Singapore is not short of good food, but Johor Bahru is also a fantastic destination for good and affordable eats set amidst a quick getaway. The zi char eateries there are renowned for being full-flavoured, with heritage recipes passed down through generations. If you’re in Johor Bahru craving a hearty meal, check out these JB zi char eateries.
The current exchange rate is RM1 = ~S$0.30 as of 28 October 2024.
Kicking off the list is Restoran Teck Sing, a popular and well-priced JB zi char restaurant in Taman Sentosa. With more than 70 items on the menu here, you’re simply spoiled for choice. Favourites with the crowd here are Egg with Salted Turnips (RM12/16), Fish Head with Black Bean Sauce (RM30), and Sambal Kang Kong (RM13), said to be served with a house-made sambal.
Read our Restoran Teck Sing feature.
Address: 3&5, Jalan Sutera 1, Taman Sentosa, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Fri-Sun 11am to 8:30pm
Website
Restoran Teck Sing is not a halal-certified eatery.
Restoran Ah Kaw claims to be the creator of a Johor signature: San Lou Bee Hoon, AKA chao ta bee hoon. This eatery has been around the block and back since its founding in 1979, so it’s unsurprising that they do a whole host of other zi char dishes well.
Do not leave Ah Kaw without trying their extra tasty San Lou Bee Hoon (from RM10)—despite the blackened, charred top, the bee hoon remains moist and tender. Pro tip: ask for some belacan to go along with it! Their Curry Asam Fish Head (RM45/55/65) and Hokkien Mee (RM10/15/19) are more than worth a trip here too.
Read our Restoran Ah Kaw feature.
Address: 33, Jalan Perang, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Restoran Ah Kaw is not a halal-certified eatery.
Established in 1987, Restoran Sulam is yet another zi char institution that you ought to put on your JB zi char list. While Chinese-owned and not halal-certified, they’re Muslim-friendly. Owner Mr Teh personally created all the recipes for the food he serves, and is now training his son to take over the reins so you’ll still get to enjoy their Kari Kepala Ikan, AKA Curry Fish Head (RM42 to RM68) in time to come.
They used to make the Otak-Otak (RM8/16) in-house, but manpower crunches have forced them to outsource this. Mr Teh says it’s almost as good as what he used to make, and we’ll agree that it’s still an above-average rendition. Another noteworthy dish is Sotong Goreng Kunyit (RM22 to RM34), an earthy, super crisp alternative to your usual salted egg sotong.
Read our Restoran Sulam feature.
Address: 51, Jalan Sulam, Taman Sentosa, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 11am to 3:30pm, 5pm to 9pm, Wed 11am to 3:30pm
Website
Restoran Sulam is not a halal-certified eatery.
Another old dame of the JB zi char scene is Restoran New Lucky Seafood, serving up zi char for over 40 years. One of their bestselling dishes is Kway Teow (price TBD), a smoky, wok hei-filled CKT laced with fresh cockles and cubes of fried pork lard.
FYI, there’s no physical menu here, so you’re dependent on the goodwill of the waitstaff, and—if you sit outside—the boards showcasing their signature dishes, with no prices. The claypot Yam Pork Ribs (from RM70++) were an interesting recommendation, braised in a peppery orh nee-like yam paste which taste reminded us of Teochew-style BKT. For a safer and hassle-free choice, get their Boneless Chicken (RM90++) instead.
Read our Restoran New Lucky feature.
Address: 1-5, Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 11:15am to 10:45pm
Website
Restoran New Lucky is not a halal-certified eatery.
Hit up this halal-certified seafood spot if you’re looking for cheap eats. Imagine our surprise when the bill at Ong Shun Seafood Restaurant came up to RM91.80, making it one of the cheapest zi char meals we had during our trip considering our order of five items.
On the seafood front, there are six different sauces to choose from just for clams alone. There’s the familiar sambal (RM15) and black pepper (RM15) as well as lesser-seen variations such as dry curry (RM15) and black bean sauce (RM15). Pair these fresh clams with a comforting bowl of soup: Bitter Gourd Soup (RM3.50), Fish Maw and Seaweed Soup (RM12), and Tomyam Seafood Soup (RM12) are just some crowd-favourites here.
