Best Popiah in Johor Bahru (JB)

Walking through this bustling food scene is known to cause unrelenting hunger pangs. Myriad of mouthwatering local dishes are constantly churned out piping hot, where each step forward greets your nostrils with an alluring aroma that just amps up your salivation. For a quick popiah fix, make your way to the humble Popiah stall where a team of husband and wife is promptly preparing spring rolls, thin rice wrappers wedged with shredded yam bean, carrots, fresh salad and bean sprouts, then paired with an addictive sauce. The perfect starter before moving to the mains. 

Spanning more than 13 years, Sisters Crispy Popiah is a popular brand that has magnetised clienteles to scarf down a range of delectable batons. Offering the best of both world - soft egg roll encased and resoundingly crisp deep-fried popiah, the real draw here is the fillings where prawns, chicken, cheese and crabstick lures to be a part of the bundle. Chopped into smaller bites, it’s coupled with a lip-smacking sauce. 

Saigon Cafe is highly regarded as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in town, and what is Vietnamese food without spring rolls! Tuck yourself in the cozy and clean space embellished with colourful lanterns with Civet Cat coffee by the side, a traditional cuppa. Crystal-clear sheets of rice paper encapsulate the shredded jicama, cucumber, and fresh lettuce then chopped and stacked like a mini-bouquet and smeared with spicy sauce. Another rendition is for cracking spring roll lovers, where the delightful deep-fried batons sit on a nest of fresh salad and topped with Vietnamese cold noodles then generously scattered with roasted nuts as well as fried pork.  

Certainly an Instagram-worthy restaurant that is adorned with nostalgic ornaments, lightings as well as wall murals that bring Nyonya culture before your eyes. Among the best-selling appetizers are their thick spring rolls.  Marinated jicama, lettuce, and bean sprouts are arrested together with a semi-lucid rice sheets and accompanied with a chili sauce. As they are never skimp on the fillings, those with small appetite might be a little full, therefore, its best shared among your convives, before heading to the luscious mains. 

Looking for comfort Western fare with reasonable price tags? Make your way to this brightly-lid and neat cafe at Mount Austin. Look beyond mushroom soup and Manhattan clam chowder which are the most popular starters, and opt for their spring roll, the appetizing dark horse on the menu. Taking the humble finger food to a whole new level, Anmour Cafe has wedged chunks of fresh crab meat into the rice paper roll, along shredded yam bean and lettuce. The plump parcel is then showered with Thai Mango Dressing and addictive chili sauce by the side. 

This charming restaurant can be easily identified with its Peranakan style backdrop. Staying true to the theme, expect an authentic Nyonya cuisine that is wildly vaunted among the vicinity. The best way to whet your appetite is to start with their popiah, smooth egg wraps elegantly envelopes the julienned lettuce, herbs, and bean sprouts, then drizzled with their homemade chili sauce and sliced into pieces. Shove the dainty morsel in your mouth at one go, close your eyes and savour the moment of flavours and textures bursting to the fore.