Restoran Gim Cheng: Long-Queue JB Eatery With Affordable Dim Sum Under $2

Restoran Gim Cheng has cheap dim sum in Johor Bahru

Mount Austin in Johor Bahru (JB) is a food paradise for Singaporeans. Travel just a little outside that area, and you will find hidden gems such as Restoran Gim Cheng, also known as Gim Cheng Dim Sum Restaurant, in Taman Daya. This place offers a wide variety of dim sum dishes at cheap prices under $2.

This restaurant is said to have more than 50 varieties of dim sum, including their own creations.

The wide selection includes fried dim sum such as the Fried Wanton (RM6.60/~S$1.90). This was stuffed with minced pork and bits of crab stick. When we tried them, we also liked the tang of the mayonnaise served on the side for dipping.

The more common dim sum such as carrot cake is cooked differently from the ones we are used to. Their Carrot Cake (RM7/~S$2) is deep-fried in a thin batter, giving it a lovely layer of crispy skin on the outside, and a soft bite within.

We loved how this paired well with their house-made garlic chilli sauce, which added a pleasant mild kick.

For steamed dim sum, there’s the Prawn Dumpling (RM6.60/~S$1.90), which tasted fresh with a juicy and meaty filling. The texture of the Prawn Dumpling was zhng-ed up thanks to the addition of shredded carrots.

This Pork and Vegetable Dumpling (RM6.30/~S$1.80) had a generous amount of ingredients stuffed in the delicate glass-like skin. The vegetables inside had a subtle bitterness, pairing well with a subtle sweetness marinated into the pork.

Their Siew Mai (RM6.30/~S$1.80) was anything but plain and we found them to be super juicy. We recommend dipping this in their house-made garlic chilli sauce to make these morsels of meat extra flavourful.

Gim Cheng is a self-service restaurant. This means that after ordering drinks from the waiters, you would have to bring the order chit to the respective booths in the restaurant. There are three booths in total: a fried food booth, a steamed food booth, and a booth for congee and bao.

The restaurant closes early at 1pm, with popular dishes sold out by late morning. So make your way down ASAP to avoid disappointment!

For more dim sum-related content, read our list of the best dim sum in Singapore. Alternatively, read our guide to the best Johor Bahru cafes.

Address: 2 Jalan Sagu 36, Taman Daya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 7am to 1pm
Tel: +60 16-712 1257
Gim Cheng Dim Sum Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Hor Kia Ee.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg