Seafood and Kopitiam Breakfasts in Johor Bahru and Desaru

Part of the Johor Bahru and Desaru travel guide — see every topic in All Johor Bahru and Desaru Guides.

Food is one of the main reasons people cross from Singapore to Johor Bahru. The city mixes Malay, Chinese and other local cooking, and prices are lower than across the border. You can start the day with toast and coffee in an old kopitiam, eat noodles for lunch at a hawker stall and finish with a big seafood dinner. Many of the best places are simple, with plastic chairs and fans instead of air conditioning.

Kopitiam breakfasts

A kopitiam is a traditional coffee shop. Breakfast here is simple and cheap. The classic order is toast with kaya, a sweet coconut and egg jam, and a slice of cold butter, with two soft-boiled eggs that you mix with soy sauce and white pepper. The coffee is strong and often sweetened with condensed milk. Order kopi for coffee with milk, kopi O for black coffee with sugar, and teh for tea with milk. Many kopitiams in the old town open early in the morning and sell out of popular items before noon, so go early.

Local dishes to try

Laksa Johor is a local noodle dish made with spaghetti-style noodles in a thick fish and coconut gravy, with fresh herbs and sambal. Mee rebus is yellow noodles in a sweet and spicy potato-based gravy, topped with egg and lime. Otak-otak is fish paste mixed with spices and grilled in a leaf, and it is sold at many stalls as a snack. Nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut milk with sambal, egg and crispy anchovies, is a good breakfast on the go. Look for the busiest stalls, as a long local queue is usually a good sign.

Seafood dinners

Johor Bahru is famous for seafood. Large open-air restaurants near the coast serve crabs, prawns, clams and whole fish. Popular choices are chilli crab, black pepper crab, salted egg prawns and steamed or grilled fish. You usually choose live seafood from tanks and pay by weight, so ask the price before they cook it. Many people go in groups and share several dishes with rice or fried buns. Areas such as Danga Bay and the seafood villages along the western coast are popular. Some places are far from the centre, so take a ride-hailing car.

Night markets and food courts

Night markets, called pasar malam, move to different areas on different nights. They sell grilled meat on sticks, fried snacks, fresh fruit juices, desserts and cheap clothes. The stalls open in the late afternoon and stay busy until late evening. If you prefer air conditioning, every big mall has a food court with many local dishes in one place. Food courts are clean, easy and good for trying several dishes. Most stalls are halal, and many Chinese stalls also serve pork, so check signs if this matters to you.

Seafood and Kopitiam Breakfasts at a glance

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