Read our Ong Shun Seafood Restaurant feature.
Address: 67, Jalan Abdul Samad, Kampung Bahru, 80100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1pm to 12am
Website
Ong Shun Seafood Restaurant is a halal-certified eatery.
If you didn’t get a chance to dine at Restoran New Lucky, that’s alright, because you could also try Restoran Zhen Wei, which similarly serves seafood and other zi char dishes. The chef-owner here used to be sous chef at New Lucky, and each restaurant has its own league of fans.
Their menu is divided into three categories: fish, soup, and chicken. Seafood fans can consider between the Grouper (RM12/100g) and Stingray (RM10/100g) as these are touted to be crowd-favourites. Alternatively, meat lovers can opt for the popular Claypot Ginger Kampung Chicken (RM35/70) or Dried Chilli Boneless Chicken (RM18/28/38) as it’s difficult to go wrong with either.
Address: 1, Jalan Setia 7/18, Taman Setia Indah, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10pm
Website
Restoran Zhen Wei is not a halal-certified eatery.
Housed in a building by the waterfront, Selera Senibong Seafood is another halal seafood option.Here, you’ll find tanks upon tanks of live seafood for you to pick your dinner from. If that’s not fresh enough, the seafood in these tanks can lay claim to being fresh from Senibong Cove, right where the restaurant is.
Image credit: Jeff W
They’re most known for their Spicy Chilli Sauce Crab and Golden Salted Egg Prawn, among a dizzing array of other seafood—charged at market price. There’s also a Sotong Goreng Tepung that’s said to be most sedap too. If that’s not enough, they’re open till 12am daily, so you could even hop over the causeway for a seafood supper!
Address: Permas Jaya, 81750 Masai, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 5pm to 12am
Website
Selera Senibong Seafood is a halal-certified eatery.
Somewhat closer to the causeway than Ah Kaw is Restoran Ah Meng, which doles out almost the same fare as the former. Unlike other imitations around, though, Ah Meng is run by Ah Kaw’s son-in-law himself, so you might say this is as close as it gets.
Here, you’ll find Ah Meng MeeHoon (RM11/20) alongside the usual suspects of Shrimp Paste Chicken (RM18/25/35) and Curry Fish Head (RM45/55/80). The Curry Ribs (RM28/55) are said to be pretty good too.
Address: 38, Jalan Sultanah Aminah, Taman Iskandar, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Mon, Wed & Thurs 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am to 11pm
Website
Restoran Ah Meng is not a halal-certified eatery.
You’ll need to find a friend who’s a reliably good navigator and driver to bring along to Restoran Todak, another waterfront, halal seafood option to consider. Unlike the other waterfront seafood eatery on our list, you’ll get to dine al fresco by the sea here, on a wooden platform on stilts, with the waves just beneath you.
Definitely order the Indonesian Crabs here, for a spicy, lemak gravy that complements the fresh shellfish superbly. Other dishes you can go for include Oysters, Pearl scallops, and Australian Lobster to best savour the freshness of the seafood, and Tiger Prawns. As with live seafood, these are all charged according to market prices.
Address: 1, Jalan Dedaru 11, Kampung Teluk Jawa, 81750 Masai, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 11:30pm
Restoran Todak is a halal-certified eatery.
Unlike all the other entries on this list, Pelangi City isn’t a restaurant or standalone eatery, but a stall in a food centre. The stall is a one-man show, so be prepared to wait if there’s a crowd. What most people come here for is the Curry Fish Head (seasonal price), which is said to have a creamy, savoury gravy with a touch of acidity.
Another signature dish that is highly recommended is Kangkong Sotong (price TBD), glazed with a house-made sambal sauce. Alternatively, get yourself an order of Udang Indonesia (price TBD), or Daging Goreng (RM6), AKA gu lou yok or sweet sour pork.
Address: Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 5:30pm to 10pm
Pelangi City is not a halal-certified eatery.
These 10 JB zi char places are barely the tip of the iceberg if you’re thinking of heading to Joho Bahru for a good makan sesh.
If you’re planning your itinerary, read our Johor Bahru cafe guide for a Y2K-themed cafe, Korean cake shop and more. Alternatively, check out the best breakfast spots in JB.
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