Johor is a beautiful state and is a foodie’s heaven for both Johoreans and neighboring Singaporeans too. The best way to get closer to Johor is through its food. Our MFT Team has curated 9 spots to get traditional Johorean specialties in Johor. You will keep eating till you burst!
- Laksa Johor
As the name suggests, this noodle dish is native to Johor and has its own uniqueness. Instead of normal egg noodles or rice noodles, spaghetti is used! Most of you may be asking why spaghetti. History has it that spaghetti is incorporated due to the influence of members of Johor royalty who descended from the West. The fish-based gravy is thick and normally Johoreans eat this laksa with their fingers! One of the best spots to try traditional Laksa Johor is at Restoran Bumbu Asli. Get your hands into a bowl of Laksa Johor and lick the plate clean!
Halal
Address: Restoran Bumbu Asli, No.36-L, Jalan Kolam Ayer, 80100 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6012-710 2692
- Lontong
Lontong is a Betawi-influenced dish consisting of rice cakes and a creamy coconut milk gravy with vegetables known as sayur lodeh. Vegetables like shredded cabbage, long beans, turnip and carrots as well as shrimp, tempeh and fried tofu are added to the gravy. Other condiments are added when eating like sambal and boiled egg. To get a taste of this breakfast dish, drop by Warong Saga, a famous food shack that has pictures of politicians and prime ministers from yesteryears adorning the walls. You will be singing praises for their lontong on the first bite!
Halal
Address: Warong Saga, Jalan Mahmoodiah, Kampung Mahmoddiah, 80100 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6017-444 9910
- Kway Teow Kia
Try finding this dish anywhere else in the world and chances are you won’t be able to find it! Unique to Johor, this Chinese street food is pork and offal braised in a savory herbal stock, the taste is reminiscent of bak kut teh. This broth and meat is then poured over flat rice noodles and slurped up. It’s a Teochew dish that warms the soul and rejuvenates with every sip. The kway teow kia which has balanced sweet and herbal flavors can be found at San Lou Kway Teow Kia. This shack only opens at night so if you’re looking for a slurp at ungodly hours, park yourself here!
Non-halal
Address: San Lou Kway Teow Kia, Jalan Stulang Darat, Kampung Stulang Darat, 80300 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6016-741 9793
- Mee Bandung
Originating from Muar, a district in Johor, mee bandung is a Malay noodle dish that combines egg noodles with a thick, piquant gravy redolent of shrimp, beef stock and shrimp paste. It is then topped with egg, fishcakes, vegetables, bean sprouts and sometimes beef. For a slight tang, a squeeze of lime juice is stirred in before consuming. To do justice to this dish, you have to give it a try at Mee Bandung Central, a shack so famous for its mee bandung, you won’t be surprised if it’s sold out before noon! Emmm, sedapnya!
Halal
Address: Mee Bandung Central, MM 61 KR LOT 1440 BT 1, ¾, Tanjung Agas, Jalan Kesang, 84000, Johor.
Contact: +6012-705 4950
- Asam Pedas
Who isn’t acquainted with this sour and spicy dish that makes you have plate after plate of steaming rice. Tamarind juice and chili paste make up the base of this tangy broth, predominantly cooked with fish like stingray, red snapper and tilapia. Okra and tomatoes are added. The unmistakable fragrance of this dish comes from Vietnamese coriander or daun kesum. Served with ulam (raw herbs) and sambal belacan, you will be pouring Asam Pedas Anisofea’s gravy on your first, second or maybe even third plate of rice! Be prepared to sweat a little from the spiciness but totally worth the flavors that burst in your mouth!
Halal
Address: Asam Pedas Anisofea: G07 Block, 4, Jalan Mutiara Emas 9/3, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6012-717 3477
- Kacang Pool
Don’t be fooled that you will be swimming in a pool of beans from the name of this dish! Bearing resemblance to the Maghrebi shakshouka and Egyptian ful medames, this rich dish consists of fava beans cooked with spices and sometimes minced meat. It also resembles Mexican chili con carne, so you’re basically having a melange of influences in one dish! A single sunny-side up egg is placed on top of the stew followed by lime halves, green chili slivers and sliced red onion. For dipping, thick slices of Hainanese toast are served alongside. Visit Restoran Kacang Pool Haji for breakfast and feast on this rich bean stew. Leave there satiated and say khalas habibi!
Halal
Address: Restoran Kacang Pool Haji, Anjung Selera Foodcourt, 80350 Larkin, Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6013-737 7997
- Burasak
Many Johor residents are Bugis descendants and one of their famous dishes is burasak. Rice is steamed until half-cooked before mixing in with coconut milk and bay leaves. This half-cooked rice-coconut milk mixture is wrapped in banana leaves into a pillow shape. These parcels are then steamed till fully cooked. Burasak is commonly accompanied by serunding, rendang or sambal kacang. Madi Best Cafe in Pasir Gudang is one of the few purveyors who make a mean burasak! Taking in bulk orders as well, their name is a strong one in the burasak arena! Tak rasa, memang rugi!
Halal
Address: Madi Best Cafe, 26, Jalan Pelanduk 6, Taman Scientex, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor.
Contact: +6013-724 7556
- Nasi Ambeng
Popular among the Javanese community in Johor, nasi ambeng is similar to nasi campur (mixed rice) as it contains rice and a host of dishes to accompany your rice. Traditionally served in cones of banana leaves, nasi ambeng can sometimes include fried noodles! During special occasions, nasi ambeng is served communal-style on large trays lined with banana leaves. Expect snaking queues at Mat Corner Nasi Ambeng! They are so good that every table you see has at least 2 plates of this hearty rice dish! For the best experience, get in there with your hands and feed yourself mouthfuls of rice before licking your fingers clean!
Halal
Address: Mat Corner Nasi Ambang, 22, Jalan Padi Mahsuri 13, Bandar Baru Uda, 81200 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +6019-724 4798
- “San Lou” Fried Bee Hoon
We are acquainted with Singapore style fried bee hoon and mee siam. But “san lou” bee hoon is in a class of its own. After the bee hoon is stir fried, it is flattened on the base of the wok which is super hot. This elevates the wok hei or “taste of the wok” in the noodle dish. The noodles in contact with the wok chars and creates a crispy base. It is then flipped onto a plate, almost like a brown omelet in appearance. It is a dying dish and is really hard to find nowadays. If you want to savor this Chinese dish before it all but disappears, locate Restoran Ah Meng which still cooks up this traditional favorite. Once you taste it, you will say hen hao chi!
Non-halal
Address: Restoran Ah Meng, 38, Jalan Sultanah Aminah, Taman Iskandar, 80050 Johor Bahru.
Contact: +607-334 8634
Written by Kartini Kannan
