Best Hokkien Mee in Johor Bahru (JB)

Just the mention of Hokkien Mee and the locals would direct you to this renowned restaurant, where you can proudly bring over your foreign friends and rave about this luscious dish. A generous portion of yellow noodles suffused with gooey and sweet-savoury dark soy sauced with a handful of Chinese cabbage and prawns complete the crowd-favourite. Each mouthful greets you with little surprises of crunchy lard morsels and their homemade chilli concoction rounds up a flawless meal. If you’re keen for a good side dish, opt for their BBQ pork. 

Our Hokkien Mee prowl got us to this unassuming restaurant that is widely praised by the locals of all ages. They have been churning out delicious stir-fried noodles for decades and the current generation still lives up to the reputation. This gleaming plate of goodness is rather more gravy-like, and less salty and less heavy on the lard, yet lends a nice wok hei aroma to the yellow noodles, prawns, and crunchy greens. If you need another reason to visit, their fish cakes are wonderful. 

A rustic restaurant that was so focused on the dishes, they never had a name till the locals stamped one for them. Named after the vicinity, this no-frills eatery is well regarded for their hor fun.  Another pull of the punters is their Hokkien Mee, which is equally well executed. The real deal here is the open kitchen, be amazed by the adroit stirring skills and fire control by the master that will have your eyes peeled till the full of fragrance dish is placed before you. Straight off the wok, the yellow noodles, fish cakes and fried chicken innards flood in murky gravy that is worth polishing the plate clean. 

Nestled in a bustling restaurant, this modest stall is less than a year old yet has attracted plenty of the neighbourhood crowd. What set them apart are the plump prawns and fish cakes that are liberally loaded onto the noodles and gently perfumed broth. Another big perk here is the sambal concoction that comes along, sinfully oily and spicy, just the way we Malaysians adore. If you beg to differ, opt for their dry version, which is ladled with dry chilli concoction and similar toppings, reminds you of pan mee but it’s a whole league of its own. You sense a challenge here, your taste buds is always in for another round. 

This bustling food court is truly a good stopover to savour your tummy with a range of local delights. Among the most buzzed stall is the Hokkien Mee that has been operating for many years. This dry version dish is prepared over high heat with a mixture of noodles and generous thump of prawns as well as char siew pork. Every mouthful oozes with the perfect balance of taste and texture and does resonate the Singaporean version with a dollop of sambal and wedge of lime by the side.

A typical Kopitiam that has always been in brisk business, both lunch and dinner hours. The best sellers here is the Ipoh Char Koey Teow, but if you fancy something slurp-worthy, especially on the colder days, make your way to the Penang-style Hokkien Mee stall. The broth is light and has strong prawn flavours just like an authentic one from the food-obsessed island.  The stands of yellow noodles, bean sprouts, fried onions, prawns and hard-boiled egg just elevates the whole experience. Slurping becomes a standard when you’re served with an impeccable bowl like this.