Hiap Joo Bakery: Famous JB Banana Cake With Over 100 Years Of History

Hiap Joo Bakery in JB has famous banana cake and old-school buns

During my recent visit to Johor Bahru (JB), my friend was really hyped up about Hiap Joo Bakery—touted to be the best banana cake bakery in JB. Even though we didn’t want to be stereotyped as kiasu Singaporeans who love queueing, we still unashamedly stood in line for an hour to get our hands on these goodies.

Image credit: @ivanafoodjournal

If you didn’t know, Hiap Joo has been around since 1919. The secret to their popular banana cakes is the high-quality bananas they use in their cakes, which are freshly baked in a wood-fired oven. If you’re lucky enough, you might even get yours piping hot, fresh out of the furnace.

When we went in the morning, there was already a long queue. TBH, the wait is not usually too long, unless they run out of banana cakes—in which case you must wait for a fresh batch. Even so, be ready to queue as we did since it might be hard to predict when they replenish their goods. 

Upon taking the first bite of their Banana Cake, we thought the texture was just right. These squares were moist, fluffy, and not too dense. The banana taste was also on the milder side. For RM12/~S$3.40 for 10 pieces, we thought it was very affordable too.

If you think it is not worth travelling down just for banana cake, you’ll be pleased to know that Hiap Joo has more to offer. They also have Butter Cake and Coffee Cake, both priced at RM15/~S$4.30 for 10 slices in a box. However, these are only available on Tuesday mornings, so you’ll have to plan your visit accordingly.

Image credit: @lisaffair

They also have an array of freshly baked buns that many customers love. You can choose from options including Coconut, Red Bean, Butter Sugar, and Kaya, priced at RM5/~S$1.40 for four buns.

Image credit: @fatboygoodeats

For something more savoury, go for their addictive Otak-Otak, which stars spiced fish cake tucked in their soft buns. This is priced at RM5/~S$1.60 for two buns. 

Hiap Joo Bakery is located at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, a six-minute drive from the Sultan Iskandar Building AKA Customs Checkpoint if you’re entering from the Woodlands-Johor causeway. The bakery closes once everything is sold out, so we recommend visiting early! 

If you want more food recommendations in JB, check out our guide to the best Johor Bahru hawker food. Or if you prefer cafe fare, we’ve also scouted out the best Johor Bahru cafes to visit, including a hidden glasshouse dessert spot!

Address: 13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am to 4:30pm
Tel: +60 7-223 1703
Hiap Joo Bakery is a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Paula Formantes and edited by Maisie Chong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg