to have crayfish or crabs there because the price is soooooo good! The crispy bits are so awesome that we finished everything on the plate. Something like cereal, but something different from cereal too. 

Just look at the fleshy meat of the crayfish!

Fried Oyster Egg. This was from the nearby oyster stall. Pretty good. I like it for its strong garlic taste! 

Food Choice #5: Luk-luk

This is one of my must-haves in Malaysia. I like the seasoning that they put on. Something that is common in Taiwan as well but not so common in Singapore. There is one right outside KSL but I went to the one behind the hawker centre. It is at the row of shops that sell abalone noodles.

The yummy sauce that goes along with the sticks!

This is like a after-meal dessert. Look at the crispy beancurd skin, its so good! 

Yes, I am at the end of my JB sharing. Hope it will be helpful to people who are looking to visiting Johor Bahru for some good food! Will be posting more on what to eat in JB, so come back for more soon! 

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Have a good week ahead!

Please view other updated JB food places: 

Kam Long Curry Fish Head 

Ya Wang Herbal Roasted Duck

Cheers,

Z